DME Minor Day Guest

[Apple_Lyn83]

I will be at Disney on June 10th. I was originally supposed to be alone the entire time. I ended up booking my niece a plane ticket to join me my last couple of days as her graduation gift. Her flight comes in really late. Her parents are afraid to fly. So she hasn't flown since I took her to Disney when she was 5 and she doesn't remember any of it. I tried to book her a Mears shuttle but they keep telling me she must take take the DME which could not be further from her gate. What are the chances of Disney letting me ride to go get her and bring her back?

 

[Allison]

How old is she?

Oh it is for graduation. OP-she will be fine making her way from one part of the airport to another on her own. Book her on DME and wait for her at the resort.

 

[bumbershoot]

She will be fine. The airport is well signed. And there are plenty of people she can ask for assistance if she’s not noticing the signs.

Each person on a reservation is entitled to one trip each way on DME. If you get to the resort using dme then while you would be allowed to go back to meet her, you then wouldn’t be allowed to go to the resort with her. And you would have used up your allotment to go to the airport.

 

[tjmw2727]

Not sure what you mean by day guest ? If you added her to your reservation for the nights she will be joining you then she is a guest and can use DME. I don't think you can double up on your rides to go get her but she can definitely take DME to your resort when she lands, the minimum age to ride DME alone is 12.

DME is well marked and there are a number places she can stop and ask airport personnel for assistance. Unless there are extenuating circumstances most high school graduates can find their way from the gate to baggage claim and then to DME.

 

[Wild4Walt]

I wasn't sure if by graduate you mean 8th grade graduation or high school - either way, they would not be considered unaccompanied minors ( in which case, you'd have to meet her at the airport. )

There are a few options though:
1. Print her a copy of the airpot map. There are several options available on Google. This should help her be more comfortable. Explain the levels to her ( meaning, go down the escalator towards baggage claim - they go down 1 more level etc )
2. Have her ask the flight attendants if she can walk with them. Most are very accommodating if she explains she hasn't flown before. She would have to wait until they deplane ( which is always last )
3. If you feel strongly about going to the airport to get her, I'd recommend getting an Uber to take you to the airport and then one to take you both back to the resort.

Give her some options and see what's she's ( and you ) are comfortable with.

 

[Apple_Lyn83]

I wasn't sure if by graduate you mean 8th grade graduation or high school - either way, they would not be considered unaccompanied minors ( in which case, you'd have to meet her at the airport. )

She is graduating high school. I wouldn't be worried if her flight wasn't coming in at midnight. But I know she's going to be a little nervous with it being so late and having to navigate. She's flying SW and the Mears counter is directly underneath the gate. So I was really hoping I could book that. I told her to call me and I'd walk her through. She won't have to pick up bags. I will have everything packed with me. But in another thread I saw where some people had issues with day guests using the DME in the last couple of weeks. I called to confirm this would NOT be an issue before purchasing her plane ticket. But apparently they are trying to better control people in rooms without the same package. All of this combined has me being a nervous Nelly.

 

[bumbershoot]

I wasn't sure if by graduate you mean 8th grade graduation or high school - either way, they would not be considered unaccompanied minors ( in which case, you'd have to meet her at the airport. )

Depending on the age of an 8th grader and the airline they could be considered an unaccompanied minor. (I have an 8th grade age child)

She is graduating high school. I wouldn't be worried if her flight wasn't coming in at midnight. But I know she's going to be a little nervous with it being so late and having to navigate.

I started college at 17. My first flight home from college was a red eye from SEA to MIA (which wasn’t actually the home I grew up in buy my mom got remarried) with a flight change in O’Hare. I was a shy and naive person. And I had zero problems.

I have faith that she’ll be just fine.

 

[sjrec]

And getting in so late the airport will be much less crowded and easier to navigate.
There’s also a guest assistance type booth where she can get directions or other information. It’s right in the center of the airport where all the fast food/shops are located. And you can stay in touch by text.
I know it’s natural to worry, but our daughter and three of her friends did Disney as a HS graduation gift-they did fine and were very pleased with themselves getting around the airport and parks.
Have a great trip together!

 

[VAfamily1998]

I think she will be fine, and like Sjrec said, her late arrival will probably make the airport easier to navigate due to lower crowds.

I have a son who is graduating high school next week. A couple years ago, just a month after he turned 16 years old, he navigated MCO and boarded the magical express by himself. It was his first time ever riding Magical Express, and only his second time ever flying into MCO.

 

[Pumbaa_]

You can also book her a towncar. The drivers wait at the bottom of the escalator near baggage claim. The driver holds a sign w her name on it.

You could also Uber to the airport and Uber back w her

 

[ClapYourHands]

MCO isn't that big an airport. She'll be fine. And at midnight, it will be even easier to navigate because there won't be crowds of people. Honestly, the DME area is not difficult to find at all.

 

[mousestruck]

The airport has good signage and there are plenty of people she can ask for direction if needed. I’m sure she will not have any problem finding Magical Express!

 

[paults]

She only needs to ask someone where DME is located if she gets lost.

 

[seashoreCM]

Hints:

From the plane to Magical Express is a two step process without having to fetch checked bags or a 3 step process including fetching checked bags,
Step 1: Airplane gate to main terminal and baggage claim including riding the tram. All non-foreign arriving travelers go the same way, no need to ask directions this soon.
Step 2: Main terminal; exit security to carousels to fetch bags or directly to DME if not fetching bags.
Step 3 if needed: Carousels to DME. From the A side it is necessary to return to the upper level (level 3), cross over, and go down the B side.

Can she maintain a general sense of direction given a map? If she exits security into the Hyatt hotel cavernous atrium, she would look slightly to the left and DME is in that direction as the crow flies but the walk has various turns. If she exits security into an area with just stores (gates 1-59) DME is to the right (and all the way downstairs).

 

[Capang]

I would feel most comfortable having her take DME with others than a small Mears bus or an Uber in the middle of the night. It is not hard to find DME and there are employees to ask if she gets lost (which she won’t because it is easy to navigate). I WOULD be concerned if you have hr listed as a day guest. She should be on your reservation. You can add her to the entire thing if you want, the only issue being if you are on the ddp.

My 15 yo niece is joining me partway through a trip this summer. She is also flying solo and taking DME. I’ve reviewed the airport map with her and explained to have her paperwork and magicband in her carryon so she gets on mde with no issues. I’m most comfortable sending her on a bus with lots of other people than in a shuttle or uber alone with just one driver.