Timing for flight home?

[ldietiker]

I searched but could not find a thread devoted to this. I'm planning my first cruise with DCL for next May and we're planning on flying home to Michigan on the day we return to port.

My question: What time is it reasonable to expect to arrive back to MCO after disembarking? I haven't decided if we'll get a town car or ride the DCL bus, but either would work for us. However, I'd like to look into plane flights earlier than later.

Also, how often is the ship late to port? In other words, how timely is she? Is it very unpredictable, so that I'd want to give a lengthy time cushion?

Thanks!

 

[mmouse37]

I searched but could not find a thread devoted to this. I'm planning my first cruise with DCL for next May and we're planning on flying home to Michigan on the day we return to port.

My question: What time is it reasonable to expect to arrive back to MCO after disembarking? I haven't decided if we'll get a town car or ride the DCL bus, but either would work for us. However, I'd like to look into plane flights earlier than later.

Also, how often is the ship late to port? In other words, how timely is she? Is it very unpredictable, so that I'd want to give a lengthy time cushion?

Thanks!

Travel time is about 1 hour or so and DCL recommends flights at 12:30 or after but you can reasonably expect to make a flight around 11:00 or so. DCL wants everyone off the ship by the latest, 9:30 am.

MJ

 

[tvguy]

12:30 pm on is in Disney's safe zone. We got hung up in a security backup at MCO. We were there by 10:15, and in the secuirty line at 10:30, but our 12:35 pm flight was already boarding by the time we cleared security.

 

[ldietiker]

12:30 pm on is in Disney's safe zone. We got hung up in a security backup at MCO. We were there by 10:15, and in the secuirty line at 10:30, but our 12:35 pm flight was already boarding by the time we cleared security.

OMG! That's pretty amazing. I was considering booking a noon flight (because of cost and a nicer connection) but now I'm worried.

Can other people chime in about their experience? What time did you get to MCO and what time was your flight?

Thanks again!

 

[ajsfamdisneyfan]

OMG! That's pretty amazing. I was considering booking a noon flight (because of cost and a nicer connection) but now I'm worried.

Can other people chime in about their experience? What time did you get to MCO and what time was your flight?

Thanks again!

Had a 4ish pm flight back home to L.A. from MCO last December...VEEEERRRY GLAD I chose the late afternoon flight!!!

Got off the ship around 9 am. And was picking up our rental car around 10ish. One of the rental car's tire had an accident and we had to sit and wait almost an hour just to get another car plus we hit some traffic driving to the airport. IF I had booked a flight home around noon...we would have NEVER made it.

After all the chaos, we arrived at the airport closer to 2 pm. We just hung out for a while...ate...relaxed and wait till our flight home started boarding. Personally, I prefer mid to late afternoon flights back home if I am flying on disembarkation day. You never know what's going to happen so it's best to leave some room for anything that may occur at the last minute.