Disney should lighten up with their age requirements

[seashoreCM]

Were you on the fence in the first place about renting a car and Magical Express made up your mind for you -- until this issue with the boys?

Maybe you could rethink your entire schedule and make good use of a rental car. You could go directly to a park on your first day and go back to the airport directly from a park. Going to Downtown Disney and Typhoon Lagoon via bus is alwasy cumbersome.

 

[AZMermaid]

Forgive me if this was your idea already but since you are coming in on the same day you could rent a car when your family gets to the Airport and drive everybody and their luggage to WDW. You could stop and get some waters and stuff at the grocery store! Then you could return it to get your son and his friends and take DME back with them. It shouldn't make a difference to DME what time you take it since you have the vouchers for that day. The car rates will probably be cheaper due to the competition at the airport. Then you have returned the rental and picked them up all at the same time!

 

[Kellyscrapbooks]

Forgive me if this was your idea already but since you are coming in on the same day you could rent a car when your family gets to the Airport and drive everybody and their luggage to WDW. You could stop and get some waters and stuff at the grocery store! Then you could return it to get your son and his friends and take DME back with them. It shouldn't make a difference to DME what time you take it since you have the vouchers for that day. The car rates will probably be cheaper due to the competition at the airport. Then you have returned the rental and picked them up all at the same time!

This is a GREAT idea in my opinion! What you would save by having bought waters off property would probably almost pay for the car rental!

 

[zurgswife]

WOW!! glad I saw this thread. I was planning on sending my 14yrold on DME with summer unaccompained. Didn't even cross my mind that it might not be allowed.

 

[goofy4tink]

Almost shut this one down, but you guys got back on track, finally!!! I like the idea of renting for just the day, and then riding DME back together. Most of the group could stay put in WDW, while one parent returned the car to MCO and rode DME back with the boys.

 

[NotUrsula]

The car rates will probably be cheaper due to the competition at the airport.

Just FYI, not so. On-airport rentals nearly always cost just a little bit more because of extra fees and taxes imposed for the support of the airport.

All car rentals are priced for a 24-hr. period anyway, so she'll pay that much even if she returns it early. The simplest thing if renting is usually to rent from Alamo or Natl.; do whatever she has to do. Drive the boys back to the resort, then return the car at the Dolphin at the 24 hr mark, or just in the morning whenever she's ready. Then the whole group, or part of it, can hop on a park bus from there or take a boat into the park if they are heading to Epcot or MGM.

 

[crashbb]

All car rentals are priced for a 24-hr. period anyway, so she'll pay that much even if she returns it early.

You can usually rent cars 'by the hour'. It is possible that this is not allowed out of MCO, but I've done in a few places (including out of Tampa and returning to MCO).

 

[Lewisc]

Has anyone read the age 18 rule? The DME CM doesn't ask for photo ID, the driver just scans the voucher. Airlines have a minimum age for unaccompanied minors. I'm not sure what Disney would do if a child old enough to fly by himself just shows up at the DME desk with a voucher. Maybe even just goes directly to a bus line.

I'm not suggesting doing this if they read anything official regarding this policy or if they were specifically told about this policy from a Disney CM.

 

[canwegosoon]

OP..I want to tell you that sometimes you can get a 1/2 day rate at Dolphin/Swan for a rental car(but you have to check that day). I have also found it is sometimes cheaper on a single day to not apply codes, and check PU at MCO and returning it to Dolphin vs complete dolphin(pick up and drop off). I would make tha car work overtime getting groceries/outlet/even driving over to any parks or dining. Good luck on getting a good price.

 

[seashoreCM]

Has anyone read the age 18 rule? ... I'm not sure what Disney would do if a child old enough to fly by himself just shows up at the DME desk with a voucher.

1. By the way, could someone point me to where the age 18 rule is published on line?

2. Let's say the parent was down in the resort lobby wondering where his kid was. Now Disney* would have a lost parent situation.

*If it were anywhere else it would be called a lost child situation.

 

[TDC Nala]

I too do not blame Disney for not wanting the responsiblity of unaccompanied minors on their busses. At least on a plane if someone got out of hand a FA could deal with it. There is no one to handle rowdy passangers on a bus. And I am not saying your son would be one of these people, just that I can see it being a problem.

When I wrote about unaccompanied minors, I was thinking not about the kids getting out of hand, but about the responsibilities of the carrier if something should happen to the bus, like a breakdown or wreck.

 

[Lewisc]

Disney allows unaccompanied minors on the WDW resort buses. Airlines allow unaccompanied minors, over a certain age, on the plane. I understand DME is different but the responsibility in the event of a breakdown or wreck is the same.

The unaccompanied minor can't check into to the resort.

When I wrote about unaccompanied minors, I was thinking not about the kids getting out of hand, but about the responsibilities of the carrier if something should happen to the bus, like a breakdown or wreck.