Time from Landing at MCO to Rides

[DrummerAlly]

Our flight arrives at MCO at 9:35am. We are going to hop on Magical Express to AKL, check in, leave our bags with bell services and head right to Epcot. We have a 4:55 Garden Grill ADR which I'm not worried about, but I want to book some fast passes before that ideally. What time do you think would be safe for booking a fast pass? 12? 1? (We do have a 4 and 6 year old with us who will probably slow us down... or speed us up depending on how excited they are to hit the parks).

 

[monothingie]

Our flight arrives at MCO at 9:35am. We are going to hop on Magical Express to AKL, check in, leave our bags with bell services and head right to Epcot. We have a 4:55 Garden Grill ADR which I'm not worried about, but I want to book some fast passes before that ideally. What time do you think would be safe for booking a fast pass? 12? 1? (We do have a 4 and 6 year old with us who will probably slow us down... or speed us up depending on how excited they are to hit the parks).

Soooo where are you going to go on vacation after your Disney trip so you can unwind and relax?

 

[Worldlover71]

I would say you should book your first FP for noon. You have an hour in which to use it so if if everything goes you way and you get there at noon, you can use it right away, but if you don't arrive until closer to 1, you are still okay. On the off chance that nothing goes your way and you arrive later, you can always cancel the noon FP on the app and schedule something else.

 

[HoustonHorn]

I generally book my first FP for 3 hours after my plane lands. As Worldlover says, you have an hour of play, so that should be safe. At the same time, if possible, book your least-wanted FP first, because flight delays, Disney transport delays, kid (or adult) meltdown delays could cause you to miss them. In the same vein, I wouldn't book any must-do activities for travel days. For my trip in 2016, we were supposed to land at 11 am. Due to flight delays, we didn't get in until after 6, and not to our hotel until close to 8. It happens.

 

[DrummerAlly]

Soooo where are you going to go on vacation after your Disney trip so you can unwind and relax?

I have three kids under the age of 6... what is the "relax" thing you speak of? (We're leaving the baby at home. Even we aren't insane enough to bring all 3.)

 

[DrummerAlly]

Thanks guys, I was hoping I wasn't being too optimistic with that 12-1ish time frame. Glad to hear its do-able. My 6 year old insists that she must have a fast pass for Journey into Imagination with Figment, so we are going to go ahead and make that one for that "early" slot. lol

 

[Minnie Mum]

All things being equal (no unforseen delays), a noon FP sounds possible, if not certain. But... You've got young'uns. What about lunch? I don't know your kids, but mine could get hangry if their meals were delayed. Maybe a 1:00 FP would be a safer bet.

 

[JIMINYCR]

All things being equal (no unforseen delays), a noon FP sounds possible, if not certain. But... You've got young'uns. What about lunch? I don't know your kids, but mine could get hangry if their meals were delayed. Maybe a 1:00 FP would be a safer bet.

When DS was young and we flew we defenitely had to plan in food soon after flying in and arriving at the resort. I'm dying trying to get to MK as soon as I can but DW in her wise ways says... He cant wait....He needs to eat NOW or we are going to be dealing with it. Hes already cranky from getting up earlier than hes used to for the early flight. I always listen to the wise woman.

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

The amount of time it takes to get from your plane to a ride is a bit variable. Any of these = an unknown:

1. flight delay
2. time to collect gate-checked stroller?
3. time to get from gate to main terminal via airport monorail
4. time to pick up luggage, get food, or shop- while all of these are optional, they are all options you could easily opt to do.
5. find ME +wait time to board ME bus.
6. wait time for ME bus to depart.
7. drive time from MCO to WDW.
8. Is your resort the 1st stop or last stop that ME bus makes?
9. Online check-in? or wait in line to check-in?
10. Line to drop off luggage? What If room is ready? maybe drop bags in room?
11. again- optional- but whenever we drop bags off in the room, well, it just takes a few extra minutes. Everyone unpacks SOMEthing.
12. From 1/2hours pre-flight take off to luggage drop...is likely 4+ hours. Someone in your group will be hungry.
13. I don't know your family, but making any flight that lands at 9:35am = getting up very early, and likely getting little sleep = tired.
14. Time waiting for transportation to parks
15 security entering the park
16. all ticket media and everything goes smoothly?
16. time to get from park entrance to actual ride.


Now I know someone who once made if from landing -no checked luggage, no stroller, in the days BEOFRE added park security, and EVERYTHING went PERFECTLY - to the GATE of MK one hour after landing!

I have also experienced flight delays (alone) of 2+ hours. If your flight is 1st flight out of your home airport=highest odds of on time.

More typically, if you go directly to the bus, no delays, no long lines.... allowing about two hours is probably a reasonable allowance.

So noon is likely a reasonable time to schedule your 1st FP, but just mentally allow that you might not make it by 1pm. You can always modify/cancel/re-book a FP. If possible, Id schedule your least important FP an noon, then your 2nd choice FP starting at 1pm, and the FP you most care about as your 3rd FP (starting around 2pm?).

With little kids, I likely wouldn't hype (tell them about?) any FP scheduled for that day, so nobody's crying if you don't get on 7D that day. Even with adults, we treat arrival day FP's as a surprise bonus if we happen to arrive as planned, not an expectation.

 

[ninjaprincesst]

When DS was young and we flew we defenitely had to plan in food soon after flying in and arriving at the resort. I'm dying trying to get to MK as soon as I can but DW in her wise ways says... He cant wait....He needs to eat NOW or we are going to be dealing with it. Hes already cranky from getting up earlier than hes used to for the early flight. I always listen to the wise woman.

Even when my daughter was very small 2 or 3 she was having none of wasting time eating until she rode something, and even then she would just get a snack. I would think if you feed them breakfast and you have that early dinner at Garden Grill a snack should be fine.

 

[Dave B]

You will be good with the noon fast pass, it gives you an hour window and an extra 10 or 15 minutes of overlap

 

[Minthorne]

Since your dinner res is 4:55 I would book my first FP from 2pm-3pm, 2nd 3pm -4pm and 3rd 4pm-5pm. This way you can easily get to all of them without worry and also make you dinning plans. If you get to the park earlier you can do a stand by or just enjoy.

 

[Kingoglow]

This question is searchable on this forums since it comes up a lot. You could have saved us all a lot of keystrokes...

Anyway, Magical Express probably wont leave right away once you are in the line so:

10 walk to get to Magical Express
20 minute wait for Magical Express.
50 - 80 minute commute depending on traffic that morning
20 minutes at the hotel to find a bellhop, drop off bags, go pee and apply sunscreen
20 wait for a bus
30 minute ride to Epcot
20 at the gate of Epcot
10 minute walk to a ride

3.0 to 3.5 hours if everything goes your way.

Have a good trip.

 

[Amos1784]

I think noon is pretty ambitious to be actually in the park, especially as you said you have three little ones its not just you as a single traveler running through the airport. My vote would be for one o'clock that give you really until two to use those passes. If you land at 9:35 (which I can't remember the last time I actually took off and landed on time), you would be lucky to even be off the plane by 10. At the earliest with the walk to ME and the ride to the resort (depending on your stop #) I would say 11am (assuming you are not waiting for your bags at bag claim). Once you get off ME, check in, bathroom, check any bags you have your looking at least 11:30, assuming your using Disney Transport wait for the bus, then ride to the park, security ect....arrive 12:30 ish. With one o'clock fast passes you should't be too pressed for time, as others said assuming all goes to the plan with no wiggle room. Good Luck!

 

[ninjaprincesst]

Lat year we landed at 9:45 and we were sitting on FEA at noon. It is totally doable, and we did it with my Dad being handicaped and in a scooter.

 

[Amos1784]

Lat year we landed at 9:45 and we were sitting on FEA at noon. It is totally doable, and we did it with my Dad being handicaped and in a scooter.

With checking into your hotel and having them hold bags? And using Disney Transport? If so I am IMPRESSED! There is only my husband and I and we have never come close to making that happen. Our average wait for ME from MCO is around 30 mins, and we always seem to be the last stop.

 

[ninjaprincesst]

With checking into your hotel and having them hold bags? And using Disney Transport? If so I am IMPRESSED! There is only my husband and I and we have never come close to making that happen. Our average wait for ME from MCO is around 30 mins, and we always seem to be the last stop.

I think the longest I have ever waited for magic express is 10 minutes, and it always seems like WIlderness Lodge is the first stop and the last few trips I had our room number by the time I got on Magic express so we were able to go straight to the room drop our carry on and go.

 

[mdcpr]

I think the longest I have ever waited for magic express is 10 minutes, and it always seems like WIlderness Lodge is the first stop and the last few trips I had our room number by the time I got on Magic express so we were able to go straight to the room drop our carry on and go.

We're staying at the Wilderness Lodge. How did you get your room number early? You checked-in through the app?

 

[Amos1784]

We're staying at the Wilderness Lodge. How did you get your room number early? You checked-in through the app?

Yes, do online check in and as soon as your room is ready you will get a text with your room number. Just be aware this is not a normality, especially before noon, we have been probably at least 10-15 times since online check in, I believe our room was ready early 1-2 times out of those times. Also, even if you don't get the text you can go to the front desk when you arrive and ask for early check in to see if they can place you elsewhere, but like before not guaranteed.