DME and split stays

[bumbershoot]

We're doing our first trip to WDW, and it's a big one. "Split stay" doesn't even do our stay justice, the number of times we're moving around. (we've lost our minds, apparently)

I have DME arranged to get us TO our first resort. I have DME arranged to get us FROM our last resort.

That should be all fine and we should be done.

But I wonder...is it at all allowed to, say, use DME other times, since we have a few reservations? For instance, come in on DME, then the day our first reservation ends, one of us take DME to the airport to pick up a rental car? Then drive the car back to the airport towards the end of the stay, and take DME back to the resort as part of our last reservation?

Since we have so many reservations, is the DME "entitlement" for staying on site (not meaning "I'm entitled to this" in a bad way, you understand) per the whole trip, or per reservation?



I've been mulling this over for months, LOL, and curiosity has finally gotten the best of me!

 

[goofy4tink]

Shouldn't be an issue. Each person on a room reservation is entitled to a ride to the resort and a ride back to the airport. So...no reason someone can't take the bus back to MCO to pick up a rental car. Then, someone can drive back to the airport, and return the car and then take the DME bus to the appropriate resort. Be sure you give them (DME) travel info that is going to coincide with the times you need to be at the airport though.

 

[bumbershoot]

Wow, really?


Thanks for the response, and I love that it came from you, a learned moderator!

 

[MinnieLee]

Did you look into picking up your car rental from either the Dolphin Hotel or right outside of Magic Kingdom? I think the one at the hotel is National and the other one is Alamo. It may be a little more money that getting the car at MCO but check online for discounts. It may be a bit more convenient.

 

[goofy4tink]

Wow, really?


Thanks for the response, and I love that it came from you, a learned moderator!

Yep, really. I'v taken the DME to my resort, and then taken it back to MCO to pick up our rental car. It has worked very well.
You can only use one ride to the resort, and one ride back to the airport per room reservation. So..if you were to arrive at POP on a Sat night, and leave there on Tuesday, then move to BW Tuesday afternoon, leaving there on Friday and then moving to AKL until Wednesday...you could take DME to POP on your arrival day. Then you could head back to MCO on Tuesday, pick up the car and drive to BW. Then, on Monday, you could have someone drive back to MCO, and take DME back to AKL. And then everyone can take DME back to MCO on Wed. Just be sure that you make reservations for all those legs, for everyone on the room reservation.

 

[bumbershoot]

Did you look into picking up your car rental from either the Dolphin Hotel or right outside of Magic Kingdom? I think the one at the hotel is National and the other one is Alamo. It may be a little more money that getting the car at MCO but check online for discounts. It may be a bit more convenient.

Right now, and I'm holding out on coupon/contract codes that are good in December (right now it seems they all stop this month or in October), there's a good $150 difference between MCO and Dolphin/Car Care Center/some other hotel like Regal or Plaza or something like that for the timeframe I'm looking at (it's a LONG rental, too). DH is having a hard time agreeing with paying for the convenience, LOL.



Diane, thanks again!