What would you do? - Transportation

[kamik86]

For our January trip I just checked prices and will book tonight when I get home. These are my options for flights down:

Leave at 7am get to Disney just after 10 AM - $157
Leave at 11am get to Disney around 2 PM - $157
Leave at 3 PM get to Disney around 6 PM - $119

Last time we left at 8, it was a really early morning due our hour drive to the airport but it still had no problems. It would get us there much sooner. However we would also save $76 between the two of us if we went later... Then again we are still under the amount budgeted for the trip since the return flight will be $119 (there is a nonstop Leaving at 3:30 and getting in at 8 will will be perfect)

So would the extra Disney time, and the possibility of less problems due to the early flight be worth it to you?

 

[DebbieB]

For our January trip I just checked prices and will book tonight when I get home. These are my options for flights down:

Leave at 7am get to Disney just after 10 AM - $157
Leave at 11am get to Disney around 2 PM - $157
Leave at 3 PM get to Disney around 6 PM - $119

Last time we left at 8, it was a really early morning due our hour drive to the airport but it still had no problems. It would get us there much sooner. However we would also save $76 between the two of us if we went later... Then again we are still under the amount budgeted for the trip since the return flight will be $119 (there is a nonstop Leaving at 3:30 and getting in at 8 will will be perfect)

So would the extra Disney time, and the possibility of less problems due to the early flight be worth it to you?

How many days are you there? If you are there a week, a few hours might not be a big deal. If it's only 4 or 5 days, then it would be. Keep in mind that the parks close early in January, so if you take the last one, your first day is shot.

Do you live in an area that has bad winter weather? I do and I try to stay away from early morning flights in the winter because leaving the house before rush hour might mean that the roads will not be cleaned.

 

[NancyIL]

Unless I'm flying out of my local airport 15 minutes away, a 7 a.m. flight is too early for me. I'd choose the 11 a.m. flight.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

I would chose 11 am as well. I hate early morning flights - you have to get up too early!

 

[Nissi]

I like the 11 am time frame, but will almost always choose the lower priced option if it's not ridiculous. Arriving at 6 pm is not so bad, but as the PP said, that all depends on how long you'll be there. If you only have a 3 or 4 day vacation, that one day will be wasted. We never go to parks on day one anyway, that is always reserved for settling in, swimming and going out to eat.

 

[Lewisc]

How many days are you there? If you are there a week, a few hours might not be a big deal. If it's only 4 or 5 days, then it would be. Keep in mind that the parks close early in January, so if you take the last one, your first day is shot.

+1 The 7a flight gets them to WDW early enough to spend their first afternoon in the parks. How late will the parks be open the day they arrive? The length of the trip makes a big difference.

Unless I'm flying out of my local airport 15 minutes away, a 7 a.m. flight is too early for me. I'd choose the 11 a.m. flight.

I understand your point but I'm going to assume the OP is willing to take the 7a flight or she wouldn't have listed it as an option. I hope they're "morning" people and/or live near the airport.

 

[kamik86]

Sorry forgot details... and didn't even think about the weather.

7 AM is out. We live in Western MA and although I have done those roads in snow... it would then take more like 2 hours and just not be fun.

We will be there until Jan. 22nd so 7 nights. We would probably need to cancel/change our ADR for the 15th if we take the later flight but didn't really plan to do that much that day other then that.

On the 22nd we planned to have breakfast at Boma but didn't do any other planning past that.

 

[NancyIL]

I will arrive in Orlando at 6 p.m. for a 5-night trip in December. While I'd prefer to arrive earlier, I am flying from San Juan the day a cruise ends, and there was only one afternoon non-stop on AirTran. Fortunately - evening EMH at the Studios last until 11 p.m. that night.

The only way I would fly at 7 a.m. from an airport an hour or more from my home is if I stayed at an airport hotel the night before.

 

[ccgirl]

We do the 11am flight. It is best for my little ones. It is during DS2's nap time. We always pack a lunch so if he doesn't sleep he can eat lunch and it helps eat up some of the time. Pardon the pun! We arrive refreshed since we didn't have to get up so early and are not getting in very late.

 

[Brian Noble]

I've done that early flight. Honestly, my day just isn't that much fun. By the time I land, transfer to the resort, check in, and get to a park, I'm only good for an hour, maybe two, before I'm toast. I would take the 11AM flight so that I have time to get settled, maybe have a nice dinner somewhere, and am ready to hit the parks the next day.

 

[skelooch]

I'm someone who wants to take advantage of every minute of my vacation, so I would take the 6am flight. I'm up early anyway. And the airport is only 35 min from home.
How much is an extra 8 hours in WDW worth to you. $38 dollars each for an extra 8 hours sounds like a pretty good deal to me.
There are other factors which only you will know, how long is your vacation, how long is your drive to the airport, will you incur extra airport parking costs, if you are renting a car, does it effect the cost, extra meals, etc.

 

[NancyIL]

I'm someone who wants to take advantage of every minute of my vacation, so I would take the 6am flight. I'm up early anyway. And the airport is only 35 min from home.
How much is an extra 8 hours in WDW worth to you. $38 dollars each for an extra 8 hours sounds like a pretty good deal to me.
There are other factors which only you will know, how long is your vacation, how long is your drive to the airport, will you incur extra airport parking costs, if you are renting a car, does it effect the cost, extra meals, etc.

Please reread the OP's posts! The difference between the 7 a.m. (not 6 a.m.) and the 11 a.m. departures is 4 hours at WDW. She lives at least an hour from the airport, but needs to allow extra driving time in January. In order to arrive at the airport 90 minutes before the 7 a.m. flight, she would need to leave home between 3:30 and 4 a.m. I can roll out of bed and be at my local airport in 15 minutes - arriving 45 minutes before departure. I wouldn't do that in the winter with the airport an hour away.

 

[clkelley]

I would shoot for the 3pm - THE DAY BEFORE, or as others suggested, when ya'll get off work the day before, see if there is a hotel within 5 minutes of the airport and then take the 7am.

You might even find a "park and fly", where the cost of the hotel covers the parking.

 

[skelooch]

Please reread the OP's posts! The difference between the 7 a.m. (not 6 a.m.) and the 11 a.m. departures is 4 hours at WDW. She lives at least an hour from the airport, but needs to allow extra driving time in January. In order to arrive at the airport 90 minutes before the 7 a.m. flight, she would need to leave home between 3:30 and 4 a.m. I can roll out of bed and be at my local airport in 15 minutes - arriving 45 minutes before departure. I wouldn't do that in the winter with the airport an hour away.

Sorry, I miss read the times.
I'd still take the earliest flight. The sooner I get there the happier I am.
But that's up to them to decide.

 

[kamik86]

I never thought about going the day before but wouldn't have wanted to pay for the hotel stay. My husband decided that since we were going in October this year, then January, and plan to go again next sept that we are fine with missing the few hours to save the money between the 4 hours for the 11 flight and the 3 PM one. Now I just have to decide on a new reservation for dinner that night for around 8 PM...

Honestly although I'm enough of a morning person to manage to getting to the 7 AM flight my husband wouldn't do it if we had to get up as early as we would to do it in winter.

Flights are now booked and I'm on to post my next question (The trip is for my husband's birthday and he wants to try our first tour)