Anyone with experience with late night arrival at MCO?

[mrsgthatsme]

We will be flying into Orlando at the end of April and spending 2 nights at POR including a day at EPCOT prior to our Disney Cruise. We were initially planning on flying in Saturday, EPCOT Sunday, cruise Monday, but currently, the prices are significantly lower to fly in late Friday night instead of Saturday morning as planned. The flight we are considering would land at MCO at 12:05 AM. The other perk other than price, would be that we would have the entire next day to enjoy the resort at POR prior to the next day at EPCOT and the next day boarding the cruise. My hesitations are that we have an 8 and 11 year old and our 8 year old rarely sleeps in, even when up later than normal (although this would be REALLY late, so maybe he would sleep in a bit??) and the fact that we would have a 2.5 hour layover as part of that flight. We could still use ME correct? Do you have to wait longer for an ME bus to fill since I'm assuming there wouldn't be that many people arriving at that time? I am aware that the bag transfer service would not be available at that time. I would love to hear from people who have done a later flight like this, especially with kids. Thanks!

 

[PolyRob]

We will be flying into Orlando at the end of April and spending 2 nights at POR including a day at EPCOT prior to our Disney Cruise. We were initially planning on flying in Saturday, EPCOT Sunday, cruise Monday, but currently, the prices are significantly lower to fly in late Friday night instead of Saturday morning as planned. The flight we are considering would land at MCO at 12:05 AM. The other perk other than price, would be that we would have the entire next day to enjoy the resort at POR prior to the next day at EPCOT and the next day boarding the cruise. My hesitations are that we have an 8 and 11 year old and our 8 year old rarely sleeps in, even when up later than normal (although this would be REALLY late, so maybe he would sleep in a bit??) and the fact that we would have a 2.5 hour layover as part of that flight. We could still use ME correct? Do you have to wait longer for an ME bus to fill since I'm assuming there wouldn't be that many people arriving at that time? I am aware that the bag transfer service would not be available at that time. I would love to hear from people who have done a later flight like this, especially with kids. Thanks!

I had a flight that landed at MCO at 4:30am due to numerous delays. It was the shortest ME wait I have ever had. My sister and I were the only two people on a bus to AoA with practically no wait. Our driver was explaining to us that it was actually his favorite shift because it is not as hectic.

Seems like Disney does not wait to fill busses at bizarre times. There were a ton of busses waiting to take guests to the resort.

 

[kristenrice]

I'm not sure of your dates, but another option would be to book a room at the Hyatt in the airport. That way, one of you can take the kids straight up to the room while the other one picks up the bags. The kids can get a decent night of sleep and you can get up in the morning and hop a DME bus whenever you are ready to go. The rate for a 2Q room for the last Friday in April is $239 which is probably comparable to a night at a Disney moderate. It might not save you a lot of money, but from the time you get off the plane to the time you get to bed, it will save you a couple of hours at least. I did this on my last two trips to WDW. The first time was with the family and the second time was just myself and a friend. From the time we got off the plane to the time we were in our room was about 10 minutes. We don't check bags so that was not a concern for us so I can't report on how long that would have added. This year, I'm going to try the late arrival but we are going to take DME and see how it goes. The kids will be 13 and 15 so they are old enough to handle the late night and as of now, we aren't really planning anything early for the next day so we can surely sleep in. We aren't going until October, but I will definitely report back.

 

[rlk]

For the first time, we are scheduled to arrive at 12:20am at the end of March. We thought of booking a room at the Hyatt, but since our kids are older teens, we booked a night at All Stars Sports. The plan is to let the kids sleep in whie I check in to our DVC resort. I will try to report back how it goes.

 

[samcrawford01]

On our last trip (2 years ago) we had a massive delay on our flight from London and ended up arriving close to midnight (should have arrived about 5pm I think). We were worried about the Magical Express due to 2 reasons - (a) we put down the flight arrival time at 5pm and it was obviously very late and (b) we didn't know how late they ran. We were relieved that there were absolutely no problems with either. We jumped straight onto a bus and were on our way to the resort in no time.

 

[bumbershoot]

Dme is 24 hours. There’s no way to state if you’ll have a short or a long wait at that time. I’ve had both.

the prices are significantly lower to fly in late Friday night instead of Saturday morning as planned.

Remember you’re going to need to book a hotel room for Friday night and let them know you’re arriving late.

If you book at your resort, it might be more expensive than you want. But if it’s the same sort of room you can ask to stay in the same room, and that’s lovely. If you go cheaper, you have to be up andniut by checkout time, and might not get the POR room until after official checkin time.

Either way, be sure to account for the Friday night room cost and any “irritation cost” for having to move rooms etc.

The plan is to let the kids sleep in whie I check in to our DVC resort.

Just do online checkin. Most people get room ready texts that way. No need to physically head over there, really.

 

[rlk]

Just do online checkin. Most people get room ready texts that way. No need to physically head over there, really.

Yes, thanks for reminding me. We have a ridiculous number of moves during our 11 night stay. Online check in will be a must.

 

[bumbershoot]

Yes, thanks for reminding me. We have a ridiculous number of moves during our 11 night stay. Online check in will be a must.

We've done several multi-stay trips, too. Can be fun, can be a pain.

 

[rlk]

We've done several multi-stay trips, too. Can be fun, can be a pain.

Maybe you can ease my anxiety about our five moves. We booked DVC late for a Spring break trip. I'm telling myself that it will be fine, pack light, do laundry when we are in 1 bedrooms and go with the flow.

 

[Donna M]

Maybe you can ease my anxiety about our five moves. We booked DVC late for a Spring break trip. I'm telling myself that it will be fine, pack light, do laundry when we are in 1 bedrooms and go with the flow.

You have the right attitude. Thinking your way, you sound like you will make the best of it and have a great time.

 

[bumbershoot]

Maybe you can ease my anxiety about our five moves. We booked DVC late for a Spring break trip. I'm telling myself that it will be fine, pack light, do laundry when we are in 1 bedrooms and go with the flow.

We stayed in 4 separate places during an under two week stay when it was just me and my son. And we both got terribly ill. During marathon weekend. That we were participating in.

POP, SSR, AS Music, and I can’t recall. Then on to Daytona Beach (supposed to be visiting family but we were so sick and they were all sick too), then to Universal. Then on a cruise.

We survived.

And yes with laundry available you can simplify the packing.


Our very first trip was in December 2010. OKW 2 bedroom with family. OKW 1 bedroom once they left. Universal for 3 or 4 nights. Then AKL Jambo.


Have a plan. Try to pack smart. Don’t unpack when you don’t have to. Being some popup hampers and try to have an empty suitcase for the dirty clothes while you move from spot to spot.

 

[DVC California]

We will be flying into Orlando at the end of April and spending 2 nights at POR including a day at EPCOT prior to our Disney Cruise. We were initially planning on flying in Saturday, EPCOT Sunday, cruise Monday, but currently, the prices are significantly lower to fly in late Friday night instead of Saturday morning as planned. The flight we are considering would land at MCO at 12:05 AM. The other perk other than price, would be that we would have the entire next day to enjoy the resort at POR prior to the next day at EPCOT and the next day boarding the cruise. My hesitations are that we have an 8 and 11 year old and our 8 year old rarely sleeps in, even when up later than normal (although this would be REALLY late, so maybe he would sleep in a bit??) and the fact that we would have a 2.5 hour layover as part of that flight. We could still use ME correct? Do you have to wait longer for an ME bus to fill since I'm assuming there wouldn't be that many people arriving at that time? I am aware that the bag transfer service would not be available at that time. I would love to hear from people who have done a later flight like this, especially with kids. Thanks!

I highly recommend spending the first night at the Hyatt MCO or another hotel nearby. Almost all the airport hotels have a free shuttle and will pick you up very promptly (after you claim your bags). There are several that offer free breakfast, so the kids can have fun making waffles. Then, a quick shuttle ride back to MCO to board DME to your resort.

Maybe you can ease my anxiety about our five moves. We booked DVC late for a Spring break trip. I'm telling myself that it will be fine, pack light, do laundry when we are in 1 bedrooms and go with the flow.

It will be fine. We've done lots of resort hopping for various reasons and it actually can be fun experience. Just plan the days activities around "moving day" or make it a pool day. One thing we try to do when resort hopping is to progressively move up towards the better accommodations. It's much nicer moving from Pop Century to Port Orleans to a DVC 1-bdrm than the other way around. (Having car helps too.)

 

[rlk]

We will be flying into Orlando at the end of April and spending 2 nights at POR including a day at EPCOT prior to our Disney Cruise. We were initially planning on flying in Saturday, EPCOT Sunday, cruise Monday, but currently, the prices are significantly lower to fly in late Friday night instead of Saturday morning as planned. The flight we are considering would land at MCO at 12:05 AM. The other perk other than price, would be that we would have the entire next day to enjoy the resort at POR prior to the next day at EPCOT and the next day boarding the cruise. My hesitations are that we have an 8 and 11 year old and our 8 year old rarely sleeps in, even when up later than normal (although this would be REALLY late, so maybe he would sleep in a bit??) and the fact that we would have a 2.5 hour layover as part of that flight. We could still use ME correct? Do you have to wait longer for an ME bus to fill since I'm assuming there wouldn't be that many people arriving at that time? I am aware that the bag transfer service would not be available at that time. I would love to hear from people who have done a later flight like this, especially with kids. Thanks!

I've been thinking about your situation, because it is very similar to mine. I would rather get to the Disney resort, even it it takes some extra time. If your 8 year old doesn't sleep in, make sure you have a short park day. Get back to POR early, relax and get to bed a little earlier than usual.

 

[rlk]

We stayed in 4 separate places during an under two week stay when it was just me and my son. And we both got terribly ill. During marathon weekend. That we were participating in.

POP, SSR, AS Music, and I can’t recall. Then on to Daytona Beach (supposed to be visiting family but we were so sick and they were all sick too), then to Universal. Then on a cruise.

We survived.

And yes with laundry available you can simplify the packing.


Our very first trip was in December 2010. OKW 2 bedroom with family. OKW 1 bedroom once they left. Universal for 3 or 4 nights. Then AKL Jambo.


Have a plan. Try to pack smart. Don’t unpack when you don’t have to. Being some popup hampers and try to have an empty suitcase for the dirty clothes while you move from spot to spot.

Glad you survived that sick trip. I've been sick at Disney, not fun. I like the popup hamper tip. I plan on bringing an empty suitcase to store our groceries we order. If they stay in a roller suitcase, it will be easier to pack up. As of now, we are staying at:
All Stars Sports (arrival night/morning)
AKL Kidani Savanna studio 2 nights
Kidani standard studio 1 night
BLT 1bedroom 1 night
Jambo value 1bdrm 1 night
Kidani savanna studio 2 nights
Kidani savanna 1 bdrm 3 nights

I have two wait lists going, hoping at least one comes through. In the mean time , I am stalking the site.

I highly recommend spending the first night at the Hyatt MCO or another hotel nearby. Almost all the airport hotels have a free shuttle and will pick you up very promptly (after you claim your bags). There are several that offer free breakfast, so the kids can have fun making waffles. Then, a quick shuttle ride back to MCO to board DME to your resort.



It will be fine. We've done lots of resort hopping for various reasons and it actually can be fun experience. Just plan the days activities around "moving day" or make it a pool day. One thing we try to do when resort hopping is to progressively move up towards the better accommodations. It's much nicer moving from Pop Century to Port Orleans to a DVC 1-bdrm than the other way around. (Having car helps too.)

Luckily, I have a one bedroom for 3 nights at the end of our trip. We have done split stays before, but on one or two moves in a 2 week stay.

 

[mrsgthatsme]

I've been thinking about your situation, because it is very similar to mine. I would rather get to the Disney resort, even it it takes some extra time. If your 8 year old doesn't sleep in, make sure you have a short park day. Get back to POR early, relax and get to bed a little earlier than usual.

Yes, I agree that getting to POR right away is a good thought for me, although I do see the benefits of crashing at Hyatt MCO that night too. If I could be pretty sure we wouldn't sit on a bus for several hours waiting for it to fill and going to 4-5 resorts, I would feel better about it. We actually have no parks planned for the next day, so it would be a resort day, which would be good. I agree that a big day of parks after a short night of sleep would be rough!

 

[Tattylou]

We had a late flight into MCO last year - think it landed at 11:30. My kids were 6 and 8 at the time. Obviously, given the ages, they are not kids who typically stay up late. They were on adrenaline and excitment and were fine on the flight. There was no wait for ME at that time. We just had carry on luggage bc it was a short trip, so we did not have to collect checked bags. By the time we got to the hotel, my little one was in exhaustion whiney borderline meltdown mode. Luckily, we had already done online check in and just headed right to our room at POP. The kids fell immediately to sleep as soon as their pjs were on. They don't sleep in either, but they were totally fine the next day. I say go for it. They can always go to bed earlier that next night if they seem tired.

 

[bumbershoot]

I have two wait lists going, hoping at least one comes through. In the mean time , I am stalking the site.

I recently had two waitlists come through, the second one when I felt that all was lost, so I hope my luck can run off on you!!

Definitely stalk.

 

[mrsgthatsme]

We had a late flight into MCO last year - think it landed at 11:30. My kids were 6 and 8 at the time. Obviously, given the ages, they are not kids who typically stay up late. They were on adrenaline and excitment and were fine on the flight. There was no wait for ME at that time. We just had carry on luggage bc it was a short trip, so we did not have to collect checked bags. By the time we got to the hotel, my little one was in exhaustion whiney borderline meltdown mode. Luckily, we had already done online check in and just headed right to our room at POP. The kids fell immediately to sleep as soon as their pjs were on. They don't sleep in either, but they were totally fine the next day. I say go for it. They can always go to bed earlier that next night if they seem tired.

So helpful to hear your experiences. We will have checked bags, which is one of my concerns, since I know it will take a bit to collect those.

 

[WishICouldSpeakWhale]

We flew into MCO around 10pm in November. That was late enough for us, my kids are 9 & 6, so we stayed at the Hyatt at the airport. Our bags came off the carousel pretty quickly - faster than they ever have when we are at "home" in Philly. We grabbed the bags and walked back up to the Hyatt. We were in our room by 11pm. It took a little while for the kids to settle down and go to sleep, which I suspect would have happened whenever we finally arrived at any hotel, so the earlier the better.

In the morning, we grabbed breakfast at a fast food place outside security (there are plenty!), went in the pool at the Hyatt, and checked out close to noon. We were not in a hurry to get to the Boardwalk and not have a room. We got our room ready text as soon as we got on the bus, so that was perfect.

 

[rlk]

So helpful to hear your experiences. We will have checked bags, which is one of my concerns, since I know it will take a bit to collect those.

Could either you or your husband take your children straight to DME, while the other one collects the checked bags?