Couple hours in MCO

[amyg1]

I'm trying to figure out what to do for a couple of hours.. any ideas?

Here is the situation. We have a red eye, and arrive at 7:30 AM the day of our cruise. Our plan is to take Disney transportation, so that we don't have to drive after the red eye. But they don't open until 10AM. Assuming our flight is on time, we'll have our luggage by 8 and have 2 hours to wait.

We had the idea to get a day pass at the Hyatt at the airport - but those don't start until 10AM. I thought about getting a room that night, so we have someplace to shower and relax after the flight, but they are sold out.

The idea of going off-airport doesn't seem to work for 2 hours. The time it'll take to grab a shuttle with our bags while we are tired, seems a lot.

We don't really want to rent a car, assuming we'll be tired.

So we seem stuck at the airport. Any ideas for a different workaround that I am not thinking of?

 

[Chemist]

A nice long breakfast at the Hyatt?

There is a lot of shopping. We had innumerable flight delays (12 hours total!) a few years back. We spent a LOT of time looking at stores. I don't know how many will be open that early though. And honestly, it doesn't really keep me entertained, let alone my kids. (If we'd known how long it would have been in totality, we'd have rented a car or something.)

 

[Weedy]

I would get a room at the Hyatt. Get a few hours of sleep and then take a later bus to the port.
The first bus doesn’t leave until 9:00. They don’t start boarding the ship until 11:15-11:30. Cabins aren’t ready until 1:30.
You will be exhausted the first night of your cruise. A few hours of sleep would help.

 

[dcassetta]

I would guess there will already be a few people downstairs by the bus check-in area at 7:30 am, as they start loading the buses at 9am.
There are areas in the baggage claim hall where you could catch a quick nap in chairs.

Hemisphere restaurant at the Hyatt has good breakfast and there are many places to get a quick breakfast in the airport
https://orlandoairport.regency.hyat...nts/all/ORLAN-Hemisphere-Breakfast-111716.pdf

If the Hyatt is sold out the night before, then they are unlikely to have a day room ready before 10am. There are a number of hotels in the area, with airport shuttles, that might have availability for the night before. Make sure and request a lake check-out and then head back to the airport to catch the Disney shuttle.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

There are sit-down restaurants outside of security that serve breakfast. I would get your luggage, sit and have a leisurely breakfast and then just head down to the DCL bus area. There are places to sit down there as well.

 

[pangyal]

Do they sell passes to the airport lounges there? You can check to see whether you could spend a few hours in there, eating and relaxing.

 

[amyg1]

Thanks for the suggestions.. forgot to mention, the Hyatt is sold out for that night. We would have gotten the hotel room if it was available.

Disney said that they don't open the buses until 10AM. 9 AM is a big difference. Just being checked in and rid of our bags would be better.

 

[amyg1]

Do they sell passes to the airport lounges there? You can check to see whether you could spend a few hours in there, eating and relaxing.

We thought of that.. but lounges are inside security, and the bags are outside. I don't think we could get back in to get to the lounge. And even if we did, MCO security can be pretty bad. Best we could do is send one person ahead for the bags. We don't have the luggage tags, and I am not comfortable with Disney taking our bags. Our last vacation, our bags were two days late. That wasn't fun, but at least we were on land. I don't want to be chasing our luggage while on a ship.

 

[Fyrefly]

I seem to recall (don't quote my sleep addled mind) that my flight got in about 8:30 AM and we were able to walk right over to the shuttle, at 9something to get to the port sometime between 10 and 10:30. If you're out at 8 with your bags, I would suggest washing your face/brushing your teeth in an airport bathroom to make you feel human again and grabbing breakfast at a sit-down. That should kill an hour and change and I would be surprised if you have to wait much longer after that for the first shuttle to head out.

 

[c todd]

You should call the Hyatt directly the night before to see if they might have a room - there's always last minute cancellations and you might get lucky.

 

[MUN]

I'm trying to figure out what to do for a couple of hours.. any ideas?

Here is the situation. We have a red eye, and arrive at 7:30 AM the day of our cruise. Our plan is to take Disney transportation, so that we don't have to drive after the red eye. But they don't open until 10AM. Assuming our flight is on time, we'll have our luggage by 8 and have 2 hours to wait.

We had the idea to get a day pass at the Hyatt at the airport - but those don't start until 10AM. I thought about getting a room that night, so we have someplace to shower and relax after the flight, but they are sold out.

The idea of going off-airport doesn't seem to work for 2 hours. The time it'll take to grab a shuttle with our bags while we are tired, seems a lot.

We don't really want to rent a car, assuming we'll be tired.

So we seem stuck at the airport. Any ideas for a different workaround that I am not thinking of?

Read a book.

 

[mousefan73]

A day room for only 2 hrs???? By time you walk to check in, check in and get in your room. You almost have to turn right back around.

Most people want a 2 hr buffer.

 

[mevelandry]

Keep calling at the Hyatt. Rooms gets cancelled all the time.

 

[jdb in AZ]

Having your luggage by 8 a.m. and being good to go is a tad optimistic. Don't know what airline you're flying, but chances are you'll have quite a hike from the luggage carousel to the cruise transportation check-in in a different terminal. Hope not.

 

[bumbershoot]

Disney said that they don't open the buses until 10AM. 9 AM is a big difference. Just being checked in and rid of our bags would be better.

Yeah the cm that said 10 is being silly.

7:30 landing can mean nearly 8 until you’re off the plane. And you can create the “last off the plane” situation by not being part of the mad rush(since you’re not in a rush), and just stay seated until those behind you are off.

Visit to a restroom (for sanity don’t go to the closest one to the gate), change intonorlando clothes, wash dash, freshen up. If your family has to take this in shifts to watch the carryons it slows the rush more.

Slowly walk through the airport to the tramorail or whatever it’s called. Ride that. Follow the signs to baggage claim. The times I’ve had to get luggage and I’ve been casual about getting to the carousels my bags are just about to show up.

Get bags, maybe send someone up to grab some lattes and snacks from Starbucks, head to the dcl bus checkin spot. You won’t be alone.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

Yeah the cm that said 10 is being silly.

7:30 landing can mean nearly 8 until you’re off the plane. And you can create the “last off the plane” situation by not being part of the mad rush(since you’re not in a rush), and just stay seated until those behind you are off.

Visit to a restroom (for sanity don’t go to the closest one to the gate), change intonorlando clothes, wash dash, freshen up. If your family has to take this in shifts to watch the carryons it slows the rush more.

Slowly walk through the airport to the tramorail or whatever it’s called. Ride that. Follow the signs to baggage claim. The times I’ve had to get luggage and I’ve been casual about getting to the carousels my bags are just about to show up.

Get bags, maybe send someone up to grab some lattes and snacks from Starbucks, head to the dcl bus checkin spot. You won’t be alone.

Yes, I agree with this. Moving through MCO can take some time with the shuttle to the main terminal area, getting your luggage, etc. I don't think you'll have your luggage until about 8:30 am. That really only gives you 1 1/2 hours to wait. Grab some coffee, some breakfast, read, watch a movie on an iPad. I, personally, wouldn't spend money on a hotel room for 1 1/2 hours.

 

[MUN]

I would get a room at the Hyatt. Get a few hours of sleep and then take a later bus to the port.
The first bus doesn’t leave until 9:00. They don’t start boarding the ship until 11:15-11:30. Cabins aren’t ready until 1:30.
You will be exhausted the first night of your cruise. A few hours of sleep would help.

Try not to oversleep and miss your cruise.

 

[Anchors Away 2016]

Yeah the cm that said 10 is being silly.

@bumbershoot is probably right on this. I don't have experience with the buses directly, but I do have experience with the DCL employees on the phone. They quote the official time schedules, no matter what. I was told by DCL that boarding the ship starts at 1PM, when if fact from here I know that boarding starts much earlier and is usually in open boarding (for anyone with any boarding number) before 1PM. If I had listened to DCL and showed up at 1PM, I would have been disappointed, because sure enough boarding actually started at about 11:30. There were other examples where the DCL person on the phone would only give the official answer, not what often happens on a typical day. They just don't want to over-promise and then you might be disappointed.

But in this case, I think if you don't show up for the DCL bus until 10:00 because that is what they told you to do, you will be disappointed to find out that buses have been leaving since 9:00.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

With the plane landing at 7:30, you won't have that much extra time before the buses start to board at 9:00. Visit the restroom, grab something for breakfast, get your bags from baggage claim, and it will be close to time for DCL to open up and start boarding the buses. There are chairs in the area so get there and just take a seat for the little time left before they start checking people in.

 

[Capt_BJ]

go up to the Hyatt check in area, the hotel lobby so to say ... there is a LARGE sitting area there which is a bit of a 'secret' known by locals. Last time I was there it was a large area with sofas and easy chairs and lots of corners to find an electric outlet and read a book or enjoy a Starbucks while chillin for an hour or two at no cost .... odds are you'll find fellow travelers catch a nap there already ....