DME serving Sanford?

[goofy4tink]

I've just seen a statement that someone was told by someone in transportation management, that service to, and from Sanford Intl is almost a done deal.
Has anyone heard anything like this?

 

[bumbershoot]

Nope.

Where'd you hear/read it?

 

[goofy4tink]

Over on a private DCP parents FB page. Someone said their kid was talking to a VP of transportation during Food and Wine.
I told the group that I didn't think Disney would feel it was a good idea, financially. But, who knows. Maybe they thought differently.

 

[Allison]

Nope.

 

[abner1776]

I would be VERY surprised if Disney added Sanford to it's DME schedule for two reasons. #1 is the added cost as Sanford is a hike from WDW and # 2 is, there just are not enough flights into Sanford to make it viable. I could only see it happening if attendance at the resorts takes a tumble or if another carrier begins regular service into Sanford. DME exists entirely to service the on-property resorts so park attendance is not a factor...if the on-property resorts are full, no need to expand DME.

 

[goofy4tink]

That was pretty much my response to the FB question. Just don't see a need.

 

[Alesia]

That sounds a who lot like "I have a cousin who has a friend whose brother knows a guy..."

 

[bumbershoot]

Over on a private DCP parents FB page. Someone said their kid was talking to a VP of transportation during Food and Wine.

Interesting.

My overriding theory on gossip tends to be "those who know won't tell, and those who tell don't know anything about it"...

That sounds a who lot like "I have a cousin who has a friend whose brother knows a guy..."

"...who is a Disney bus driver!"

 

[markb681]

Correct me IF i'm wrong but doesn't just Allegaint Air fly into Sanford? The rest are charter service? So I can't see them using DME for just a handful of flights a day! IMO

 

[richmo]

I seriously doubt they would do that, considering only Allegiant flies in there. Only thing I could see them possibly doing would be running a DME from SFB to MCO, then letting folks transfer to a regular DME there.

 

[seashoreCM]

We must not forget that Magical Express was meant to be a win-win situation for Disney and Orlando Int'l Airport. In this case a tremendous amount of car traffic was removed from the airport roadway network.

Whether significant benefits to the Sanford area would be achieved by having a convenient low cost shuttle from SFB to Disney or to MCO remains as an exercise for some upcoming transportation engineering student if not the city planning agencies in Sanford.

 

[Alesia]

A paid shuttle is certainly possible, and probably a good idea.

 

[pigletto]

Is it not possible that offering the service could entice another carrier to fly into Sanford? And if it's truly only Allegiant flying into Sanford, then Disney would only have to service those flights and it wouldn't be the massive operation it is at MCO but could increase as need increased.

 

[richmo]

Is it not possible that offering the service could entice another carrier to fly into Sanford? And if it's truly only Allegiant flying into Sanford, then Disney would only have to service those flights and it wouldn't be the massive operation it is at MCO but could increase as need increased.

I see what you're saying, but it would have to start out as a massive operation. Its not just a matter of sending enough buses to cover the number of passengers coming into SFB, but that they have to cover 20+ resorts once they hit WDW property. I don't see enough passengers coming into SFB to justify running a bus to just 2 or 3 resorts, like they do at MCO. Having a few buses handling the relatively small numbers coming into SFB would be a problem since they'd have spend a huge amount of time driving around WDW. The problem gets even worse heading back to SFB; I could see where your pickup time could be 5 hours or more before your flight, for the same reason.

 

[michelb]

I've written to both Disney and AllegiantAir suggesting that they add DME from SFB (and I would recommend that anyone else interested contact them as well). I think they could certainly start some buses at SFB and if they don't have enough passengers to warrant a full trip to DW, they then stop at MCO to fill the bus.

 

[seashoreCM]

Going back to the airport, a system using the normal Magical Express from WDW to MCO coupled with a shuttle from MCO to Sanford would be a very shaky operation due to the need to make a connection (at MCO). In addition, due to pressure from other livery services, Disney might not be allowed to board (connecting) guests at MCO and take them to SFB while calling it hotel to airport transportation.

Or there could be selected runs from WDW to SFB but this means a much more limited selection of departure times. If the SFB bus made an en-route stop at MCO then much more careful control needs to be practiced at boarding to prioritize SFB guests.,

 

[goofy4tink]

They could possibly run a few buses between Sanford and MCO each day. They could offer it every few hours or so...then have guests heading to WDW as well as those heading home from WDW.
But, it couldn't possibly run as often as the regular DME does. Just not cost effective. Unless they used vans.

 

[friend2Figment]

Maybe they could set up a discount for one of the shuttles at Sanford. It would be similar to the Alamo discount for passholders. $150 per person round trip is a little steep if there is more than one person. Our car rental is cheaper for the week, than what it was for one person by shuttle. If people staying on property do not have cars they will more likely spend their food budget on property, not so much if they have a car. We will venture off property just because we will have a car. I would not rent one just to venture off property. If they would get some type of affordable shuttle I would cancel the car rental in a heart beat.

 

[maxiesmom]

I've written to both Disney and AllegiantAir suggesting that they add DME from SFB (and I would recommend that anyone else interested contact them as well). I think they could certainly start some buses at SFB and if they don't have enough passengers to warrant a full trip to DW, they then stop at MCO to fill the bus.

I was with you until you said stop at MCO. That would make the bus ride from Sanford the third gate of hell.

 

[richmo]

The only way I can see a smaller airport serviced by DME would be if the airport was closer to WDW than MCO. Not the case here...a quick Google maps check has SFB to Caribbean Beach resort (picked that at random) at 55 minutes. As I said earlier and mentioned by others, the only DME service that would even be feasible would be a SFB/MCO shuttle. Allegiant just doesn't have enough flights to justify a DME fleet and the extra distance makes it even more difficult.