Arriving at 11am - best/fastest way to Disney resort

[dmband]

In the past we have taken DME but we have arrived at like 7pm.
I have heard a lot of bad things about arriving earlier in the day and the line for DME and/or the bus ride takes forever
I am going to have 3 adults with 5 kids (7, 5, 3, 1, 6 months) so as you can imagine a long wait and/or ride isn't something that would be fun for us or others around
Is it better for me to just get a taxi or something else?
Please let me know your experiences, thanks in advance

Ps its on a Sunday, June 30th

 

[MinnieLee]

I would still take ME. We always arrive between 9:30 a.m. and 11:00 and never had a problem with long waits. Usually in our resort no more than 60-90 minutes after getting off our plane, walking downstairs, boarding our bus and checking into the resort. The little ones may also enjoy the movie on the bus making the time go a little faster for them.

By the time you get off the plane, walk downstairs, claim your luggage and drive over (even if the cab is waiting) the time difference is minor. Enjoy your trip!

 

[goofy4tink]

Here are some typical times...at least my experiences..from gate to resort...

1. DME.....70 mins average, bags take up to 3 hrs to arrive, after resort checkin

2. Car service....checked bags......60 mins, cost around $110, plus tips.

3. Car service....carryon only.....45 mins, same cost.

Earlier in the day the DME system is going to be cranking. There will be more CMs on duty, more buses running. There are not going to be any addtl stops....3 or possibly 4 stops. The busier it is, the less time it takes to get to your resort. It's those later in the day runs that have longer times...fewer buses, more stops per bus, fewer CMs working. It's the law of supply and demand.

 

[minnierocks]

We tried DME last trip for the first time and we loved it! We had all of our documents in hand, walked up to the podium and waited less than 5 minutes to load onto our bus. It was spring break week-on a Thursday around 3 pm. We made one stop on the way to CSR. We checked into our room, dropped our carry-on stuff on the beds and headed to DTD. When we returned a few hours later, our bags were sitting in our room. My husband's comment..."Nice!" There is no way I would rent a car for the week...we think Disney does a pretty good job of shuttling thousands of people around and for us, it is part of our trip. My DH likes the fact that he doesn't have to do anything but get on the bus. We liked the convenience of not having to retrieve our bags and we would definitely use the DME again.

 

[tjmw2727]

My average DME trip is the same as the majority here at 70 minutes, a taxi or towncar is going to save you @ 30 minutes average. I actually find the daytime trips a bit quicker than the evening trips.

With the size of your party you will need a larger car/van making it more expensive and at least 3 carseats. Not to mention with the number of kids in your party the DME luggage delivery feature could make thiings so much easier for you vs lugging everything to a cab/towncar.

If all your paperwork is in order you now skip the check in desk and are directly to your bus queue.

 

[chartle]

With the size of your party you will need a larger car/van making it more expensive and at least 3 carseats. Not to mention with the number of kids in your party the DME luggage delivery feature could make thiings so much easier for you vs lugging everything to a cab/towncar.

Yes you will not fit in one taxi since they can't fit 8 plus luggage so you would need a larger van.

But I think the bigger issue is you having to handle your luggage once at the resort.

I don't think the kids will be much help in fact at least one adult will have to mind the kids while the two others collect all the bags and hope that there are luggage carts near by.

I would spend an extra hour each way if it meant I could avoid that mess.

 

[dmband]

Thanks for the tips guys
Sounds like the people who told me its is busy were actually just experiencing normal waits and such
I didn't even think about car seats, it's def worth taking DME after reading here and thinking about it more
Fwiw we are at contemporary this time but I assume the resort doesn't make much difference in the overall drive time