Trying not to wait around at MCO this time...

[cinderlexa's mom]

We always rent a car from National and leave our WDW resort hotel 2-1/2hours before our scheduled Airtran flight time. (Have done this 5-6 times now.) (Drive=30min, rental car return=10 min, walk to ticket counter=10 min, line at counter=10 min, security=20 min, tram=15 min)

EVERY time we end up waiting at the gate for ONE HOUR. This is not fun with two kids...

This trip our flight leaves MCO at 7:05pm on Sunday, Feb 4. Never traveled on a Sunday night before. Thinking of leaving hotel 2 hours before flight instead of 2-1/2 hours. What do YOU think?

 

[goofy4tink]

Well, if I had only an hour wait I would be thrilled!! I routinely have at least a 90 minute wait but I'm a bit obsessive about getting to the gate with time to spare. With MCO, you can never be absolutely sure as to what the crowds at security are going to be. I have yet to spend more than 15 minutes in line there, but plenty of folks have spent much, much longer waiting in a crush of travelers in security. I can't imagine having to fly throught MCO with two kids....I've had a 'rush' situation with just one child at a different airport and that was not a lot of fun.
So, I would keep to the 2 1/2 hr time frame. Then, get a bite to eat, check out the area, and head for security. It's so much better to have an hour to wait rather than be in a line, behind 200 people, in security with 15 mins to boarding time. I've seen people cut it too close before and they have not looked like happy campers.

 

[CarolA]

We always rent a car from National and leave our WDW resort hotel 2-1/2hours before our scheduled Airtran flight time. (Have done this 5-6 times now.) (Drive=30min, rental car return=10 min, walk to ticket counter=10 min, line at counter=10 min, security=20 min, tram=15 min)

EVERY time we end up waiting at the gate for ONE HOUR. This is not fun with two kids...

This trip our flight leaves MCO at 7:05pm on Sunday, Feb 4. Never traveled on a Sunday night before. Thinking of leaving hotel 2 hours before flight instead of 2-1/2 hours. What do YOU think?

I think that the one time you have the 30 to 40 minute line at security and have to RUN to the gate you will remember that hour long wait fondly. The thing about MCO is that at times they can have the lines from you know where. Plus Sunday night can actually be fairly busy (you aren't the only one streching your vacation LOL!) I leave two hours in advance but I have a Clear card so am pretty much guranteed a 10 minute security line. (I paid the $80 after waiting an hour once at MCO!) With kids and without the card I would probably leave earlier.

 

[we're all mad here]

We always rent a car from National and leave our WDW resort hotel 2-1/2hours before our scheduled Airtran flight time. (Have done this 5-6 times now.) (Drive=30min, rental car return=10 min, walk to ticket counter=10 min, line at counter=10 min, security=20 min, tram=15 min)

EVERY time we end up waiting at the gate for ONE HOUR. This is not fun with two kids...

This trip our flight leaves MCO at 7:05pm on Sunday, Feb 4. Never traveled on a Sunday night before. Thinking of leaving hotel 2 hours before flight instead of 2-1/2 hours. What do YOU think?

DON'T DO IT!!!!

For about 4 years we have been departing our home airport (CLE) for various destinations on Sunday mornings. We have been leaving the house 3 hours prior to departure so after a 30 min. drive to the airport, 5 minutes to check in luggage (checked in online) and a 10 minute security check, we had to wait 90 minutes for boarding. So in Oct 2006, on our way to MCO, I had our ride pick us up 2 hours prior to departure. Needless to say, bag check took 30 minutes, and security took 45 minutes. Everyone was saying the airport was never this busy on Sundays in the past and many were on the phone with the airlines asking to delay departure due to long security lines (didn't work). When I cleared security I had 5 minutes until DEPARTURE and I ran towards the gate, which of course was the furthest away. When I arrived I saw no one in the boarding area and the door to the jetway closed. I admitted defeat to the gate agent who luckily told me that due to a medical condition onboard by one of the pax, the flight would be delayed and my seats were still available. Luckily the sick pax was not seriously ill, stayed on the plane and we all headed for WDW.

The moral of the story is: The past does not guarantee the future. Next time we fly we are going back to the 3 hr window.

 

[Jeanne B]

DD13 and I had about an hour to kill when we flew home from MCO last month and I discovered SO many great shops in the airport. As many times as we've flown I never knew how many stores were there, it's like a mall!!

I agree with the others, leave the hotel 2-1/2 hours before. We tend to always be cutting it a little close, about 30 minutes to spare or less by the time we get through security (I'm always running late for everything) but that's bad practice!!

 

[dvc guy]

We were at MCO on NY's Day and only had a 20 minute for security. Having said that less then 2 and half hours with kids and car rental is cutting it close. If you run into traffic and a long long for baggage check you are in deep trouble. The airlines are under no obligation to get you on the next flight if you miss boarding . Most require you to be at the gate 20 minutes before departure or they will give your seats away.

On 1/1 I watched as a flight to ATL boarded very early and they paged for passengers and then started giving away seats to standbys. The aircraft pushed back from the gate at least 10 minutes prior to departure.

Bottom line better early than late

 

[goofy4tink]

We were at MCO on NY's Day and only had a 20 minute for security. Having said that less then 2 and half hours with kids and car rental is cutting it close. If you run into traffic and a long long for baggage check you are in deep trouble. The airlines are under no obligation to get you on the next flight if you miss boarding . Most require you to be at the gate 20 minutes before departure or they will give your seats away.

On 1/1 I watched as a flight to ATL boarded very early and they paged for passengers and then started giving away seats to standbys. The aircraft pushed back from the gate at least 10 minutes prior to departure.

Bottom line better early than late

Thanks for that reminder. I had completely forgotten that, but I've seen it happen also! If you aren't there 15-20 minutes before departure, you could be out of luck. You had best be all checkin or your seats could be given away.

 

[cinderlexa's mom]

Thanks for all the replies.

As for shopping, where is there to shop AFTER you get through security? That's the problem. We get through security and there's nothing to do. Without kids, I'd love a free hour--but with them and the restricted area--not so much.

If there is somewhere to shop after security, I'd love to know about it. Security seems to be iffy at MCO, so I wouldn't want to get there with time to spare, shop and then find out security is backed up and lose my flight.

 

[Tinkim]

I tend to agree about getting to MCO early. Two years ago, I went on a trip with my three kids. DH stayed home so it was just the four of us. We had a towncar from Pop (ME hadn't started up yet) and we got to the airport about 2-1/2 hours ahead of time. We needed every bit of that time. The security line was somewhat long but only maybe a 20-min wait. The problem was I screwed up. I somehow mistook my seat number for the gate number in my rush to get through security. We were sitting at the wrong gate. We went to get something to eat and then went back and we realized our mistake after a few minutes. We had to ask two different people how to get to the gate. Finally found someone who knew and he said it would take at least 15 minutes to get there since we were in the wrong terminal. Long story short we had to RUN to get there with me yelling at the kids the whole time to HURRY UP! We got to the correct gate just as they were boarding. Now I realize this was my own personal stupidity but I have flown many times and now I know I am quite subject to human error so I like to arrive at MCO with plenty of time to spare. My flight home leaves at 6:40 and I am dropping my rental car off at 4:00. We always find something to do there and if not the kids listen to music and/or watch a DVD. That's my personal experience anyway FWIW. Better safe than sorry.

 

[Jeanne B]

As for shopping, where is there to shop AFTER you get through security? That's the problem. We get through security and there's nothing to do. Without kids, I'd love a free hour--but with them and the restricted area--not so much.

Unless I'm drawing a blank (which I very well could be!!) I was thinking there's all kinds of shopping after you get through security but maybe it's before you get through security? I was just there last month, you'd think I could remember!! Here's a link to the stores...

http://www.orlandoairports.net/goaa/property/shops.htm

 

[cinderlexa's mom]

We fly Airtran. Where we fly from at MCO there's a bookstore and maybe a cheap souvenior(?) store.

If anyone knows if there is better shopping that we can go to without having to exit/re-enter security, please let me know!

 

[seashoreCM]

(copied from another post)

Don't eat just before leaving for the airport. Instead plan on eating at the airport inside security if it is just after mealtime.

This way, if time gets tight, you can eat on the plane.

There's a deadline, typically 35 minutes before published departure time, after which the ability to check bags intended to travel on the same plane is lost.

There is a deadline, typically 20 minutes, after which your seat assignments are lost.

There is a deadline, typically 10 minutes, after which your reservation is lost.

After the last deadline, if all passengers on board are ready, the plane may be pushed away before published departure time.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

 

[we're all mad here]

The "mall" stores and food court are before security located between the A and B sides. The only thing available after the checkpoint may be a bookstore/ gift shop after getting off the tram.

 

[hercamore]

Ditto what Carol said.

Getting thru secuirty was a nightmare for me on our last trip. The lines were incredible.

herc.

 

[garnet1240]

I agree with all the others. Our last trip in Oct, we had 40+ students checking in right ahead of us in the Airtran line at Orlando. Counter did not have enough staff to handle, and they had to start calling off flights to the waiting line. We had to be pulled out, then had another wait in security. It felt like we ran the whole way to our gate, and arrived just as they were boarding.

Other times, we have gone through lines in a breeze. We always leave WDW 2 1/2 hrs before, rethinking to 3 hrs for next trip.