"Last day" management

[We Be Pirates]

Anyone have any ideas or experience on the best way to do "the last day"? Do you leave early and get going or take late flights to make the most of it? SUGGESTIONS PLEASE!! We are returning in 285 days...!!:xmas:

 

[Disneydreamer23]

I USUALLY do afternoon flights 4 or 5 pm i wake up check out and go to downtown disney for the last day then to the airport

 

[accord99cutie]

We have done both ways multiple times. We have had 10 am flights which meant be at DME by 7, and we have also done 6pm flights, DME time for 3ish. We prefer the later departure. We check our luggage at the airline check in and enjoy some more pool time and activities around the resort. This year we will probably do a character breakfast at Poly and then head back to our resort to enjoy the mid day/afternoon before catching DME.

 

[KJ1081]

We always take the latest flight Southwest has available- usually 8:30-9pm. Our last day is always a Thursday, so we get up early to store our luggage and do resort airline check-in and head to MK for EMH's. We'd hit as many attractions as we can then hop to Epcot for lunch at Le Cellier. We used to grab FP's for SM before heading to Epcot and then we'd hop back to MK after lunch to use them, since SM has to be our last ride. We won't be able to do that anymore, so we'll just stay in the MK all day and have lunch at Cosmic Rays instead. Granted the food can't compare to Le Cellier, but you can't beat the Castle view! Our last stop is the Confectionery to stock up on treats for home, then it's back to the resort to catch DME around 5.

 

[foreverbelle]

We had a late flight last July, which we try to do. The past time we had a 6pm flight. We usually take the last day to resort hop, checking out the resorts we may want to stay at in the future, or just to see what they have to offer. We usually end up at Downtown Disney for last minute goodies..mostly though we just try to enjoy the last moments of Disney while we can...It is always hard to leave so I want to get as much out of it as possible.

 

[shmmrname]

We spent 3-5 hours sleeping in the AKL lobby, waiting for our early-afternoon flight departure. I don't recommend it. Go early or go late, just not in-between...

 

[patricia27]

Flights to the UK are always late afternoon/early evening. So we check in our bags at Downtown Disney with Virgin Atllantic early in the morning. Then we have a free day--we usually spend the morning in Epcot and have lunch there. Then we go back to our resort and have a swim/shower/freshen up and drive to the airport. Ready for the dreaded overnight flight to the UK.

 

[stitch8834]

Like the last post we check in early at Downtown Disney, then spend the day there. Visting DisneyQuest and shopping, before driving to the airport. That overnight flight home is the worst part of the trip, we hate having to leave and come back to reality

 

[mickeysshoes]

I would take the last flight of the night but the family would rather take a late afternoon flight. We get up and check everything with bell servies and go about the day as normal. No set routine for us. Might do some last minute shopping or hit a park for one more ride. If you take a early or late morning flight I would just hang at the resort and would not spend the money on park passes. You dont want to feel rushed or get caught somewhere that you cant get back to your restort in time for ME!!!!

 

[real mad hatter]

There's a great big beautiful tomorrow.

Well unlike Patricia27,UK holiday maker,our flights from Sandford early afternoon back to Scotland and our 14 day ultimate ticket will be used up,so we take that last sail down the Sassagoula river to downtown for some last minute Souvineer shopping and a Earl of Sandwich snack.Some last photos,etc.then jump on that Bayou Queen back up the river to PORS. :wave:

 

[SyracuseOrange]

What I do isn't for everyone, but it makes for a little cost savings:

Get the earliest possible flight out of MCO, but have your hotel only until the day before. On your (second to) last day, check out and leave your bags at the front desk, reserving Magical Express for the earliest you can possibly get them to come (usually 3am ish.) Enjoy a full day at the parks, and then head to Downtown Disney or Boardwalk for a few drinks. When your location of choice closes, stroll around for a little bit, and catch a bus back to your hotel. Sit there for a little while, then grab your bags and hop on the magical express, and you're ready to catch your plane!

 

[Club34]

I recommend Prozac and plenty of Kleenex.

Because of this, I always leave out early on the day of departure. Why torture myself. There is no way I could relax and really soak in the World if I knew I always already checked out of my room. So the plans that everyone talks about (park hopping and squeezing out all the last bits of marrow) we do the day/night before.

Most vacation days we take our time, never staying full days at the parks (plenty of siestas). But on the last day/night we do an ALL 4 park marathon, hitting the faves, acting hysterical like there is a doomsday clock hanging over our heads (which there is). Then at 11p-12a we head back and finish packing. Up the next morning for a last buffet (RIP Maya Grill Buffet) and then onto DME. There is no "right" way to do it. Its what you and your family can physically and emotionally handle.

I hope I can get back soon, its been 2 years and growing (although I went to DL in January 2011) so that'll tide me over a little bit.

 

[bgraham34]

My flights always tend to be around 7pm at night. We spend as long as we can at the MK before going back to our resort to get Magical Express.

 

[ParentsOf4]

Anyone have any ideas or experience on the best way to do "the last day"? Do you leave early and get going or take late flights to make the most of it? SUGGESTIONS PLEASE!! We are returning in 285 days...!!:xmas:

It mostly depends on how long we're staying at WDW. For shorter trips, we try to maximize our time at the park and lean towards later flights, getting a last 1/2 day in at the parks. For longer trips, we're ready to get home earlier and rest for a few extra hours at home before starting work & school.

 

[SMS55]

That all depends. We due tend to sleep in a little because we are tired. When we are at Disney we are early birds and we'll be at whatever park has EMH on our last night. We leave our hotel at checkout. If we missed something we'll go back to that park and ride that. Most of the time we'll go to Downtown Disney, shop for a few people back home eat lunch and hit the road. I am probably not the best person to ask, because i drive and I am 3.5 hours away. I have flexibility with my departure times. As long as we are home at a decent hour so the kids can get to bed for school the next day we are ok.

 

[MITCH 112198]

We always do the afternoon flight home between 12 noon and 2 pm. that way w/ kids andus can get up early go eat breakfast and 1 more ( lets do the twist) then back to the room to finish packing then to the car and to the airport.

 

[righttrack]

We take flights that leave typically 8pm. We spend the day in MK, eat in the park. Since MK has the most attractions in the smallest space, it's good. Then we get back to the resort well in time of our Magical Express time, buy any last minute souvenirs and have what we call the Snack Meal Rally, where we use all of our remaining untaken snack credits. Usually we have a bunch and we just make a buffet of them.

 

[We Be Pirates]

Wow thank you all for the input!!!!..starting to incline to do the latest available flight and enjoy afternoon at MK or EPCOT. We've been doing the midday thing which stinks either way....true the pall of leaving hangs over you thats why we schedule the next one before we leave! Hair of the dog...lol...!:xmas:284 days til Christmas with Mickey!!
May the wind be at your back and your countdowns fly!

 

[wdwcandice]

I am fortunate enough to have the perfect direct flight times in both arrival and departure. I arrive early on the first day and my flights are usually late in the early evening to about 9pm. So, I pack up the night before I check out...finish packing in the morning, take my things to bell services and then I usually hit MK at park opening and stay for as long as I need to. I'll either go back to the resort and chill poolside for a couple hours or just claim my bags and wait on my car service to pick me up, depending on the flight time. That being said, I always make my last day a park day. I've often thought of shopping at DTD on that last day, but since my bags are packed, I'd rather not deal with stuffing new purchases in somewhere at the last minute.

 

[goherdibg]

We spent 3-5 hours sleeping in the AKL lobby, waiting for our early-afternoon flight departure. I don't recommend it. Go early or go late, just not in-between...

Couldn't agree more. For our last trip in December 2011 I originally scheduled our flight out to be around 7:00pm hoping to get a few hours in the MK before an estimated 4:00pm DME. Unfortunately, the airline changed our flight to 4:00pm (and no other flights were avail) which meant we had arrive for a DME departure at 1:00pm. Completely jacked my plans for the day.

Instead we called for a late checkout, slept in a little, and hovered around the resort for a few hours. Not the day I was hoping for as it is not fun knowing you are leaving and seeing all the bright-eyed fresh faces just arriving for their vacation That was the hardest part!