DME timings question

[chocolateMinnie]

Used DME for the first time last February and again in October. Very pleased with service but I have an odd question.

As we are international guests the time for pick up was about 5 hours before our flight which meant we were at MCO for about 3.5 hours.

This trip we are going with Virgin Atlantic and will check our luggage in at their DTD check-in on the morning of departure which should give us a full day in the parks. Can I arrange a specific pick up time of say 3.5 hours before departure so that I can only have a couple of hours at the airport beforehand as I will have no luggage drop to make just security and passport control?

Not sure how DME works with times as we have never been on a busy bus going home.

also can I just book one way (ie return trip) and make alternative arrangements in other direction.

TIA

 

[ancestry]

The standard pick up times for DME is 3 hours prior to a domestic flight and 4 hours prior to an International flight. Not sure where 5 hours is coming from.....

DME will not schedule you with a pick-up time less than this. The only possible way around it would be to give DME the flight information for a flight that leaves a 60-90 minutes after your truly scheduled flight but you are then taking this into your own hands. I would not recommend doing this. If you don't get to the airport on time DME will not be responsible.

 

[chocolateMinnie]

The standard pick up times for DME is 3 hours prior to a domestic flight and 4 hours prior to an International flight. Not sure where 5 hours is coming from.....

DME will not schedule you with a pick-up time less than this. The only possible way around it would be to give DME the flight information for a flight that leaves a 60-90 minutes after your truly scheduled flight but you are then taking this into your own hands. I would not recommend doing this. If you don't get to the airport on time DME will not be responsible.

thanks for the reply, maybe I was having a senior moment when I filled in my passporter last two trips and it was a 4 hour before pick-up

Thing is that when we have been to dtd and got our passports checked, luggage checked and boarding passes we then ended up last trip being at MCO with three hours to spare and after security we were feeling like we'd wasted an extra hour in a park.

I'm not one to cut time too fine but when you hand in your luggage at DTD I'm fairly sure they tell you to arrive about 90 mins before your flight. won't risk it though, just spend more in duty free

 

[goofy4tink]

You can either give them info for a flight departing an hour or so after your flight, which will give you only about 2 hrs to kill, or you can just take a cab, or car service, back to MCO.
Many people don't like having to head back to MCO so early with DME, so they book a car service to take them. Most car services will pick you up 2-2.5 hrs before flight departure. And you can have them pick you up at a spot that is either at a park, or at a resort that is very close to that park..no need to return to your resort. Carryon bags could be an issue...but since you're flying international, you may have a much smaller carryon bag with you..and that could just go into a locker for the day.

 

[seashoreCM]

You may have gotten the 5 hour bus because the 4 hour bus and 4-1/2 hour bus were booked full. You may not ask for the 3-1/2 hour bus (2-1/2 for U.S. domestic) and if you happened to get that then they goofed.

Or maybe the airport was on high alert that day and all the DME schedules were made earlier just in case of security delays.

You can ask for the 5 hour bus and that request will always be granted (unless the bus is full). This will let you have a leisurely meal at the airport prior to leaving.

 

[chocolateMinnie]

Thanks for all the advice.

will definitely consider the car as we would be able to be picked up somewhere more convenient than csr. thank you again.