We Have Airline Tickets To Get Us Home From Our December 2015 Disney Cruise

We have airfare for one half of our December 2015 Disney Cruise Line vacation—the return flight! 

When I told some folks, they thought I was nuts/crazy.  “What about getting there?”  “How can you do that?”  “That would drive me insane!”  And, my favorite, “Can you do that?”

Oh, yes, you can do that!  And, by “that” I mean not purchase round trip airfare.  It’s not the first time that we have only purchased one leg of airfare for a trip and there is definitely some thinking behind it. . .

Our cruise is over New Year’s and is 7-night itinerary.  We disembark on Saturday, January 2, 2016—after spending New Year’s Day on Castaway Cay!  And, given that we have to be at work and school on Monday, January 4, 2016, our window in which to get home starts at noon on January 2 as the cruise line suggests not booking flights any earlier than noon on disembarkation day.  The price for those flights, if they existed at all, was incredible—we’re talking $400-$700 per ticket one-way.  Alas, I found a very reasonable one-way flight for the next morning.  Yep, it is an early flight 6:00 am and yes, it has a connection with a short layover (50 minutes) and the price was right—especially after watching it fluctuate for a few days.  So, yesterday, I jumped.  I called our travel agent and within minutes, we had our seats. 

Was our travel agent worried about us getting there?  Nope.  She knows it will happen, especially since we aren’t sure yet when we can leave in December as work and school schedules have yet to be set. 

Another decision we made was to stay at the Hyatt at Orlando International Airport after we disembark the ship as we don’t fly until the next morning.  We could have picked a Disney Resort Hotel.  The trade off was ease and a bit of sleep.  If we stayed at a Disney Resort the Magical Express would be picking us up at 3:00 am for a 6:00 am flight.  Staying at the Hyatt means we can have a bit more leisurely pace in the wee hours of the morning and check-in for our flight literally downstairs say at 4:30 am.  I’ve got another ace up my sleeve in case of inclement weather by being at the airport the day prior to our flights home, too.  (I don’t want to jinx it and at the same time, if travel advisories are issued we may be able to get on flights sooner—rather than later.)

Buying airfare is like playing Russian Roulette. . . at least it feels that way.  I set the price alerts on Kayak to get notifications, I watch the prices for various days, and even various airports.  Most of the time, we do okay—as of today, that same flight is now $51 higher per ticket.  Whew!  Now, I’m going to stop looking at those prices and keep an eye out for flights TO Orlando!

Disney Phone a Friend--Questions About Staying at the Hyatt Prior to Sailing

Retrieving luggage at baggage claim before checking in at the Hyatt

Saturday afternoon the phone rang.  A familiar voice was on the other end of the line; the husband of a former colleague and Disney fan.  Reason for the call?  Had a few questions about staying at the Hyatt at Orlando International Airport before sailing with Disney in February.  Fire away.

Do we pick up our luggage and take it to the hotel?  Yes.  Since they would be flying in the day prior to sailing, then yes, pick up luggage at baggage claim and take to the Hyatt—which is upstairs (or elevator or escalator if you prefer.)  This also means NOT tagging your luggage with the Disney Cruise Line luggage tags, at least not yet.  I also shared that baggage carts can only go as far as the lobby of the Hyatt and that Bell Services would take the bags from that point.

Where’s the entrance to the Hyatt?  The entrance is located between in the security gates on Level 3, or the main level of the airport.  The check-in desk for the Hyatt is actually one level higher and can be reached by escalator or elevator.  While I didn’t tell him this, as he will find out, the elevator will only access the public levels unless a room key is used upon entering the elevator.  This is a security measure for guests.

The blue tag was our admittance to the bus for port transfers and was stapled to our cruise documents.

So we just go downstairs the next morning and catch the bus?  Basically, yes.  I told him to be sure to tell the folks at the Hyatt upon check-in that they would be sailing with Disney the next day.  They would then be given a piece of paper to record number of pieces of luggage, room number, etc. that is then given to the Cast Members that check guests in for Port Transfers the next morning.  This way, they could tag their luggage with the DCL luggage tags and leave the bags in the room at the Hyatt as they would be retrieved and taken to the port.  (I must admit that this is one of the most convenient services I have found! )   Of course, they would have reserved the port transfers and paid for them along with their cruise reservations.  I have heard of guests showing up at the port transfer desk and paying for the transfers right at that moment or charging them to their ship board account.

Where is the check-in for the Port Transfers?  The check-in is right next to the check-in for Disney’s Magical Express Service, so lower level B side of the airport.

What time?  The first bus usually heads out to the port about 9:30 am.  I said we try to be there before 9:00 to check-in.  I also told him that the boarding group numbers are now assigned at the port.  Since they have sailed with Disney before, there was an understanding of boarding etc.

The call ended with me offering assistance with any other questions between now and their cruise and to have a great cruise.  I was thanked and we hung up; happy that I was able to help.

What was cool was that these folks were there to help us when we planned our first trip to Walt Disney World.  I remember peppering his wife with questions hoping to plan a great vacation for our family.  The boy has been the recipient of tokens and souvenirs from their previous trips, too.  We Disney fans stick together and know who to “go to” with questions.  Help is usually just a phone call away!

Summer Vacation 2011 Getting There!

Oh, there are so many songs that come to mind when thinking about a car ride or drive depending on one’s perspective.  But, alas, I’m not writing about travel songs, but about travel.  Our Summer 2011 vacation almost had a false start when the air conditioning in our van went out over the 4^th of July week-end.  The van was so sick it needed a second opinion and we discovered that a needed part wouldn’t be here for some time.  So, no van to drive to the airport for our vacation, but our trusty older vehicle came to the rescue.  There was just enough room for everyone and everything, and the boy lived without the DVD player in the car for the ride.

Our flight wasn’t until 4:40 ish and we had about a 3 hour drive ahead of us.  When we got up that morning, we were raring to go and since all was ready, we took off.  Better to wait at the airport than at home, especially if something happened along the way that would require more time.  Off we went.

Thankfully, our drive was uneventful and we arrived at the airport in plenty of time.  Our airline’s ticket counter was not open yet, as it opens about 2 hours before the flight.  Interestingly, we weren’t the only ones who had arrived early for our flight.  The husband and I took turns taking the boy off for excursions around the airport while the other one of us looked after the luggage.  The boy and I had just engaged in baggage carousel watching when the husband called my cell to tell me the ticket counter was open.  

After checking in our luggage, we made our way through airport security and on to the gate.  The only carry-on bag that required additional inspection was the husband’s backpack which had a shoebox full of Disney trading pins and lanyards.  Once the TSA officials saw what it was, we were good to go.  I was targeted for an additional “wanding” before heading off to get my shoes and gather my belongings.  All in all—not bad.  Trust me, we have had worse.

It wasn’t long before our plane landed and we were called to board.  We were in loading group 1 for our flight to Orlando, so we got to board the plane with the first group of passengers.  We are members of our airline’s frequent flier program and had used points for a free business class upgrade.  Row 2, plenty of room, a wide assortments of snacks, free alcohol for the husband, free milk for the boy, and. . . wait for it. . . no baggage fees!  I had packed sandwiches and fruit to eat on our flight, so once the basket of chips appeared along with the drinks, we were all set.

The flight was smooth and fast, about 2 and a half hours.  As you may already know, we frequent Orlando International Airport, so finding our way around is easy.  We even helped a few people who were headed to Disney’s Magical Express counter after the flight.  We were headed to baggage claim!

This is where a little foresight and planning come into play.  Knowing that we would have to get our luggage to the Hyatt after claiming and knowing that either a luggage cart or luggage handler would only make it to the registration desk, then Hyatt’s bell services would have to take over, I was scouring the place for a luggage cart.  Instead of going down the escalators, like everyone else, we walked past the escalators to use the elevators, as I knew people “dumped” their luggage carts just on the other side of the escalators.  Well, we didn’t even have to go that far, as we found a deserted luggage cart just outside security.  I snagged it and off to the elevators we went to Level 2—baggage claim.  

I guarded the cart and our carry-on luggage while the boy and husband watched for our bags.  Soon we had everything and were back in the elevator to Level 3 (where we started) and were headed for the elevator that takes guests to the lobby of the Hyatt.  And, I was right.  Bell services swooped in to take our bags—except for the ones I held onto, as they had our swimsuits and we would want those for our rooftop swim.

Check-in at the Hyatt went smoothly.  I had a pre-paid voucher for our stay.  I told them we were sailing with Disney the next day and would like our bags picked up.  No problem—just have them ready by 8:30 am.  Ready means zipped, tagged with your Disney Cruise Line tags, and placed just inside your hotel room for pick-up.  They asked if I wanted to put a credit card on the account for incidentals.  I declined, as we wouldn’t be having any “incidentals.”

The bellman followed us to our room, which was great as we had a bit of difficulty finding it at first.  He left the bags with a tip in hand. (Note:  I knew I would have to tip the bellman, so I didn’t want to also tip a baggage porter.  Paying for a luggage cart was the next least expensive route, but finding an abandoned luggage cart was even better—no charge!)

Soon the husband and boy had swimsuits on and were heading to the 6^th floor for the rooftop pool at the Hyatt.  I was a few minutes behind them, as I wanted to organize a few things for bedtime and the next morning.  It wasn’t long before I was in the lighted pool watching planes take off and land.  It was a great way to shake off the travel day and yet it still felt very much like we were already on vacation.  I knew a good night’s sleep wasn’t far behind.

Note:  Flying in the day before a cruise alleviates anxieties about making it to your ship on time.  We were not the only ones staying at the Hyatt that were cruising with Disney the next day.  In fact, there were many of us and we even ran into some folks later on the ship that we had bumped into at the Hyatt.  A great rate can be had for the Hyatt at Orlando International.  They are on Priceline—which is one way to go.  They also offer a AAA rate, but our travel professional found another source to get the room at an even lower rate.  The convenience of the Hyatt in terms of location and luggage cannot be beat.  I love that they handled our luggage and got it to the port!

Our Summer Plans. . . They Are A Changin'

AirTran changed the flight times for our awesome summer trip—Walt Disney World/Disney Cruise Line/Walt Disney World. Instead of arriving at Orlando around 1:30 pm, we are now arriving at 8:30 pm. While we are used to some changes in our flights. . . a few minutes here or there, the changes usually haven’t been more than 30 minutes in either direction. Hmm. . . What to do, what to do?




We could take an earlier flight with no charge, but alas, there is no earlier flight. Here are some of our options:

1. Keep all our reservations—a night at the French Quarter, dinner reservation at T-Rex at Downtown Disney, and a breakfast ADR for ‘OHANA’s in the morning before we head to the port to embark on the Disney Dream—and hope AirTran changes the flight times again before our trip and in our favor!



2. We could make a reservation at the Hyatt Regency at Orlando International (click here to read more about staying at the Hyatt) and stay there the night that we fly into Orlando. Just grab our bags at baggage claim and go up the stairs (OK, elevator) and check in for the night. We could then have breakfast at Hemisphere’s, at the Hyatt, or the food court, in the airport, and go downstairs and grab a bus to the port.



This plan, of course, would remove us from the immersion into Disney until we got on the bus to go to the port and reached the ship. It would also keep us from having a character breakfast.



The upsides to number 2, would be that our luggage would still be taken care of and whisked away to the ship and we can catch an early bus to head to the port. We just tell the folks at the Hyatt when checking in that we are cruising on Disney. They tell us to tag our bags and leave them just inside our hotel room when we leave. Voila. The next time we see our luggage is outside our stateroom on the ship.

Here is what we are doing:

• We have left all of our reservations in tact for Downtown Disney and breakfast at ‘OHANA’s, just in case AirTran changes the flight times again.

• We still have our room at the French Quarter for the night before we embark on the ship. In fact, it is paid in full. (We can cancel up to 3 days prior for a full refund.)

• We have reserved a room at the Hyatt for the same night; the night before we embark on the Dream. It is also paid in full with an option to cancel and get a full refund. The reason it is paid in full is that our travel agent could get a price for the room that was $45 dollars cheaper than the other rates, but we had to pay in advance.



Now, we wait. While many of our reservations can be cancelled up to 3 days in advance, the planner in me (as made obvious by the information above) doesn’t want to wait until the last minute, so my goal is be firm 3 weeks out from the start date of our trip.

I told the husband that we would be about $400 richer, but that there’s that much money tied up in two hotel rooms for the same night. We are reframing this as a sort of non-interest bearing savings account, as when we cancel one reservation; we can then use the refunded money towards other things while on our trip. The reframing is sort of helping. Knowing we are headed on a Disney Cruise and a week at Walt Disney World is really helping!

Orlando Hyatt Regency or How We Spent Christmas Day 2009

As the mid-west braces itself for another winter storm, I was reminded about how we were keeping an eye on the weather this time last year.



We were set to take our 3rd Disney Cruise on aboard the Disney Magic from December 26 through January 2, 2010. We had planned to fly from Kansas City to Orlando on December 25, and stay one night at the Hyatt Regency at Orlando International Airport. Then the winter storm warnings started to appear in the forecast for Kansas City—not just snow, but ice.



AirTran Airways, our favorite airlines, e-mailed us early on December 23, stating that they were aware of the impending winter storm and would change our flight without a fee. We phoned our travel agent and within minutes, we were booked on a flight for December 24, just before the storm was to hit Kansas City. We drove to K.C. on December 23 and stayed at the Embassy Suites near the airport, as they would keep our car and shuttle us to the airport. (We had originally planned to stay there on Dec. 24.) Our travel agent had changed our reservation at the Hyatt for our arrival on Dec. 24, and with a quick call to Santa asking him to come to our house on the eve of Dec. 22, we were set. We only experienced thick fog on the drive to K.C. and the ice was on its way shortly after our flight left around 11:00 am. We were on our way to Orlando and would be in time to make the cruise.



 Here we are in front the huge Christmas Tree on Christmas Day, 2009,

 in the atrium of

Orlando International Airport.

 This is the view from our floor at the Hyatt into

the atrium below. 

Now, many airports have hotels, either nearby or attached to them via shuttle, etc.  But Orlando International offers the Hyatt Regency right inside the airport.  Yep, you step out of the security area on the east side of the airport and look up in the atrium to see the 6 floors of rooms with balconies spanning the perimeter of the atrium.  That’s the Hyatt and guests take the elevator up one floor to check-in. 

 The outside of the Hyatt from the pool deck.

All rooms either have an inside atrium balcony or

an outside balcony.

This is in one of the "green spaces" inside the Hyatt.



We had stayed at the Hyatt one other time, just before our first cruise. One of the amenities we like is the ease of transition between a Hyatt stay and a Disney Cruise. Tell them at check-in you are a Disney Cruise passenger, tag your luggage with the Disney Cruise bag tags, leave your bags inside your hotel room door at check-out and your luggage will appear in your stateroom on board the ship. Magic!




Since the first night of our Hyatt stay was December 24, the staff knocked on our door that evening and presented us with a small holiday gift and wished us Merry Christmas. How thoughtful!

 

 Another "green space" inside the Hyatt--there were

birds in the bird cage.

On Dec. 25, we started the day with breakfast at the Hemisphere Restaurant located on the top two floors of the Hyatt offering breathtaking views of the airport runways and a lovely breakfast buffet.  We were not the only ones in the restaurant and took our time eating and watching the planes.  Towards the end of the meal, our server told us that the staff had picked our family to wish a Merry Christmas and that breakfast was on them.  What a great surprise!

 The pool at the Hyatt.

 The boy on Christmas Day ready to explore the airport and the hotel.

 A photo op outside one of the two Disney stores located in the airport.

 We found the boy's favorite character.

Yes, that's a shopping bag in his hand.

He used his Christmas money.

 By another Disney shop inside the airport.  There are also

Universal, Seaworld, and NASA shops located inside the airport.

We spent the rest of the morning browsing the various shops and displays located throughout the airport and the hotel.  Orlando International has some great shops, a huge food court, other restaurants, moving sidewalks, elevators, escalators, and incredible people watching.  There was plenty to do!

 Taking a swim on Christmas Day!

We phoned our family from the pool deck to wish them

a Merry Christmas!

 The husband took time to read and enjoy the warm weather.

By afternoon, it had warmed up enough for us to take a dip in the swimming pool, located on the rooftop of the 6^th floor of Hyatt and overlooking the runways.  Nothing like taking a swim on Christmas Day!

The wind made coming out of the water a bit chilly.



By evening, we snuggled down with visions of our cruise coming the next day.  We were very excited!

Waiting on the lower level of the airport for the Disney bus to take

us to Port Canaveral for our Disney Cruise! 

Click here to read about the first day on board.

On December 26, we checked out of the Hyatt, leaving our cruise luggage behind in our room.  We even left a suit case (dirty clothes and things we didn’t need on the cruise) with luggage services at the Hyatt for a small fee, as we would be returning there on January 2.  You see, the Hyatt offers “day room” rates and we had a room booked for January 2 since our return flight did not leave until late in the day.  We were able to use all of the hotel amenities prior to flying and even had a bell person help get our luggage to the airline check-in.  It beat lugging our bags around and waiting in the airport for 8 hours.  We had space, quiet, a TV, swimming pool, a place to keep our stuff, etc.