Midnight Arrival

[coast2coastmickey]

The miles difference is pretty significant so it's really the only option available unfortunately. Return flight is even worse...

Darn. In that case, back to your original post...yes I would spring for a hotel even with the late arrival. Your alternatives are 1) Trying to push through (seems like wishful thinking to me) and 2) sleeping on the floor at the airport or in a hotel lobby (really really not ideal).

 

[gillep]

We take a red eye from CA and have gotten to the resort as early as 6 am, and even that wait for a room can be brutal especially if we didn't sleep well on the plane, even when we hit the parks. There is no way I would hang around the resort without a room if my flight got in any earlier and it's just me and my husband to worry about, book the extra night.

 

[nkereina]

Computers "roll over" to the next day around 6am. So, if you forego a room that first night and just hang out, I'm not sure you'd be able to take Magical Express if that's a concern. Magical Express is available on your arrival day a.k.a. your check-in day. Since it would technically be after midnight when you arrive, I'm not sure if that is sufficient for DME or if you have to wait until the "next day" in the system which is 6am.

 

[dansdad]

Computers "roll over" to the next day around 6am. So, if you forego a room that first night and just hang out, I'm not sure you'd be able to take Magical Express if that's a concern. Magical Express is available on your arrival day a.k.a. your check-in day. Since it would technically be after midnight when you arrive, I'm not sure if that is sufficient for DME or if you have to wait until the "next day" in the system which is 6am.

ME will be no problem. We have family that routinely land at MCO around 3:30AM and have no issues taking ME to their resort with their stay officially starting that day.

I'll never understand why they do this, but they do.

 

[kaytieeldr]

and they were always up at 5 on the dot ready to run.

Even on ~3 hours of semi-sleep?

I would get a room. Mostly because your room may not be ready until 3:00pm.

Or later.

Good questions it is only a 2 hour flight from DC to Orlando so no time zone change. If the current trend holds I'll have a kid waking us up at 5, but we would probably try and force a mid-day nap.

Curious why you wouldn't simply discuss with (or outright tell) your children you're not going to a park that first day, until maybe mid/late afternoon? Seriously, get a room for arrival.

and 2) sleeping on the floor at the airport or in a hotel lobby (really really not ideal).

Probably even less ideal to the airport or hotel.

 

[dwbrewster]

All good points made and it helped me in my discussions to try and convince my wife (I think). To address the last question though from kaytieeldr - I think telling my kids Mickey is on the other side of your rest incites the amount of excitement that makes sleeping a bit tough, telling them to take a nap is kind of like telling them "eat your spinach and you'll get ice cream" or "we'll go in the afternoon" brings about that very similar "are we there yet"

I seriously appreciate all the feedback, I was very much thinking it would be a waste of a couple hundred dollars but your points definitely have me believing otherwise.

 

[Marionnette]

There was a trip report from a disboard member a few years ago where they did just what you propose. It was complete with pictures. The OP of that report had a good attitude about it. The kids, at first were excited and full of energy exploring their resort in the dark. But as time wore on, exhaustion set in and I thought they looked miserable resting on poolside lounge chairs (I'm not sure you can even get into the pool areas before official opening now that they are fenced in) and in the lobby area until a CM found them a room at 6 AM, which is the earliest that they can check you in if a room is available. If I find it, I will post a link.

Personally, I just would not do it. It's a lousy way to begin a vacation.