6:50AM departure flight

[cel_disney]

My DD8 and I are spending a few days in Disney before our Cruise out of Miami. I had been planning to drive from Art of Animation to MIA, drop the car off, and shuttle to the port.

Someone just suggested instead of doing the drive myself (3.5 hr drive plus breakfast stop plus car return/shuttle = 5 hours) that we fly.

Sooooo....

There is a Southwest flight at 6:50AM that we are considering. We never do flights that early for our return so I don’t know how hectic the airport is at that time of day...the commute seems like it would be much faster for sure...

If we left AoA at 5am, we should be comfortable at the rental lot at 5:30 (23 minute drive). I’m thinking that would be enough time to get bags dropped off and thru security?

At 8:20, the TSA wait is 15 min according to the airport app..

Anyone have experience this early in the morning?

If we ditched the car and took DME - do you know what time we would have to leave the hotel?

I don’t expect that this fly vs drive approach will save me time - but it is more relaxing to have someone else be the ‘driver’ than have to be highly focused for 5 hours with just my 8 year old backing me up...

 

[Searc]

That isn't near enough time to drop the car, check bags, go through security and get to your gate on time. Plan on dropping the car off by 4:45-5:00am.

 

[SirDuff]

I think your times are cutting it way too close (even best case scenario - which doesn't always happen). However, to answer your question - DME would pick you up around 3:30am (3 hours before flight time, give/take about 15 minutes).

 

[shoreward]

The Magical Express picks up at your resort a minimum of three hours before the scheduled departure time of your flight. If your flight departs on a weekday in the early morning, you could have quite a few business travelers flying out of MCO at that time. Weekends would not be as bad, unless flying during holiday periods.

Have you tried searching online for shared or private shuttle service from Orlando to the Port of Miami? There are such services, though I have no personal experience.
https://www.shuttlesofflorida.com/s...ture=Kissimmee, Fl&Arriving=Port of Miami, Fl

If you booked your cruise through a TA, they might have some transfer suggestions; the cruise line might also be able to help.

I think a shuttle service would be a much easier option for you, especially traveling with a young traveling companion.

 

[cel_disney]

Thanks for the shuttle suggestions but no way will we sit in a shared van with no headrests for a 4 hour ride - ESPECIALLY because I have my daughter and won’t be traveling with a high back booster seat for her.

And thanks for confirmation on DME - that conservative drive time is why we started renting a car years ago...getting picked up at 3:50

We fly multiple times each year - we definitely do not arrive 2 hours before our flight when we travel in the evenings on weekdays home from Florida - we usually get to the airport around 6:30 for our 8pm flight which is what a I would be doing here for an AM..and we always stop for dinner in the food court as well!

Saturday morning will not have work day traffic... I’m definitely factoring that into my timing.

I know I am not the only one who doesn’t arrive 2-3 hours before my flight - anyone else out there with our tolerance for risk that has experience at this time of day?

I would rather drive to Miami myself than leave before 5am! Heck - I could be in Miami by 9 if we leave at that time and drive! (But we would probably wait until 6:30 if driving down)

 

[cel_disney]

That isn't near enough time to drop the car, check bags, go through security and get to your gate on time. Plan on dropping the car off by 4:45-5:00am.

Between my DH and I We rent cars for travel for personnel and work about once every 4-6 weeks - My experience is that National has my receipt ready before I even have my stuff out of the car...I’m genuinely interested in why do you think this will take more than 5 minutes? We have had similar times at Alamo...What vender are you using? Curious what I might be overlooking here.

And Southwest Bag Check will be 15 minutes max...

And if TSA wait is 15 minutes ?

 

[charmed59]

I’ve done the early morning flights out of MCO a few times. The regular security line ranges from 45 minutes (line to the doors) to 20 minutes. Pre check lines were 5 to 10 minutes. Sometimes the whole TSA staff isn’t there that early, so the lines are slower.

 

[Searc]

Between my DH and I We rent cars for travel for personnel and work about once every 4-6 weeks - My experience is that National has my receipt ready before I even have my stuff out of the car...I’m genuinely interested in why do you think this will take more than 5 minutes? We have had similar times at Alamo...What vender are you using? Curious what I might be overlooking here.

And Southwest Bag Check will be 15 minutes max...

And if TSA wait is 15 minutes ?

How often do you fly out of MCO? That airport is its own animal and can't be compared to any other airports. Bag check only 15 minutes at SW? At the largest tourist airport in the country in the early morning? LOL You are underestimating how much time it will take you. If you are willing to take the chance of missing your flight, that's on you.

 

[Searc]

You can't base TSA wait times on 8:20am, since that won't be when you are going through security.

 

[zoo2tycoon]

TSA at MCO is terrible. Sure one day it might be 15 minutes- another an hour at the same time. Traffic-an accident might delay you. What are plans when you miss your flight? You realize you have to check in a set time before departure- what happens if you are late. No way would I even attempt that!

God forbid there be a security incident like has happened there recently. You do realize you can’t compare other airports to MCO on times to return cars etc.

Saturday is a busy travel day .

 

[shoreward]

You have been receiving very good advice, IMO. As a fairly frequent flyer in/out of MCO, I agree about security wait times there, unless you have PreCheck. Another factor to consider is time to check bags at MCO, unless you use RAC at your resort or only have carry-on bags. RAC only is open from 5:00 a.m. till noon. There can be wait times at RAC, as well.

I hope you have not booked Southwest, as they do not fly to MIA; they fly to FLL. AA flies nonstop from MCO to MIA several times a day.

 

[sam_gordon]

You have been receiving very good advice, IMO. As a fairly frequent flyer in/out of MCO, I agree about security wait times there, unless you have PreCheck. Another factor to consider is time to check bags at MCO, unless you use RAC at your resort or only have carry-on bags. RAC only is open from 5:00 a.m. till noon. There can be wait times at RAC, as well.

I hope you have not booked Southwest, as they do not fly to MIA; they fly to FLL. AA flies nonstop from MCO to MIA several times a day.

RAC doesnt hep with a 650am flight. You have to have the bag check in completed 3 hours before your flight. So any one catching a flight before 805 cant use RAC.

 

[cel_disney]

You have been receiving very good advice, IMO. As a fairly frequent flyer in/out of MCO, I agree about security wait times there, unless you have PreCheck. Another factor to consider is time to check bags at MCO, unless you use RAC at your resort or only have carry-on bags. RAC only is open from 5:00 a.m. till noon. There can be wait times at RAC, as well.

I hope you have not booked Southwest, as they do not fly to MIA; they fly to FLL. AA flies nonstop from MCO to MIA several times a day.

I haven’t booked but I am looking at both carriers - I’m more likely to fly southwest to FLL because it would be free (miles and free luggage). We are flying out of FLL for our cruise - it’s not far from POM. We don’t usually use RAC - just check at the counter or curb at MCO.

I fly in/out of MCO 2-3 times a year for the last 10+ years. Our home is the Boston Area airports (BOS is quiet busy as well but our checkpoints are for fewer gates)...We don’t have pre-check this year and didn’t have it last year. I will keep checking on saturday mornings (I wasn’t able to check early enough this morning) on the airport site to watch for wait times at TSA - but I was asking for people who have ACTUALLY flown at THIS very early time of day to reply here.

The snaking TSA lines look scarier than they actually are - what we have experienced when we are there is that they move quickly and if you watch the snaking you can make some good judgements to move faster..at 1:30pm today the posted wait times are 14-20 minutes...And all of the online resources that have reported waittimes for TSA say that at MCO the wait time on a Saturday Morning is 3-15 minutes. Here is one that shows average and max http://www.orlandosentinel2.com/data/travel/news/airport/

I am reading the ‘advice’ here - but it all seems like general advice and it doesn’t align with data. Maybe it’s because we are experienced travelers that I don’t worry - but we have never missed a flight (and I would take full responsibility if we did) but I’m comfortable with some nominal risk here.

 

[Lilsia]

I rather wait at the gate then have the stress of missing a flight. Not worth it for an hour of extra sleep, IMO.

 

[cel_disney]

I rather wait at the gate then have the stress of missing a flight. Not worth it for an hour of extra sleep, IMO.

Clearly - this is SO not me! Ha! I don’t mind that others want to do it - but I know that there are MANY people out there that don’t have that same philosophy...Id prefer to walk right from the gate tram to the bathroom to seeing my plane waiting at the gate and ready to board.

I don’t cut it that close - and I’m pretty sure with the plan I am looking at here - we will still have 20+ minutes at the gate waiting for boarding to START...and we could always skip the bathroom stop and wait until we board if it’s getting too close...

 

[jec6613]

6:50 AM is about the worst for MCO when I've gone through it - the business travelers are already through security usually, as 6:50 is a somewhat later flight for them, and the tourists aren't awake yet. If you have TSA Pre it's very helpful but not foolproof. I'd take a 5:50 AM flight any day over anything from 6:30-9:30 AM.

The good news is the on time performance for flights before about 8:30 AM is very high, because the airline is highly motivated to prevent domino effects, and had the jet in place the night before.

 

[slaclandry]

My DD8 and I are spending a few days in Disney before our Cruise out of Miami. I had been planning to drive from Art of Animation to MIA, drop the car off, and shuttle to the port.

Someone just suggested instead of doing the drive myself (3.5 hr drive plus breakfast stop plus car return/shuttle = 5 hours) that we fly.

Sooooo....

There is a Southwest flight at 6:50AM that we are considering. We never do flights that early for our return so I don’t know how hectic the airport is at that time of day...the commute seems like it would be much faster for sure...

If we left AoA at 5am, we should be comfortable at the rental lot at 5:30 (23 minute drive). I’m thinking that would be enough time to get bags dropped off and thru security?

At 8:20, the TSA wait is 15 min according to the airport app..

Anyone have experience this early in the morning?

If we ditched the car and took DME - do you know what time we would have to leave the hotel?

I don’t expect that this fly vs drive approach will save me time - but it is more relaxing to have someone else be the ‘driver’ than have to be highly focused for 5 hours with just my 8 year old backing me up...

I could be wrong, but I was under the impression that Southwest doesn’t fly into MIA. They fly into FLL. if your cruise is going from Miami and not Port Everglades, you will still have to get from FLL to Miami which will require some type of transport and a 40 minutes drive.

 

[sam_gordon]

I fly in/out of MCO 2-3 times a year for the last 10+ years.

I am reading the ‘advice’ here - but it all seems like general advice and it doesn’t align with data. Maybe it’s because we are experienced travelers that I don’t worry - but we have never missed a flight (and I would take full responsibility if we did) but I’m comfortable with some nominal risk here.

So you've got experience at the airport and you've looked up data, you've discounted everyone who says "show up earlier", so why did you ask the question?

 

[zoo2tycoon]

I could be wrong, but I was under the impression that Southwest doesn’t fly into MIA. They fly into FLL. if your cruise is going from Miami and not Port Everglades, you will still have to get from FLL to Miami which will require some type of transport and a 40 minutes drive.

You are correct- we fly SW and they do not fly into Miami.

OP if that is the case- the baggage claim on the weekend at FLL is not fun. Weekends equal 1000s of cruisers. We have waited upwards of 30 minutes for bags (most recent a Saturday morning flight in November).

Traffic can be fast to POM or you can have heavy waits- yes even on days when it is not normal rush hour.

In November POM had tunnel closed and for a bit day we left. Traffic just getting into port took forever as only one way in then, road construction and many ships arriving and leaving.

There is an Uber driver we used on these boards- can’t name him but maybe he’ll see and chime in. He knows Miami and had hardest time detouring into port.

OP sounds like you have mind made up. Hope everything works perfect as you plan but .... people have given advice.

 

[Spunky946]

Personally I’d drive to Miami the night before and stay near the port. Why stress yourself out by taking an early morning flight!