Best decision ever.
I almost missed a flight because of user error
with three kids in tow. We had a connection that was a once a day thing on the next leg, and I have never come that close to a complete meltdown. I did not have TSA Pre at the time.
I have it now, and can't imagine NOT having it, and being in that situation again.
(backstory) I made it through MCO's regular line with about an hour and a half to spare. My youngest daughter wanted "starbucks" which was not on our spine of the tram. I looked at maps, talked to the Info guy, and while his English was spotty, I understood, or thought I did, that I could take the tram back to the central port, then take another tram to starbucks. Five minutes later, I was sending the girls to their coffee, and walking into a Mexican place and ordering a margarita. Ordered an appetizer platter for the kids, and relaxed. I was only five minutes away from where I needed to be.. No reason to rush. I ordered a Margarita to go about 30 minutes before final boarding, and then went back, the way we came...
Holy fuck, fuck fuck fuck wtf... The guy that didn't speak English so good at the INFO stand was saying right right, left left. or similar.. I made it there, thought I could make it back the same way...
That's not how it works. IF you go on the wrong tram, left tram not right, or right tram not left, you get dumped off outside of TSA, and there is NO round trip available.
I had to wait through TSA again, and asked a lot of good people to understand us cutting the line. I was stopped about 3/4 the way through by a complete cunt. < i hate that word, but it's a word for a reason. We ended up running while holding our shoes to the tram, getting on a very fortunately timed one...and running a 7 minute mile i didn't think i was capable of. At one point my toothbrush from my open backpack flew over my shoulder, and I just kicked it away. Made it on the plane right before they closed the door. My kids and one of their friends who was travelling with us were laughing hysterically, thought it was the most fun adventure ever.
Had we missed that flight, we would have missed the only flight daily to the next connection, and there was really no good way out of that mess. I would have been homeless in Orlando, looking to find a way to Monterey CA.
PTSD from that one flight made TSApre something I can't live without.
ymmv