We’ve always had early-ish flights on departure day so we’ve never gone to the parks on departure day. This time my flight is 4:30 and I’d like to RD somewhere before heading to the airport. Plans on this trip are pretty loosey goosey so we probably won’t decide which park to hit until the day before. So I’m looking for advice on logistics and timing for each park. We’re staying at POP. No car. Carry on suitcases and backpacks only. Will Uber to MCO. BFF doesn’t have precheck
HS/EPCOT: we’d obviously leave our bags with POP bell services and skyliner to and from park. Timing on leaving park?
MK:Is there anyway to Uber to a monorail resort and leave bags with bell services there? I don’t think lockers in the park are big enough for actual luggage, right? Timing on leaving park?
AK: would be a good choice as it will likely open the earliest but I can’t figure out a luggage plan that doesn’t involve taking bus all the way back to POP or making a stop at AK bell service which eats into any time gained with early park opening. Timing on leaving park?
Yes. Well, sort of. The Uber part could be tricky as you could get turned away but you could mitigate with an ADR. On arrival go to bell services and tell them you’re leaving your bags for the day. They will ask if you’re checking in or checking out. You’re checking out, which is the truth.
This would buy you a little more time in the park because then you could Uber from the resort you left bags at.
But I’m an Airport Dad so IMO it wouldn’t buy you more than 15 or 20 mins because you still have to get back to said resort.
That is what I usually do with the fam. But BFF and I booked late flights and 5 day hoppers with the intention of having some AM park time. Trip is shorter than we’d like so we’re trying to squeeze out a teeny bit more magic.
We once did MK a half-day before departure while staying at Pop. We had Uber pick us up from Contemporary, then stopped at Pop to collect our bags and then on to airport. You can prearrange the stop when you make the Uber reservation/request. Went very smoothly.
I like to book late flights so I can enjoy all the park time I can. I always plan to leave the hotel 3 hours before departure time and I give myself a half hour to get my bags (on occasion I’ve run into lines). If skylining to hotel where bags are, a half hour there, if bussing I give myself an hour (you never know how long you may wait). So plan to leave the park 4-4 1/2 hrs before flight. HS or Epcot at 12:30, AK or MK by noon.
I like the idea @threeprincessesfourprinces has, that would definitely save you a bit of time over taking the bus. Plus, if rope dropping, I’m not sure I’d want the hassle of schlepping my bags to another hotel in the morning. But YMMV.
I like the idea of not having to get those bags to contemp, too. I was thinking we would waste an ADR for 1 at SH71 so we could uber over. I hate to do that though since people actually want those ressies. I had no qualms doing that type of thing when it was the wave cuz those ADRs were always wide open at the last minute.
me too