So need advice on if this is a bad idea. Going 1/2-1/9 with DW, DD6, DD4, and DD2. Best/ cheapest flight would get us at MCO at 10:09 PM. So I was thinking of flying in on 1/1 and staying at Embassy Suites at the airport(this would be free with my hotel points) and then taking the magical express the next morning at 7:00 to Pop. We would drop our luggage and jump on the MK bus to get to the park by 9:00. Not rope dropping anything important that day but with the CL10 I want to knock out some rides early. From what I read I just need to give flight info like I am landing on 1/2. Any thoughts or concerns would be appreciated. This is our first trip so I thought it would be a better experience for all the girls to ride the bus in the morning rather than getting into hotel room near midnight. Also I do know that I would have to grab my own bags from carousel because flight gets in after 10 PM
Sounds like an excellent idea to me.
We do this when we get in late - stay at the Hyatt and get the DME the next morning. Works great!
FWIW and just an alternate point of view: I’ve never done this at WDW/Orlando but have done similar stops on other trips, and most of the time I’ve wished we hadn’t made the stop, IF it’s avoidable within reason. It’s always a hassle checking in to an additional hotel especially with kids. Of course, it might make sense cost wise and everyone knows their children the best, some might not take so well to hanging up too late. Mine are prone to staying up and less excited about waking early so personally, I would travel all the way in the evening and wake up WDW.
Sounds like a good idea…I’d check with WDW itself about taking the ME the morning after an evening arrival…I think you would need to get to MK earlier than 9am to RD but I’ll let others to further comment on that.
I’m someone who’s all about adding value. If your family can handle the late flights and early morning, I’d do it.
Your plan works and sounds like it will be best for your family.
FWIW, if it were me I would go straight to Disney that night and save the step of having to move luggage twice and check into two different hotels. But my family would rather go to bed later than wake up earlier. 
I’ve never done this, but I also would rather have one more hour of travel at night vs partially unpacking/settling in once just to get up and on the move again the next day. My only caveat is how much money it would cost to add a night at WDW vs the free hotel. My time is valuable, but only to a certain point.
We recently changed our flight to the night before due to Southwest monkeying with our flight times. Anyway we now land at 12:05am. We are just going to take DME to Disney and sleep in. I don’t want to pack/unpack multiple times. At least at WDW we don’t have a checkout time & can sleep in as long as we want. For reference my kids are 9 months, 3, and 5. We’ll be up until 2am but it seemed easier than staying at the airport.
We debated the same thing on our trip. We did get in earlier then you, I think it was 8. But we decided it would be easier to go straight to Disney. Esp with young kids,wanted to just get there. Tough call!
Thank you everyone for the input. The other piece is that adding another night to my pop reservation with the dining plan would be expensive and I don’t need more table service meals because we already have a ton planned. Then if I do it as a split stay even staying at Pop for both I may have to move rooms. Also right now directly through Disney it does not show any availability at Pop on 1/1.
I like your plan and have done it before but highly recommend just staying at the Hyatt in the airport. The Embassy Suites is too much hassle
There are a lot of other variables that we don’t know, such as how far you’re flying, if you’re naturally night owls or early risers, and if you can use those free hotel points some other time.
I’d generally want to press ahead and get to my destination- BUT- the cost factor here seems pretty significant.
We did a similar thing in that we stayed at a Hilton on points the night before checking in to the BWI, but I just couldn’t justify paying for a club level day when we’d be arriving so late.
The only thing I see that might not work out is that next day- you want that first morning to be magical, but on a CL 10 day I’m not sure getting up early only to arrive at 9 is going to give you that. We checked in at BWI and more or less didn’t even get to the park until noon. Maybe just adjust your expectations a bit in terms of how. many rides you might be able to do that first day.
Just being there is pretty magical all by itself!
Yeah I agree. The first day I have none of the major rides planned. We are going to head for Aladdin and Pirates at RD so hopefully going the opposite way of the crowds. I have FPS for Buzz, Tomorrowland Speedway, and ETWB. We will be leaving park midday and have Chef Mickey at 5:00. We have 8 total days with 4 days at MK so the first day is going to be pretty laid back.
Also our other 3 days at MK I have a PPO BOG and there are no EMH or EMM so we should be able to knock out a lot on those days with way lower crowd levels too. The first day I am just trying to get there early and let the kids soak in the experience and figure out if they are really going to hate or love any rides so I can change planning for the rest of the trip.
Good plan! My first MK day is similar… keeping it really tame but fun!
That’s the direction we always tour, too. While the other guests stampede up to 7DMT, Space and BTMRR, we’re ambling through Adventureland. 