Travel time - plane landing to resort

[annmarieda]

I really should know the answer to this. It isn't like I haven't been enough times to WDW to know. I am trying to get an average time it takes from plane landing to arriving at the resort. I am considering not flying into MCO and using DME but rather flying into TPA and renting a car. All of my estimations put TPA only being about 30 minutes longer (yes, I know the drive is technically longer but given that we would not have to wait for DME to depart and make multiple stops... )

So if any of you could give me your estimated times it would be great. Start with your landing time, time to get off the plane, factor in a restroom break, walk to DME, wait on DME to finish loading and then the time it takes DME to drop you off at your resort.

For me this is what I am thinking...

Time to deplane = 15 minutes
Restroom break = 15 minutes
Walk to DME = 15 minutes
Wait for DME to finish loading = 15 minutes
Drive to Resort assuming at least one stop = 45 minutes

Total time 1 hour and 45 minutes

vs. at TPA

Time to deplane = 15 minutes
Restroom break = 15 minutes
Walk to and retrieve luggage and rental car (family can get luggage while I get car) = 30 minutes
Drive to Resort = 75 minutes

Total Time = 2 hours 15 minutes.

Honestly, am I feel like even the time it takes us normally to get from landing to resort is closer to 2 hours with DME. Maybe then it would be even longer than the 2 hours and 15 from TPA?

We are headed to Sarasota after our week in the world, so flying home from Tampa works nicely. The flight to Tampa is a total of $312 less for the four of us. It leaves home an hour later than the flight to MCO. (but arrives an hour later than the flight to MCO) Rental car would cost us about $100 more, but we would have it for 11 days rather than just 7. I have been going rounds all week about this and I need to pull the trigger before the option is no longer available.

TIA!!!

 

[goofy4tink]

Figure about 90 mins from gate to resort. Note...I say gate, not landing. There is no way to tell how long it will take to get to the gate once on the ground. I have used DME more times than I can remember...most times are hovering around 75 mins, with a few less than that and one taking 90 mins.
Landing at Tampa? It will be about 45 mins from plane to baggage to car. Then, add in about 80 mins to drive...at least. The shortest time I've had, between TPA and WDW is 70 mins...and that was at 7am on Easter morning!! Little to no traffic!
It will take you longer to get from Tampa to WDW than from MCO to WDW.

It has never, ever taken me more than 90 mins from gate to resort.

 

[sam_gordon]

Figure about 90 mins from gate to resort. Note...I say gate, not landing. There is no way to tell how long it will take to get to the gate once on the ground. I have used DME more times than I can remember...most times are hovering around 75 mins, with a few less than that and one taking 90 mins.
Landing at Tampa? It will be about 45 mins from plane to baggage to car. Then, add in about 80 mins to drive...at least. The shortest time I've had, between TPA and WDW is 70 mins...and that was at 7am on Easter morning!! Little to no traffic!
It will take you longer to get from Tampa to WDW than from MCO to WDW.

It has never, ever taken me more than 90 mins from gate to resort.

I'll trust goofy who has made the trips, but using her times, you're looking at an extra 30-45 minutes to fly into Tampa. Personally, to save $300 AND it makes it an "easier" trip, I'd go through Tampa.

 

[annmarieda]

Figure about 90 mins from gate to resort. Note...I say gate, not landing. There is no way to tell how long it will take to get to the gate once on the ground. I have used DME more times than I can remember...most times are hovering around 75 mins, with a few less than that and one taking 90 mins.
Landing at Tampa? It will be about 45 mins from plane to baggage to car. Then, add in about 80 mins to drive...at least. The shortest time I've had, between TPA and WDW is 70 mins...and that was at 7am on Easter morning!! Little to no traffic!
It will take you longer to get from Tampa to WDW than from MCO to WDW.

It has never, ever taken me more than 90 mins from gate to resort.

While I don't know if it usually takes us less than 90... I am sure it has taken longer. Last month we landed at 7:30 and were not to the resort until just before 10pm. I don't know exactly...so I will call it 9:45. I do know that Boatwrigths was about to close when we arrived... and they close at 10pm. So this was over 2 hours. I know I have had other times it took at least 2 hours... but I do feel like I have been lucky and had it take far less.

So with Tampa I should figure 90 minute drive on top of the time it takes to get from gate to the car. I think I was estimating longer than you.. about an hour. So that would be 2.5 hours total.

I still come up with about 30 minutes difference on average. What am I missing?

 

[annmarieda]

I'll trust goofy who has made the trips, but using her times, you're looking at an extra 30-45 minutes to fly into Tampa. Personally, to save $300 AND it makes it an "easier" trip, I'd go through Tampa.

Ok, so maybe 30 on average like I am thinking. The fact that the return would not require me to drive back to MCO from Sarasota and it is cheaper probably tips the scales for me....

It is just something different and unknown.... and honestly, I am a fan of DME.... I love not having to collect my luggage and having it magically show up in my room.

 

[goofy4tink]

While I don't know if it usually takes us less than 90... I am sure it has taken longer. Last month we landed at 7:30 and were not to the resort until just before 10pm. I don't know exactly...so I will call it 9:45. I do know that Boatwrigths was about to close when we arrived... and they close at 10pm. So this was over 2 hours. I know I have had other times it took at least 2 hours... but I do feel like I have been lucky and had it take far less.

So with Tampa I should figure 90 minute drive on top of the time it takes to get from gate to the car. I think I was estimating longer than you.. about an hour. So that would be 2.5 hours total.

I still come up with about 30 minutes difference on average. What am I missing?

Don't think you're missing anything. There is no way to accurately predict how long either way will take. I have had consistently shorter DME times than you...so I base my opinions on those times. You can pretty much figure on it taking 45 mins, at least, from the plane to your rental car at TPA, then 80 mins to make the drive to WDW, so about 125 mins.
Even if you were to have a time of 70 mins with MCO/DME, I'm not sure it would be worth it. Your flights would be cheaper with TPA, you would have a rental car so you aren't tied to WDW and their transportation. I think I would be very tempted to fly into TPA (love this airport by the way!), and rent a car.

 

[annmarieda]

Don't think you're missing anything. There is no way to accurately predict how long either way will take. I have had consistently shorter DME times than you...so I base my opinions on those times. You can pretty much figure on it taking 45 mins, at least, from the plane to your rental car at TPA, then 80 mins to make the drive to WDW, so about 125 mins.
Even if you were to have a time of 70 mins with MCO/DME, I'm not sure it would be worth it. Your flights would be cheaper with TPA, you would have a rental car so you aren't tied to WDW and their transportation. I think I would be very tempted to fly into TPA (love this airport by the way!), and rent a car.

Thanks for helping me to feel better about it. Again... I just like the idea of DME

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

TPA to WDW would be about 2 hours. that is what it took us. We are doing it again in a few months. I love TPA the airport is laid back, flights are cheaper and it is such an easy drive.

It only takes us an extra 20 to fly into TPA than to fliy in to MCO and take DME

Security lines are very short at TPA where as a few months ago when I went to MCO it was a 35 minute wait!

Depending on who you rent with you can check in online before you leave home and save time at TPA

 

[annmarieda]

TPA to WDW would be about 2 hours. that is what it took us. We are doing it again in a few months. I love TPA the airport is laid back, flights are cheaper and it is such an easy drive.

It only takes us an extra 20 to fly into TPA than to fliy in to MCO and take DME

Security lines are very short at TPA where as a few months ago when I went to MCO it was a 35 minute wait!

Depending on who you rent with you can check in online before you leave home and save time at TPA

Thanks! This falls close to that 30 minute average longer time I am thinking. 30 minutes for an overall savings of $200 and 4 additional days with the car.... seems like not a bad deal.