What time to leave for MCO?

[MickeyMickey]

We have an 8:45 A.M. flight. I am thinking of arranging private transfers instead of DME to let the kids sleep a bit more. What time would you be comfortable being picked up at?

 

[rflorek]

Since MCO is busiest in the mornings, I would like to be at the airport 2 hours pre-flight (which is the same timeframe ME shoots for). With an 8:45 flight, I would want to be at the airport no later than 6:45-7. I would rather have a cushion in case security checkpoints are backed up than be scrambling at the last minute, worried that I'll miss my flight.

Will you be checking your bags at your resort pre-flight? Those would have to be checked before 5:45am to meet the 3-hour deadline/cut-off. If you have to transfer your luggage too, I would even allow a little more time for check-in at MCO.

 

[Alesia]

Absolutely no later than 6:00.

DME would pick you up around 5:45, so you'll only be saving yourself about 15 minutes, tops.

 

[MickeyMickey]

So from what I am reading we could still use resort check in, they would take our luggage and issue Airtran boarding passes. This would seem to enable us to be picked up about 6:30 and still have plenty of time to get through security and get to our date, or not? Seems like this would save an hour over being at DME 15 minutes early at 5:30.

 

[Tozzie]

So from what I am reading we could still use resort check in, they would take our luggage and issue Airtran boarding passes. This would seem to enable us to be picked up about 6:30 and still have plenty of time to get through security and get to our date, or not? Seems like this would save an hour over being at DME 15 minutes early at 5:30.

Well you would still have to be up dressed and downstairs to check your bags in completely by 545 the if the bags are not checked by exactly 3 hours rac can't take them and the computer locks them out even if you miss it by 1 minute. I personally don't think you are giving yourself enough of a cusion considering the many posts on the very long security lines at MCO.

 

[Alesia]

You can use RAC. You will need to be done with the process no later than 5:45. I would plan on being at the RAC desk at 5:15, just in case.

Even using RAC, I wouldn't be picked up any later than 6:00. The drive itself will take 30 to 45 minutes, and security lines can be extremely long at that time of day. My friend took an early flight out and waited for just over an hour.

I really think waiting until 6:30 would be pushing it. Don't get me wrong, you might make it, but then again you might not. I wouldn't take the chance.

 

[Sammy]

We had an 8:00 AM flight once from MCO. It was on a Tuesday morning, so I figured it wouldn't be too bad getting through security early on a weekday morning. WRONG!!! I couldn't believe how busy the airport was at 6:00 AM when we arrived!! I was so glad we got there 2 hours early because it took us nearly 45 minutes just to get through the security lines

MCO is one of the airports where arriving 2 hours pre-flight is always a good idea. So if you allow 30-45 minutes of travel time from the resort to MCO, you should be picked up no later than 6:00/6:15 AM.

 

[maxiesmom]

You don't want to cut it too close and chance missing your flight. Traffic around Orlando is horrible, there always seems to be accidents on the highways. Plus, it can take you quite a while to get thru security at the airport. It is better to be a little early than to be late and miss your flight.

I know it is hard to get up and going that early, especially with kids. But you kind of have to unless you are willing to chance spending all day in the airport trying to get seats on different flights, because yours left without you.