Best way from MCO to resorts with ECV?

[pbrim]

I am recently retired and planning my first trip back to WDW in about 10 years and am dismayed to find apparently DME is no more. I will be traveling with my personal scooter, a Pride Go-Go Elite. What's the best way to get from the airport to the resort (PORFQ) these days?

 

[LoveToDisney]

I personally have been using Mears Connect. They are located where DME was before and they handle my scooter (Go-Go Sport) the same way DME always did so it has been an easy transition.
When you reserve your transportation on their website, there is a place to mark that you have a wheelchair. They check with you when you check in at the airport whether you can go up the stairs with your scooter placed underneath or need a bus with a lift.
They do stop at several resorts…sometimes we have been second stop but we have also been the fifth stop one time when staying at BLT so be ready to possibly be on the bus longer depending on the route they take.
Enjoy your trip and your retirement!!

 

[lanejudy]

Magical Express was actually contracted through Mears, so it doesn't surprise me their Mears Connect works the same.

Another option is the Sunshine Flyer, of which I have heard some good reports though not specifically about accessibility. It's another bus company running a similar shuttle to the WDW resorts.

Another option might be an accessible Mears Taxi.

 

[JLTraveling]

Does it come apart easily? My dad no longer uses an ECV thanks to some new procedures. But for years he had a small travel model that easily disassembled and fit into the trunk of an average car. We always just used Uber/Lyft/regular taxis all over the world with it. Drivers were always very helpful, and willing to lift the pieces in and out of the trunk for him. Not familiar with that model though, or whether you're able to walk/climb in and out of a car, so not sure if it would work for you.

 

[pbrim]

Does it come apart easily? My dad no longer uses an ECV thanks to some new procedures. But for years he had a small travel model that easily disassembled and fit into the trunk of an average car. We always just used Uber/Lyft/regular taxis all over the world with it. Drivers were always very helpful, and willing to lift the pieces in and out of the trunk for him. Not familiar with that model though, or whether you're able to walk/climb in and out of a car, so not sure if it would work for you.

It does come apart, and I can walk some, but I discounted a cab because used to be you had to put it in the trunk yourself -- nobody seemed to have any idea what to do with it even if I disassembled it. 10 - 12 years ago, I could do that, but it's getting harder to lift the heavier pieces into the trunk by myself. Can I really count on them to be able to do that? There are 2 pieces that weigh 35 lbs each but the rest are much lighter.

 

[Lewisc]

It does come apart, and I can walk some, but I discounted a cab because used to be you had to put it in the trunk yourself -- nobody seemed to have any idea what to do with it even if I disassembled it. 10 - 12 years ago, I could do that, but it's getting harder to lift the heavier pieces into the trunk by myself. Can I really count on them to be able to do that? There are 2 pieces that weigh 35 lbs each but the rest are much lighter.

35 lbs is less the the 40 limit for checked luggage (without $$$) allowed by Frontier, Spirit etc. It's less then the 50 lb limit by most airlines.

A taxi, ride share car service doing airport runs should be prepared to handle 35 lb parts and 50 lb suitcases.

 

[JLTraveling]

It does come apart, and I can walk some, but I discounted a cab because used to be you had to put it in the trunk yourself -- nobody seemed to have any idea what to do with it even if I disassembled it. 10 - 12 years ago, I could do that, but it's getting harder to lift the heavier pieces into the trunk by myself. Can I really count on them to be able to do that? There are 2 pieces that weigh 35 lbs each but the rest are much lighter.

I can't promise anything, of course, only share my dad's experiences. He's consistently found drivers to be helpful (with some direction--you'll need to tell them how it all works). One thing you could do if you're concerned is use Uber/Lyft exclusively. They have the option to message your driver, so once you get someone assigned you could message them and make sure they can help with the ECV. If someone didn't want to for some reason, you could cancel and get a different driver right then, rather than waiting till they showed up.

 

[KPeterso]

I can't promise anything, of course, only share my dad's experiences. He's consistently found drivers to be helpful (with some direction--you'll need to tell them how it all works). One thing you could do if you're concerned is use Uber/Lyft exclusively. They have the option to message your driver, so once you get someone assigned you could message them and make sure they can help with the ECV. If someone didn't want to for some reason, you could cancel and get a different driver right then, rather than waiting till they showed up.

Ever ride share, I have used wanted to be the ones to load and unload our wheelchair into the trunk or back of the car. I think it is because they know their cars best and want to protect against damage. I usually fold our wheelchair when it shows the driver a couple minutes away and then wheel it over to the driver to the driver who takes it to load it. Either that or they think it looks too heavy for me to lift (although I throw it in and out of my trunk all the time, so it really is not).

 

[pbrim]

Thanks so much for eveyones help!

 

[Mle8308]

If you are solo, it might be cheaper to use Mears or the Sunshine FLyer. It is about $32 round trip and you shouldn't have to worry about someone possibly not lifting your ECV. Mears is definitely equipped to accommodate you, especially if you indicate when making reservations that you have an ECV. A rideshare to POFQ is about $36 one way, non surge pricing.

 

[chaoslobster]

Another vote for Mears Connect, it is the same bus as the DME with the elevator lift thing. Much cheaper than cab or rideshare. I travel solo with a Go-Go Elite Traveller and haven't had an issue.

 

[MulanMom]

We've used sunshine flyer and had my husband with scooter loaded into the bus via a lift. We enjoyed our experiences and wouldn't hesitate to book them again.