DME return trip question

[disneygirl1972]

So I know that DME picks you up @ your resort an average of 3 hrs prior to your flight time. Has anyone ever taken a later bus to the airport, as to not have such a long wait @ the terminal?

 

[sue1013]

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2316969
Read this thread you will realize why the 3 hour before flight pickup.

 

[dburg30]

You are assigned that bus, that is the bus you are expected to be on. DME is not a regular run, they only goto resorts that have guests to pick up.

There may not be another one scheduled for 30 - 45 min if there are no other guests heading back. And even if there is another bus, if there isnt any room, you still cant get on that bus.

Basically you get on the bus assigned, you arent going to save more then 30 - 45 minutes at the terminal even if you use a car service / taxi.

 

[dburg30]

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2316969
Read this thread you will realize why the 3 hour before flight pickup.

Yep, I was also thinking about that thread, now, that's not the norm, I see VERY VERY VERY few threads with people complaining they were LATE getting to MCO, it's usually as you, the OP asked, but in that case it seems that either the driver was new / not having a good day, or just the shear amount of bags or something could have messed up that trip. Bottom line is, even with 3 hours before hand, they almost missed their plane.

 

[disneygirl1972]

Thank you for the info!! I will obey the Disney god's, & go w/ it. I was just curious!!

 

[dburg30]

Thank you for the info!! I will obey the Disney god's, & go w/ it. I was just curious!!

Yep, while we all love getting that extra little magic in, it's really not worth it to take the chance of ending your vacation on a sour note because of it.

 

[seashoreCM]

Requesting a later DME bus back to the airport is officially not permitted. You should check your reservation paper typically put under your door the morning before checkout and make sure you were not accidentally given a later bus.

Changes or corrections can be made up to a day in advance of the bus time needed or wanted.

Yes, the airlines once in awhile also make the same mistake, assigning you connecting flights that are impossible to catch.

 

[goofy4tink]

MCO recommends that you arrive at the airport about 2 hrs before flight time. Airlines routinely start boarding about 30 mins before departure, and it can take a bit of time to clear security at MCO...no way of telling just how long it will take until you actually get there. But it is at least 15 mins. It's so much better to have that extra time to relax a bit, maybe grab a bite to eat and not have to stress over not being at the gate on time. I have seen people who cut it too close and they didn't look happy.
If you want to cut some time off your wait, then book a car service, but that should only cut 30-45 mins off your time. Getting a later bus is not a good option. Why? Because there may not be a later bus that will get you there in time. If no one is scheduled to return at the time you want, the bus won't be stopping there. And Disney will not allow you to book a later bus...it's at least 3 hrs or more with them.

 

[Lewisc]

Using a tax or car service makes a lot of sense if you want to end your vacation at another resort (enjoying a meal) or at a theme park. You gain 30-45 minutes by being able to schedule your pickup 2:15-2:30 hours before your flight. You also save the time it takes to get back to your resort with enough time to get any bags out of storage.

 

[Tozzie]

I knew there was something I wanted to post about DME and my return trip but forgot what it was until now. I came home last Monday, my bus was about 20 minutes late getting to the resort, the reason it was late is that there was a 3 or 4 car accident on property that shut down all three lanes of one of the roads. It is a very good thing they pick up early, I had enough time but only had about 10 minutes in the terminal before they started boarding. This is a good lesson not only for DME but for town car riders who don't want to leave early, remember anything can happen and you could end up being late if you leave the resort too late.

 

[Missytara]

Tozzie -

And that is why you should take the bus that has been assigned to you three hours early - good point about the accident!

I agree - I would rather be one hour early than ten minutes late to anywhere, especially the airport. There are so many things that could potentially go wrong.

 

[dsaville]

Unless you are the last resort picked up, I would say it takes an hour from the time they pick up the first people to the time they drop off the last person, maybe actually a little longer depending on how many stops. Its possible to end up w/a long wait, but unlikely. We enjoyed walking to the Universal/seaworld/nasa gift shops. Plus if you have a laptop, they do have free wi-fi so just start on your trip report!

 

[scard192]

We went from ASSp to CSR where we sat for about 10 minutes before heading to MCO. Knowing we wouldn't be getting to our home until close to 8PM, we used the extra time to have a late lunch. By the time we ate, cleared security and got to the gate we only waited 15 minutes or so before they started boarding. 3 hours seems like an awful lot of time but in the end we liked not feeling rushed getting to our flight.