DME drop off point at OIA

[Edd]

Tuesday morning I will be meeting with the Deputy Airport Director with the purpose in mind to set up two dedicated parking and unloading spots at the middle of the A and B commercial lanes. That is the bottom floor of the airport.

I would like to solicit your opinions on where you got dropped off and the time it took to get to the airline counters of the airline you traveled to and from Orlando on. There have been various reports of getting dropped off at A-3 and having to walk all the way to the Southwest Airline desk, which is actually on the third floor over A-30, at the other end of the terminal. It would be helpful to get the experiences of passengers who were dropped off at the front side of the commercial lane when their airline was on the back side of the lane.

I plan to make recommendations that handicapped be able to get the help they need, including wheelchairs, and that it be available at the commercial lane midway down the drive at spaces that are dedicated to DME drop off. I have seen the threads where there could have been a problem because someone needed a wheelchair and wasn't sure where they could find it.

Mears transportation says it drops off in 2 different spaces on each side with every bus. I have information from drivers they only drop off at the first available spot so they don't have to chance going back around again. I would appreciate some help in finding out the answer to that question.

Please keep your response short as he is like me. He gets tired of reading long responses that have no meaning. I probably will turn over the responses to him so that he can study and make recommendations to solve the problems. Believe me he is the one that will get it done.

 

[CleveRocks]

I flew AirTran, so was dropped off on the A side. It was quite crowded with vehicles, and it seems like we passed MANY vehicles before pulling into our slot. I don't know the slot number, but we were at an entrance at an escalator. The escalator was just to our right, so we turned left around a wall/corner, and on the opposite side of the escalator (or so it seemed) was an elevator. We rode the elevator to the 3rd floor, and when we got off the first airline to our right was AirTran. I suppose we got lucky, that we happened to get dropped off about as close to our airline as possible. There were SWA passengers on our bus, as well, so I'm guessing that spot was not as convenient for them.

 

[owtrbnks]

First -Thanks for taking the time to solicit our opinions.
We used DME for the first time, last year and were dropped off exactly as you describe. We had to walk forever to get to the SWA check-in . . . once.
Since then, we've rented a car at DTD on our last Disney day (taking up MY valuable vacation time and $) and dropped it at the airport the next morning. The Hertz bus leaves us at the curb right in front of SWA check-in. I always fly SWA but that walk is too far for my wife.
If I found out there was a specified central drop off location, I'd try DME again.

 

[I'mNoPrince]

We fly nothing but SW and everytime it's one stop 1st one with 3 spaces avail (i guess to give room) . So we are always walking .

Central would be nice but I think just here from the DIS alone that many fly SW into MCO for their Disney vacations .That end of the middle would be even better.

 

[clkelley]

I don't mind the walk at all. My concern is finding luggage help down at that level. A permanant luggage assistance station or curbside checkin down there would be most helpful.

 

[MulanMom]

We fly SW and it was quite a walk for us. You may have seen my post a few weeks ago as my husband is disabled (walks with cane, needs ECV at WDW). Our drop off was right outside the DME registration area. If it could be closer to SW, that would be helpful as well as some directions as to what to do if assistance is needed. Our expectation was that we would be dropped off curbside at the SW departure area as that is where Mears shuttles and towncars have dropped us in the past. It was our first DME experience, so we were caught by surprise.

Thank you for taking the time to solicit our opinions!

 

[kaytieeldr]

Thanks for asking, Edd!

Both times I used DME, I was dropped off as you describe. First time, somebody from Mears was able to radio for one that took about ten minutes to show up. She told me I should have requested it when I checked in for my flight at my hotel.
So, second time, I did that. When I got off the bus, I told whoever was there that I'd asked for a wheelchair. That person was able to grab a SkyCap-and-chair, but I'd been under the impression there'd be one waiting when I got off the bus.

 

[Edd]

Do the bus drivers ever announce that there will be two stops on each side or do you go into the commercial lanes thinking you have to get off at the first stop? The airport is informed that Mears makes two stops on each side. I have noticed and read that there is only one stop being made.

 

[sue1013]

Thanks for asking our experiences. I've used DME 3 times each time they stopped once at A and once at B.

 

[I'mNoPrince]

As we are the second side stop there was only 1 stop on the first and told of all the airlines including SW (that was at the other end )for our stop.

So as for late Oct no 2 stops on each side just 1 each

 

[goofy4tink]

We have always made one stop on Side A and one stop on Side B. It was that way last spring the first time we used DME and it was that way last month. The driver does a good job of alerting the passengers as to what airlines are served by each side of the terminal. But, man, it can be a hike up to the departure gates.
Sure would be nice to have curbside checkin down there...a lot of people would be using it.

 

[seashoreCM]

This idea of a reserved drop off space must have come about because too many bus drivers for one reason or another ran out of side (A-side, B-side) (like a plane running out of runway) without finding a space and had to go around or (as evidenced by at least one rant thread on this forum) skipped one of the sides. Going around again has the additional and major problem of consuming guests' time.

This question needs to be asked, Is the reserved space supposed to be the preferred stopping location or last resort (not referring to or restricted to guests who boarded last) stopping location. It cannot be both. If it is to be the preferred stop I think that a quarter to a third of the way down the side is the best location so as to leave a reasonable amount of room to look for another space if the reserved space is occupied. If it is to be the last resort location, drivers should not aim for it first thing and almost no difference in dropoff behavior from today's should be noticed by guests.

>>> Mears has two stops on each side
OT: ME is not Mears. I mean, would you trade having up to two more resort stops on each Disney bound trip in exchange for two drop offs on each side for each airport bound trip?

 

[CleveRocks]

Do the bus drivers ever announce that there will be two stops on each side or do you go into the commercial lanes thinking you have to get off at the first stop? The airport is informed that Mears makes two stops on each side. I have noticed and read that there is only one stop being made.

On our way back to MCO, our DME driver was Hugo. Very nice guy. Very thick accent that made him difficult to understand at times, but he definitely had a command of the English language.

As he picked up each party's luggage off the ground to load it under the bus, he asked us what airline we were using. He had a small memo pad in his hand, with a line down the middle, with "A" written on one side and "B" written on the other. We told him AirTran, and I saw him write AirTran on the A side of his paper; he then told us he asked this because he would be making two stops at MCO. Since he didn't load luggage for everyone, he also asked people as they boarded the bus (but he had a good memory and didn't ask the people he'd already asked).

As the bus ride began, he announced over the loudspeaker what he'd said before, that he'd be making 2 stops at MCO, and to listen for our airline to be announced.

 

[goofy4tink]

On our way back to MCO, our DME driver was Hugo. Very nice guy. Very thick accent that made him difficult to understand at times, but he definitely had a command of the English language.

As he picked up each party's luggage off the ground to load it under the bus, he asked us what airline we were using. He had a small memo pad in his hand, with a line down the middle, with "A" written on one side and "B" written on the other. We told him AirTran, and I saw him write AirTran on the A side of his paper; he then told us he asked this because he would be making two stops at MCO. Since he didn't load luggage for everyone, he also asked people as they boarded the bus (but he had a good memory and didn't ask the people he'd already asked).

As the bus ride began, he announced over the loudspeaker what he'd said before, that he'd be making 2 stops at MCO, and to listen for our airline to be announced.

Exactly my experience, every single time.

 

[Edd]

Seashore CM. The idea came from me as I read the information on the boards. I intend to present it to the deputy director this Tuesday morning when we meet for coffee. No I am not sure if anyone knows how many times busses went around because of the traffic on the commercial lanes.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Last trip, yes, the driver did say he'd be stopping once on each side of the terminal. Don't remember the first time (but same airline, so same side) but both times the bus pulled in to pretty much the first space on side A, which is where I get out so I don't know about side B.

Again, thanks for doing this, Edd!

 

[Edd]

What about a Disney employee stationed at the slots to help out? Maybe they could have the information you need and carry communication in case it was needed. Do you guys get off the bus with a bunch of questions that need to be asked or answered?

 

[clkelley]

Not so much questions asked or answered, but someone stationed there to make sure luggage assistance can be called, or wheelchair assistance, etc.

For example, last year I was flying Southwest and had 3 50lb footlockers, a wheeled carryon, and personal item. I was also using an ECV. I was solo. Fortunately, there did happen to be a skycap down there, but if there had not been, I would have been stuck sitting on my luggage at the mercy of another guest to find me a skycap, as I couldn't leave my luggage sitting to go find one myself.

(I have heard that skycap availability at that level is hit or miss).

 

[MulanMom]

Ditto on what clkelley posted.

 

[Edd]

Thank you everyone who responded to this thread. I have printed everything above this post and it will be headed to the 2nd highest administrative official at OIA, tomorrow morning. Hopefully he will pick up the ideas and run with them.