How big a pain will this be

[goodferry]

I am currently looking at booking our airfare for our December trip. We normally get a relatively early flight (9am) and stay at a hotel at the airport the night before. Now we are booked at the BWI (deluxe room because there are six of us) from the 13th-16th. Moving to the BWV to a 2 bdroom from the 16th-21st on points. As I am looking at airfare, Airtran's fares are released, $99 each way, however the only non stop flights on our departure day are later in the day, or in the evening (I won't fly anything but non stop to Disney with four kids, too much of a pain). So, my mind starts working. If I booked the 7 pm flight the evening before (non stop) we would be at MCO by 9pm, we could get two rooms at a value resort and that wouldn't be much more than the room at the airport hotel (which is what we normally do). Would it be a huge pain with four kids and all the luggage that goes along with them to stay in the values a night and then transfer to the BWI? We have never stayed in a value resort before, am I going to have to deal with transporting all that luggage once we check in or are there golf carts available to help you. Also, would they transfer our luggage for us, we would not have a rental car, would be using a towncar to transfer from the airport to the hotel.
I could just wait until Southwest releases their fares (June ) because they have more non stop flights, including one that leaves Pittsburgh at 9 am, this way though we are there and settled in.

 

[StrwLady]

In June I moved from the All Stars Music to the Contemporary. They not only moved my luggage, I was told to leave it in the room and they would take care of it. I didn't even have to wait for the luggage service to come get it. We left the room headed over to the Contemporary checked in, put items in the safe and then headed to the parks. When we got back our luggage was in our room.

I'm betting you will find it much less of a pain then doing the early morning flight and staying at the airport hotel.

 

[goodferry]

Thanks! It started out, years ago, that we would stay the night before at a hotel near the airport, park our car there and get a shuttle from the hotel to the airport. That way we knew we wouldn't be late arriving due to traffic or anything like that, and we saved on the parking even though we had to pay for a night at a hotel. That was our tradition. Now I am thinking, if we fly in the night BEFORE and spend the night, we will already be there and will be able to start touring first thing! I am not sure DH is sold yet, he worries about schlepping all our stuff and the kids to a room at 10:30-11:00 at night.

 

[ParrotBill]

I am not sure DH is sold yet, he worries about schlepping all our stuff and the kids to a room at 10:30-11:00 at night.

I used to be that way too... till my wife handed someone a $5 bill and they started doing all the schlepping. Now we always get help with luggage at the airport and again at the hotel. You need to carry a purse, bag with anything delicate like a camera and the sleeping kids.

It will be worth it! Plan ahead by doing these 2 things:
1. pack what you need to go out the first day so you can easily grab it.
2. Pack what you need for your first night (toiletries, changes of clothes) separately so you can get out without repacking all the luggage.

 

[pilferk]

Another suggestion:

You could book one of the AS Music Family suites. Should save you a couple bucks over the 2 seperate rooms.

All in all, though, I don't think the resort move should be too tough...nor do I think the flight/ride to the hotel will be too hard (meaning any harder than it normally is to fly with 4 hyped up, excited kids. ). Are you guys using Disney Magical Express? I only ask because the luggage delivery might be the only "hiccup"....you'll be getting in around 9 PM-ish, right? You might not see luggage delivered until midnight-ish...which is tough with sleeping little ones.

 

[jjohnson]

I have 4 kids too & I wouldn't do it if it were me. Even if you try not to unpack the first night you still need to get it all together the next morning for transfer then wait for it to show up at BW. I wouldn't want to spend my first morning at Disney doing this + you will not have a room 2X during your vacation for part of the days.

What about a standard room at BWI. Technically you are 5 guests right?

 

[tinkerbell60]

I could just wait until Southwest releases their fares (June ) because they have more non stop flights, including one that leaves Pittsburgh at 9 am, this way though we are there and settled in.

Do you have Southwest's Ding downloaded?? Yesterday, they offered a fare of $59.00 each way between Pittsburgh and Orlando for June and July. The current fare is $120.00 each way - last year I got a Ding fare in June for flights in August of $39.00 each way.

 

[fran99999]

I have done this before. I pack what I need in one bag and mark it clearly for the first night. I pack for that night/am and clothing for the next day. I have bell services keep my other luggage. When I go to the busses in the next am I drop off the bag I used in the room and have them transport my bags to SSR for my check in later in the day. I usually check in around 2-3 pm and my bags are at bell services waiting for me. I go in July/Aug so this is when I go settle in the room and swim then back to the parks for the night.


Have a great vacation

 

[chasgoose]

Maybe it's just me, but I think booking connecting flights would be easier than getting into a Disney hotel around 10-11 PM at night and switching rooms the next morning (particularly when you are already switching once during your trip). Hotel transfers are hit and miss. They can go without a hitch, but they can also take up a good part of a day. Disney does the work of moving luggage, but you still are out of a room for most of the day because they aren't obligated to give you a room until 3:00. That means you will have to entertain your kids for most of the day. While being in Disney obviously helps with that, unless you think they can go most of the day without a break you could end up with some very cranky kids and no place to take a nap (that has happened to my family once, and needless to say it was NOT pretty). It could go smoothly and your room could be ready when you check-in, but you could risk disaster and that is not the best way to start a Disney vacation. I realize you are already doing a transfer, but its easier when you have been there awhile and you aren't coming off a late flight and if something does go wrong the first time you are not going to want to do it again.

Also, how much more would it cost to book a nonstop flight that better conforms to your schedule? Are you sure that booking two value hotel rooms is cheaper than paying a little more for a nonstop flight that works for you? Even if it is a little more expensive I say go for it. You are already spending a lot of money, unless you are absolutely pushing your budget limit right now, you probably won't notice a little extra money for airfare. If things go wrong with the transfer, you will regret the money you didn't spend.

 

[goodferry]

Thanks for all the responses!
ParrotBill--That's what I was wondering, if we book a room at the All Stars will there be someone available to schlep my stuff?

Pilferk--I kind of looked into that, but we wouldn't need the kitchen for one night and it looks as though two rooms is cheaper than a suite, am I wrong? Our oldest will be 16 when we travel, so if we end up with non connecting rooms, not the end of the world, he is responsible and could keep his 12 year old in a room with him while the girls (8 and 4) stayed with us.

jjohnson--we are actually six, as you can see from the ages of the kids. I may try to add a room onto the front end of our reservation (got with the 40 % off deal) if I can.

tinkerbell60--I do have Ding! I am just a nervous wreck about waiting until June to book airfare, I don't know why, I am an OCD planner I guess But I may do that, because in the end, they do have the better schedule. I doubt they will have a Ding! airfare for our dates, being it's so close to Christmas, though.

fran99999--If we decide to do this, I hope it goes as smoothly as it did for you!

chasgoose--I would love to book a nonstop flight that conforms to our schedule, unfortunately, Airtran doesn't have one and the other airlines are more than a little more expensive, more like over $100 each way (times 6) expensive. We will not be using Magical Nightmare, I mean Express, we will get a towncar, that way I don't have to worry about where the luggage ends up. Also if our room is not ready, we will have the concierge lounge available to us. You make a good point, though, the room may not be ready until 3...

Upside to doing this:
-we get to disney a day early and get to start touring a day early (this time of year the crowds increase with each passing day)
-we would get to try one of the value resorts, which we never have.
-I could book the airfare now, and not worry about it again until it's time to leave, and it's relatively inexpensive.

Downside:
-a million things could go wrong with the luggage transfer
-we have to leave work/school and head straight for the airport and travel tired, not well rested.
-We would arrive in Orlando really late, and might be too tired to really tour the next day anyway (although even if we hang out at the All Stars and Downtown Disney for the day, a day in Orlando beats a day in Pittsburgh every day)
-we might be able to get a better fare with Southwest if we wait. (Plus they have a schedule that suits us a little better)
-we may get stuck sitting around waiting for our room
-We would have to pay to park the car at the airport, we normally park for free at the hotel where we spend the night.

Not sure I have come to a conclusion yet. Anyone thought of something I haven't?

 

[tinkerbell60]

Air tran has a flight that leaves Pittsburgh at 10 am non stop and a returning flight that leaves Orlando at 9:00am - wouldn't those work??

 

[jjohnson]

Whoops sorry I was looking at the kids ages on pilferk sigi

 

[pilferk]

Pilferk--I kind of looked into that, but we wouldn't need the kitchen for one night and it looks as though two rooms is cheaper than a suite, am I wrong? Our oldest will be 16 when we travel, so if we end up with non connecting rooms, not the end of the world, he is responsible and could keep his 12 year old in a room with him while the girls (8 and 4) stayed with us.

It's pretty close on price. I'm assuming you're going in early december and not during the holiday. If that's the case, the AS rooms are about $82 a night, so you'd be at $164 total. The ASM family suite would be about $179. You're paying about $15 more, but you're assured that you're all together in a room. Since connecting rooms aren't a big deal for you, maybe you WOULD be better off with 2 rooms....I just know that, when checking in as late as you are, your chance of getting connecting rooms are smaller. For me, having everyone in the same room, and not having to play "lets sling the luggage around between rooms" late at night, would be worth small amount of extra $$.

The other thing is that you MIGHT be able to get a deal on the AS "standard" rooms at some point....you almost certainly WON'T be able to get one on the suites.