Transporation to Orlando Airport

nanasharp

New Member
Original Poster
Needing to be picked up at 3am for flight. Staying in Ft Wilderness campground. What are the hours that the internal busses run. How would we get to the Magical Express Stop?
 

Rob562

Well-Known Member
Needing to be picked up at 3am for flight. Staying in Ft Wilderness campground. What are the hours that the internal busses run. How would we get to the Magical Express Stop?

I believe they don't start running until 6:30 or so. Your best bet is to talk to the staff at the checkin desk and see what they suggest. I've never stayed in the cabins, but I'd bet they have staff who can run out in a golf cart or van to pick you up, similar to the Moderates. They're not going to just let you be stuck at your cabin and forced to walk.

-Rob
 

thomas998

Well-Known Member
Needing to be picked up at 3am for flight. Staying in Ft Wilderness campground. What are the hours that the internal busses run. How would we get to the Magical Express Stop?
Honestly if I was needing to be picked up at 3am for a flight I would check out the day before and get a hotel near the airport for the night I needed to be at the airport a super early flight... If you don't have a rental car you could still just tell them your flight was for the prior evening so they would take you to the airport as if you were flying out that night, then have a hotel shuttle pick you up and take you to the hotel nearby and then return you in the morning so you still wouldn't need to rent a car.
 

DisneyJoe

Well-Known Member
I believe they don't start running until 6:30 or so. Your best bet is to talk to the staff at the checkin desk and see what they suggest. I've never stayed in the cabins, but I'd bet they have staff who can run out in a golf cart or van to pick you up, similar to the Moderates. They're not going to just let you be stuck at your cabin and forced to walk.

-Rob
Magical Express runs 24 hours a day.
 

Mark P.

Well-Known Member
Honestly if I was needing to be picked up at 3am for a flight I would check out the day before and get a hotel near the airport for the night I needed to be at the airport a super early flight... If you don't have a rental car you could still just tell them your flight was for the prior evening so they would take you to the airport as if you were flying out that night, then have a hotel shuttle pick you up and take you to the hotel nearby and then return you in the morning so you still wouldn't need to rent a car.

This. There's no real point in paying extra for a few hours on property and having to wake up an hour and a half earlier than you would if you booked an airport hotel instead. There's a good chance you can score a hotel reservation that would offset the cost of an Uber ride from WDW anyway, so you wouldn't have to do a "return" DME trip the night before your actual flight (which I didn't know was even an option, come to think of it...).
 

thomas998

Well-Known Member
This. There's no real point in paying extra for a few hours on property and having to wake up an hour and a half earlier than you would if you booked an airport hotel instead. There's a good chance you can score a hotel reservation that would offset the cost of an Uber ride from WDW anyway, so you wouldn't have to do a "return" DME trip the night before your actual flight (which I didn't know was even an option, come to think of it...).
You can do it. We did it on a trip once when we used their buses. They never asked to see any return flight tickets just the needed to know what time our flight was, I just gave them the information on a flight for the day we wanted to leave and they accepted it... only hassle was having to lug our bags from the departure point at the airport to the arrival area where the hotel shuttles were... but for the savings in money and not having to get up an hour and a half earlier the next day it was well worth it.
 

Mark P.

Well-Known Member
You can do it. We did it on a trip once when we used their buses. They never asked to see any return flight tickets just the needed to know what time our flight was, I just gave them the information on a flight for the day we wanted to leave and they accepted it... only hassle was having to lug our bags from the departure point at the airport to the arrival area where the hotel shuttles were... but for the savings in money and not having to get up an hour and a half earlier the next day it was well worth it.
Good point. We actually just got our DME tags in the mail yesterday but had recently changed to a later flight, so it now occurs to me that it's not like they're going to (or have ever) asked for proof that the flight we want DME for is the flight we'll actually be boarding.
 

drwadadli

Well-Known Member
With DME running 24 hours a day, getting the airport won't be a problem but at the hour you are flying out, the resort won't be able to check your bags for you. You will have to take your bags to the check-in counter at the airport.

I also like the idea of checking out of WDW a day before and getting a room at the airport.
 

thomas998

Well-Known Member
With DME running 24 hours a day, getting the airport won't be a problem but at the hour you are flying out, the resort won't be able to check your bags for you. You will have to take your bags to the check-in counter at the airport.

I also like the idea of checking out of WDW a day before and getting a room at the airport.
I thought you always had to take your bags to the check-in counter now days because of the security measures. I recall most everytime we have gone through Orlando's airport we've had to take out bags to the check-in counter ourselves.
 

drwadadli

Well-Known Member
I thought you always had to take your bags to the check-in counter now days because of the security measures. I recall most everytime we have gone through Orlando's airport we've had to take out bags to the check-in counter ourselves.
No. Another advantage of DME is that you can luggage check your bags where you pick up the DME and they take care of the rest. You just have to pick up your luggage at your destination airport. We like using DME because of that.
 

Monty

Brilliant...and Canadian
In the Parks
No
No. Another advantage of DME is that you can luggage check your bags where you pick up the DME and they take care of the rest. You just have to pick up your luggage at your destination airport. We like using DME because of that.
If you're flying domestically on partner airlines.

Anyone not on a partner airline or flying to a final destination outside the US has to take their bags with them when departing WDW.
 

drwadadli

Well-Known Member
If you're flying domestically on partner airlines.

Anyone not on a partner airline or flying to a final destination outside the US has to take their bags with them when departing WDW.
True. I guess I left out the part of domestic flights and partner airlines but WDW partners all of the major airlines already
 

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