what time to choose for return flight

[lindanj]

So I am trying to decide what time to leave WDW for our return flight home. I can choose 3:30, 7:00 pm or 9:35 pm. What time do you usually leave and what do you do on your last day. If check out is 11am, will they hold my bags in the lobby so I can do DTD? My kids are 9 & 6. I'm thinking the 9:35 flight will be too late since we will be getting in at 11: 30 or so, but of course that is the cheaper flight. 3:30 and 7:00 flights are the same price, but not that much higher than 9:35.

Any thoughts?

 

[JEWLSVERN]

I would do 7 at earliest especially if you need to take DME. That way you could do something on the last day before heading to the airport.

 

[Donna M]

I'd vote for the 7pm flight also; you can have a nice lunch and play in the pools til 3:00 or go to DTD.

 

[Brian Noble]

It might depend on how long you are there. We go for about a week, and usually by the last day we are ready for a smoother re-entry; something very simple on that last day, with a mid-afternoon return.

 

[cluvsdisney]

I would take the 3:30. We used to go for the later flights but after we pack, get something to eat, budget time for getting to the airport that it leaves just a little time to do much I feel more like we're wasting time until it's time to go than being an extension of out trip.

 

[mcraige]

We try to take the latest flight possible. We get up early, pack, and check our bags with DME, then head to the park for rope drop. Generally, our trips are shorter, so this gives us another 3/4 day in the parks.

 

[DVC California]

We try to take the latest flight possible. We get up early, pack, and check our bags with DME, then head to the park for rope drop. Generally, our trips are shorter, so this gives us another 3/4 day in the parks.

This.

FYI - WDW RAC Desk is only open from 5am-1pm, so you need to like drop your bags off right after you check out of the resort.

 

[Disneylover99]

I would definitely choose the 7pm flight.

 

[ancestry]

We usually go with an evening flight but keep in mind that you don't have access to a room during the afternoon then. Not sure if being "roomless" matters to you or not. When our kids were younger we tried to not be "roomless" for more than 2-3 hours and choose our flights according. Now that the kids are older it doesn't matter as much.

 

[sam_gordon]

What do you have to do the day after? If it's an "off" day, I'd take the 930 flight. Otherwise the 7pm.

Sent from my Kindle Fire using DISBoards

 

[hsmamato2]

we've enjoyed a late flight out...check out of room, find a liesurely breakfast somewhere...swim in the resort pools, take a 'monorail/boat tour' of the property....DTD hanging out...last trip,we did these things + rented little mouseboats from the Poly...one of our best fun days ever! then hit the Contempo cafe for lunch..then headed for the airport.....

 

[shoney]

I would book the 3:30 flight.


We have found that we don't do anything the last day. We have the "vacation over" attitude. Everyone is usually tired, so we sleep a little later, and then have a late breakfast or early lunch depending on our flight time and head home.

This goes for any vacation not just Disney!

 

[mickeynut1]

So I am trying to decide what time to leave WDW for our return flight home. I can choose 3:30, 7:00 pm or 9:35 pm. What time do you usually leave and what do you do on your last day. If check out is 11am, will they hold my bags in the lobby so I can do DTD? My kids are 9 & 6. I'm thinking the 9:35 flight will be too late since we will be getting in at 11: 30 or so, but of course that is the cheaper flight. 3:30 and 7:00 flights are the same price, but not that much higher than 9:35.

Any thoughts?

If it were me, I'd take the 3:30 flight. Our first couple of trips we did the later flights home, but after trying the earlier flights, we have found that we like that better. As the pp said, we too, get into the "our vacation is over" mode by that last day and while it's hard to leave WDW and head home, I'd rather get going earlier and get home sooner rather than later. We usually choose the 1:00-2:00 pm flights as we make an 8:00 or 8:30 breakfast ADR at the resort we're staying at, which gives us plenty of time to eat, go back to the room and gather everything up, check out and then head to the airport. After doing both the later flights and earlier flights, we like being home at the time we would probably just be leaving WDW.

 

[lindanj]

I decided to book the 3:30 flight. I think that with 4 kids under age 9, we would like to get home at an earlier hour. I can just see the meltdowns with my younger guys if we go much past 9:00. As much as I would like to extend the vacation, on the last day we are usually in the "getting home" mode.

thanks everyone for your thoughts