DME to MK Resorts?

[MinnieGirl33]

With car rental rates a bit crazy these days we are looking into using DME for the first time.

Given that the Contemporary is the northern-most resort on property, I am guessing that it would be the last stop on any DME run. Website says to expect 45-75 mins travel time? Really?

Please share your experiences / opinions when using DME to CR or other MK resorts.

Thanks!

 

[edbo77]

I have taken ME from the Orlando AP to the Boardwalk - I forget if there were other stops involved, but the total driving time from MCO to WDW couldn't have been much more than 20-25 minutes. I would think that the 75 minute estimate might be a little bit on the high side to get to your place but that's just me. I would take ME again without question!

 

[hearts8701]

the bus doesn't leave the airport as soon as you board so maybe that time is included

 

[disneyfaninaz]

The time really isn't that bad. Consider that if you rented a car, you would have to wait for your luggage at the carousel, go get in line to get your car, go out to find your car and drive to your resort. I'm betting that it is just about the same time or more than it would take you to use DME.

When you check in at the DME desk you will be directed to a specific line for the bus covering your resort. You may be the last one on the bus and leave right away, or you might be the first and have to wait 10-15 minutes for others to board before you leave.

Either way, I love the DME service and any delay is well worth not having to deal with luggage at the airport.

 

[goofy4tink]

45-75 mins is bothering you?? How long does it take you in a rental car?? With a rental car you have to go to baggage claim, get your bags, go down to the rental car area. That should take about 20-30 mins right there, from the plane. Then, it's abou 30 mins to WDW from MCO. So, it's an hour.
I have had times of between 50 mins and 90 mins with DME...the average has been about 70 mins...only one time was over that and that was the 90 min trip.
This is my breakdown using DME, using average wait times...
1. from plane to DME counter line.....15 mins
2. in line at the counter....8 mins
3. at the counter....4 mins
4. in bus line.....10 mins
5. wait on the bus.....10 mins
6. ride to resort.....30 mins.

Those are average times...I have times that are much shorter than that...for instance, walked from the counter, got right onto the bus and it left!! That was really nice!!!

 

[MinnieGirl33]

45-75 mins is bothering you?? How long does it take you in a rental car??

From the time we get off the plane, ~1 hour (to SSR).

That's the thing, I keep thinking that if the clock doesn't start ticking until the bus is on it's way??? And it can make up to 3 stops before ours ???

 

[Susiesnowflake]

I've used DME twice to get to the Poly, and both times the Poly has been the first DME drop off. Can't remember how long the trip took. Both times, I walked directly to the DME Welcome desk, checked in, walked to the appropriate line, boarded the bus and was soon on the way. I had less than a 5 min wait before the bus departed for the Poly. When my daughter and I went to the CBR in March that was a whole different story. Long lines and long waits. We waited on the bus at least 30 mins before it departed for the CBR.

 

[Tozzie]

From the time we get off the plane, ~1 hour (to SSR).

That's the thing, I keep thinking that if the clock doesn't start ticking until the bus is on it's way??? And it can make up to 3 stops before ours ???

I have used DME about 5 times and the longest trip I have ever had was 75 minutes total, from the time I walked off the plane until I was checked in at my reort. Last September my flight landed at 925 am I was sitting in Artist Pallatte eating breakfast at 10:40 already checked in and everything.

I am not critisizing you but I think you are obsesing about this because you are used to a rental car and DME will be a change for you and change is not easy for many people. Relax it will be fine, you are on vacation, the ride is nice, they play a welcome movie. The ride goes by fast. I can also tell you that have stayed at SSR 3 times and while there is no set in stone route for Buses and it may not be the same when you go but all 3 times SSR was the first stop, I think because of its location as the driver picks the order the bus stops.

 

[goofy4tink]

From the time we get off the plane, ~1 hour (to SSR).

That's the thing, I keep thinking that if the clock doesn't start ticking until the bus is on it's way??? And it can make up to 3 stops before ours ???

But the clock starts ticking, at least for most of us, as soon as we deplane. So...the times you see here are going to be times from the plane to the resort.
If I were to use the timing from when I got on the bus, to my resort, it would be more like 45 mins as an average...even with multiple stops. Yes, there can be up to three addtl stops, but that's usually the most you will encounter.

If you really want to be 'master of your universe', so to speak, you may be better off renting a car.

 

[CleveRocks]

With car rental rates a bit crazy these days we are looking into using DME for the first time.

Given that the Contemporary is the northern-most resort on property, I am guessing that it would be the last stop on any DME run. Website says to expect 45-75 mins travel time? Really?

Please share your experiences / opinions when using DME to CR or other MK resorts.

Thanks!

The one time I stayed at a MK-area resort, our DME bus stopped at Polynesian, then Grand Floridian, and then Contemporary.

But the driver is free to set any order he/she wants (although between Poly and GF, Poly always has to come first due to specific logisitical reasons).

Keep in mind that there are no pre-set groupings on DME buses. For example, if around the time of your arrival there is NO ONE with reservations going to Poly or GF or Wilderness Lodge, you won't be on a bus by yourself ... Contemporary will be grouped in with other resorts. There are 4 DME zones, but they will group a bus to cross zones if that makes the most sense from the standpoint of efficiency.

For any DME bus run from MCO to the resorts, there is a maximum of 4 resorts per bus. But if the bus has drop-offs in two or more zones, the maximum is 3 resorts on the bus.

I can't imagine 75 minutes of TRAVEL TIME even if your resort is the fourth of 4. Call it 30 minutes on the road. For it to be 75 minutes of travel time, that would mean the bus would have to take 15 minutes at each of the 3 other stops ... this is INCREDIBLY unlikely, as the stops are quite brief. They drop-off and move along, they are NOT also making pick-ups at the same time. The driver doesn't need to check-in with anyone, or wait around for anything.

 

[Hopefully]

I agree, if the potential times are really bothering you, stick with a rental car. I have taken DME several times and we have had really good experiences. When I approach the DME checkin counter I smile at my family and tell Welcome to Disney - here is your first, of many, lines.
Good Luck

 

[MinnieGirl33]

Guess I am having flashbacks to the pre-DME days of Mears (yes, I know Mears runs DME) which is why we started renting in the first place.

Sounds like it is as unpredictable as I thought but not really an issue for anybody.

THanks for sharing your experiences.

 

[dizfan]

Guess I am having flashbacks to the pre-DME days of Mears (yes, I know Mears runs DME) which is why we started renting in the first place.

Sounds like it is as unpredictable as I thought but not really an issue for anybody.

THanks for sharing your experiences.

We started using Town car pickups after using Mears twice. Swore we would never use Mears again.

DME is much better than Mears was. Much more organized, luggage pickup, and they show some WDW stuff on the bus televisions during the drive. Once they start playing the stuff on the television, it feels like we're at WDW.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

The difference now is that Mears is not just an independant contractor, but a contractor with Disney and therefore has to follow contract terms from Disney.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

The one time I stayed at a MK-area resort, our DME bus stopped at Polynesian, then Grand Floridian, and then Contemporary.

But the driver is free to set any order he/she wants (although between Poly and GF, Poly always has to come first due to specific logisitical reasons).

What are those logisitical reasons?

 

[Tozzie]

What are those logisitical reasons?

A former driver posted about it once, it has to do with the way the entrance to the Poly is and they can only make a (I don't know if it is a right or left turn) from that road.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

A former driver posted about it once, it has to do with the way the entrance to the Poly is and they can only make a (I don't know if it is a right or left turn) from that road.

Thanks for the info and it actually makes sense because whenever we have left the Polynesian no matter if it was by car or a Disney bus, we always had to turn right and then there was a sign saying to turn for the Grand Floridian.

 

[goofy4tink]

Guess I am having flashbacks to the pre-DME days of Mears (yes, I know Mears runs DME) which is why we started renting in the first place.

Sounds like it is as unpredictable as I thought but not really an issue for anybody.

THanks for sharing your experiences.

Ah yes...the infamous Mears shuttle buses. I used them one time, and one time only, back in '99. We got lucky and were put into a van, with others going to the same resort we were. But it still was a miserable experience. Mamy reported trips of over 2 hrs to get from MCO to their WDW resort. Why? Because that bus made many stops at non-WDW resorts before arriving at WDW.

With DME, that doesn't happen. If you get lucky, and I have several times so far...you may have a total time of under an hour. If you find the line at the checkin counter to be short (or you are sent right to the bus lines) and then you are able to get right onto a bus, that pulls out about 10 mins later...you will have a very quick time. Almost as quick as using a towncar service with carryon bags only!!!
My fastest time going to WDW??? A towncar, with carryon bags only. Took about 40 mins total...right from the plane to the meet and greet area, then into a car and off we went.

I think you may be surprised to find the difference between DME and the 'old' Mears shuttle service.

 

[Missytara]

I arrive the Saturday after Thanksgiving. About 2/3 of the people that stay on-site during Thanksgiving week are leaving on Saturday. It is rare for the bus to fill up going to the resorts, because they are just trying to run back as many buses as they can to the resorts to get people back to MCO. I don't think I have ever had a consistent route going out each year.

It is fantastic. You don't handle your bags, you don't have to drive. Now that is what I consider a vacation.....

 

[CleveRocks]

What are those logisitical reasons?

If you are driving from Grand Floridian to Polynesian, there is a tight left turn into the Poly complex. Reportedly, it would be physically impossible for a bus the size of a DME motorcoach or a Disney Transport bus to successfully make that turn in a single motion.