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teethdoc

Pre-takeoff checklist
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teethdoc
Any input on flying into Kissimmee? Toying with the idea of flying the Mooney to Disney if W&B works out with all the crap the family would "need."
 
teethdoc said:
Any input on flying into Kissimmee? Toying with the idea of flying the Mooney to Disney if W&B works out with all the crap the family would "need."
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Flew in several years ago, good airport, good location, friendly controller. I'd file and let ORD controllers vector you to/from so you don't have to worry about the Disney TFRs.
 
Went to Disney with the wife and daughter in March. Nice airport, highly recommend Kissimmee Jet Center.

Took great care of us for the week we left the plane with them.

-Dan
 
Been there a number of times. Agree with filing and agree with using Kissimmee Jet center. I have rented a car throught them, and it was less than 5 minutes from plane to car. Real nice group there. Disney on the other hand, well I guess that is a personal choice. I think some of the other properties such as Universal and Busch are nicer.
 
Agree with above comments, made 4 trips there with great experiences from Kissimmee Jet Center
 
Bill Jennings said:
Flew in several years ago, good airport, good location, friendly controller. I'd file and let ORD controllers vector you to/from so you don't have to worry about the Disney TFRs.
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ORD tracon really reaches that far?:goofy:

Yes, I know it was a typo. Just couldn't resist.
 
teethdoc said:
Any input on flying into Kissimmee? Toying with the idea of flying the Mooney to Disney if W&B works out with all the crap the family would "need."
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We have done disneyworld two years in a row now with my 5 year old granddaughter. It is great. We booked (hotwire) the Rosen Center for $64 per night 4 star hotel with a half acre swimming pool.

Techniques to save on weight and loading:

You can always ship heavy or bulky items general delivery to any post office in the country for a reasonable fee and pick it up with a drivers license upon arrival. This is a clean neat way to get your junk there without having to man handle it 2000 miles.

Rental car company can provide child safety seats so no need to transport those. Rent strollers at Disney for $8.

Packing tips: I usually bring a collapsible 6-12 pack cooler for when we arrive. I like to have water/soda in the car and hotel. Disney has pretty low quality food so we start out at Ihop for a big breakfast, I pack trail mix, beef jerky and granola for snax and then we buy the normal park foods for a big meal about super time. We try to do each park in one day so we are there from 9am to about 10pm to watch tinker bell come down from the castle just after dark immediately before the park closes.

A trick I learned from many military movements is that you roll your close rather than fold them so when you arrive and put them on a hangar the creases fall out naturally. If some don't the hotel likely has an iron. you also can pack more clothing in a single dufflebag rather than 3 or 4 regular suit cases. saves the weight and room of the cases and simplified loading and unloading at the airport, car rental, hotel and home. We take a notebook for email/research and what have you but a ipad might be easier.

We usually take one full or 3/4 sized dufflebag with a swim suit, 3 or 4 days of shorts and shirts for each and two sets of shoes each and we manage it all in one bag. When staying longer than 4 days we do a load of laundry in the hotel while the kids enjoy the pool (most Florida hotels seem to have laundry). I had to be a little firm with Maria who does not get to bring 2 bags of girly products, hair dryers, manicure, pedicure and facial paraphernalia so she takes her most coveted items and packs it in our family travel dufflebag.

My son and his best friend wanted to bring their weight jackets and air tanks for scuba to Grand Cayman Islands and I made them choose between shipping them to general delivery of the zip code for key west or renting it there as it was not reasonable to try and lug that down there on the plane. Don't take anything you can rent there or buy cheaply enough to discard or ship back later.

If we are still tight on weight we even leave behind toiletries and get them at hotel/walmart/target when we get to our destination. Its not important what you take and what you leave but it is important that you look at every item before you pack and make a decision about it. Then you end up with whatever you end up with but it will be the lightest load for your family.

Even when we go light we often buy junk there which needs to get shipped back.

I stayed at Altamont once and Sanford another time. I will usually check the over night, service fees and fuel costs of the FBO's in the area and often stay at a self service location a few miles up the road, so long as I can get Enterprise car rental to deliver the car or pick me up there. I do not mind driving an extra 10-18 miles one time to get to the hotel especially it saves enough money to pay the car rental or night or two in the hotel. Others may prefer a $200-400 heftier fuel/service fee from the fbo but be more convenient. To each their own.
 
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Kissimmee Jet Center had very reasonable fuel, and didn't charge us any fees for keeping the plane for six nights. Just the cost of the fuel we bought.

We also went in on flight following. No issues at all with the Disney TFR's. They sent us over Animal Kingdom.

-Dan
 
teethdoc said:
I would be VFR with flight following.
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The only time I had any difficulty with ATC was during Sun N Fun they wouldn't take flight following. You had to do IFR or be on your own. They were overloaded with the Sun N Fun traffic.

Otherwise flight following is great.
 
teethdoc said:
KBHM (Birmingham, AL)
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OK you know the patterns of the thunder waves moving over the gulf coast then. I was just going to recommend getting past them very early before afternoon build up or planning a stop just behind the line and taking out the next morning early to finish the trip. Coming from KS VFR we often have to leave very early or plan a stop over. Sometimes we can continue after dark with the clouds dissipate and finish in the same day.
 
I have used Kissimmee jet center last 6 years for sun n fun ,great FBO ,very friendly and good fuel prices.Like everyone has said either file or get ff on the way in makes it so much simpler.Heavy traffic area.
 
Tony_Scarpelli said:
OK you know the patterns of the thunder waves moving over the gulf coast then. I was just going to recommend getting past them very early before afternoon build up or planning a stop just behind the line and taking out the next morning early to finish the trip. Coming from KS VFR we often have to leave very early or plan a stop over. Sometimes we can continue after dark with the clouds dissipate and finish in the same day.
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Yep. Afternoon thunderstorms are a way of life down here.
 
Kissimmee Jet Center will also get you a great rate on a rental car.
 
If you take a cab let the fbo arrange it. Joe schmo cabs can't find the airport.
 
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