Is thus cutting it too close?

Dakota731

DIS Veteran
Joined
Apr 8, 2014
our plane lands at noon and we have lunch reservations at our resort at 130? I don't want to pay cancellation fee but there is nothing later to book.
 
Yes. You need to allow at bare minimum 2 1/2 hours for an ADR at your resort. If it wasn't at your resort I would be telling you 3 hours.
 
It's cutting it very, very close. There's a good chance you won't make it. However, there is a slight chance (very slight) that you could make it. Is it worth taking the chance to you? We did it once. We had a 90 minute window between when we were due to land at MCO and when we had to make a dining reservation at our resort. Luckily our flight got in early and we made it. I had checked the percentage of time our flight was early, and it was high enough that I felt comfortable taking the chance.

Alternatively, you could take a taxi from MCO to your resort. It's more expensive, but if this dining reservation is very important to you, it might be worth it. Still a chance you might not make it (we've never gone from the airport to WDW in a taxi), but probably more likely than if you relied on DME.
 


Yes TOO close. You are banking on the fact your airline says your flight will get in at a certain time. What you are not thinking about is all the things that can go wrong and prevent your flight from arriving on time.
For example my Nephew sat on his plane on the tarmac at the DFW airport because they were told there was a traffic condition at the Orlando airport. Yep there was a security issue with a gun man at MCO so all flights to MCO were delayed. He sat for an hour in the plane at DFW. But the time they got to MCO there was a bad storm and the had to wait on the tarmac because of lightening. They don't allow the ground crew out on the tarmac when it is lightening so they sat again waiting to be brought into the gate so they could get off. In the end he was 1 hr 30 minutes late getting in.
 
our plane lands at noon and we have lunch reservations at our resort at 130? I don't want to pay cancellation fee but there is nothing later to book.
It is too close especially since you said you don't want to pay the cancellation fee. I would only keep this reservation if you are willing to pay the $10 per person no show fee or if it's a prepaid meal like CRT the penalty is the entire amount for everyone. If you aren't willing to pay the no show penalty, it would not be enjoyable starting a vacation being anxious and stressed about making a reservation.

Typically, it takes 60 - 90 minutes from landing if you are taking DME to your resort. It could take 50 minutes or more than two hours (we had that happen once when the bus driver forgot a stop and had to circle back even though he was almost at the driveway of our resort.) It would also be dependent on your flight arriving on time because even the slightest delay could cause you to miss your reservation.

Keep checking online for a cancellation, subscribe to the cancellation thread for your month at the top of the Dining Reservations subforum and many have had success with the Touring Plans reservation finder.
 


It is too close especially since you said you don't want to pay the cancellation fee. I would only keep this reservation if you are willing to pay the $10 per person no show fee.

and many have had success with the Touring Plans reservation finder.
I missed this part. I agree, if you don't want to more likely than not pay the fee for missing a reservation, I would cancel it. If you're willing to pay if you miss it (in my case it was only 2 people, and it was a risk I was willing to take), keep it. Otherwise it is very doubtful you would make it. I would advise cancelling.

I second the suggestion to try out the Touring Plans reservation finder. Just this morning it found me a BOG reservation for October that I've been hoping for!
 
Too close. You can not count on your flight being on time as there are too many things that could hold you up. Plus then you have to get off the plane, collect luggage, and travel to the resort. Again, too many things that can go wrong.
 
There is a difference between Landing at noon & being in Terminal Building at noon.

It could be 12.30 before you are inside the airport & another 20 min to be at Bus Pick up

then a 40 min + Drive to Hotel ...... Then Check in or Hand over Luggage ... Then find your

eating place . & RESTROOMS ?
 
If it's a resort restaurant, you might be able to just walk up mid-afternoon.
Would that be possible at Sanaa? There's only that one ADR time on the entire day left so do they save tables for walk ups?
 
Disney does not keep tables back for walk ups. I would only keep your ADR if you are comfortable with paying the no show fee if you miss it. If you are not comfortable, then quick service would be the way to go that day. Or trying for a walk up.
 
Disney does not keep tables back for walk ups. I would only keep your ADR if you are comfortable with paying the no show fee if you miss it. If you are not comfortable, then quick service would be the way to go that day. Or trying for a walk up.
Or try booking an ADR when you are on the way to AKL. Time depending on if you are using DME and what stop AKL is or if you are driving.
 
The plane lands at noon. It gets to the gate at 12:10. It starts to unload at 12:15. You walk down to the Magical Express Bus Terminal and get there at 12:25. You get on your bus at 12:45, if you are lucky. The bus finally leaves at 1:00. Get the picture. You will have to cancell because there is NO WAY you are making that reservation. The best I ever made it was when we arrived at Mgical Express they were loading the bus and we left 10 minutes later. Still around 45 minutes to get to the resort.
 
Here are some times I've had, using various methods..
DME...from 55-90 mins, gate to resort. Usually about 70 mins though.
Car service, with no checked luggage....45 mins, gate to resort.
Car service with checked luggage....60 mins, gate to resort.

Yes, you may land at 12, but the plane won't be at the gate for another 10 mins, and you won't be off the plane until about 12:20ish. That gets you to baggage claim about 12:30. If you used a car service, with checked bags, you could possibly be at your resort by 1:10/1:15. It's that whole landing vs gate issue. Everyone thinks landing is arrival at the terminal...it isn't. I've landed and then been at the terminal within 10 mins, but it's also taken over 15 mins to get to the gate!!! Then depending on where I am on the plane, 5-15 mins to get off the plane!!!
 
To add to what others have said, there can be delays getting from landing to the gate. Here's things that have happened to us at MCO. Sometimes the assigned gate isn't available because a plane using it was delayed leaving, sometimes you land at an outer runway and have a long taxi in, and sometimes a thunderstorm prevents the ramp crews from working and you wait until it clears. Lots of things you can't plan in advance for. We never schedule anything until at least 3 hours after landing and usually not even same day. In short, it's very likely you can't make this ADR.
 
I mean?? There is a lot we don't know about this situation. First and foremost, where is the ADR? A resort at 1:30 pm, it's likely that a walk-up will work just fine. If it's Chef Mickey? Probably need an ADR, if it's Olivia's? Just walk-up bwhen you get there, you'll be fine.

Also, who is traveling? Two able-bodied adults? Or a family of five that will require diaper changes, etc?

Are you checking bags? If-so, that can take awhile at MCO. If not, you will save a lot of time.

How are you getting to the resort? We rent at Alamo and do online check-in, so we just walk out to the garage and get in our car and drive out. If you are doing ME? It can take much longer.

You may very well be okay with that ADR, but it doesn't leave a lot of wiggle room in the case of a delay, which is not uncommon with air travel.
 
Would that be possible at Sanaa? There's only that one ADR time on the entire day left so do they save tables for walk ups?
Definitely possible at Sanaa. I would cancel what you have, and then before you get on your plane at home, log on to the Disney site. See what they have for 230 - 3pm. I would be willing to bet there will be something. If not, we have done walkups at Sanaa a few times.
 

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