What do you do on checkout day?

[Pesky]

We're also doing a late flight. We're kind of playing it by ear depending on what the kids want to do (they don't know about the trip yet so can't offer anything). Options for us are:
1. Add an extra day to the tickets. It won't be that much so no big deal.
2. Return visit to DS/DTD and eat lunch there.
3. Lazy day and hang out at the hotel, try for late check out, go to the pool, eat at the hotel.
4. Visit and tour resorts. I very much doubt this would happen as it doesn't sound that exciting to the kids.
5. Look at some of the non-park activities we could do like renting a kayak or fishing or something.

My guess? We'll either go to the parks for part of the day or have a lazy day.

 

[emij]

Breakfast, or rather brunch, at cape May.

 

[ars0525]

We get to sleep a little/pack, would go to Disney Springs or go putt putt, grab a late lunch (to avoid eating at the airport) & then hang by the pool area waiting until the bus time.

 

[gerilyne]

At DL, we try and get a late afternoon/early evening flight and then spend the morning in the parks. Head out around lunchtime and go to either DTD or to whatever restaurant we want to try for lunch before heading to the airport. for the upcoming WDW trip we're following the same philosophy. Taking the latest flight possible (we live on the west coast) which will be around 6pm. Our plan is to check our luggage, have our carry on luggage with bell service and head to magic kingdom for the EMM. We'll probably do whatever we can until noon and then head back to the hotel for some lunch before finally catching the DME to the airport. Since it's our first time trying this, we'll see how it goes.

 

[Knoxsanne]

We don't have park tickets for our departure day, so I was planning to sleep in, swim, check out, then get a nice final lunch somewhere (at DS or a resort).

 

[smiths02]

We drive and the one time we flew was a later flight like yours. Either way, we have generally gone to a park, had a late breakfast or early lunch and then left. This next trip, our APs will be expired, so it is cost prohibitive to buy more tickets...we will sleep-in, pack-up, do a very late breakfast at 1900 PF, and then drive home.

 

[niffer5150]

we always check out, leave our stuff with bell services, then go to MK. i intentionally book late flights since the time change works in our favor. you could do pool time, go to disney springs, go have a lunch at another hotel, hit the boardwalk, rent surrey bikes at POR.. there's a ton of stuff you could do.

 

[Princess_Kirky]

Breakfast at Ohana (or another at one of the hotels) then sit by the pool and relax...

 

[Mom2Stitch]

We have almost always had the latest flight we can book. Usually breakfast at Ohanas and then time at MK to say good bye until next time.

Last couple of trips we have just hung around the resort waiting for the Tragical Depress to take us back to reality. This trip we are flying home early, it's the only non-stop flight of the day and DH insists on non-stop. I'm now working on him to add an extra day, we'll see .

 

[Satchmo128]

Our flight home always leaves at 6:30pm, so we have until around 3:00pm-ish to hang out and play. Our last meal is almost always lunch at Earl of Sandwich since it is DH's favorite. We often have a park day left on our tickets, but don't always use it. Really just depends on what we feel like that morning.

 

[katt789]

If we've got a late flight most days we book a mid to late morning breakfast/earlier lunch at a resort. Gives us time to sleep in a bit, leave our bags at luggage services, and get to the meal.
It's a little bit of Disney magic that last day without having to pay so much for tickets, we usually end up doing something with characters

 

[scrapquitler]

we like to visit a park on our last day.

We usually have a flight that is 7PM or so, and as a result, we get on ME around 4, which gives us until at least 2:30 in the park. You might consider adding an additional day to your tickets and taking advantage of that last day in the parks (it's something like $10-$12 to add a day if your ticket was more than 5 days, I believe). We usually hit a couple rides or shows and have one last Dole Whip.

Other than that, the ideas given above are good ones: Disney Springs, resort hop, spend the morning in the pool, etc.

 

[lelder]

Our flight home leaves at 5. Currently the plan is to sleep in and have breakfast at Cape May, then over to Boardwalk for a bit. Depending on how this whole Frozen/FP thing goes we may end up with an extra morning at Epcot.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I stay close to the resort on check out day. Swimming, relaxing eating at the resort is all I do!

 

[Accident]

This has really evolved over time and I think as you or your child get older what you want to do the last day changes...

These days, we like to feel like we came home from a vacation and it's time off work, I don't want to need a vacation from my expensive disney vacation. During the trip, I request a 1pm checkout (the latest time you can check out for no additional cost). This opens up a world of options. The last night, we love nights, we generally go until we drop.. That 1pm checkout really helps to be lazy if needed as well as allow that last night to be almost never ending.. If we decide we're going to hit a park, we can swing by near lunch, wash up and be ready for our travel back home.

Most of the time, we just wake up late, deal with our luggage and take it slow. Generally it's something not available at home like a late lunch/early dinner at a theme we won't see until we come back. maybe a little more shopping.. maybe it's do absolutely nothing and sit around resting somewhere on property.. We just go where the day takes us, enjoy the night before and rest...

 

[Goofy_Disney_Dad]

Check out.

 

[anniemae]

we usually just go to breakfast at the resort, then back to the room to finish packing up. We usually do an early afternoon flight so we need to get to the lobby, check our bags in, and wallow in misery as we wait for the magical express. I am just too depressed to go to the park. Leaving just hangs over my head and I can't enjoy myself.

 

[provencio]

 

[Planogirl]

That can be a great day to go to Disney Springs and dine and maybe bowl or see a movie. Or if you enjoy it you can play mini-golf or even go to a waterpark. Except that I've heard that waterparks open later than they used to so that might not work as well.

 

[bigbabyblues]

We drive, and my husband only works 2 days a week (24 hour shifts, but still), so pretty much whatever we feel like doing that day. We never really have a plan. Usually, we hit a park for a few hours or until after lunch and then start the drive home. We want to get at least 3-4 hours of the drive in that day, so as long as we leave by 6 or 7 pm. we are fine. We always have at least one day between the day we leave and the day we need to be home (i.e., the day before someone goes back to work). Our last trip was different, we ate breakfast and didn't feel like going to a park, so we left around 10 am and did the entire drive in one day (14-15 hours).