Which option would you choose?

[Shelly888]

Option 1)Fly in Saturday from the closest airport(30 minutes from home). Flight is landing at 9:30. ME to resort(POR) and up for RD Sunday am at MK.
Option 2) Fly in Saturday from an airport approx 1 1/2 hours from home. Land at 5 pm. ME to resort and up for RD on Sunday at MK.

Option 3)Fly in Friday night from closest airport and land at 9:30p. ME to resort...unable at this point to add at the same resort we have reserved on Saturday. We would have to stay somewhere else, check out, but hang at pool and have lunch, head to DS, then boat back to POR and check in. Bed early and up for RD at MK.

I'm leaning toward option #2, DH would really prefer to fly from the closest airport. If we take an early flight on Saturday, it's way more than we're willing to pay. If we fly Friday, we have to get an extra night's room, but we would have to switch resorts and not having a room on a non-park day might not be a good option.
Cost is very close to the same even adding on the extra night Friday. It would even save us 300 if I could convince DH to fly Spirit on Friday from furthest airport. So far, though, he won't budge on that.

 

[ChasingLeslie]

I would go with #2.

I prefer to have a time cushion (in case there is a delay) and time to relax at the resort before heading into the parks next day.

 

[Canooknic]

I would choose option 2 too. We did a later flight once and by the time we got to the resort and checked in etc we were exhausted and it made our 1st day at the parks tough.

We always try to land late afternoon now; we've got amazing late-morning direct flights that get us into MCO at 17:10 (15:10 our time) so by the time we get settled at POR it will be around our regular supper time!! I love that we can gently ease the boys out of their regular schedule!!

 

[aebeauregard]

I would pick number 2. Make sure you look into the Spirit fees if you haven't! They add up fast. You have to pay for almost everything. On a recent vacation we almost booked them for my husband but found Sun Country to be cheaper because he didn't have to pay for his carry on.

 

[kj2mom]

For me the return home flight would matter more. We tend to want to have a later flight home so we get to spend some of our day at the resort/DS/a park before heading to the airport. That 90 minute drive after returning home might be the deal breaker for me. I am fine with arriving to my resort later at night even with having a full day the next day but I know everyone is different. If we were at the resort around midnight and got to sleep say until 6am or 7am that would be plenty of rest for us to get up and go for our first park day, especially if it meant when I got home from my vacation I would have only a 30 minute drive home.

 

[Shelly888]

For me the return home flight would matter more. We tend to want to have a later flight home so we get to spend some of our day at the resort/DS/a park before heading to the airport. That 90 minute drive after returning home might be the deal breaker for me. I am fine with arriving to my resort later at night even with having a full day the next day but I know everyone is different. If we were at the resort around midnight and got to sleep say until 6am or 7am that would be plenty of rest for us to get up and go for our first park day, especially if it meant when I got home from my vacation I would have only a 30 minute drive home.

That's a good point! Thanks for mentioning it. I'm going to look into a one way back at our hometown airport.

 

[monorailsilver]

I would pick #2 as well just because it gets in earlier and you can have some down time before you have to go to sleep.

But besides the return time, yes later but a 90 minute drive home at 11pm would not be fun if that was the flight arrival time. Also look at traffic both ways and what you'd be dealing with.

Also airport parking. Do they both have parking at about the same price?

A few years ago we flew out of white plains. It is 30 min from my parents house but about 90 min from me so we spend the night at their house and my dad drive us and picked us up. That was before they had the parking at nearby SUNY for cheaper and the airport parking is limited.

On the flip side, we normally fly out of bradley/Hartford which is about 45 min from us and there is tons of parking.

 

[Mousemommy1]

Option 2. More time for relaxing before the 1st day in the parks.

 

[Minnesota!]

Option 3. I would fly in, stay at a value that night. Pack a bag with just what you need for Saturday morning, and swimming at new resort. Next day, sleep in. Check out, ask for luggage to be transferred. Cab over to new resort, check in, head to the pool until room is ready. You will be well rested, hang out for a day being chill, and from the closest airport.

 

[Petit_Rose]

Option 2

 

[Shelly888]

Option 3. I would fly in, stay at a value that night. Pack a bag with just what you need for Saturday morning, and swimming at new resort. Next day, sleep in. Check out, ask for luggage to be transferred. Cab over to new resort, check in, head to the pool until room is ready. You will be well rested, hang out for a day being chill, and from the closest airport.

Would you still pick three if you already had a split stay booked? I have a room at POR from 11/5-11/10 and then POFQ 11/10-11/15. I also have a room at POFQ reserved for 11/7-11/10(I'm not sure when we will leave POR. The rooms at POFQ are using a PIN code and quite discounted...DH wants to stay POR longer because our friends are there.)

 

[Minnesota!]

Would you still pick three if you already had a split stay booked? I have a room at POR from 11/5-11/10 and then POFQ 11/10-11/15. I also have a room at POFQ reserved for 11/7-11/10(I'm not sure when we will leave POR. The rooms at POFQ are using a PIN code and quite discounted...DH wants to stay POR longer because our friends are there.)

So, you would have 3 resorts? Yes, I would still do it. Either way, Saturday is going to be a little chaotic. It can either be chaotic in that you actually get to bed/settled at a decent time, thus being ready for Sunday, or it can be chaotic in that you get there and go to bed so that it can start. I would prefer to already be there, and get my rest for my "vacation starts Sunday". We have done split stays, they are not a big deal. Pack up, have luggage transferred, cab to new place, and your luggage shows up when your room is ready. As long as I had everything I needed - swimming gear, a change of clothes, money, etc., I would do it. Stash it in the lockers at the pool if nothing else

 

[Shelly888]

So, you would have 3 resorts? Yes, I would still do it. Either way, Saturday is going to be a little chaotic. It can either be chaotic in that you actually get to bed/settled at a decent time, thus being ready for Sunday, or it can be chaotic in that you get there and go to bed so that it can start. I would prefer to already be there, and get my rest for my "vacation starts Sunday". We have done split stays, they are not a big deal. Pack up, have luggage transferred, cab to new place, and your luggage shows up when your room is ready. As long as I had everything I needed - swimming gear, a change of clothes, money, etc., I would do it. Stash it in the lockers at the pool if nothing else

Yes, 3 resorts. Like you said Saturday will be chaotic anyway. We would basically just be sleeping there to prep for our vacation. Thanks for your point of view. Lots to figure out.

 

[Macprincess]

You had me picking #2 until I read that would be on spirit. I fly them a few times a year from Florida to Michigan because they're cheep and I'm usually just flying to see family. I'm not on a strict time table and I have a sister who allows me to keep a few suitcases of extra clothes for my kids and I in her basement.

Spirit is big time no frills airline. You will pay extra for everything, bags both checked and carried on, drinks & food, and seat assignments which can really add up for a family. Seats are very tight without much leg room. We find our flights often runs late, as in several hours late. If your flight gets canceled, which has happened to us, your often stuck for a few days before you can get another flight. It works for us when it doesn't matter when we get there or leave because were just hanging at Grandmas, but never would I book with them for a vacation with limited days. Honestly, it's just not worth the hassle for the savings and our airport that carries Spirit is closer to both our home and my parents.

If it were me I would go with flying on Friday night and stay at the airport Hyatt. Sleep in. Then take ME to your resort and have a nice relaxing day by the pool.

 

[Shelly888]

You had me picking #2 until I read that would be on spirit. I fly them a few times a year from Florida to Michigan because they're cheep and I'm usually just flying to see family. I'm not on a strict time table and I have a sister who allows me to keep a few suitcases of extra clothes for my kids and I in her basement.

Spirit is big time no frills airline. You will pay extra for everything, bags both checked and carried on, drinks & food, and seat assignments which can really add up for a family. Seats are very tight without much leg room. We find our flights often runs late, as in several hours late. If your flight gets canceled, which has happened to us, your often stuck for a few days before you can get another flight. It works for us when it doesn't matter when we get there or leave because were just hanging at Grandmas, but never would I book with them for a vacation with limited days. Honestly, it's just not worth the hassle for the savings and our airport that carries Spirit is closer to both our home and my parents.

If it were me I would go with flying on Friday night and stay at the airport Hyatt. Sleep in. Then take ME to your resort and have a nice relaxing day by the pool.

Well, number 2 isn't on Spirit, but Southwest. There is an alternate flight on Spirit with the same details a few hundred cheaper. I would be willing to give them a try, DH is not. So if we went with #2 it would be SW. I wondered if I could stay at the airport, and take ME in the am. Thanks for the input

 

[Macprincess]

I'm pretty certain that Disney will allow you to take ME if you fly in the night before and then stay a night at the airport Hyatt before going on to their resorts. I'm sure you would have to collect your luggage after your flight, take it to your room, and then back down to the ME check in in the morning. I would call and ask Disney about this if you are considering this option.

 

[aidansmommy]

Option 3. I would fly in, stay at a value that night. Pack a bag with just what you need for Saturday morning, and swimming at new resort. Next day, sleep in. Check out, ask for luggage to be transferred. Cab over to new resort, check in, head to the pool until room is ready. You will be well rested, hang out for a day being chill, and from the closest airport.

This....even with already having a split stay. Plus you could head to Disney Springs on Saturday or just chill at the pool. Traveling for us is stressful, if we could have an extra day to prepare for the craziness, we'd take it!

 

[3Gsandme]

OPtioin 2 doesn't sound that great to me. However, I have kids who don't need gobs of sleep so the convenience of option 1 would make more sense to me. I don't want to have to drive home for 90 minutes at the end of vacation.

 

[Shelly888]

I'm sure you are all waiting with baited breath to know what we picked...HAHA!! Thank you guys all SO much for your thoughtful responses. They really helped We are flying from the further airport and landing at MCO at 5:30(1 stop-no plane change)leaving at 11:45 am on Southwest. Flight home leaves Orlando at 5:30 it also has one stop with a plane change. Landing at 10 pm at the local airport and flying American airlines. I felt these were the best option taking into consideration flight times, cost, and distance to the airport. I like the idea of getting to WDW earlier, and once we factor in getting our bags from ME, that was the deciding factor for me. I also thought flying home into the closer airport made more sense. We land rather late, but the other option for what we were willing to pay was leaving MCO at 6:30am(way too early for us!). Thanks again