Do you check flight status before getting on DME?

[aboveH20]

I didn't learn from the first time, or the second, but I think the third time's the charm!

Last three times I've gotten to MCO I found out my flights were delayed 1-3 hours. Each time I've kicked myself, thinking I would rather be spending an extra hour at WDW than MCO.

Do YOU check to see if your flight is on time before stepping foot on DME? Have you ever had a problem taking a later DME? I usually take the last flight of the day (to my hometown) out of MCO, so I'm not sure if I'd feel too nervous to take a later bus even if I knew the flight were delayed, but I'm wondering. What do you do?

 

[seashoreCM]

You do not have any choice. You must take your assigned bus back to the airport, which must be arranged no later than the morning of the day before you check out.

(Actually they will probably be able to re-arrange things if your flight is moved up on short notice and the flight number had been entered into your DME reservation.)

 

[skiingfast]

FYI, If you are taking the last flight out this is probably why they are delayed. Little delays stack up and are worse later in the day,

I would guess that when you check your luggage to leave they could tell you the flight status if not the concierge has a computer so they would probably be able to check. This is who I would ask about changing you DME tickets.

 

[aboveH20]

Good info. I guess that's part of my hesitation about taking a later bus. No guarantee there will be room. I think I'd worry more about NOT getting to the airport than being able to enjoy extra time at WDW, and chances are by the time I found out about a delay I'd already be back at the resort anyway.

I was wondering if everyone else were more travel savy than I and checked flight status ahead of time, but sounds like the best bet is to take the originally assigned bus.

 

[DebbieB]

Also, sometimes delays are posted and then taken back down. If you decide to stay at WDW longer and the delay is taken down, you will be considered a no show if you miss the flight.

 

[aboveH20]

Also, sometimes delays are posted and then taken back down. If you decide to stay at WDW longer and the delay is taken down, you will be considered a no show if you miss the flight.

Good point. My husband left WDW today, which is what sparked this question. When he first got to the airport his 6:50 flight was delayed to 8:00, but later changed to 7:50. I keep checking the flight status online, and I'm thinking it's about time for me to head to the airport and pick him up.

 

[CleveRocks]

Good info. I guess that's part of my hesitation about taking a later bus. No guarantee there will be room.

But it's even more than whether or not there will be room ... there'd be concern about whether or not there will be a BUS.

DME doesn't run constantly; it doesn't run like the Disney Transport buses do, the buses that take you to the parks. DME buses from resort to airport run only on reservations. If your flight is running 1 hour late, there's no guarantee there are other guests at your resort who have DME pick-ups reserved for 1 hour after yours ... in other words, you might be waiting for a bus that never shows up. ANd there's no use in asking anyone who works at the resort, because they don't have access to DME reservations info.

 

[goofy4tink]

My dh always checks flight status before heading to the airport. One time, when I was already in WDW (got there a day or so before them), he checked his flight, it was ontime. So, he and dd left to go to the airport. The drive is about 45 mins. When they got to the airport, they found that their flight had been cancelled. Jetblue said they would put them on a later flight..only problem was that they needed to get to JKF to make a connection. If they missed that connection, there were no later flights to MCO that night...and the flight JB wanted them on, didn't continue on to MCO..they would have had to spend the night at JKF. Nope, not happening. But, they were able to run to the gate of a flight that was just finishing boarding..they held the doors open until dh and dd got there.

My point is...even if you check just before you leave, there can still be changes. I have left my resort, with my flight ontime, only to get to MCO and find that my flight is going to be delayed due to weather at the other end!!!

Do not fret about flights changing...just get on the bus and deal with any changes you may run into when you get to the airport. There may not be another DME bus coming to your resort for another hour or so, and even if there is a bus coming along, there may very well be no room for you. I once overheard a very irate dad, yelling at the bus driver that he could see plenty of empty seats, so why couldn't his family board that bus??? He had been 'told' by someone that he could take any bus he chose..that he didn't have to take the assigned bus. Well, the driver tried explaining that he had a very large group of passengers getting on at the next resort, so those empty seats were 'spoken for'...dad came back with 'Well, why can't they take a later bus??!!! We need to get to the airport. Our flight leaves in an hour!!!!' That driver apologized profusely but said there was nothing he could do. That dad had to pay for a cab back to the airport. I really doubt he had been told by anyone, at the resort, that he could take any old DME bus he chose.

 

[aboveH20]

Boy, have I learned a lot from reading all your replies. It makes me glad I asked, so I found out that basically I'd better take the bus I'm first assigned to. I thought maybe I was the only hayseed who didn't know enough to check flight info ahead of time. It never occured to me that there might not be later DMEs I could hop onto.

Once, again, thank you to all who responded. Hopefully my question helped others as well.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Also, sometimes delays are posted and then taken back down. If you decide to stay at WDW longer and the delay is taken down, you will be considered a no show if you miss the flight.

That happened to me a few years ago - the first part, not the missed flight part!! I took my assigned DME bus, got to the airport, got to the gate, and only then found out my flight was delayed TWO HOURS!!!! I was 'a tad' annoyed - at the airline. Twenty minutes or so later, the flight was miraculously rescheduled to on time, and it did arrive on time! So, even if I had tracked the flight and planned my airport arrival accordingly by any transportation mode, I'd have been SooL.

 

[aboveH20]

Interesting the way delayed flights become undelayed.

I wonder if anyone has had any experience with a flight being canceled. I believe depending upon the reason for cancellation, the airline does or does not have to put you up for the night.

A few years ago when it was my family of four traveling, we made it out of Orlando, but then were marooned in Charlotte for the night. USAirways put us up at a hotel. (Mechanical issues, not weather.) I can't imagine being stuck at the airport with young kids overnight. In that case I would definitely rather be at WDW than MCO.

 

[DebbieB]

Interesting the way delayed flights become undelayed.

I wonder if anyone has had any experience with a flight being canceled. I believe depending upon the reason for cancellation, the airline does or does not have to put you up for the night.

A few years ago when it was my family of four traveling, we made it out of Orlando, but then were marooned in Charlotte for the night. USAirways put us up at a hotel. (Mechanical issues, not weather.) I can't imagine being stuck at the airport with young kids overnight. In that case I would definitely rather be at WDW than MCO.

A reason for taking down the delay might be that they found a substitute aircraft. Or maybe there was an air traffic control delay and they found a "window" to get out.

If the delay or cancellation is weather related, they do not have to pay for a hotel. If the flight is cancelled and they rebooked you for the next day, then I would try to find a way to stay at WDW.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I was in Orlando with friends a few years ago - well, I was at the Quality Inn and they were at whatever the first Universal hotel was but we hung out together.
The day we all left, there was a blizzard predicted for the northeast that night. They left early and were able to get on an earlier flight. I stuck with my original flight which required a change at RDU (I miss Midway !).
They got home fine. My connecting flight was, for a long time, the only one NOT cancelled out of RDU. Our flight crew was late, still not cancelled. They arrived, they boarded... and the flight got cancelled. Midway did help FIND hotels for everyone and gave us discount(?) vouchers, but did not pay for the rooms.

By the way, they liked me and the family behind me. While everybody else was yelling, "I have to be in Boston first thing in the morning!", we were willing to take whatever flight was open - one of the benefits of planning a 'cushion' day when flying.

 

[aboveH20]

People who live within driving distance of WDW don't know the fun they're missing flying!

Although I must say that one of my favorite parts of the trip is coming off the concourse and seeing the glass "tubes" with the trams that take you into the main part of the airport. It's a definite sign that the trip is just beginning.