Toronto Pearson Hotel INSIDE airport? and Customs help

[chimo2u]

I am thinking about taking a WJ flight out from Edmonton (dep around 5pm. arrive Toronto at 11pm) to Toronto for my October 2012 trip, and staying the night in Toronto and then picking up the 10:00 am flight and arrive in Orlando for 1:30 pm....instead of flying on the redeye. I don't want to have to wait for a 4.5 hr. layover in Toronto if I where to fly the redeye....At least if I fly in the night before, we can get some sleep and be semi-refreshed the next morning!
Question....There is a hotel inside the airport (sheraton gateway???) is there not?? I would like to stay inside the airport and make the next morning process as easy as possible for checking into the second leg of the flight.

Also, how does customs work flying West Jet?? I know for AirCAnada we had to collect our bags and then transfer them to a belt after going through customs....this process almost cost us our connection on my last trip, wondering if the process is the same flying with WEst Jet.

Thanks for any advice to make the trip smoother for us I am not a seasoned traveler, so any advice/input is much appreciated!
Hoping the Flights to Orlando become more affordable as the new year arrives I need to purchase 3 tickets!

 

[jseuss]

yes you are correct as the hotel is the sheraton hotel and it is in terminal 3 (same terminal as west jet). Yes when you fly westjet you will have to clear U.S customs at pearson also the same way you did for A/C

 

[ccudmore]

If you go to http://www.airportwayfinder.com/wayfinders/yyz/ there's a series of videos about how all of the connecting flights work at Pearson. Select Terminal 3 Connections (WestJet flies through T3) and then Canada to U.S. It will provide you with a detailed walk-through of exactly what you'll see and what to do.

 

[tgropp]

The Sheraton Gateway is a great hotel. It is just across the road from the terminal but has a covered walkway which makes it connected to the airport. When booking your room, keep an eye on the rates as a friend of mine had a room booked @ $169.00 for his Dec Jamaica trip and then last week he noticed it on the Sheraton site for $109.00.

 

[4stroke]

Hi Chimo,

I would recommend an airport hotel nearby YYZ. If you have ever used Priceline or Hotwire, you can easily get a room nearby for 65-70CAD, with a shuttle to the airport.

Yes, the Sheraton Gateway is attached to T3 at YYZ....you will likely pay a premium for that convenience. I'd recommend looking at Expedia or travelocity at least for a hotel nearby. I'm sure you could get one cheaper that has a shuttle.

If flying WestJet to MCO, yes, you will pre-clear US customs in YYZ. If its an early a.m departure, I'd plan to be arriving at T3 no later than 3 hrs prior to flight departure. Customs and security can be backed up. You don't want to be rushed.

There are minor food options post-security, unfortunately.

The way i think of it....earlier to YYZ (or any airport) means less stress to MCO, and a more enjoyable Disney experience!!!!

Have fun!!

4Stroke

 

[chimo2u]

Hi Chimo,

I would recommend an airport hotel nearby YYZ. If you have ever used Priceline or Hotwire, you can easily get a room nearby for 65-70CAD, with a shuttle to the airport.

Yes, the Sheraton Gateway is attached to T3 at YYZ....you will likely pay a premium for that convenience. I'd recommend looking at Expedia or travelocity at least for a hotel nearby. I'm sure you could get one cheaper that has a shuttle.

If flying WestJet to MCO, yes, you will pre-clear US customs in YYZ. If its an early a.m departure, I'd plan to be arriving at T3 no later than 3 hrs prior to flight departure. Customs and security can be backed up. You don't want to be rushed.

There are minor food options post-security, unfortunately.

The way i think of it....earlier to YYZ (or any airport) means less stress to MCO, and a more enjoyable Disney experience!!!!

Have fun!!

4Stroke

Thank you 4stroke I feel better about knowing which hotel I'll be in rather than leaving it to chance with hotwire/ priceline...I have never bid on a hotel and dont' feel comfortable going that route.....Also, to me, the security of having my hotel inside/attached to the airport is worth the premium as I am travelling alone with my 2 boys....I feel comfortable knowing I can just get up, and walk to our departure gate pretty much I found a decent price ($126) for the night, so I booked the Gateway. I recieved an email that I could upgrade to club for the night for a price of $50.....I know that makes my hotel a little more costly, but in the end, I am ok with the price knowing we will be safe, have a short walk, not be leaving the airport, and will have breakfast included......I know I could probably have done this for $70 or so cheaper, but the uncertainty of the bidding process was not worth it to me....also Sheraton Gateway recieved many happy customer reviews on Trip Advisor, so I know it is a pretty decent place
Thanks for the customs info....I plan on being finished breakfast and at the airport by 8 am for our 10:30 flight...I think that will give us more than enough time to get through all the security/customs, etc....also another plus of having breakfast on the club lounge, we won't have to scrounge for airport food, we can just concentrate on readying ourselves for the flight once we get to the terminal

 

[Cdn Friends of Pooh]

Also, how does customs work flying West Jet?? I know for AirCAnada we had to collect our bags and then transfer them to a belt after going through customs....this process almost cost us our connection on my last trip, wondering if the process is the same flying with WEst Jet.

If flying WestJet to MCO, yes, you will pre-clear US customs in YYZ. If its an early a.m departure, I'd plan to be arriving at T3 no later than 3 hrs prior to flight departure. Customs and security can be backed up. You don't want to be rushed.

This is one of the reasons we love flying on a US carrier out of Edmonton - we clear US customs in Edmonton and don't have to worry about the hassle in Toronto ...

 

[chimo2u]

This is one of the reasons we love flying on a US carrier out of Edmonton - we clear US customs in Edmonton and don't have to worry about the hassle in Toronto ...

Hi Bonny and Lee Unfortunately the schedules are pretty awful on the US carriers....I want to get to Orlando early on Saturday, like before noon, or shortly after.....I would like to have a half day at least left to explore and utilize my ticket for the day

West Jet has the best schedule...I've been scouring every airline page I can....and West Jet is looking like the best schedule for us right now....Fly out to Toronto on Friday early eve. from Edmonton.....and then only have a short hop on Sat. Morning....arriving in Orlando by 1 pm....

I did like pre-clearing customs on the US flights we had in Jan 2008, but I hated UNITED!

YUCK!!! so, hopefully....West Jet's pricing will come down some before we book!

 

[Cdn Friends of Pooh]

Hi Bonny and Lee Unfortunately the schedules are pretty awful on the US carriers....I want to get to Orlando early on Saturday, like before noon, or shortly after.....I would like to have a half day at least left to explore and utilize my ticket for the day

West Jet has the best schedule...I've been scouring every airline page I can....and West Jet is looking like the best schedule for us right now....Fly out to Toronto on Friday early eve. from Edmonton.....and then only have a short hop on Sat. Morning....arriving in Orlando by 1 pm....

I did like pre-clearing customs on the US flights we had in Jan 2008, but I hated UNITED!

YUCK!!! so, hopefully....West Jet's pricing will come down some before we book!

I totally understand ... it's all really personal preference. For us, the US carriers have been cheaper than either WJ or AC for our travel dates and their schedules aren't terrible. Also we don't want to have to stay overnight in Toronto (or Calgary) and yes we technically lose a day at the parks our arrival day, but our stopover is usually just over an hour which gives us a chance to stretch our legs. You're also right that most of the US carriers don't have entertainment, but we know that and plan accordingly by taking along our iPods, etc.