Virgin's Downtown Disney Check-In

[Disbabe]

Sorry if this question has been on recently, but to save trawling through!
Has anyone come back recently? Do Virgin still allow Downtown Disney Check-In for return travel. What time does it open? We're planning on spending the last half day at Animal Kingdom as our flght back isn't till 18.15 and we have a car. The last time we went in 2003 they had stopped it. According to Virgin's brochure for this year, they've started it again, but wanted to make sure before making final plans. I really hope they do as I don't fancy leaving suitcases in the car!
Thanks in advance!

 

[tim june and sam]

Hi again Disbabe!

They reintroduced this in Autumn 2003 when we were last there. If you've used it before, the arrangements are much as pre-9/11.

If you've booked thro' Vrgin Holidays, the price of the service is included, otherwise its $5 each to use. Its situated at Downtown Disney, near to Cirque de Soleil - open aired facility under a canopy.

All members of yoru party have to be there and memory says its open 9 thro' midday (although might be wrong). This might limit your plans to visit AK, although you may be able to go yo check in early and then shoot off.

We love this service and use it as a last opportunity to do Downtown Disney and perhaps visit DisneyQuest without worrying about bags in unattended car. That said, with Ultimate Tickets, I may find myself on Main Street on my last afternoon - here's hoping.

 

[MazdaUK]

We checked in around 9.15 when we flew back on Easter Sunday. Another bonus of checking in early is that your luggage is first off - there was only one "layer" of cases in each of the vans (wow those guys are good packers!)

We then had a Chef Mickey brunch at 11.15 before doing some hotel hopping until 3.40 ish when we headed back to the airport (parks + Easter Sunday not deemed a good mix, and certainly MK looked packed). (DH paranoid that if we went somewhere something would happen to the hire car ) At checkin they will also tell you if your flight has been put back - ours moved back 2 hours because of BST (why 1 hour time difference makes 2 hours flight difference no-one could tell me ) Shame it was also delayed 2 more hours so we didn't board til 10.15

You should be able to catch a couple of hours in AK if you check in early

 

[MazdaUK]

We checked in around 9.15 when we flew back on Easter Sunday. Another bonus of checking in early is that your luggage is first off - there was only one "layer" of cases in each of the vans (wow those guys are good packers!)

We then had a Chef Mickey brunch at 11.15 before doing some hotel hopping until 3.40 ish when we headed back to the airport (parks + Easter Sunday not deemed a good mix, and certainly MK looked packed). (DH paranoid that if we went somewhere something would happen to the hire car ) At checkin they will also tell you if your flight has been put back - ours moved back 2 hours because of BST (why 1 hour time difference makes 2 hours flight difference no-one could tell me ) Shame it was also delayed 2 more hours so we didn't board til 10.15

You should be able to catch a couple of hours in AK if you check in early

 

[UKDEB]

We used it this week. This is the information posted on the Virgin Atlantic website:

Check in at Downtown Disney® and enjoy more of your last day with Mickey & Co. Check In is open 8am to 1pm seven days a week and is located next to the Virgin Megastore. It's free to Upper Class and Flying Club Gold passengers. There's a $5 charge for eveyone else.

If you plan to check in and then do some shopping at Downtown Disney, don't get there too early - the shops don't open until 10am. Don't park outside the Virgin Megastore because you'll have an unnecessary trek with your suitcases. It's actually on the left-hand side of Cirque du Soleil (as you face it from the car park).

 

[minniemouseuk]

This is my first post, so be gentle with me

We have booked with Virgin to go to Disneyworld, and I could do with some more info on this check-in at Downtown option.

As we have opted for the free tranfers rather than car-hire, we wondered where the airport bus would pick us up (the one for our trip to the airport for the return flight to the UK)!!!

After we have checked in, will we have to go back to our hotel (All Star Movies) in time for the bus to take us to the airport, or will the bus leave from Downtown?

I hope I'm making sense!

 

[widget]

A very gentle WELCOME!!! to the boards of the bestest site around!
Our transfers (non drivers) were via Virgin who uses Mears. They gave us a freephone number (this was in 2004) which we rang two days before we were coming home. We were supposed to be collected from our hotel but wanted to use the DTD check in. They said no problem and gave us a time and a place to wait at DTD. We took our luggage down on the last morning (had to get taxi as were were on Disney site and they dont allow the luggage in their buses) checked them all in and went off to the parks. Then we returned an hour or so before our collection time, went into the shops then were collected right on time along with 3 other families. They sent a small coach/minibus. The time before we had a mears taxi come for us as we were the only ones wanting collecting from DTD. Its all very straight forward. If anyone has more up to date info im sure they will be along shortly!

 

[minniemouseuk]

Thank you very much, that is very helpful.

Much appreciated

And thanks for that lovely welcome

 

[Disbabe]

UKDeb - According to the holiday brochure, they open at 8.30am and the service is free to all virgin holidays' guests. Is this not right? It makes no mention of having to pay $5 for this service. Is that each or per family? I think I'll take the brochure with me and show them that they state its free. I'll also take my frequent Virgin Holidays club card too. I'll see if I can't get it for free!

 

[barrett7890]

when we used it in May 2004 it was free to all virgin passengers

cami
x

 

[TraceyL]

UKDeb - According to the holiday brochure, they open at 8.30am and the service is free to all virgin holidays' guests. Is this not right? It makes no mention of having to pay $5 for this service. Is that each or per family? I think I'll take the brochure with me and show them that they state its free. I'll also take my frequent Virgin Holidays club card too. I'll see if I can't get it for free!

Deb's quote is fromthe Virgin Atlantic website Virgin Holidays' customers get it for free but if you've booked with VA or another tour operator (on a Virgin flight) you have pay $5 - that make sense ??

 

[Disbabe]

Have just got our tickets and there are Downtown Disney Check-in vouchers included in the pack - 1 per person. It confirms that it opens at 08.30. So I think my question has been sorted. Thanks everyone!

 

[annmariehumphries]

We've booked with Jetsave but are flying with Virgin from Manchester. There's no mention of checking in at Down town Disney. Are we excluded? Daft question but I'm planning my itenary & as we're due to fly back 6.30pm the extra time would make a difference. Help!

 

[TraceyL]

Anybody booked on a Virgin flight can use the DTD check in - we flew Jetsave a few years ago and used it - you just have to pay $5 per person now

 

[MazdaUK]

We booked with Thomas Cook and used DTD Virgin checkin. We paid $5 per poreson - well worth it to be rid of your cases and enjoy as much as possible of the last day!

I do recommend either wearing zip-off trousers or keeping back spare long trousers to change into for the plane. Even if its really hot, the airport has A/C and the plane is quite chilly once your at cruising altitude. And if your landing in the UK early its unlikely to be that hot! We had ours in the bag we used for the pool, and changed at the airport. The bag then got filled with the duty free (once we were on the plane) for easy carrying on landing.

 

[minniemouseuk]

Another question I have...

Can we leave our flight bags at the Downtown Disney check-in place? I'm rather worried about going round Downtown or one of the parks with it, especially as our passports/tickets/etc will be in them.

If not, do you know if there are lockers in DTD?

 

[Frances999]

Another question I have...

Can we leave our flight bags at the Downtown Disney check-in place? I'm rather worried about going round Downtown or one of the parks with it, especially as our passports/tickets/etc will be in them.

If not, do you know if there are lockers in DTD?

No, you cannot leave hand baggage with Downtown Disney check-in. I don't know about lockers, sorry.

 

[kevin harrison]

Frances, quick question, sorry for jumping in,

In your sig, there is a picture of a lagoon view at the Polynesian Resort, how good is this resort? Is it accessable to MK via monorail?

 

[Frances999]

Frances, quick question, sorry for jumping in,

In your sig, there is a picture of a lagoon view at the Polynesian Resort, how good is this resort? Is it accessable to MK via monorail?

The photo is from a lagoon view room at the Tahiti longhouse at The Polynesian. It is the most amazing resort I have ever stayed at and our family love everything about it! Seeing as you are staying at the Hard Rock Hotel, I think you would too. I thought that HRH and Polynesian made for a great split stay - so we're doing it again this August! The resort has a monorail station which connects it to the MK, but you can also walk (about 5 mins) to the TTC for monorail connection to EPCOT too.

The rooms are being refurbished as we speak and the new design is out of this world, with flat-screen plasma televisions and a whole new decor.

PM if you have any questions or would like to see some photo's

 

[MazdaUK]

MinniemouseUK, you can probably leave flight bags somewhere safe at your hotel - most hotels have somewhere you can leave ordinary luggage so I'm sure you could leave flight bags. You might want to make sure they can be secured.

I actually entrusted some souvenirs to suitcases (only lockable ones) and they survived, as I hate carrying heavy stuff round the airport etc. As we had a car we left our bags in the boot while we went hotel hopping (so now I know where we're going for our next 3 Disney holidays )