Departure flight

[Hatay]

what is the earliest flight time you’ve ever booked and made after a cruise? From PC to MCO on disembarkation day?
I know Disney recommends nothing earlier than 11/noonish. Just wonder how early people have actually booked flights and made it.

 

[cedricandsophie]

For one cruise we had 12 pm flight but got off quickly, had prechecked luggage, had a fast ride to airport on the bus, no security line although we did have TSA pre and on the way to the United club walked past the 930 flight which hadn’t even boarded yet. So we might have made that one. However if your flight is before 11 I think you can’t use onboard luggage checkin which makes your life so much easier and faster at the airport. And Orlando can be very slow security depending on day and time. Personally I would not schedule a flight before 1130 or 12. However I think there are lots of people that do it.

 

[xQuizx]

The earliest flight we took out of MCO was 11:45.

Our last cruise our flight was at 12:40PM. We arrived at the airport at 10AM, were through security using TSA Precheck by 10:30AM. My sister in law and her family didn't get through security until 11:15AM.

We used private transport to pick us up from the port at 8:45AM.

 

[DCLDVC1]

1045 with a lot of time to spare

 

[Dug720]

Just remember that security at MCO is a zoo at the best of times, and the longer the shutdown goes on, the zooier it is likely to get as more and more agents have to take time off from TSA to work a paying job.

 

[allashore]

we have made a 10:45am flight 3X, did walk off with luggage, once on our own, stood in line from 7am in July '17 were off ship by 7:45am and 2X, July & Dec '18 with concierge getting off ship about 7:30am. All times arrive MCO about 9am. we are one of the first few families thru customs
7 of us, we use private transportation, which gets us to MCO in plenty of time, always long security lines 30-45min
Of course there is a risk we would not make it, but the next flight is not until 5pm, therefore we take our chances.

 

[apathetic]

You can easily make a 1030 flight, probably even 10am.

 

[brownmajik]

How about when using Disney transfers to the airport?

 

[apathetic]

How about when using Disney transfers to the airport?

DCL buses to the airport leave as they fill. Lots of people to express walk-off with their bags to get early flights. If you do this you'll be on your way to the airport pretty quickly after getting off the ship.

 

[samily]

Here is what I posted on another thread about how it worked out for us (we were on a Dream cruise out of Port Canaveral - this is from a few years ago):


We easily made a 10:45am flight out of MCO last Sunday. I was a bit worried about making the flight and normally wouldn't have booked that early but we wanted to be back home for something that afternoon.

It was just me & DH traveling so that made it easier than if we had the kids with us. Here is what we did:

-We packed in 2 small carryon suitcases so we wouldn't have to stand in line to check luggage at the airport
-We booked DCL transfers to MCO
-We carried our luggage off the ship because I didn't want to have to take the time to locate it
-We lined up in the atrium at about 7:05 and were let off the ship about 7:20-ish
-Went through customs and we were sitting on the DCL bus by 7:30
-By 7:45 the bus was full and we were on our way to MCO
-Arrived at MCO at 8:30
-My FIL had checked us in online from home, so we just needed to print our boarding passes at the Southwest self serve kiosks (the actual line for checking luggage or full service for Southwest was HUGE!)
-Went through security (the line wasn't bad at all - everyone was still in the SW line, lol)
-We were at our gate by 8:55

We were lucky everything worked perfectly for us - I was worried because on the way to the port for the cruise the other side of the highway to MCO had a lot of construction and traffic was quite backed up.

Also, for breakfast went up to Cabanas around 6:30 - they had fruits and pastries out at this time - the full buffet did not open until 7, so we had some fruit and one last chocolate croissant there and ate again at the airport.

I will also add that I had also brought a list of later flights in case we needed them just in case we didn't make it, luckily we were fine. A flight that early wouldn't be my first choice but we have had to do it a couple of times.

 

[cougar87]

What is the earliest flight people have made after cruise when returning to the Port of Miami?
Thanks!