How do you spend your departure day?

[nooneshome]

We have a 10.5 hour drive so we get up early pack the car and head out around 7AM.

 

[YawningDodo]

We had always gotten morning flights and "ripped off the bandaid" by basically just getting up and going straight to the airport, and I always found it really depressing - it means there's absolutely nothing good about departure day. This last fall we ended up with an afternoon flight mostly because flights to my home airport are limited and beggars can't be choosers. We packed everything the night before, figured out exactly when we had to leave the park in order to be sure we'd be on time to pick the luggage up and leave for the airport, and spent the morning at DHS. It was surreal to get home and think "I was just on the Tower of Terror this morning," but I really, really preferred it. Being able to have that last bit of park time instead of rushing straight back to the real world made the transition easier for me.

So in future, yeah, I'm going to push to do a park morning on departure day. It's a time to do a couple favorites, eat a Mickey bar, and say a fond goodbye to a beloved place instead of running off first thing in the morning as if you were sneaking home after a one night stand.

 

[TavieP]

I was always traditionally a "get the latest flight possible and spend the day at the Village/Marketplace/Downtown Disney/Disney Springs" person. For this coming trip we could only manage a 12:30 PM flight so I'll be trying out the "say good night the night before" method. Maybe it'll be easier on the soul... We'll see..:

 

[SpencerOrg]

We spent our last morning at Animal Kingdom. We decided to spend the day before we came home quietly so after a really nice breakfast out, we packed our suitcases and went for an afternoon dinner show. We were up early on our last morning, loaded the car and arrived at AK for opening. We had a really good few hours and ended the morning with The Festival of the Lion King followed by lunch. The last time walking out of the park was really sad but we had a great half day there. By this time we were all looking really sad and a couple of cast members were really nice to us as we said we were going back to England that afternoon.

We are glad that we spent that last morning in the park rather than packing our suitcases etc.

We flew back from MCO on the Virgin Atlantic VS028 flight which left at 18:15. We arrived at the airport around 2.30pm after dropping our hire car off.

 

[CarolinaDD1997]

We usually leave in a late morning flight so we just head to the airport but this time we will have an afternoon flight. We're staying at Poly so we have a 9 am reservation at 'Ohana (one of our favorite restaurants so we're saving it to end our trip properly) and after 'Ohana we will do some last minute shopping in the resort shops and pool time as well!

 

[winterman]

I like to get a return flight for the middle of the day. That allows me to sleep in (this probably means no later than 7), then get a leisurely breakfast at my resort and board DME between 9:30 and noon. There are no non-stop flights to my home airport, so this usually can get me home by 8.

 

[jerseygal]

Hang around resort and relaxing. Have a great late lunch, then head to MCO, usually early evening flight, we purposely book later in the day flights! LOVE to spend the relaxing and enjoying the last moments of vaca!

 

[JadeDarkstar]

If I had such a late flight I would definitely do rope drop at a park. Having everything packed up the night before except what we would need for this last day. I would do a good hour of rope drop and three fp+ rides then go to Disney springs for lunch and last stroll before heading to the airport. I am really hoping and trying to make the best out of arrival and departure day seeing my husband will only have so many days off. (stupid work)

 

[niffer5150]

we always take a late flight out. we drop our stuff at bell services and head over to MK for cop, people mover, and some lunch, then head back for the ME. i'd rather fill half a day with disney rather than fly home early so we can stare at the walls and start chores.

 

[cindyfan]

I try to book a later flight, sometime after 5pm. We pack the night before and get checked into our flight by 8am. Leave our carry ons at bell services and head to whatever park we decide we want to ride something one more time.
A few times we hit AK for a couple rides on Everest and saw the Festival of the Lion King, then caught the bus to MK. We'd hit a couple rides and do lunch. Then the bus back to the resort in time for ME pick up time.

 

[ariane37]

We used to always book the earliest flight home-not sure why. Then in 2013 we ended up with a 6:45pm flight and decided to do MK that day. I was concerned we'd feel rushed; we got there for RD, stayed until about 2:30, went back to our resort to catch ME and flew home sweaty and happy It was awesome! We decided that trip that we much prefer going to sleep on our last night knowing we still have a little more park time, over going to sleep sad that we're done with the parks. We've booked a later flight home & done a park on departure day every trip since. For our upcoming trip our flight home doesn't leave until 9:30pm which is the latest we've ever flown out, so we don't have to get ME until roughly 6:30ish

 

[Lala Lani]

Late checkout
Character lunch at a resort
Visit to downtown Disney and or sight seeing in Orlando since we spend the full trip on site.

 

[GrumpyDad1974]

We drive so it's up and out early if were going home (serious depression). Sometimes we stop at FL relatives for a couple days. So then we do a half day at a park, lunch, then battle I-4 to Lake Mary and decompress with family before the depression hits on the ride home.

 

[Aliceacc]

We'll have an 8:30 return flight. That means DME will want us back at the Boardwalk no later than 5:30. So, because I'm a worrier, that translates to about 4:30... possibly earlier if TSA waits increase.

We'll be at Epcot at rope drop, and will spend one last day enjoying our WDW vacation. We have our FPs booked and may throw in a breakfast ADR at Cape May if I'm in the mood.

 

[RyansMum]

Whine, moan, complain and pray to the lottery gods that I could afford to stay forever. Seriously though, my flight home leaves at 8:30 am (international) so having to be at the airport for 6am is rough. The day before I do a quiet park like Animal Kingdom. Just a lot of walking, enjoying the sites and good food. Once I leave there, I pack and check my list for anything I might have forgotten. I rent a car for my trip, so I spend that evening going to get what I need, gassing up the car, and making sure I have food and drink for breakfast. At 4am. Gag.

My last trip, our flight was at 6pm so we decided to do Epcot from 9-3. What a costly mistake! The park was so crammed full of freezing cold people who didn't bring proper clothing (4 degrees Celsius in March!) meant tempers were flaring along with screaming children. Luckily we brought our mitts/hats/pants and coats. We waited almost 3 hours for Test Track as it kept breaking down. The cast member felt sorry for us only doing one ride so she scooted us over to Soarin' and walked us right on the ride.

 

[Pmlocke]

We always get the latest flight back to Michigan, usually around 9:30 PM which means we leave our resort at 6:30. That gives me at least 6 hours in the Magic Kingdom. We then go back to the resort to laze around the pool until it is time to change and catch the bus to the airport. I always arrange for a later check out so that we have use of our room until we leave. I don't understand getting early flights back home when you can get another full day and leave later in the night. It's like getting another fullday on your vacation.

 

[schoen]

I used to book the last flight out. We would pack our bags, and check them with the airline and store our carry-on with bell services. We would then head to a park. I found that it was never an enjoyable day though. I didn't like not having a room to go home to, and let's face it-it just isn't as magical on your last day! We were always a grouchy crew. Many times we would simply sit around the lobby of the hotel waiting to leave for the airport. Not fun.

Now we book a mid afternoon flight, which works perfectly for me. we wake up and watch Stacey while we pack. We usually go to a late breakfast or early lunch and have time to stop by DS or even catch a round of putt-putt before we leave around 12:30 or so.

Between depression over leaving and the stress of traveling it is just not a fun day to be in the parks for me.

 

[babesboo99]

Being depressed that we are leaving and planning our next trip back. We drive from NY so I am also thinking of the drive home

 

[agavegirl1]

We frequently end our trips at Universal and take two weeks off for Orlando. Out of respect for my inlaws who pick us up at the airport back home, we make sure we get home in the 7-9 PM time frame so they can avoid rush hour traffic and get back home before 10PM. That usually ends up being a noonish flight. We just eat breakfast and grab our pre-arranged cab to MCO. Lunch at the airport and back home. Rip off the band-aid style.

 

[mco65]

It really depends on if we are driving or flying. If we fly, we have to fly out on the earliest flight possible because we non-rev (standby).. You need to be on that first flight because things can get hairy if not. The last trip we flew back, 2 of us were on an early flight while 3 of us had to wait for the next one.. That is super rare but if we hadn't been there early, we might still be waiting for a flight!

If we drive, we typically will hit a park or DownTown Disney until around noon then we eat lunch and start making our way back home. Departure day is so depressing, especially if you have work or go to school the next day.. we typically make departure day a Friday or Saturday giving us a day or two to unwind once we get back home.