How Do You Spend Check-Out Day?

[Abbey1]

We just booked our flights for our upcoming trip in October, and our return flight isn’t until 7 PM. We tend to opt for earlier return flights but want to sleep in this trip as we’ll be attending a MNSSHP the night before, so I am trying to decide how we should spend our last half day at WDW.

We’ll be staying at BC, so one option would be to spend the afternoon at Stormalong Bay, but I’m not sure how easy it would be to get ready after pool time without a room to come back to. We’ll also have already spend a decent amount of time at the pool by this point.

Another option would be adding an extra day onto our tickets and heading into Epcot for a few hours.

I’ve also considered spending a few hours in Disney Springs. We have a reservation at Homecomin’ for earlier in the trip, but won’t be spending much time in DS other than that.

So how does everyone else choose to spend their last day when they have an evening flight? Am I missing any other options?

 

[PSUGuy]

We'd like to have a later flight for our Oct 27 return but the last non-stop from SW takes off around 1 pm so we're out of Board Walk before 11. In these circumstances we get to MCO in time to have a few Happy Hour drinks before departure. We'll review our current trip and actually start planning next year's trip, listing the things we wanted to do but didn't, deciding on exact dates etc. We stay at Board Walk on rented DVC points and to get a room there during F&W one must book 11 months out so there's no time to waste.

Bill From PA

 

[AngiTN]

It's the same every trip. At Epcot.
We pack up 95% night before
Finish up last minute things that morning, never trying to hit rope drop though. Our first FP is usually SE at 11:00-12:00, figuring we can get there by 12:15 and if we do miss it, that's ok. Missing SE isn't the end of the world. Next would be Soarin' or TT, whichever we haven't done yet or whichever we want to repeat.
Drop bags with RAC, get change for luggage lockers at Epcot
Call for Uber and head to Epcot with our carry on bags.
Go to lockers near bus stops, leave our bags
Head out to call for Uber 2 hours before our flight. I go to the pick up point, DH goes to get the bags and meets me there.
(Unless we are at BWI, then we leave bags with Bell Services and walk over, and walk back and call from Uber there, also 2 hours before flight)

 

[BrianL]

I usually hit Disney Springs for an early lunch and to pick up any souvenirs at World of Disney that I may have passed on earlier. Then it's back to the resort to wait for DME. Being at Beach Club you could do some Epcot. Depending on how long your park tickets are for already, adding a day may be very inexpensive. Your flight is pretty late too, so you'd have some time. I'd probably do DS and a quick service lunch at D-Luxe Burger or Earl of Sandwich, but only because I love those places.

 

[Oneanne]

When I'm taking the 6pm flight home I spend the morning at a park, have a nice lunch and then head back to the resort with usually an hour buffer to chill until the tragical express bus shows up.

 

[Ashley Marie]

I always have the urge to go to MK one last time but my husband hates having plans on departure day since it can get stressful. (One time we admittedly did miss our DME, and there wasn't another one stopping at the resort before our flight... we really lucked out and Disney comped a car ride for us).

On our most recent trip, our DME pickup wasn't until 7pm. We didn't leave the resort all day. We stayed club level, so we had access to the lounge all day, even after checking out of the room at 11am. We slept in, took our time packing and having breakfast from the lounge, got out of the room on time and did resort airline check-in, dropped our carry-on bags with bell services, had some of the lounge's afternoon offerings, went to the pool, came back in to the lounge when we were too hot and ate evening apps and relaxed there. The pool at the GF has bathrooms to change in and even showers, if you wan't to use them. I'm pretty sure BC does too?

After that trip, I can see why he always wants to keep the last day without plans. It was a really nice way to end our vacation.

 

[Beer Me]

Adding a day can be cheap and gives you a chance to nab a hard to get fastpass or hit some of your favorites again.

 

[gap2368]

I normal just wake up pack my car and then head to what ever park I feel like most of the time MK head out between 2-3. And then it is the sad drive home sometimes I am just to tired so I will sleep in as long as I can and leave the hotel around 10:30-11 and just drive home.

Since your flight is so late you can get a good amount done at one of the park and the upgrades may be pretty cheep or sleep in and go to Disney springs

 

[disneydreamer1980]

Cry? Just kidding...sort of. We drive down but we always leave in the evening so the kids will sleep for much of the ride, which gives us time to hit MK before we leave. It’s our tradition, we always end with MK. We sleep in a little, check out and head to MK. We leave from there, our car already packed up, for the sad ride home.

 

[davper]

If I had the 7pm flight, I would probably spend it at the park. You won't get to sleep in. Housekeeping starts knocking on doors at 7am on days you are checking out.

On one of my previous trips, I had a 5pm flight. we checked out, had a nice lunch, saw a movie at Disney Springs and then headed for the airport.

 

[ENJDisneyFan]

We usually like to do a nice lunch and souvenir shopping at Disney Springs. However, if I was staying at BC I would probably spend the afternoon at Epcot.

 

[Cece_Kay]

We always do late flights on check-out day. In the past we have done late check out to sleep in a little, DS for shopping and lunch, or a pool day at the hotel (we don't swim though, so more lounging and drinking by the pool). This year we added an extra park day (it was ~$15 to upgrade from a 4 day to a 5 day) and were going to hit our favorites at F&W.

With a later flight you definitely have options, just depends what you want to do. You can also resort hop the monorail resorts to look around. We did that the year we went during Christmas on check-in day.

 

[KenHutch]

As I read all of these replies I had a question, how much time do you have to allocate for time if you are flying out. In 5 previous trips we have driven but scared of heights girls have told me we can fly if I book the Poly so I am learning about all the details on flying from this board.

 

[Cece_Kay]

As I read all of these replies I had a question, how much time do you have to allocate for time if you are flying out. In 5 previous trips we have driven but scared of heights girls have told me we can fly if I book the Poly so I am learning about all the details on flying from this board.

If using DME, they pick you up 3 hours before for domestic and 4 hours before for International flights.

 

[KenHutch]

If using DME, they pick you up 3 hours before for domestic and 4 hours before for International flights.

Thank You Very Much this helps as I start planning the 2021 trip ( I know I know I was back from our June trip 2 days before I starting planning this one) but the girls were talking about wanting a late flight out so they could spend an extra day at MK so I started getting curious.

 

[jerseygal]

Usually spend it at the pool, have a nice lunch, before heading to the airport using DME. We enjoy the early evening flights, feel like we get an extra day.

 

[MissManda]

It's the same every trip. At Epcot.
We pack up 95% night before
Finish up last minute things that morning, never trying to hit rope drop though. Our first FP is usually SE at 11:00-12:00, figuring we can get there by 12:15 and if we do miss it, that's ok. Missing SE isn't the end of the world. Next would be Soarin' or TT, whichever we haven't done yet or whichever we want to repeat.
Drop bags with RAC, get change for luggage lockers at Epcot
Call for Uber and head to Epcot with our carry on bags.
Go to lockers near bus stops, leave our bags
Head out to call for Uber 2 hours before our flight. I go to the pick up point, DH goes to get the bags and meets me there.
(Unless we are at BWI, then we leave bags with Bell Services and walk over, and walk back and call from Uber there, also 2 hours before flight)

I learned a few things from you post. I never paid attention to luggage lockers outside the park before. Had no idea you could do that.

Also, You don't call for Uber until 2 hours before your flight? Oh my gosh, I would have so much anxiety if I did that. Even without having to check luggage, i'd be so afraid of running behind, especially at MCO. I seem to run late to everything in life...but not to the airport. I'm a nervous flyer though so I like to make sure that I get there in plenty of time to get through security, sit and a relax for a bit before having to board. If I'm frazzled boarding the plane, it makes for along anxious trip for me. (Although I have learned when travelling with a toddler not to get their too early because they get bored quickly so now I have to balance that out a bit).

For the Original Poster- we've only done one late afternoon flight out. We went to Disney Springs and just hung out at the resort. I would also consider doing one of parks, depending on the weather. I wouldn't want to get all hot and sweaty or soaked by rain and then have to sit on the plane without being able to take a shower or properly freshen up.

 

[Corwin]

We always do a late flight home on checkout day, with DME pickup sometime in the afternoon.

We get up, pack, check out by 9:30 a.m., drop our checked bags off at RAC, store carry-on bags at Bell Services, and head for a sit-down breakfast around 10:30 a.m. (usually Kona Cafe at the Polynesian). We then head to the closest park (usually MK).

We leave the park about 1-1/2 hours before DME pick-up and head back to the resort, which gives us time to retrieve our bags from Bell Services. Then we sit sadly waiting for the bus.

 

[AngiTN]

I learned a few things from you post. I never paid attention to luggage lockers outside the park before. Had no idea you could do that.

Also, You don't call for Uber until 2 hours before your flight? Oh my gosh, I would have so much anxiety if I did that. Even without having to check luggage, i'd be so afraid of running behind, especially at MCO. I seem to run late to everything in life...but not to the airport. I'm a nervous flyer though so I like to make sure that I get there in plenty of time to get through security, sit and a relax for a bit before having to board. If I'm frazzled boarding the plane, it makes for along anxious trip for me. (Although I have learned when travelling with a toddler not to get their too early because they get bored quickly so now I have to balance that out a bit).

For the Original Poster- we've only done one late afternoon flight out. We went to Disney Springs and just hung out at the resort. I would also consider doing one of parks, depending on the weather. I wouldn't want to get all hot and sweaty or soaked by rain and then have to sit on the plane without being able to take a shower or properly freshen up.

2 hours is more than enough time for us. We do have PreCheck, so that makes a significant difference. Though even without it, if you are not using ME, it's still close to enough time since you make no other stops and they tend to travel faster.

We flew home on 7/7, and I made notes, because this comes up all the time.
Our flight boarded at 6:50, departed at 7:20
I called for our Lyft at 5:19, from Epcot.
Lyft drop off time shows as 5:47
I stopped for a bathroom break and we were through TSA and on the train to the terminal at 5:58
So yeah, we had more than enough time. Who wants to sit around the airport more than 1 hour? I know we don't. One trip is saved us from spending the night at the airport as our flight was cancelled about 2 hours before departure and we were just walking out of Epcot. It was the last flight of the night to our home airport so we booked another night on property and stayed till the next day. If we'd used ME we'd been sitting at the airport and I guess found a hotel there. I'm glad we got a night at Epcot instead.
In the above trip, even if we had had taken more than 10 min at security it would not have been 75 min.
This was our 15th or so out of MCO in the past 2 years. That time frame is what we have for every single flight. Sometimes we may leave from Universal and that means stopping to drop bags but we always use curbside which only adds maybe 5, 10 min.

 

[Helvetica]

It depends on what you want to do. If you want to relax, then Disney Springs is a nice idea. If you want to go to the parks, then do that.

For my next trip, I plan on packing everything the night before, checking my bags with my airline the first thing in the morning, store my carry-on with bell services, hitting rope drop and spend all day in the park until I need to be back for my 9 pm flight.