DME departure time to MCO

[PiperPizzaz]

Sorry if this has been asked before, but I was wondering how long in advance DME leaves to take you back to the airport. I seem to remember someone saying 3 hours before flight. Is that true or does it vary? I am just trying to decide if we have time for breakfast before we leave. TIA

 

[goofy4tink]

Between 2 1/2 and 3 hrs.....closer to the 3 hr. mark. I have a 3:00 pm flight in Oct, staying at BWV. Figure DME will pick us up around noon, and we have 9:30 breakfast reserved at Goofy's Cape May. Just enough time for a leisurely meal and a bit of relaxation before we leave.

 

[PiperPizzaz]

Thanks for the quick response! That sounds good. I think our flight will be at 1:00 so probably just stay out late the night before and sleep in a little.

 

[Harvest02]

We stayed at ASMo in June and DME picked us up at 8:15 am for our 11:15 am flight.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

The target is three hours before your scheduled flight departure.

In reality, WDW resorts each have two scheduled DME pickup times per hour during the day — such as 20 minutes after the hour and 50 minutes after the hour, or 10 minutes after the hour and 40 minutes after the hour — so you will be scheduled for pick-up at a time that's approximately three hours before your scheduled flight departure.

That sounds like a long time, but Disney doesn't want to be responsible for guests missing their flights. Disney wants to get you to the airport 2 hours before your flight. You could stop at one or two other WDW resorts before heading to the airport. Orlando traffic can be bad. Security lines at MCO can be very long. Flights begin boarding 30 minutes before departure.

 

[nataliz]

We were picked up at 3:05 for our 6:45 flight- over 3 hours before our flight home.

 

[seashoreCM]

You should aim to be back at the resort an hour before your bus back to the airport. Do not try to cut things close with a sit down meal at the resort restaurant.

If too many people are booked for the bus 3 hours before your flight time it is possible for you to be booked earlier. You can also ask to be booked earlier so you can do something like have dinner at the airport but the CM's should (if they are attentive) refuse to book you later than the booking system suggests.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/magicx.htm

 

[IlovePiglet]

If too many people are booked for the bus 3 hours before your flight time it is possible for you to be booked earlier.

Why would they do this? If there are more reservations than the bus has seats, a backup bus is arranged for.
It's when people leave early that overload situations arise.

 

[goofy4tink]

Why would they do this? If there are more reservations than the bus has seats, a backup bus is arranged for.
It's when people leave early that overload situations arise.

Well, sometimes the early departees are the issue, but not always. When we were leaving POR last June, it seems there were a ton of people leaving at the same time. We had finished up our trip with two nights at POR....had to wait for quite awhile to get a room cleaned because so many people were leaving...there was a Pampered Chef convention. Seems that all the people that didn't leave on Friday, left on Sunday!!! We arrived at the DME bus area about 20 minutes early. Our bags had already gone on ahead...love that feature. However, there were many people waiting for that bus that didn't avail themselves of the 'offsite checkin' feature..either they didn't know about it or they weren't on a 'participating' airline. Anyway...huge amount of baggage going under that bus. So, after about 10 minutes, the driver asked for any and all passengers who were traveling with just carryon bags, that would go on the bus with them, to board the bus. After he got all of us on, he got to the passengers who had the baggage. About 1/2 of them made it onto our bus...the others had to wait for the next bus. However, I will say that as we were leaving POR, another bus was pulling up! So, they didn't have to wait more than 5 minutes to board the next bus.

That same morning, we were given two departure time options. They weren't sure exactly which bus we had to get on, so said to pick the one that suited our flight times....it was only a difference of about 20 minutes. But, I don't think that happens too often.

 

[IlovePiglet]

I remember the Pampered Chef convention.
Whenever there's a convention like this at any of the resorts there are always problems with too many people trying to get on one bus. Either they don't have ressies (some CM's, not too many, still like to tell people to just walk out, they don't need ressies) or they want to travel with colleagues, etc. We don't have a passenger list so I usually ask for the letter left on the door that has the time on it. If there's room, I'm always happy to take someone early
I find it interesting also that Disney gave you a choice on your pickup time. They've always told us that if it's less than the 2 3/4 hour window they won't guarantee people will make their flight. The buses run every 30 minutes but 30 minutes can make the difference between making a flight or missing it (did that make sense? I'm really tired)

 

[Martha7]

Just wanted to add that we drove to MCO in our rental car on July 1, and the traffic on I-4 was horrendous! I was glad that I had decided to leave at 12:30 for our 4:00 flight. We had enough time to turn in the car, check the bags, get a quick bite in the food court, and then had about a half hour to wait at the gate, because our flight was delayed somewhat. I can't emphasize enough that you'll want to have plenty of time to get through the traffic. It was a parking lot in several places!

 

[seashoreCM]

I some CM's, not too many, still like to tell people to just walk out, they don't need ressies) or they want to travel with colleagues, etc. We don't have a passenger list so I usually ask for the letter left on the door that has the time on it. If there's room, I'm always happy to take someone early tired)

Resort CM's should not be subverting the DME system otherwise they will be asked to take money out of the till to get taxis for people who had reservations but could not get on the bus. For the guest who follows the procedures, DME has one responsibility, being there.

Maybe this is why there are occasional reports on these boards about DME buses not showing up at a downstream resort, the buses were full.

 

[goofy4tink]

I think the one reason they gave us that choice was that they knew there was going to be a huge influx of passengers for one of those buses. I have never been given any options any of the other 4 times I have used DME for the return to the airport. In the case where I was told to take one of two departure times, the times were only 20 minutes apart...I think due to the numbers of people using it at the time. We never stopped at any other resorts...straight to the airport, as did the bus that followed us. They arrived about 10 minutes after we did. How do I know?? We had been talking to a group who were not able to get on the same bus we did, and so they had to take the later bus, but they were actually on the same flight we were on!!
I really think that situations like this one occur occasionally. If there is a convention or really huge group, then it can happen. But, just for the day to day type of situation, it isn't going to be a big deal. If your flight leaves at 3:00, then they will tell you to be at the bus at 12:00....you won't get any options..that's when your bus leaves. Don't try to hop on a later one, because you have no way of knowing how many stops its going to make, and you could very possibly miss your flight...add several stops before you ever leave WDW, then get into one of those legendary security lines...yep, your flight could pass right on over your head!!

 

[essmom]

If you check your bags and get your boarding pass at your resort- do you really need to leave 3 hours b/f flight- how much is a cab from Beach Club to MCo- we plan to have bags checked and boarding passes and don't really want to sit around airport for 2 hours -just weighing the options-Thanks

 

[CleveRocks]

If you check your bags and get your boarding pass at your resort- do you really need to leave 3 hours b/f flight- how much is a cab from Beach Club to MCo- we plan to have bags checked and boarding passes and don't really want to sit around airport for 2 hours -just weighing the options-Thanks

You're permitted to get back to MCO any way you choose. The DME bus will be free, but you don't have to use that option. Just keep in mind that, for example, towncar services pick people up 2.5 hours before a flight. DME is 2.75-3 hours before flight, not much difference. before you make your final decision, beware traffic jams and beware long security lines at MCO.

I hear (but only from this board) that taxis to the airport tend to run about $50, give or take.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

I agree with CleveRocks that you won't gain much time at WDW for the $50 that you would have to spend for a cab.

If you use Resort Airline Check-in to get your boarding passes and check your bags, you are allowed to use any type of transportation back to the airport.

So the question is, how close do you want to cut it? What a chance are you willing to take that there will be no traffic delays and that there won't be a 45-minute line at security?

Keep in mind that flights board 30 minutes before scheduled departure.

If you leave 3 hours before your flight on a DME motorcoach, and the motorcoach makes no other stops, and you get off at the first stop at the airport, then you'll be at the airport 2 hours before boarding. You still have to go through security and navigate the airport before you get the gate. You'll have enough time for a nice meal at the airport.

If the motorcoach makes additional stops, there are traffic delays, and there's a long line at security, you should still get to the gate before boarding begins, but you won't have much time to eat.

In either case, you won't "sit around airport for 2 hours."

Personally, I would not schedule a towncar or cab less than 2.5 hours before my scheduled flight departure.

 

[essmom]

thanks- we'll stick with the free DME and just make sure gameboys, ipods are charged- anywhere decent to eat at airport- we'll be there at dinnertime???

 

[kaytieeldr]

"Good" is subjective
Scroll down the list at this http://www.myflorida.com/goaa/property/shops.htm link for all restaurants at MCO and their respective hours

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

thanks- we'll stick with the free DME and just make sure gameboys, ipods are charged- anywhere decent to eat at airport- we'll be there at dinnertime???

For a list of restaurants and where they are located, see the navigation options on the left side of the official Orlando International Airport (MCO) website.

Some dining options are outside of security and some are inside security. Personally, I prefer to go through security first and then see how much time I have left. So, for me, the restaurants outside of security, such as the food court, Macaroni Grill, and Chili's Too are not options unless I'm at the airport very early and I know we'll be finished eating more than 75 minutes before our scheduled departure. (Keep in mind that security lines can suddenly grow much longer and can take 45 minutes.)

On the secure side, your choice will be dictated by what airside your airline uses. Airside 4, which Southwest, JetBlue, and AirTran use, has an Outback Steakhouse as well as fast food. Airside 1, which American and at least a dozen other airlines use, only has fast food (although I thought my Cuban sandwich at Pepito's Cuban Café was good). If you spend some time at the airport's website, you can see what airside your airline uses and what the dining options are at that airside.

Also — and someone please correct me if I'm wrong — I believe you can go between airside 1 and airside 3 without going back through security, and you can go between airside 2 and airside 4 without going back through security. But the these two pairs of airsides are at opposite ends of the airport, so you if, for example, you want to go from airside 3 to airside 4, you would have to pass back though security.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

"Good" is subjective
Scroll down the list at this http://www.myflorida.com/goaa/property/shops.htm link for all restaurants at MCO and their respective hours

That link does not show all restaurants. It only shows the restaurants in the main terminal building (outside security), not the restaurants in the airsides (inside security), unless you navigate further within the site.