Virgin DTD check-in and airport query

[Cyrano]

Shame that we need to start thinking about this

I have got that we head for Cirque at DTD from 8.15 onwards to drop of our cases.
We then have the hire car with us for the rest of the day along with hand luggage.
Given that we are on the 5.55pm return flight and the car needs to go back.. what time should we aim to be at MCO for?
Having down DTD check-in where should we be heading for ?

 

[Pegasus928]

The car would normally be returned at the same time that you collected it, although they do give a little leway on this.
We would normally aim to get there for around 2 hours before the flight, bearing in mind that the queues for getting through security always seem to be quite bad at MCO.
As for the last day I guess this depends on what you feel like doing. One time we spent the day at DTD. This last trip we went to Universal Studios. I suppose it depends, amongst other things, whether or not you have any days left on your tickets.

 

[Dizneemad]

I tend to always spend my last day in DHS getting in a last couples of drops on TofT, RnRC and now getting a few spins on TSM.

 

[Pegasus928]

I tend to always spend my last day in DHS getting in a last couples of drops on TofT, RnRC and now getting a few spins on TSM.

Thta must be why your TSM scores are so impressively high. Practise, practise, practise.

 

[wicket2005]

On the car rental form they gave you will have the time the car is due back. When I read the form last year it scared me as they said they would put out a missing car alert if it wasn't back. Inbound we were on an earlier flight but had chosen a later outbound flight so originally thought the car was booked out till the later flight but it wasn't. Works on when you hired it for 14 days. I was also concerned about the insurance running out. We ended up hiring the car for an extra day because we knew our flight was going to be delayed, one of the benefits of checking in early at Downtown Disney they know what is happening with their flights. As it turned out it was a wise move as the flight was delayed a whole 24 hours so we had the benefit of the car for an extra day around Orlando.

After we checked in we went to the Earl of Sandwich for a lovely sandwich for breakfast which is what we will be doing in August, then headed back to Universal Studios.

Safe flight.

 

[Pinky166]

Who is your car hire with? (Although I assume they are all pretty much the same.) We used Budget in December & it took about 1 minute! We drove into the car park (follow signs for rental returns) and there was a guy there who just checked the mileage/fuel took the keys & that was it. Very quick.

When you get in the airport you just head for departures & join the queue for security, which is normally pretty busy but moves quite fast. It's very simple.

As for time wise I would aim to be dropping your car off at MCO no later than 2 hours before your flight. Have a safe trip home.

 

[BRobson]

You could do a morning in a park or we just tend to hang out at DTD or The Boardwalk - have a late lunch and then head to the airport.

Dropping of the car can take a while if there is a queue.If you are having something to eat at MCO I would do it before security as there is not much choice Airside


Cant believe it is nearly time to come home

 

[Head_in_the_clouds]

OK, don't want to panic you - but seriously DON'T GET THERE TOO LATE!!!!!!!!!!
We checked in at DTD at around 8.30am and the air hostess told us to get to the gate at around 8pm (our flight was at 8.40). We had to drop the car off at 5 anyway so we were at the airport at five. We used Budget and there was a massive queue, only one guy doing the paper work, a man behind my dad was going to miss his flight to Gatwick because the man was taking too long. So 5.30, we are sat relaxing in the airport. 6.30pm we get washed and changed into our clothes for travelling. 7pm, Dad has a cigarette and we all head through security. Mum gets stopped, so it takes around 20 mins to get through. 10 mins on tram. Wrong tram. Go to right tram and get to right departure lounge at around 7.45 ish maybe a bit earlier. Realise because of the tram fiasco we have to hurry so Dad goes to Duty Free for Baileys for Granny, Mum to Starbucks for Tea to Go for the three of us, me to newsagents for water and sweets for journey for us. 2 seconds later Dad is stood in middle of departure lounge SHOUTING my name, mum and I run out of said shops and go WHAT? He goes "We HAVE to go, we are the only ones who aren't on the plane!!!!!!!!" So, pandemonium breaks out, I manage to get my stuff but mum and dad can't get theirs and we rush to the gate. Turns out Virgin decided to leave at the time they should have been boarding as they managed to get an earlier take off slot. We got in around 45 mins earlier to Manchester. But they didn't make any announcements at MCO. Before I left the UK, I had checked to see what seats were available and the plane was pretty much full. When we got on it, there were a few empty rows so people must have missed the flight. It has happened to us before where we turned up on time and we were told we were late and couldn't board and we literally saw our plane take off 45 mins later as we stood at the airport in disbelief. It took us a week to get flights back home!
So I would say, get to the gate at least an hour before the flight, Security an hour before that, 30 mins for car.

I also like to just relax at DTD and people watch!

 

[jen_uk]

We are hiring a car thru VH and on our paperwork it says the car is hired till the time off our return flight.

 

[higgy66]

OK, don't want to panic you - but seriously DON'T GET THERE TOO LATE!!!!!!!!!!
We checked in at DTD at around 8.30am and the air hostess told us to get to the gate at around 8pm (our flight was at 8.40). We had to drop the car off at 5 anyway so we were at the airport at five. We used Budget and there was a massive queue, only one guy doing the paper work, a man behind my dad was going to miss his flight to Gatwick because the man was taking too long. So 5.30, we are sat relaxing in the airport. 6.30pm we get washed and changed into our clothes for travelling. 7pm, Dad has a cigarette and we all head through security. Mum gets stopped, so it takes around 20 mins to get through. 10 mins on tram. Wrong tram. Go to right tram and get to right departure lounge at around 7.45 ish maybe a bit earlier. Realise because of the tram fiasco we have to hurry so Dad goes to Duty Free for Baileys for Granny, Mum to Starbucks for Tea to Go for the three of us, me to newsagents for water and sweets for journey for us. 2 seconds later Dad is stood in middle of departure lounge SHOUTING my name, mum and I run out of said shops and go WHAT? He goes "We HAVE to go, we are the only ones who aren't on the plane!!!!!!!!" So, pandemonium breaks out, I manage to get my stuff but mum and dad can't get theirs and we rush to the gate. Turns out Virgin decided to leave at the time they should have been boarding as they managed to get an earlier take off slot. We got in around 45 mins earlier to Manchester. But they didn't make any announcements at MCO. Before I left the UK, I had checked to see what seats were available and the plane was pretty much full. When we got on it, there were a few empty rows so people must have missed the flight. It has happened to us before where we turned up on time and we were told we were late and couldn't board and we literally saw our plane take off 45 mins later as we stood at the airport in disbelief. It took us a week to get flights back home!
So I would say, get to the gate at least an hour before the flight, Security an hour before that, 30 mins for car.

I also like to just relax at DTD and people watch!

 

[Cyrano]

Thanks for all the comments. Think we will have a final morning in Animal Kingdom before heading to the airport 2 - 3 hours beforehand

 

[epcot.girl]

OK, don't want to panic you - but seriously DON'T GET THERE TOO LATE!!!!!!!!!!
We checked in at DTD at around 8.30am and the air hostess told us to get to the gate at around 8pm (our flight was at 8.40). We had to drop the car off at 5 anyway so we were at the airport at five. We used Budget and there was a massive queue, only one guy doing the paper work, a man behind my dad was going to miss his flight to Gatwick because the man was taking too long. So 5.30, we are sat relaxing in the airport. 6.30pm we get washed and changed into our clothes for travelling. 7pm, Dad has a cigarette and we all head through security. Mum gets stopped, so it takes around 20 mins to get through. 10 mins on tram. Wrong tram. Go to right tram and get to right departure lounge at around 7.45 ish maybe a bit earlier. Realise because of the tram fiasco we have to hurry so Dad goes to Duty Free for Baileys for Granny, Mum to Starbucks for Tea to Go for the three of us, me to newsagents for water and sweets for journey for us. 2 seconds later Dad is stood in middle of departure lounge SHOUTING my name, mum and I run out of said shops and go WHAT? He goes "We HAVE to go, we are the only ones who aren't on the plane!!!!!!!!" So, pandemonium breaks out, I manage to get my stuff but mum and dad can't get theirs and we rush to the gate. Turns out Virgin decided to leave at the time they should have been boarding as they managed to get an earlier take off slot. We got in around 45 mins earlier to Manchester. But they didn't make any announcements at MCO. Before I left the UK, I had checked to see what seats were available and the plane was pretty much full. When we got on it, there were a few empty rows so people must have missed the flight. It has happened to us before where we turned up on time and we were told we were late and couldn't board and we literally saw our plane take off 45 mins later as we stood at the airport in disbelief. It took us a week to get flights back home!
So I would say, get to the gate at least an hour before the flight, Security an hour before that, 30 mins for car.

I also like to just relax at DTD and people watch!

It's always good to know that your flight can just take off early without you