UPDATED (5/3) Late Arrival - should I cancel one night?

[myxdvz]

Hello,

We are about 48 days into our June trip, and our arrival is about 10:30pm. It will probably be midnight by the time we get our luggages, get into the bus and check into our room.

So now I'm wondering whether I should cancel the first night, stay at the MCO Hyatt and then take the bus in the morning? Or just keep the room. Is it a waste of 35 points?

UPDATE (5/3): Today is our 31st day and last day to cancel. I did end up cancelling for reasons I mentioned in this post.

 

[quirty30]

Personally, I'd stay at the Hyatt. We've been in that same predicament before, and it was so nice to just walk through the airport to the Hyatt and get some rest after a long travel day (in my case, I had enough Hyatt points to get the room for free, which was an added bonus.)

 

[Happy 2 B Me]

You never know if there will be a flight delay making it even later that you would get to your room at WDW, so ya I would stay at Hyatt MCO. Get to bed early so you can get up early and head to WDW. Better yet eat at the airport then head to WDW all rested and feed.

What ever you do have a wonderful time.

 

[Firepath]

I've seriously considered this for my upcoming trip as my flight also arrives at 10:30pm. I'm concerned too that with such a late arrival, I'd probaly be getting the last available room with no option to change if there is a problem. On the other hand, being without a room until 4-5pm the next day doesn't sound good either.

 

[DisWitt]

We just did a spring break stay, and coming from CA, we didn't arrive at SSR till nearly midnight. The giant plus was that our kids were excited to get to SSR and unpack. About an hour after getting to our room, they were O-U-T. And they loved waking up in our own little slice of paradise.

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

We've waited all day for a room before. Don't get me wrong, its a pain...but it is very do-able.

Make sure you have whatever you MUST have with you.

Avoid a 5pm ADR.

In the worst case scenario, you are out having fun at Disney ALL day and desperately want to fall on the bed...but you can't because at the very moment your room became available you had to be headed to Liberty Tree Tavern...and of course you have to stay for Wishes...and since you are there...you might as well stay for the park to close at midnight. That makes for a very long day. All that could be avoided if you are ok with a CS meal somewhere when it was convenient.

There are no guarantees...but I have checked in at 9AM before and the room was ready.

I've actually had much better luck with my 9AM checkins than I have had with my 7AM checkins. I think if nothing is available yet, they will just put you in the pile with everybody else coming in that day. By 9 or 10AM they have had a chance to turn a few rooms over and if the rooms ready exceed the number of people who have checked in...you are in luck.

I would defiinitely stay at the Hyatt!!

 

[bobbiwoz]

I would stay with what I have. I guess I'm alone in that, but I want to get to my room, my resort, and begin my vacation!

Bobbi

 

[beer dave]

I would stay with what I have. I guess I'm alone in that, but I want to get to my room, my resort, and begin my vacation!

Bobbi

your not alone-- the room doesn't only count for the evening--- it counts for the overall experience. Waking up and starting your vacation with out having to "move" is important too. Not a waste of points. We drive 2 hours and we leave home late in the evening just so kids don't have to wake up early to drive. Overall better experience.

 

[Moparlar]

I would stay with what I have. I guess I'm alone in that, but I want to get to my room, my resort, and begin my vacation!

Bobbi

I agree with you all the way. Last month we got in at 10:00 PM and got To AKL at about 11:15 but we were there and had a great trip from there on out. No having to check in and then out somewhere else and then go to Disney.

Larry

 

[WDWorld2003]

We just did this last month. We arrived at the resort at 1:30 a.m. We rented a standard studio at BWV that night to save lots of points. We only brought in an overnight bag and left the rest of the luggage in the car. We moved the next day to our 2 bedroom (same resort). It worked out well. We used our rental car to get groceries the next day and returned the car to the Dolphin that evening. The rental car was only $35.00.

We thought about the Hyatt but the rate was over $200.00.

Unfortunately this strategy did not get us the best room the next day. We were able to get our room right away in the morning but it did not have a balcony off the living room which was a big disappointment.

 

[DizBub]

Personally, I would cancel the 1st night and save those points. I'd do on-line check-in and let them know how early you are arriving (within reason, 10 or 11 am). Chances are your room will be ready and if you aren't happy with the location there is time to relocate.

JMHO and it's what I would do.

 

[Disney Princess]

I would stay with what you have. I'd much rather get in and get settled and wake up refreshed and ready the next morning. You can sleep in if you need to without having to repack and move. You have a guaranteed room the next day if you need naps or a break from the summer heat.

Whatever you decide, enjoy your vacation.

 

[AmyB2006]

I would stay with what I have. I guess I'm alone in that, but I want to get to my room, my resort, and begin my vacation!

Bobbi

No way I'd do the same thing. I'd rather get there get settled and BE at Disney. But I'm a freak and there's nothing to me like being at Disney. Then you have to unpack a few things and pack them back up? What fun is that?

 

[WDWorld2003]

Personally, I would cancel the 1st night and save those points. I'd do on-line check-in and let them know how early you are arriving (within reason, 10 or 11 am). Chances are your room will be ready and if you aren't happy with the location there is time to relocate.

JMHO and it's what I would do.

We were able to get our room very early the next day (11:00 a.m.) but they would not change our location.

 

[crazybones27]

I would stay with what I have. I guess I'm alone in that, but I want to get to my room, my resort, and begin my vacation!

Bobbi

I'm with Bobbi also . My husband and I actually added a night on to our reservation for our adults only trip in September. We knew we wouldn't be arriving until 2 a.m. since we were driving down from NJ. In all honesty it was the BEST decision we could have made. We were in a BWV standard studio so not a big point value, but we didn't have to change resorts the next morning and we could just take our time sleeping in and getting up when we were felt rested enough. It was nice not having to worry about moving the next morning. I'd definitely do it again no questions asked .

 

[myxdvz]

Thanks to all the replies so far! I have to check the Hyatt rates. Unfortunately, I have Hilton and Marriott points so no free Hyatt room.

We have a breakfast ressies at Cape May Cafe to get our vacation jump started. This is probably the only reason why I hesitate cancelling the first night - but it's an easy reservation to book so we can reschedule if needed.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I would stay with what I have. I guess I'm alone in that, but I want to get to my room, my resort, and begin my vacation!

Bobbi

I'm another that agrees with Bobbi! We almost always arrive late coming from the West Coast and have done one nights stays which is definitely one option. But it's also extremely nice to know that after a long travel day we don't have to worry about moving again the next morning. You may be another whole day without a room and coupled with the payment for the Hyatt or wherever it just doesn't always add up to the better start to a vacation IMO.

When we do the single night somewhere it's almost always only because it was better flight options to arrive on a different day than we had originally planned. Doable and generally not bad but not the first choice for us.

 

[marynvince]

you'll get there and know your room is ready instead of having to fuss the next day with checking in and moving in.

 

[smcabee]

Hello,

Is it a waste of 35 points?

Hmm 35 points, I would stay offsite and use them points on another trip.

 

[WDWorld2003]

Or can you stay in a lock off studio that first night? In the past we have done this and the next day they just gave us keys later in the day to the connecting room. It was great because we just left everything in the studio and went out for the day.

Of course you are taking a chance.... this would depend on if you're staying in a property that has locks offs, it is in the same room category and there is availability.