Southwest just opened reservations through 8/03. Usually they open travel dates on Thursdays, but this time it was a Wednesday. I just booked us for our June trip. Our fare from Philly is a bit higher than usual going down on a Friday, but I got the web fare on the way back, so I'm still running just over $200 a person round trip, which isn't bad, considering higher fuel costs.

I got mine $99 both ways for a total with taxes and fees of 219 per person for the two of us from Buffalo to Orlando.

Thanks for the heads up about Southwest opening their dates. I have been checking weekly for June dates (checked yesterday) and now thanks to you, I have the best possible times for our June trip from Sacramento to Orlando booked and bought! I'm so excited!

Mindy

Just bought our Southwest tickets ($239 incl taxes and fees - from Denver to Orlando).

Where can you get your (24-hour advanced) boarding passes printed when you are in WDW?

Where can you get your (24-hour advanced) boarding passes printed when you are in WDW?

I've been able to do it at guest services in Epcot, or at a resort. I've never tried any other park, but I'm sure they can do it, also. In Epcot, they actually had a computer off to the side that they let me do it myself on.

If you have a web-enabled phone, you can do it through that, too -and then just reprint them when you get to the airport. (Did that one time, too, when I was with someone who had a web-phone - worked great).

Thanks for the heads up about Southwest opening their dates. I have been checking weekly for June dates (checked yesterday) and now thanks to you, I have the best possible times for our June trip from Sacramento to Orlando booked and bought! I'm so excited!

Mindy

For future reference, if you look under the travel tools section on the site, they post the date they expect to release the next round of travel dates. On that date, they will open up the dates in the morning, usually sometime between about 10:30-11:30 EST.

For future reference, if you look under the travel tools section on the site, they post the date they expect to release the next round of travel dates. On that date, they will open up the dates in the morning, usually sometime between about 10:30-11:30 EST.

And do keep checking it. In the last month, I think there were 3 different dates (though the first and third may have been the same) on when they were going to release the schedule for the summer.

And do keep checking it. In the last month, I think there were 3 different dates (though the first and third may have been the same) on when they were going to release the schedule for the summer.
Thank so much for the info - I thought there should be a place to find it out, but never spent that much time on the site to find it. I even thought about calling to ask, but never got around to it. No worries now - I have our flights. Now I just need to get the car rental for the one day we'll need one.

I checked today at lunch and thought I'd get by with under 200 - but it's a good thing I didn't book it because I was a day off on the end of the cruise. Unfortunately, Wednesday travel is tons cheaper than Thursday travel (none of the lowest class were available for Thursday - and on Wednesday there were some SUPER low fares). Oh well, at least I have a non-stop for to/from Orlando for the cruise!!!

I have a big problem with Southwest, and it's on how they load the airplanes. I can understand having people with children board the plane first if you're going somewhere obscure, but to have this policy when going to Orlando is really unfair. I am terrified of flying and was nearly unable to sit with my family on BOTH trips. I will not be taking Southwest airlines again. I definitely find assigned seating to be worth the cost.

Southwest has recently changed their boarding policies. Unless you get your boarding passes 23 hours and 59 minutes in advance, you still may not be able to sit with your family, but families with children that didn't get boarding group A are now boarding between A and B.

I'm interested to see how the 'pay a higher price and automatically get A' change is going to affect being able to get A boarding at 20 or 22 hours out.

The new business select on Southwest, the one that guarantees A group boarding, does not have any children's discounts either. At least they discount the full business fares slightly for teens and children.

I just flew southwest, had a few layovers, and a chance to watch people get used to the new boarding procedures. Mostly it was confusing (especially when english wasn't their first language) and required a whole bunch of extra explaination which took up valuable time from the Southwest Employees. I hope it doesn't stick around.

Interesting to read these comments about Southwest. We are flying them for the first time to WDW. I read somewhere that the Disney airport transportation does not deliver or pick up from Southwest. Is that true? I think it said something like they will take your luggage to the Disney Resorts, but going home, we have to take care of the luggage ourselves. True?

DME going to the resort from the airport is the same regardless of the airline you're on with respect to both transporting people and luggage.

If you're flying on a 'non-partcipating' airline, you can't do check in of your luggage at the resort for your return home. Southwest is not currently a participating airline (I've heard rumor that they might, but I'm not holding my breath!). So you do have to schlep your bags to the bus at the resort, and then from the bus to the airline check in if you're on Southwest.

You can get your boarding pass 24 hours in advance, though. Just go to Guest Services at a resort or in a park when you're 24 hours from flight time with your confirmation number and travel party names. You want to do that because you have a much greater chance of sitting together if you get A boarding passes, and you are just about guaranteed not to get A if you wait until you check in at the airport.

Cathy,

Thanks for the info! Very helpful!!:)

For future reference, if you look under the travel tools section on the site, they post the date they expect to release the next round of travel dates. On that date, they will open up the dates in the morning, usually sometime between about 10:30-11:30 EST.

Guess I'm a bonehead, but where exactly is that info? I went to travel tools, and all I see is "we are currently,.... August 3". I clicked almost everything that looked promising, but don't see when they will release future dates. Thanks for any help!

Jennie

Guess I'm a bonehead, but where exactly is that info? I went to travel tools, and all I see is "we are currently,.... August 3". I clicked almost everything that looked promising, but don't see when they will release future dates. Thanks for any help!

Jennie

That is the right page, but I guess they haven't decided when they will open up more dates, since they recently started booking through August 3. Keep checking.

I called Southwest yesterday and asked when they are opening up the rest of August and the CS rep told me it would be "on or around January 31st".