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[DisneyKimber]

We are arriving at 6:30 AM at MCO. I am assuming we will be at CCV about 7:45 AM. What is the best way to get our room early. After a red eye flight we are thinking about a afternoon nap before heading to the parks. Any advice is appreciated. Thank you.

[GingerJ]

Originally Posted by DisneyKimber

We are arriving at 6:30 AM at MCO. I am assuming we will be at CCV about 7:45 AM. What is the best way to get our room early. After a red eye flight we are thinking about a afternoon nap before heading to the parks. Any advice is appreciated. Thank you.

It's definitely not guaranteed that you'll get checked in to your room early, but it often happens. To increase your odds:
--Definitely do on-line check-in, and be sure to fill out the question of when you'll arrive. Being less picky about all the other options (buildings, view, floor, etc.) should increase your odds of getting in early.
--Couldn't hurt to call the WDW line, talk to a CM, and ask them to note on your ressie that you're arriving super-early and would really appreciate early check-in.

I've been allowed into my room early in the past; I assume it's first-come, first-served, so showing up as early as you'll be there should increase your odds.

I've taken red-eye flights a couple times in the past, and each time vowed not to do it again; if you're young and resilient (or just better than I am at sleeping in an airplane), perhaps an afternoon nap will be all you need to feel human again. Traveling from the West Coast to the East Coast can be brutal, but I know it's hard to make the trip without losing a whole day unless you get the red-eye.

[Her Dotness]

Weeelll, as new as CCV is and how few villas there are. I doubt you'll get into yours until 4:00, standard check-in time.

I'm betting CCV will be jampacked until the newness wears off a bit and maybe beyond that since that segment has fewer villas than the VGF (previously the smallest), not including the cabins.

We stated a 1:00 p.m. arrival time for our recent VGF stay and got into our villa only a few minutes before 4:00. We had to change into MNSSHP costumes in the lobby restrooms and dash to make our MK ADR.

We were told that the VGF is 97% full year round. That's the hazard of the small DVC resorts.

Are you DVC members? If so, I suggest calling DVC to explain your problem. Perhaps they can help.

[GingerJ]

Oh, I didn't catch that you were staying at a DVC property! In that case....I have no idea, sorry!

[DisneyKimber]

Thank you. I did not think about asking DVC. I was just hoping to show up and see if there was a room available at an earlier time, or if there were better odds with certain requests. This will be our first trip being DVC members. I am still getting use to everything. I also forgot to take into consideration that CCV are so new and popular.

GingerJ this is the first time we are taking a red eye. It costs considerably less and the time at the parks seem like a huge perk. We will see how we do. We are planning to go to lunch at Disney Springs and do some light shopping, and then returning to CCV. Ideally we could check in about 1-2 PM. I am hoping we can get a nap in, have dinner at Artist Point, and then go to Extra Magic Hours at MK. This maybe a bit ambitious with a 10 year old and my Mom. My husband and I will probably do ok. It maybe a one time trial if we are to exhausted. We are flying in from the West Coast so it maybe a huge shock to our system.

Thanks for the replies. We are going in January, so I am trying to plan it all out.

[Her Dotness]

In January, generally a slower month, you may be able to get into your villa earlier than I think likely, emphasis on "may." Much depends on when in the month you're arriving. If arriving near MLK Day weekend, I bet you could be way out of luck getting into your villa or any other room early.

I could be wrong; you never know until you get there, of course.

As Ginger said, a redeye flight alone throws your internal clocks all out of whack, plus going west to east might leave you feeling major jetlag, too. We found jetlag much worse coming home from Hawaii than flying there.

I strongly suggest rethinking your arrival day plans. I think you're planning way too much and could easily wear everyone out (except perhaps an excited 10-year-old ). I definitely suggest abandoning EMH that day. Dinner and early to bed sound more reasonable to me.

[CinderAbby]

I agree with Dot. You may want to plan a much lower key arrival day. I live on the East Coast, have only a two hour flight and I don't "lose" any hours since it's the same time zone but I can tell you it's a very tiring day for us as we're typically up about 2 am to take a 6/6:30 am flight. We do very little but we've tried doing the park on that first day and it backfired every single time we tried. Our vacations have gotten much better taking that first day slow and staying away from the parks.

[revral]

I agree with the low key arrival day.
I fly from Seattle and have taken a red eye to Orlando in the past. I won't do the red eye again. If you function well on no sleep or sleep as well on a plane as you do at home and don't find travel even when something goes wrong or you're delayed stressful than go a head and make plans for your arrival day. I don't make plans for my arrival day whether I'm taking a red eye or not. That's partly because until you arrive you can't know what time you'll actually be there as accidents, delays and emergencies happen. I also don't make plans for my arrival day because I know that by the time I get to my hotel I'm going to be hungry and tired and in the proper frame of mind to do much of anything. The most I do on arrival is go to Disney Springs to activate my annual pass and get tables in wonderland. Remember that if your flight leaves at 11pm on Thursday you'll be arriving early morning Friday and wont have gotten a decent night's sleep since Wednesday night.

[GingerJ]

I think you can still have a good day on your arrival as long as you take it slow and keep your expectations low. I don't want you to feel discouraged--when budget is an issue, you do what you can to keep your costs low; I might have done the same thing in your shoes. If you can get in an afternoon nap, that may be all you need!

Too bad Ellen's Energy Adventure closed (I miss it!), because you could've used that to take a 30-minute nap, lol. I've heard a fair number of people nap in the Hall of Presidents, but I don't know whether it'll be open by January.


After that, though, I advise you try to get your bodies on East Coast time as soon as you can, if your visit is more than a few days long--get up early the first morning if you possibly can. If it's a short trip, see if you can keep West Coast time.



I would still call ahead and let them know you're arriving super-early; you never know, it might help you get in sooner!

[DisneyKimber]

I appreciate advice from all of you that have been through this before. We arrive after New Years. We will definitely do lunch at Disney Springs. I know there is no way to get into a room until after that. Go back to CCV. There maybe a group of us a sleep by the fireplaces or out on the pool loungers 😃 until the room is ready for nap time.

I might need to be a little less ambitious. Dinner at WL will be helpful to get back early. We may try one ride if Stitch's Great Escape is open. It is my son's favorite character. He was disappointed it closed the day before we arrived last time.

As usual I wish I had more time and better flight departure/arrival times. I could use some more time at WDW. I swear time goes so quickly while we are there. We look forward to going. I swear the it is like your in an episode of the Twilight Zone how quickly time flies by. Always so many things to do and not enough time.

[Mystic]

The only way to truly guarantee you'll get your room is to book an extra night at the start of your trip and tell them you'll be a "late" arrival and tell them the time you'll be arriving.

[Her Dotness]

Originally Posted by Mystic

The only way to truly guarantee you'll get your room is to book an extra night at the start of your trip and tell them you'll be a "late" arrival and tell them the time you'll be arriving.

Which works fine with regular rooms oftentimes but is much less likely to be possible with DVC stays.

There very likely will be nothing available at CCV. This family may not have the extra points to add a night at any other DVC resort and may not want to add an extra night elsewhere which they'd have to pay for.

[GingerJ]

Originally Posted by DisneyKimber

I appreciate advice from all of you that have been through this before. We arrive after New Years. We will definitely do lunch at Disney Springs. I know there is no way to get into a room until after that. Go back to CCV. There maybe a group of us a sleep by the fireplaces or out on the pool loungers 😃 until the room is ready for nap time.

I might need to be a little less ambitious. Dinner at WL will be helpful to get back early. We may try one ride if Stitch's Great Escape is open. It is my son's favorite character. He was disappointed it closed the day before we arrived last time.

As usual I wish I had more time and better flight departure/arrival times. I could use some more time at WDW. I swear time goes so quickly while we are there. We look forward to going. I swear the it is like your in an episode of the Twilight Zone how quickly time flies by. Always so many things to do and not enough time.

Stitch's Great Escape wasn't open yesterday, alas. It still says it's open "seasonally," so you never know.

Btw, I think Carousel of Progress would be another good place to catch a nap.