Flights and transfer times

[Guest]

Hi everyone,

I'm looking at indirect flights for our possible trip in July, as follows:

Belfast City departing 06:40
Arriving 07:40 Manchester Departing 13:40
Arriving 16:30 JFK Departing 19:29
Arriving MCO 22:17

I'm assuming the transfer time at JFK is adequate? They are connecting flights, but I assume we have to retrieve luggage and get through Customs / Immigration here?

We have two choices of return flights:
Cheapest Return:
MCO departing 21:55
Arriving 11:30 Gatwick
Transfer to Heathrow
Departing Heathrow 15:15
Arriving Belfast City 16:40

About £170 more expensive (less than £30 per person):
Return:
MCO departing 19:35
Arriving 22:04 JFK Departing 23:33
Arriving 11:15 Glasgow Departing 16:45
Arriving Belfast City 17:35

So we have a choice of paying for a transfer from Gatwick to Heathrow (but we have a £170 cushion) and having 2h 45 minutes between flights. Or a double stopover, including an 89 minutes transition at JFK. Any advice on which is the better option please?

TIA,
Lesley