When to leave?

[boomchip]

Hey everyone! We are planning our first WDW vacation as a family of four, going next summer 5/31-6/9, 2022. DS will be 9 and DD will be 6 at time of travel. Wife and myself last went in 2012 (with a group of adults) so it will be 10 years since visiting and we are so excited. We already booked the dates but obviously it's too soon for travel arrangements and we are definitely flying, coming out of the Chicagoland area.

With that being said, anyone have any great tips of when we should try to book a flight, specifically related to departure times? The kids never flew before so we don't want to make it too stressful for them by leaving too early or too late. We do not have park tickets for the arrival date, so we were thinking just getting to the resort and relaxing/checking out the pool/etc., but not sure on best time for departure.

 

[buzzgirls&dad]

We fly out of MKE and like to have a non stop flight above all else. Usually we can get one somewhere around 8-9 which puts us in around1:30-2:30. It doesn't require us to get up too early (we will if the only non stop is earlier). We rent a car so it allows for non rush hour traffic and a nice grocery stop. If our room is ready we can go and get settled truly unpack as needed, get toiletries set up, coffee ready for the next morning etc. If there's time go to the pool and then go to dinner which we like at the resort or close by so we can have an early evening and be up and ready for rope drop the next morning. We usually do not have any crabby travelers when we keep it simple the first day. (We've learned the hard way) Your kids will be plenty excited with the airports, flights, resort, pool etc. don't over due the first day.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

When flying, I would start trolling for flights as soon as I knew my dates to get an idea of cost, times, direct or indirect flight, etc. The busiest time to fly in generally the morning flights. The one thing consistent about flight prices is that they change. When you see a flight that you're comfortable with (price wise too), book it and stop looking.

 

[wdw&sonny]

If you have choices of times, your lucky. But i imagine in Chicago you do. Most of us take the only flight options (LOL).
I agree with above. Choose the most convenient time for your family. Avoid rush hour, not too early, not too late. You do want to get to WDW, after all and start enjoying the day. But, you probably won't be able to check in until 4p. So you need to know what to do upon arrival.
Also, agree it's good to not plan a park day on arrival. But, remember you can always add a day to your tickets, once you are there, if you so desire.
We usually arrive and head to our resort to see if we can get in early. If not, we have a leisurely lunch, explore the resort, pool time, ride the monorail or skyliner, check out other resorts, or maybe even go to DS.

 

[Sunshine2U]

We when had littles we booked Chef Mickey's and rode the monorail to see the castle on Day 1, things like that. Now there are more options but the idea was to get some things checked off the list. Otherwise we were taking the bus to MK (no monorail) or stopping for Mickey and Minnie in the park when I wanted us to keep moving.

 

[hes122]

I've done the crack of dawn direct flight 3 times (at an airport 2 hours away) and a mid-morning flight with a layover from my local airport once.

Every time I've taken the early flight I've been pretty tired by the end of the day and couldn't wait to crawl into bed (although I was nursing an awful cold on one of those trips for the first few days). This last trip when we arrived mid-late afternoon was pretty perfect IMO. It was a good mix of relaxation and things to do. Since you don't have a park reservation for your arrival day, I'd suggest an afternoon arrival if at all possible.

 

[LiveLifeLoud]

You are doing a longer trip so IMO no need for arrival day to be a full Disney day. I would do anything around 10 am-12 pm departure times.

I’ve done the 6 am flights, landed around 8-9 am, gone to MK until it closes and then have been completely exhausted the next day. Looking back it was too much especially considering we do longer trips (8-10 nights). It would’ve made sense if we had a short trip and needed arrival day to be a park day.

Next trip we’re doing 8 nights and I’m planning on leaving around 10-11 am. We are only 20 minutes from PHL and there’s tons of options. This way we can get up at a normal time of 7-8 am and not at 3 am like we usually do. We will still get in around 1-2. It gives us enough time to get a taste of WDW but we can get to bed at a decent time and start fresh the next day with RD.

My plan is to unpack, get food and hit MK later for a very leisurely evening and watch fireworks and take in the atmosphere. Also do 3 rides if FP is back. (Planning end of 2022 so hoping most stuff is back).

Other options is to swim, do dinner at DS or at a resort. You could kick it off with dinner at chef mickeys. So many options.

 

[boomchip]

The tips you all provided are pretty much in line with what we were thinking. It is a longer trip as some have mentioned, so we will not add park ticket for the arrival day.

There are so many options in DS now compared to our last time so we might go there to eat on that first evening. I remember when we went pre-kids, trekking around the monorail so that sounds like a great idea too. It will be a great experience and our first “long” vacation as a family, so there’s much to look forward to.

 

[LiveLifeLoud]

The tips you all provided are pretty much in line with what we were thinking. It is a longer trip as some have mentioned, so we will not add park ticket for the arrival day.

There are so many options in DS now compared to our last time so we might go there to eat on that first evening. I remember when we went pre-kids, trekking around the monorail so that sounds like a great idea too. It will be a great experience and our first “long” vacation as a family, so there’s much to look forward to.

With kids your age I wouldn’t do a park on arrival day. We will do a park since my DD is a teen and a night owl. I think you have a good plan.

 

[_19disnA]

Travel preferences can vary along with airline availability and prices, but we first prefer the non-stop flights (where available) and a morning departure that is reasonable. If you have to get up at 3 AM to get to the airport for a very early departure time, tends to make for a very LONG day of vacation. Connecting flights can also add a lot of wait time as well as the unknowns for bad weather or mechanical issues causing problems. We always think it best to have a non-stop flight cancelled when departing because as worst, we simply go back home and travel on the revised date. Clearly, it is easier to get non-stop flights from larger or hub airports and depending where you live/travel from, your options may be more limited.

Similarly, for returning home, we try to leave the hotel sometimes after breakfast. It just works best for us on that last day to get up, get dressed, pack, eat breakfast and then head to the airport. Once you check out of your hotel, it will no longer be practical to take a shower and/or change clothes if you plan to do a park on that day. Racing to do other things on departure day can result in everyone being exhausted and makes the travel less enjoyable.

Covid has caused a reduction in travel and available flights. Airlines will probably add back more flights once covid is behind us, but no one really knows for sure when that will be and likely will be spread out over time. I would assume airlines will first add back flights on the most popular routes to maximize revenue. Typically, the non-stop and more desired travel times book up first. Every airline has fare categories and once the lowest price seats on a given flight are sold, the fare jumps to the next higher category. If your airline still allows to exchange tickets for a lower price/sale that might come along with no penalty, then I would book the flight as soon as possible.

 

[boomchip]

Travel preferences can vary along with airline availability and prices, but we first prefer the non-stop flights (where available) and a morning departure that is reasonable. If you have to get up at 3 AM to get to the airport for a very early departure time, tends to make for a very LONG day of vacation. Connecting flights can also add a lot of wait time as well as the unknowns for bad weather or mechanical issues causing problems. We always think it best to have a non-stop flight cancelled when departing because as worst, we simply go back home and travel on the revised date. Clearly, it is easier to get non-stop flights from larger or hub airports and depending where you live/travel from, your options may be more limited.

Similarly, for returning home, we try to leave the hotel sometimes after breakfast. It just works best for us on that last day to get up, get dressed, pack, eat breakfast and then head to the airport. Once you check out of your hotel, it will no longer be practical to take a shower and/or change clothes if you plan to do a park on that day. Racing to do other things on departure day can result in everyone being exhausted and makes the travel less enjoyable.

Covid has caused a reduction in travel and available flights. Airlines will probably add back more flights once covid is behind us, but no one really knows for sure when that will be and likely will be spread out over time. I would assume airlines will first add back flights on the most popular routes to maximize revenue. Typically, the non-stop and more desired travel times book up first. Every airline has fare categories and once the lowest price seats on a given flight are sold, the fare jumps to the next higher category. If your airline still allows to exchange tickets for a lower price/sale that might come along with no penalty, then I would book the flight as soon as possible.

non stop flights FTW!

 

[Ralph&Pam]

Flying out of Chicagoland, you will need to decide between O’Hare and Midway. This may also depend on where in the area you are located. We’re in the western suburbs, so pretty close to equidistant from these airports. There should be plenty of available nonstop flights in either case. United and American out of O’Hare and Southwest out of Midway will all have multiple options. With 6 and 9 year olds who will be excited about the trip, I would avoid the early morning options. Between TSA security and the possibility you have a long walk to your gate (at either airport), it can make for a long day if you need to arrive at the airport near 5 am to catch the first flight of the day. Flights departing around 10 or 11 am are probably better. With the one-hour time change between Chicago and Orlando, you’ll be heading out of the airport to the resort by 2 or 3. Hopefully, your room is ready before you get there or soon thereafter.

 

[boomchip]

Flying out of Chicagoland, you will need to decide between O’Hare and Midway. This may also depend on where in the area you are located. We’re in the western suburbs, so pretty close to equidistant from these airports. There should be plenty of available nonstop flights in either case. United and American out of O’Hare and Southwest out of Midway will all have multiple options. With 6 and 9 year olds who will be excited about the trip, I would avoid the early morning options. Between TSA security and the possibility you have a long walk to your gate (at either airport), it can make for a long day if you need to arrive at the airport near 5 am to catch the first flight of the day. Flights departing around 10 or 11 am are probably better. With the one-hour time change between Chicago and Orlando, you’ll be heading out of the airport to the resort by 2 or 3. Hopefully, your room is ready before you get there or soon thereafter.

The last trip in 2011 we went MDW/Southwest, it was an overall pleasant experience. I have to echo your sentiments - no super early flights for sure for my crew.

Edit: Southwest is also flying out of ORD now ... but Terminal 5, so I’m not sure that will seem optimal. Anyone had that experience and could provide some good food for thought against the normal MDW route?

 

[Ralph&Pam]

The last trip in 2011 we went MDW/Southwest, it was an overall pleasant experience. I have to echo your sentiments - no super early flights for sure for my crew.

Edit: Southwest is also flying out of ORD now ... but Terminal 5, so I’m not sure that will seem optimal. Anyone had that experience and could provide some good food for thought against the normal MDW route?

I looked at the SW flights out of ORD just yesterday, prior to booking flights for a Florida trip in July on SW out of MDW. There were no nonstop flights available from ORD to MCO, so that was a non-starter for us. SW between MDW and MCO always offers a lot of nonstop flights, at every possible time of day and with varying price points reflecting demand. We almost always choose to fly SW, taking advantage of the free checked bags but paying for their early bird check in service. We do like the convenience of the somewhat smaller airport, compared to ORD (although hardly all that small these days, since SW has so many gates).

 

[boomchip]

I looked at the SW flights out of ORD just yesterday, prior to booking flights for a Florida trip in July on SW out of MDW. There were no nonstop flights available from ORD to MCO, so that was a non-starter for us. SW between MDW and MCO always offers a lot of nonstop flights, at every possible time of day and with varying price points reflecting demand. We almost always choose to fly SW, taking advantage of the free checked bags but paying for their early bird check in service. We do like the convenience of the somewhat smaller airport, compared to ORD (although hardly all that small these days, since SW has so many gates).

I agree... MDW was nicer to navigate. Parking seems to be a bit cheaper too (if you need it). I imagine it will be easier to navigate with kids. Non-stops also are critical, especially with the kids. I could use a charred dog from Gold Coast too, if it's still there!

And again, SW operating out of Terminal 5 at ORD seems daunting with the family in tow.