Does Late arrival = Bad Experience with ME

[WiscMomof2]

We won't be arriving until 11PM and have signed up to use DME. We used it before during the day and had no problems. I know w/late arrivals we need to get our luggage etc, but my question is, besides that will we wait longer for a bus at this late hour? Anybody have experiences to share?

 

[piglet33]

When I took my DD for a girls only trip, our flight arrived around the same time you're arriving. We had to wait an hour and a half for a bus and didn't get to our resort (POP) until around 2 am. Try doing that with a 5 year old. They kept all of us there in line until they had full buses. We were exhausted, and I didn't think it was "magical" for ME to do this.

This time, we're renting a car to avoid the hassles of ME. I used to like it, but the last couple of trips we used it got me more aggravated than anything. Just my opinion.

 

[seashoreCM]

One alternative, book your first night at a motel near the airport, and take Magical Express the next morning when your resort stay now begins.

 

[Lewisc]

What airline? SW baggage claim is in the opposite corner of MCO. SW passengers have to go get their bags then schelp their bags back up to level three, go to the opposite corner of MCO then go down to level one. A car service will probably get you halfway to your resort in the length of time it takes to walk to the DME desk.

Many late night passengers have posted favorable experiences. I'll speculate at some point in time the dispatcher may hold a bus for an arriving flight.

JMO but I'd either book a hotel near the airport or book a car service.

 

[CleveRocks]

I had a totally great experience flying in late and using DME.

It's a mistake to assume it will always take longer. By policy/procedure, from the time the first guest boards the bus it must leave within 30 minutes. I'm not saying that every employee follows the procedure every time, but it's not designed to take longer at night.

The one time we landed around 10 p.m., we were dropped off at POFQ around 11 p.m. I timed it, it was exactly 56 minutes from airplane exit to resort drop-off. Our bus left the airport with about 12 people on-board.

 

[Lewisc]

I had a totally great experience flying in late and using DME.

It's a mistake to assume it will always take longer. By policy/procedure, from the time the first guest boards the bus it must leave within 30 minutes. I'm not saying that every employee follows the procedure every time, but it's not designed to take longer at night.

The one time we landed around 10 p.m., we were dropped off at POFQ around 11 p.m. I timed it, it was exactly 56 minutes from airplane exit to resort drop-off. Our bus left the airport with about 12 people on-board.

My suggestion to consider a car service starts with the walk from the SW baggage carousels to the DME desk. A car service will have me halfway to my resort in the length of time it takes to walk to the DME area. Your 56 minute figure suggests you didn't have checked luggage?

A fair number of flights land between 10-11p. The OP is landing after 11p. I don't fly in that late. If I did I'd probably stay at an airport hotel. I don't know how late before a bus is "last call" and waits for passengers on a particular flight have an opportunity to make it to the DME desk.

 

[OKW Lover]

The likelihood of a bad experience with ME is totally unrelated to the time you arrive.

You may be surprised at how busy ME is even at 11:00 pm. There should not be a difference in bus wait time then.

 

[seashoreCM]

Mishap on the highway resulting in buses not pulling into the airport in timely fashion?

 

[SnackyStacky]

If you have infants, toddlers, or pre-schoolers, I would skip the DME and get a car. We arrived at about 10:30 and had to sit and wait for the bus to fill. Not sure how long we waited, but with a tired 17 month old, it truly seemed interminable.

If it's all adults, and you don't mind schlepping the luggage (I don't - I just get one of those SmartCartes), I'd use the DME.