Customs through Pearson?

mom of 3 blondes

Mouseketeer
Joined
Feb 9, 2010
Hello. It’s been 5 years since we went to disney! So excited! We are flying through Pearson to mco. So going through customs at Pearson I think. Do we have to go through customs again at mco? I don’t remember grabbing our luggage to put it on the magical express. Just remember putting on the yellow tags in Toronto and seeing them later in our hotel room. My husband says we have to grab them in mco and put them on the bus ourselves. Thanks.
 
You will pre-clear customs in Toronto and when you walk off the plane in Orlando it's as if you flew in from Buffalo (you're already cleared). If you use the yellow luggage tags and your flight arrives before 10pm there is not need to touch them again until they are in your room. If you want to get the luggage yourselves do not put the yellow tags on them and they will arrive at the baggage carousel.
 
Note that Pearson has renovated their US Customs preclearance facilities and you will no longer actually touch your checked bags in Toronto -- they are usually automatically processed through. You do still speak with US Customs officials. They have pretty good signage to guide you through the process, plus there are humans to assist.

So if you want Magical Express to handle your bags in MCO you need to put the yellow tags on at home before departing since there isn't an opportunity to touch the bags in TO. If you dont put the yellow tags on you will need to retrieve your bags at baggage claim in MCO and walk them to the bus yourself.

As for Customs, you preeclear US Customs in Toronto and land in MCO as if you were a domestic US flight -- no Customs in MCO.

Coming back if you also go through Toronto that is where you would clear Canada Customs before connecting on to your final Canadian destination. Coming back you DO handle your bags for a brief period while going through Canada Customs.

SW
 
As others have mentioned, you do go through Customs in Pearson. Since you have already gone through customs and technically entered US side in Pearson, you will not need to go through customs again.

If you want luggage service with Magical Express and you arrive before 10pm, you will need to put the luggage tags on your luggage before you drop them off in Pearson when you check in. The luggage will be brought to your resort a few hours after your flight lands. Otherwise, you can pick up your luggage and take it with you to the ME bus. Remember, if you arrive later than 10pm, you will need to pick up your luggage since ME has added a cut off time for the luggage service.
 


A quick question, how short of a connection at Pearson is too short to comfortably get through CBP and to your next gate? Looking at connecting early AM on a Sunday and travelling on Westjet with a 1h 51m layover. Thanks.
 
A quick question, how short of a connection at Pearson is too short to comfortably get through CBP and to your next gate? Looking at connecting early AM on a Sunday and travelling on Westjet with a 1h 51m layover. Thanks.
That should be enough time. If it wasn't, Westjet wouldn't make it an option.
 
Thanks...but after I had a 35 min connection in Houston with United, I don't automatically assume what the airline gives you is doable. Literally ran to the gate to get there just as the door was closed. And yeah my first flight was on time. Luckily there was another one in a couple of hours that I could get on. Lol!
 


Only caveat re bag delivery to room is to check your Orlando ETA. If plane doesn't arrive until after 6pm, I wouldn't use the yellow tags. I would pick up my own luggage from the carousel and bring with on the bus. Will be loaded into the bus basement by the bus driver and you can retrieve when you arrive at the resort. Not worth waiting up late for the bag to show up in my room. After an early tiring flight day, I just want to catch some sleep.
 
A quick question, how short of a connection at Pearson is too short to comfortably get through CBP and to your next gate? Looking at connecting early AM on a Sunday and travelling on Westjet with a 1h 51m layover. Thanks.

Thanks...but after I had a 35 min connection in Houston with United, I don't automatically assume what the airline gives you is doable. Literally ran to the gate to get there just as the door was closed. And yeah my first flight was on time. Luckily there was another one in a couple of hours that I could get on. Lol!

100 % agree with the fact that you shouldn't "***-ume" that the connection time provided by an airline will be sufficient to actually GET to the next plane!!
In your case i checked to see exactly what you can expect (more or less there are always extra things that might crop up .. delay of your first flight/weather etc)

You won't need to worry about getting from one terminal to another because ALL Westjet flights use the same one, doesn't matter if it's a domestic or international flight. It could be a fair distance from your landing gate to the US customs area but you'll have PLENTY of time to make what will actually amount to 1hr layover -- you have to give the plane a chance to get to the actual gate & then deplane and the boarding for your connecting flight will be sooner than the stated departure time -- if you wait till you clear customs to grab a bite to eat. There are several places for a pitstop before you go thru customs so don't worry about THAT!

Pearson's website is well designed and gives lots of great information BTW this page lets you input your info regarding connecting flights and gives directions from one area to another

Pearson Connection Guide

We live in Ontario so I'm not 100% sure of the baggage part but i *THINK* you don't need to pick it up but will be asked to identify it by a picture on a screen (someone else HAS to have done this recently!!) before you get to the clearance area. You will go thru security BEFORE heading to the customs hall but the signage is very clear and you can't miss it!
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A quick question, how short of a connection at Pearson is too short to comfortably get through CBP and to your next gate? Looking at connecting early AM on a Sunday and travelling on Westjet with a 1h 51m layover. Thanks.

We had a layover of 1hr30 connecting to MCO through Pearson from YVR on Westjet. We arrived at the gate as they were boarding our plane. Our flight was on time, or at bit early if I recall. You're probably fine with 1hr50, but just hope your plane isn't late.
 
You're probably fine with 1hr50, but just hope your plane isn't late.

Late flights are always a concern...there is another flight later in the day so we should be ok even if we miss the first one. Provided there's space...
 
Just last week we were connecting at Pearson on our way to Orlando and our original 2 hour layover changed to 1 hour the day before our flight. I never would have booked such a short layover but after calling WestJet to voice my concern, they convinced me that it was enough time. Guess what happened, US customs was packed full and we missed our connection by minutes. This turned into a 5 hour layover, but that’s ok because WestJet didn’t care, actually told us we were “lucky” that they put us on another flight that soon.
 
we have found the early WestJet connection coming from Halifax and through TO is anything but easy or dependable. The gates are spread out, and not only do you go through Customs but have to clear regular security again. We have booked other flights twice, 8-9 months in advance, with much longer layovers, only to have them cancelled and find ourselves rebooked back on the very flights we had tried to avoid. We will be going back to United in the future, so we can do the Customs pre-clearance in Halifax. While I am looking forward to our Nov trip, I am not looking forward to another race through Pearson. Last time, our plane was boarding the last few passengers when we arrived, gasping, at the gate. Our flight from Halifax was 8 minutes late... Definitely too old for this!
 
Definitely too old for this!

I am so totally there with you on this point!

I have said recently that I won't be going soon for various reasons but my two adult kids are trying to talk me into a dad/kids trip late in January. Right now the WJ flights are cheapest but I'm secretly hoping United's price comes down some as I'd rather fly with them for much the same reasons.
 
We are flying London (Ontario) to Toronto and then on to Orlando. I just want to make sure that I am understanding the process correctly.

On the way to Orlando - check our bags in London & we will clear customs in Toronto (do not claim bags, do not go back through airport security). We don't see our bags again until Orlando (if we use ME tags they will appear at resort, if no tags we claim at Orlando airport).

On the way home to London - check our bags in Orlando, claim them in Toronto, go through customs, recheck our bags & then head back through airport security

Is this right?
 
We are flying London (Ontario) to Toronto and then on to Orlando. I just want to make sure that I am understanding the process correctly.

On the way to Orlando - check our bags in London & we will clear customs in Toronto (do not claim bags, do not go back through airport security). We don't see our bags again until Orlando (if we use ME tags they will appear at resort, if no tags we claim at Orlando airport).

On the way home to London - check our bags in Orlando, claim them in Toronto, go through customs, recheck our bags & then head back through airport security

Is this right?

No.

London: check in, check bags, go through security, go to gate and board.
Toronto: get off plane, follow signs to USA connections, go through security, do NOT claim bags [they are automatically processed], go through US customs [they have always asked to confirm photos of our bags], go to gate, board plane.
Orlando: get off plane, go claims bags, go to transportation to destination. If you used the yellow tags, skip baggage claim and go to magical express, your bags will show you later in your resort room.

returning:
orlando: check in, check bags, go through security, go to gate and board.
Toronto: get off plane, follow signs to Canada customs, go through first stage of customs, claim bags, go through second stage of customs, follow signs to Canada customs and send bags back into the system, then back through security and to your gate.
London: get off plane, go claim your bags, leave the airport.

SW
 
They have a Global Entry line, which your Nexus should make you eligible to use. MUCH shorter line (or no line) than the normal line, in my experience.

Yes, there is nexus/global entry for security and customs. Just went through this past weekend. My wait was zero while the "regular" customs line was more like an hour.
 

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