when to leave :'(

[Malissa Boymom]

so the earliest we can get in is noon.
we can do a half day before the halloween party or we can take the am off and then go to the party at night

the latest we can fly out is 430, which means we have to leave the hotel by 130, which means park by 1230.
would you spend your half day at the park that am or would you do it before the party. let me know and why?

 

[SaintsManiac]

so the earliest we can get in is noon.
we can do a half day before the halloween party or we can take the am off and then go to the party at night

the latest we can fly out is 430, which means we have to leave the hotel by 130, which means park by 1230.
would you spend your half day at the park that am or would you do it before the party. let me know and why?

I would not go to a park on departure day if that is your situation.

 

[ErinsMommy]

by the end of our stay im usually all Disney'd out so I would say do a half day before halloween party. plus if you're taking DME you'll want to be by the bus stop no later than the time they list to be there (be prepared if they show up a couple of minutes early) so your 12:30 may actually be earlier if you add in transit time from park back to hotel.

 

[Oneanne]

I would also do half park day on date of arrival. When I have a mid-day departure I usually do go to a park, but mostly likely just for a last meal or specific attraction, and return to the resort with plenty of time to spare.

 

[JennaDeeDooDah]

In 2015, my family and I did both the Halloween and Christmas party. For the Halloween Party, we arrived at our hotel (Contemporary, just to give you an idea of travel distance to the park) around 4:00, changed into our costumes, and headed to the Magic Kingdom.

That December, we stayed at Wilderness Lodge. We got up and had breakfast at the resort before taking the boat to Magic Kingdom. We got there right after rope drop. We had a dinner reservation at Ohana for 4:30, so we rode rides and such until we went to Polynesian. Then, we headed back to MK for the party.

Now, I do have a reason for posting both of those little stories. My family and I all agreed that the Christmas party went so much better. We got to take in multiple rides before the party goers were allowed in, which meant shorter lines than on other Magic Kingdom days. Then, for the party, we could enjoy the parade and fireworks, as well as more rides without really feeling like we missed out on anything. With the Halloween Party, we really didn't have part time before the crowd really hit. We didn't feel like we got to do nearly as much because we were choosing between our favorite rides and the party activities. I would recommend going to the park the day of the party, even if you can't be there for rope drop. Take in some of your favorite things before the party starts and then enjoy the party-specific activities. On my departure day, I'd do a fun breakfast (probably a character breakfast at Ohana, Chef Mickey's, or Minnie's Beach Bash) before leaving to go back to the real world.

 

[Klayfish]

Since you're flying, I wouldn't go to a park on departure day if you have to leave that early. Simply because Murphy's law says that you'll get stuck on Pirates when it breaks down for an hour.

We drive, so on departure day we do go to the parks. The consequences for us being "late" are slim to none, except we get home a bit later.

 

[wfjny]

so the earliest we can get in is noon.
we can do a half day before the halloween party or we can take the am off and then go to the party at night

the latest we can fly out is 430, which means we have to leave the hotel by 130, which means park by 1230.
would you spend your half day at the park that am or would you do it before the party. let me know and why?

So, not sure what get in by noon means, I assume an arriving flight.

If so, I would wait and just go to the Halloween party. Start at 7, they normally let you in at 4, which means by the time you need time to get to the park. I would not pay for a day in the park for what may only be an hour or two.

A lot depends on your mode of transportation, and where you are staying. If you are in a rental car situation, I would drive to the park of your choice the last day. Different if you are on the Disney Tragical Express…

On the last day, get to the park by rope drop, and do a couple of your favorites before leaving. It is amazing how much you can do in the first 60 – 90 minutes…

 

[dkrauss]

We always work to leave on the "last" flight out on departure day. That way we can pretty much get a full park day in. On that weird visit when we have an earlier flight we'll most likely do DS or have a resort breakfast or lunch.. I think it becomes a personal comfort level with getting back to the airport. If you use DME you've got a pretty standard set of rules..........pick up 3hrs prior to flight so that's easy. If you have a car..........a bit more flexibility.

Doug

 

[pitpat]

party on arrival day works out great. 4-midnight.

 

[CarolynFH]

If we had a 4:30 flight (meaning having to be at hotel by 12:45-1:00 to pick up carryons and get to the DME bus stop by 1:15), we'd just plan a late TS breakfast/brunch at or near our hotel. Otherwise, as PPs have mentioned, you'd run the risk of being delayed and missing your bus. We just hate to cut it too close - you may have more tolerance for that!

 

[BobC]

I usually have a 5-6pm flight on my departure day and ALWAYS go to MK the morning of to say 'goodbye' to Disney. With that, I have to be ready to go at 2pm or so.

Meaning, I get to MK at rope drop and ride 2-3 of my fav rides and head home. Never had any issues. I usually stay at WL which is a quick boat ride away so that helps.

 

[Crystal824]

I think just doing the party on arrival day makes sense. They will usually let you in at 4. I'm not sure if noon is the expected time to arrive at a park, your hotel, or the airport. If it is the park, maybe use the ticket for the day, if it is the airport, I would just do the party. By the time you get to your hotel and then over to the park, it may not be worth it. I would probably use that time to get settled in at your resort, have lunch, etc.

I think a half day on your departure day really depends on where you are staying. Are you at a resort close to park? When we stay at BLT, we always go into MK even if just for an hour or so on the last day.

 

[Elsaalltheway]

I would also say do the MK before the party, this is my logic. On party days the MK is not very busy because most people know the party will be shutting the MK down at seven when all other parks are open till nine. Those without the park hopper option are going to want to maximize their time in the park, plus with Pandora opening AK will see more people at night because that is the huge draw. Plus you will be there from whenever you arrive till MIDNIGHT that can be a long day for some weary travelers too.

Now going in the morning wouldn't be so bad either, but there is the whole. I have to catch the bus back to the airport, unless you are driving then you have a lot more room to move

Either way you are getting about four hours in the park for the front half and maybe three and a half, but even though you have till 12:30 there is the walking time to get out of the park and also the time waiting for the bus or any other transportation back to your hotel, or car.

 

[d-train]

Do DS that last morning - I wouldn't do a park morning either.

For our April trip, our flight is 11:30PM - I imagine DME will leave the resort around 7PM,
we plan to do AK that day - leaving AK about 5:30/5:45. 9 hours at AK is plenty for us.
A bit sad to miss the evening AK stuff now - but not sad to not deal with the crowds...

 

[AngelDisney]

I usually have a 5-6pm flight on my departure day and ALWAYS go to MK the morning of to say 'goodbye' to Disney. With that, I have to be ready to go at 2pm or so.

Meaning, I get to MK at rope drop and ride 2-3 of my fav rides and head home. Never had any issues. I usually stay at WL which is a quick boat ride away so that helps.

I have a similar plan for the upcoming August trip. Great to know that it should work fine. I have a late departure this time at 6:45 pm. Usually we would have a character breakfast and not visiting the park for any earlier departure. This time I will visit DHS as Tower of Terror is DD's most favourite ride. Then go to Epcot for lunch. Hope the line for Food and Wine booth is not too bad on the Sunday. Then get back to Beach Club for luggage at 1:30 the latest. I am planning to arrange a 2 pm pickup time. I should have plenty of time to wait for my flight and not miss it, right?

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

Honestly I would not do either.

 

[mrzrich]

by the end of our stay im usually all Disney'd out .

I can read the words, but I don't understand those words when put together in a sentence.

 

[ErinsMommy]

I can read the words, but I don't understand those words when put together in a sentence.

 

[Ambehnke]

Honestly, we would probably go on our departure day and plan for extra time or not use that day at all. I think using a park ticket for a few hours is a waste and I could never leave Disney without saying goodbye on my last day at a park. But that's just me. We have always either taken the last flight or drove so we usually leave around 2-4 on departure day though.

 

[SaintsManiac]

Honestly I would not do either.

I really thought this, as well, but if they have the tickets I guess they'd better use them.