A flight delay at Orlando International Airport (MCO) is inconvenient. A four- or six-hour delay with children, multiple suitcases, a stroller, and nowhere to go after hotel checkout can be considerably harder.
If your family’s flight from Orlando is delayed, you do not necessarily have to spend every extra hour sitting at MCO. With enough time—and a plan for your luggage—you may be able to turn an unexpected delay into a few final hours of family time in Orlando.
First, Find Out How Long Your MCO Delay Really Is
Before making plans, check your airline’s app and current flight status. Orlando International Airport notes that airlines, rather than the airport itself, determine whether individual flights operate on schedule, are delayed, or are canceled.
Continue monitoring the flight even after a delay is announced because departure times can change again.
A one- or two-hour delay usually is not enough reason to leave the airport. A much longer delay may give your family more options, particularly if you have not yet gone through security.
What Can Families Do During a Long Flight Delay in Orlando?
If you suddenly have several hours available, choose an activity that fits your children’s ages and keeps you within a reasonable distance of MCO.
One option is Crayola Experience Orlando at The Florida Mall. The attraction has more than 20 hands-on activities, including creative play areas and activities for younger children, and recommends allowing approximately three to four hours for a visit.
For families who do not want another full attraction, a long delay can also mean having a relaxed meal, doing some last-minute shopping, or spending a little more time around Orlando before heading back to the airport.
The challenge is doing any of this with several suitcases.
What Should You Do With Luggage During an MCO Flight Delay?
If your bags have already been checked with your airline, confirm their status with the carrier before leaving the airport.
If you still have your luggage because you checked out of your Orlando hotel or Airbnb earlier in the day, you have several options. Your hotel might hold the bags, although that could require returning to the property later. MCO also lists luggage storage in Terminal B.
Another option is having your luggage picked up and sent ahead.
Bagzee offers luggage pickup in Orlando with delivery to MCO. Bags can be collected from hotels, resorts, Airbnbs, apartments, and other Orlando addresses and delivered to airport storage, where travelers retrieve them before checking in with their airline.
For a family carrying several suitcases, this can eliminate an unnecessary return trip to the hotel.
Keep essentials such as medications, diapers, snacks, travel documents, chargers, and anything your children may need with you rather than packing them in luggage being transported separately.
Turn a Long MCO Delay Into Extra Family Time
A delayed flight does not have to mean keeping tired children entertained beside a pile of suitcases for hours.
Check your updated departure time, make sure the delay is long enough to leave, arrange your luggage, and choose an activity that keeps your family within a comfortable distance of MCO.
Bagzee can handle the suitcases while you handle the kids—and make those unexpected extra hours in Orlando a little easier.