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Disney's Magical Express (aka Tragical Express when leaving WDW), has announced that due to the increase in TSA security screening times at Orlando International Airport, they will now pick up guests from their Walt Disney World resort hotel four hours prior to their scheduled flight time. This policy will go into effect on November 17, 2017.
They've also stated that they will reevaluate the need for this in January, once the Holiday crowds have subsided.
Discuss amongst yourselves.
Steve
4 hours? This seems a little excessive to me. On my return trip from ICOT20 we had three additional stops after mine to pick up passengers, as well as a 20 minute wait to get thru TSA. I still had over an hour wait before my plane boarded. I can't imagine adding an additional hour to that, especially for those with kids that need to be fed, entertained, etc. Maybe it's different during the peak holiday travel period, but on my previous pre-Christmas December trips I had no issues at all.
For international flights it has always been four hours. Now I wonder if they are going to push that up to five?
I never really did understand the issue of giving international flights the extra hour, like brad192 just said, we just end up sitting around at the gate for an extra hour. While I understand that the wait times at MCO are rather insane lately, I feel this is just Disney covering themselves from folks who miss their flights and then turn around and blame/sue Disney. With nearly everyone doing online check-in today there is no real need of waiting at the check-in counter which in turn will save a lot time at the airport.
Our flight leaves at 6 am next month. May as well not go to bed. I'll have to plan our last day accordingly. :eek:
Sounds right. I always get to MCO that early. Between the chaos at MCO, new issues, yeah. Though I wish the airport was a little better. Free wifi is nice. But not enough comfortable chairs, not enough shops/dining in some of the terminals.
I have been through mco 5-6 times over the past year and I have been flying through! I do not understand this at all. May be time to start renting a car again!
They may be doing more to the luggage too, or have poor processes w/ the check luggage. Which also might consume more time.
TSA rules have changed again and security is taking longer. Now if you have any food items in carry on it will be screened separately. We just came through MCO returning from a Halloween park trip, I had a sealed bag of starburst candy, my backpack got pulled and the sealed bag got swabbed. the little boy in front of us had his Mickey Halloween candy, over 50 pieces - each had to be pulled out and swabbed individually, that alone took over fifteen minutes. MCO is notoriously slow due to so many families and first time flyers who don't know the procedure and often slow down the process.
During very busy times, I don't think the extra hour is too much. I'd rather have the time and not miss a flight.
Wow, yeah, not flying anymore.Quote:
Originally Posted by paragon
Well by the time they're leaving Orlando aren't they technically...second time fliers? :-)Quote:
Originally Posted by paragon
Swabbing each piece of candy individually sounds like a passive aggressive way to just be jerks.
I think Disney is just trying to ensure they give everyone enough time, I know last January about a week after New Years it took my son just over an hour to get through security, he didn't think he'd make his flight, luckily he did but it was tight.
Hope it is not that bad in Baltimore on Wednesday. I have an 8:00am flight out and will be leaving home around 5:00am. About a one hour drive to BWI, then the shuttle from Long Term Parking to the airport should put me at security around 6:30am.
Even at the busiest time I have been there, it has not taken more than 15 minutes to go through the security lines.
Have a good trip