DME, SWA, and SSR? Anyone have experience with these?

[joesgirl]

We are going to WDW in November and had planned on using a towncar driver that we know to pick us up at the airport. It is a long story, but he may not be available to us when we go. So I have several questions I hope someone would have answers for.

1. Is it too late for us to book DME at this point? We are about 3 weeks out from our trip right now. Also, is it still free?

2. We are flying Southwest Airlines and I heard they won't take your luggage, or they won't check you in, or somthing like that. I've heard there is something DME won't do if you fly SWA, can someone verify that?

3. We are staying at SSR. Does anyone know how many other resorts get dropped of with the SSR people and in what order? Is it different every time?

Thanks to anyone who can help!

 

[DISNEYFOS]

1. I would call magical express and check. They send you luggage tags and paperwork so you would need to get that before you leave. The service is free.

2. Southwest does not participate in the airline checkin at hotel for your departure. You can still check your luggage at your home airport with the luggage tags and the bags will be transferred to your hotel room. You just can't check them at the hotel lobby for your departure you need to bring them with you to check at the airport. Not a big deal but the hotel check in is a nice option but only a few airlines participate. Southwest is not one of them.

3. Sorry don't know about SSR. Usually they do make a few stops..For the Beach club they go to Carribean beach then Boardwalk, Yacht Club, Beach club.

I do highly recommend it..its great not to deal with your luggage when you arrive...and you just check in at the magical express desk and hop on a bus.

 

[ClarabelleCowFan]

Last time we stayed at SSR we shared a DME bus with OKW and they were dropped off first then SSR.

Call ASAP to add DME service to your trip. Yes it is still free.

 

[dsnymomof4]

3 weeks is plenty of time for you to register for DME. Call them right away to give them your flight info so they can mail out your packet. Yes, when we stayed at SSR, we dropped off at OKW first as well. We fly SW and they are great. True, they do not participate in the luggage check-in at the hotel, but that just means that you take your luggage with you on the ME bus back to MCO and check it in yourself - not that big of a deal. Have a great trip!

 

[Kimmumum]

DME is really easy to use even with SWA. Disney will send you luggage tags (bright yellow ones) to put on your luggage. You will go to the airport and check your luggage like normal. When you get off the plane you will go straight to the DME check in (without your luggage). You will get on the DME buses and go to your resort. Your luggage will show up a few hours later in your room.

When you leave, you will take your luggage with you to the DME bus. When you get to the airport you will take your luggage with you and check in at the airport like normal. No big deal with SWA. If it was an airline that was "part of the deal", you would check in at the DME bus and your luggage would show up at your home airport. It is no big deal to carry your luggage at the end of the trip. Make sense?

 

[spiceycat]

to make the DME reservation you must call back Member service, CRO or the travel agent who originally booked your reservation.

you can't call DME directly until you have a reservation with them.

if thru International Interval - then call MS.

the stops are OKW, SSR, PO

depending upon the driver and when you arrive - you might be waiting on the bus for 20 minutes (more or less) for it to fill up.

DME is much, much better - they use to make some of us wait - as long as 45 minutes - for resorts who had no people in them. but Disney changed that.

now your wait in line (once you have register with the check in line) should be less than 5 minutes.

the check in line can take time - really depends upon the guests and how often they have done this - if they have everything ready it should only take a few minutes. but some guests don't have everything ready - or the information is wrong or something - some couples have been up there for 30 minutes.

 

[joesgirl]

Thank you so much to all of you for your reponses! I understand the whole Southwest thing much better now. I will be calling DME immediately to set it up. Thanks again!