Our Terrible Airport Experiences at Disney World

Orlando Worldwide Airport is my least favourite airport. We’ve flown by most of the world’s busiest airports, too–Atlanta, Dallas, Paris, London-Heathrow, Denver, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and so on. None of them are as unhealthy as MCO. Not even O’Hare or LAX!

Really, I fly by LAX usually–often at the very least as soon as monthly. It’s not my favourite airport on the planet and I’d by no means advocate it to first-timers (there’s a cause it makes our record of issues to NOT do at Disneyland), however when you study the ins and outs, it’s like taming a beast. There’s a technique to the insanity, and the chaos of LAX turns into comfy. Most likely partially as a result of Angelenos who choose to fly LAX are no-nonsense and transfer with goal.

That isn’t the case at Orlando Worldwide Airport. Regardless of considerably decrease quantity than Los Angeles or Atlanta, it feels busier than each. Of all airports we’ve flown, MCO is persistently the worst for the departing visitor expertise. This can be a confluence of a number of elements: TSA on the airport is understaffed, uneven day by day flight distribution, and the truth that that is solely the second flight many households have ever flown (the primary being the one to Walt Disney World). There’s lots I like about MCO and the “character” of the airport, however the precise visitor expertise is just like the antithesis of Disney.

The entire above was true over 5 years in the past. We’ve been “warning” readers about Orlando Worldwide Airport for the higher a part of the final decade. These are air quotes round warning as a result of there’s no cheap different. It’s not like Disneyland, the place you might be a lot higher off paying a bit additional to fly by John Wayne (SNA) or Lengthy Seashore (LGB). Certain, there’s Sanford, however that provides additional time to the commute…though perhaps that may very well be offset by shorter waits on the airport? (After these terrible experiences, I’m open to attempting alternate options!)

In actuality, our warnings have extra been about adjusting expectations and serving to readers put together accordingly. Most significantly, arriving sufficiently early. There are many seasoned vacationers who would possibly arrive an hour earlier than their flights elsewhere (on common, my curb-to-gate time at SNA or LGB is 5-10 minutes), however that’s a recipe for catastrophe at MCO in sure circumstances. That’s the aim of this submit–to share our expertise and function a cautionary story so that you don’t miss your flight.

Because it’s been some time since we’ve executed a Walt Disney World transportation report, we figured now could be time, following our latest flights (and terrible experiences), and as MCO braces for a record-setting vacation season. Let’s begin with that visitors report from the Larger Orlando Aviation Authority…

The 2024 vacation journey interval begins on Friday, December twentieth and runs by January 5, 2025. In the course of the 17-day interval, MCO is anticipating 2.9 million passengers, a slight enhance of 1 % over 2023’s file numbers. The busiest journey day is predicted to be Saturday, December twenty eighth, with greater than 192,000 complete arrivals and departures.

This ought to be unsurprising to Walt Disney World followers, as the subsequent two weeks rank because the “prime” 2 on our lists of the 10 Finest and 10 Worst Weeks to Go to Walt Disney World in 2025 & 2026. Along with the busy theme parks, Orlando will host a number of school soccer bowl video games, and the Metropolis Stunning has been rated as one of many High 10 world journey locations this vacation season by a number of publications.

Right here’s a rundown of the day by day passenger projections, per the Larger Orlando Aviation Authority:

Because of the general quantity of passengers, MCO is encouraging vacationers who have to verify baggage to be on the airline ticket counter 2 hours prematurely of exits. To make sure vacationers can safe a parking house, navigate by the terminals, verify baggage, undergo the safety screening course of, and arrive at your gate with ample time, a 3-hour window is really helpful.

Document crowds could trigger traces or delays at varied factors all through your journey journey. Together with that, the Larger Orlando Aviation Authority is offering actionable recommendation to make your expertise simpler–and so that you don’t miss your flight:

• Obtain the MCO app and go to our web site @FlyMCO.com for flight standing and updates.
• Pack as evenly as attainable and put on simply detachable footwear.
• Do NOT convey weapons or weapons by safety. Verify your luggage for prohibited objects earlier than coming to the airport.
• If we’ve reached parking capability, please think about using a rideshare supplier or a taxi.
• Bear in mind enhanced screening guidelines imply electronics bigger than a cellphone have to be eliminated out of your bag and positioned in a bin on the checkpoint until you might be within the TSA PreCheck program.
• Don’t go away luggage unattended or settle for objects from strangers for transport.
• Place identification tags on the inside and outside of checked and carry-on baggage.
• If touring with a pet or consolation animal, convey a leash. The pet will have to be on a leash whereas the animal provider is correctly screened by TSA.

It’s value noting that MCO has set new data, after which damaged its personal data, repeatedly over the past two years. It’s been a bit since they’ve revealed a listing, however I wouldn’t be stunned if each single one in all MCO’s prime 20 all-time busiest days occurred this 12 months or final. Suffice to say, peak dates this vacation season will likely be insanely busy.

A part of that is undoubtedly the brand new terminal rising the general capability of the airport. (I’ve but to fly out of the brand new terminal, however primarily based on what I’ve seen, it’s far much less busy than the legacy ones–so perhaps that’s the most effective recommendation of all: fly out of Terminal C.) However that’s not all of it. The opposite terminals are additionally a lot busier than they was once. There’s increasingly more seating in what was once empty walkways, and the road/wait time for TSA will get longer/greater. It doesn’t matter what day you fly, or what time. So don’t assume you’re going to keep away from that by going at off-hours or one of many “much less busy” days.

A number of frequent vacationers assume arriving 2 hours earlier than a flight is overkill. Not at MCO. Even with TSA Precheck, that’s (at the very least) how early I purpose to reach. With out it, I’d advocate displaying up 3 hours earlier than your flight. I like Orlando Worldwide Airport and assume they’re doing the most effective they’ll underneath the high-demand and high-friction circumstances. Once more, it’s quite a lot of elements–inadequate staffing, overwhelmed infrastructure, and an “unfavorable visitor combine” (to borrow a time period from Disney).

As for our latest expertise, arriving into MCO was completely high quality. It was busy, certain, and the terminals and concourses had been filled with individuals (largely as a result of seating areas have been expanded into walkways), however that’s par for the course. You don’t need to undergo safety or wait in any traces whenever you arrive (until one thing goes terribly mistaken, I suppose), so there are not any points with the airport itself when touchdown. Fortunately, as meaning not beginning your Walt Disney World journey out on the mistaken foot.

The one destructive to our arrival expertise was with Mears Join. As beforehand talked about, I’ve used Mears Join Pushed by Sunshine numerous occasions because it debuted–together with each time going from MCO in 2024. It wouldn’t shock me if I’m the all-time main person of Mears Join–not that that’s one thing to brag about. I simply suspect that different “enterprise” vacationers are utilizing Uber/Lyft or renting automobiles.

I’ve already coated the nice and unhealthy of this within the latest Mears Join Pushed by Sunshine Overview: Is Walt Disney World’s Airport Shuttle Nonetheless Good? In a nutshell, my private experiences with Mears Join have been…high quality. However I additionally know what to anticipate and don’t thoughts a “leisurely” drive to my closing vacation spot.

On the contrary, I choose Mears Hook up with Uber or Lyft a variety of the time–and definitely choose the value as a solo traveler. The buses are by no means full, so I can seize a seat within the again and work on my laptop computer for an hour or two earlier than attending to the resort.

The equation is totally different once we’re touring as a household with a toddler. Megatron doesn’t have a laptop computer and doesn’t have to get any work executed; her robust desire is to not be sitting in the identical spot for 1-2 hours. When touring along with her and Sarah, I additionally need to get to the resort quicker so we are able to unpack, eat dinner–begin having household enjoyable! I might hazard a guess that your circumstances are much like this, versus mine as a solo traveler.

The issue with Mears Join is that demand has dropped. On my journeys within the final ~18 months, I’ve seen an rising variety of stops, which suggests each journey takes longer until you’re one of many first couple of stops. The lodges are additionally not at all times close to each other. You could be stopping at an off-site Marriott, Gaylord Palms, and so on., in your solution to Walt Disney World.

This, I believe, has created a vicious cycle. Demand is down so stops have been added, resulting in a drop in future demand as Walt Disney World regulars understand the shuttle service is simply too gradual and now not value it, resulting in extra stops sooner or later. Frankly, I don’t see how Mears Join reverses this development, besides perhaps throughout peak season dates when quantity is greater.

The issue when quantity is greater is the variety of buses. Or maybe extra precisely, the allocation of them. On a number of events this 12 months, I’ve arrived on the Mears Join departure level to see zero buses idling. This was a uncommon sight again within the Disney’s Magical Categorical days. This has occurred with out a lot regard for demand–I’ve used the service on busy dates and low season ones, and it’s occurred each occasions.

That is exactly what occurred to us. It took some time earlier than any buses appeared, at which level there have been a number of lengthy traces for the assorted resort areas. We really received fairly fortunate–our line was picked first! And since our line was the longest, we didn’t sit round ready for extra passengers to reach. Including to our good luck, Fort Wilderness was the primary cease (of 5 or 6, if I recall accurately). This really ended up being one of many quickest (in all probability the quickest–I don’t time them, although) expertise I’ve had with Mears Join as soon as our line was pulled.

With that mentioned, I can’t assist however surprise how dramatically totally different the expertise would’ve been for visitors within the later stops within the different traces. There have been individuals who had arrived earlier than us who had been nonetheless ready in traces contained in the airport when our Mears Join bus departed MCO. In the event that they occurred to be cease 5 or 6, their complete time might’ve approached 2 hours. I point out this to underscore the evergreen level that Mears Join goes to be hit and miss: some okay-to-good experiences, and a few horror tales.

Quick-forward to the top of our journey (transportation inside Walt Disney World was unbelievable–I’ve zero complaints or something that warrants mentioning), when it’s Mears Join pick-up time. Above I discussed that I at all times use Mears Join when arriving at MCO and heading to Walt Disney World. Nicely, that’s seldom the case when departing and heading to the airport.

My expertise has been that Mears Join pick-up occasions are method too inconsistent and often a lot sooner than I would like as a solo traveler with TSA PreCheck who doesn’t verify luggage. It’s additionally unattainable for Mears Hook up with strand you at MCO, the place their operations are situated, whereas it’s a factor that occurs from time-to-time on the resorts. (It’s not one thing it is best to fear about, as Walt Disney World will step in to help…however I’d nonetheless choose to not stand there after which trouble with a taxi voucher or no matter.)

Just a few hours earlier than our bus pick-up time, I obtained an e mail and textual content message that our pick-up time had been moved up by half-hour. Not a giant deal for us–we simply left the park a bit earlier. (As a aspect word, departure day park visits are one cause I like resorts with non-bus transportation that’s extra predictable. Although our bus experiences had been flawless this journey, we did construct ourselves extra of a buffer on that final day for the bus. It ended up being overkill, nevertheless it’s “obligatory” from my perspective since you by no means know what you would possibly get with WDW buses.)

After ready and ready, and our authentic departure time passing, a Mears Join bus lastly arrived. Phew. The driving force got here out and emphatically apologized, which felt like overkill at first. Certain, the bus was 35 minutes late for the new pick-up time, however I assumed everybody’s flights had been primarily based on the previous pick-up time. Then he mentioned that he was solely there for visitors with a departure time that was nearly an hour in the past, and immediately it made sense.

As we weren’t a part of that hour-late pick-up time, the driving force didn’t need to take us. “Your bus will likely be right here shortly,” he politely defined. I (additionally politely) questioned this, declaring that this bus was an hour late, our bus was additionally already late, and I had but to obtain any monitoring data for our bus. It appeared extremely inconceivable Mears would dispatch back-to-back buses. I understood his place, given that there have been extra stops and he in all probability didn’t need to run out of seats…however I’ve but to be on a Mears Join bus this 12 months that’s been even half-full. He lastly, fortunately, relented and allow us to board.

A number of stops later, the bus was one-quarter full and airport certain. After lining up for bag drop on the Delta counter, I obtained a textual content that our Mears Join bus was on-site at Port Orleans French Quarter. Had we waited for that bus, I’m fairly assured that we might’ve missed our flight. The bus nonetheless would’ve gotten us to the airport ~90 minutes earlier than our flight, however now we had a brand new drawback, unbiased of Mears.

The road on the Delta counter for bag drop was ridiculously lengthy. So lengthy that it was blocking the trail to safety and gates, inflicting airport employees to intervene and arrange switchbacks to corral the road. In speaking to them and overhearing their frustrations, this was not an atypical factor.

The road itself wouldn’t have been an issue if the Delta counter had been correctly staffed. It was not. In some unspecified time in the future, the belief of this reality set in, and passengers with quickly-approaching flights began changing into stressed, inflicting a Delta staffer to undergo the road and pull anybody with a flight that was “actually quickly” for the agent help line. Delta then allotted all however one in all their staffers to service that line.

Regardless of the cutoff was for this quick lane, we had been too early for it. Delta’s method made sense from a useful resource allocation perspective and guaranteeing to the best extent attainable that nobody missed their flights, so I get the choice. It didn’t make it any much less painful standing in that line, although. The primary line moved glacially gradual as a result of there was just one agent checking luggage, which was additional exacerbated by about half the visitors in entrance of us having so many luggage that I’m assuming they had been flying someplace distant to start out new lives.

It additionally didn’t assist that seemingly nobody listened to the regular refrains of “please have your IDs prepared whenever you get to the counter!” I’ve by no means seen individuals be so leisurely about being on the precipice of lacking their flights. However in my expertise, that’s the MCO passenger method–nearly nobody has any sense of urgency. You’d assume it had been the loud library, somewhat than one of many world’s busiest airports.

To be abundantly clear, I don’t blame the Delta staffers for this. They’d been dealt a nasty hand and had been clearly understaffed. That’s not the fault of the front-liners. Between disgruntled visitors getting heated with them and oblivious visitors not following their directions, it’s fairly straightforward to see why Delta has a staffing drawback at MCO. It’s only a unhealthy and irritating scenario throughout.

I didn’t time it since I didn’t count on to be within the line so lengthy, however I used to be there for simply over an hour. To drop one bag off. Mockingly, I used to be feeling actually grateful at this level that we took Mears Join and so they set the pick-up time so early! If I had been flying solo (and for some cause had a checked bag, which I wouldn’t) and took an Uber to the airport, I might’ve missed my flight. Nicely, maybe not since I might’ve been pulled for the quick lane…however you get the concept.

We had way back made the decision that Sarah and Megatron ought to undergo safety by themselves so they may spend a while consuming and stretching their legs within the Delta lounge. This meant I used to be going by safety on my own. The conventional line had a 25 to 35 minute wait, which really isn’t too unhealthy by MCO requirements. In eyeballing it, I’d really guess that it was on the decrease finish of that vary–all of it is determined by what number of scanners had been open.

TSA PreCheck had a fairly brief line, a lot shorter than I’ve encountered prior to now. However, within the spirit of this submit being full of complaints, I made the beginner error of selecting the PreCheck line closest to Clear. You by no means select the road closest to Clear, even when it’s shortest. That’s as a result of Clear skips the road that skips the road, that means there’s a gentle stream of passengers being pulled to chop TSA PreCheck.

Clearly, I shouldn’t be irritated by this (that’s peak entitlement or first world issues!) however I used to be stressed after that Delta line. In any case, it couldn’t have added greater than 5 minutes to my wait, and I used to be on the Delta lounge for a really fast chunk not lengthy after. And I’ll inform you what–few issues are higher pure stress relievers than seeing your daughter stroll round laughing. All of your earlier worries and cares simply soften away. The caffeine within the espresso additionally in all probability helped.

Planning a Walt Disney World journey? Study lodges on our Walt Disney World Resorts Evaluations web page. For the place to eat, learn our Walt Disney World Restaurant Evaluations. To save cash on tickets or decide which kind to purchase, learn our Ideas for Saving Cash on Walt Disney World Tickets submit. Our What to Pack for Disney Journeys submit takes a novel take a look at intelligent objects to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Journey Guides will assist. For complete recommendation, the most effective place to start out is our Walt Disney World Journey Planning Information for all the pieces that you must know!

YOUR THOUGHTS

Any MCO or Mears Join horror tales of your individual? Or have your experiences with the airport and shuttle been principally constructive? Ideas on surviving the vacation crowds at MCO, utilizing Mears Join, or the rest? Any questions we may help you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even whenever you disagree with us–is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!