Early am flight home--taxi or ME??

[TexasDreamer]

We have a 7am flight home. Read that ME pick-up is 3 hours prior -- that would be 4am. Was wondering if it would be easier at that hour to take a taxi. And if so, what time should we request a taxi pick-up. And what cost to expect.

 

[goofy4tink]

If you have a 7am flight, you will want to leave your WDW resort no later than 4:30/5. MCO recommends getting to the airport at least 2 hrs prior to departure....security can be chaotic, even at that time of day!!! You won't find the airport to be empty!!!
A cab will run you about $50 or so.

 

[Alesia]

Taxi fare will be between $50 and $60, plus tip. I don't think it's worth it for an extra 30 minutes of sleep.

 

[hsmamato2]

you won;t sleep much extra anyway,so just use ME,IMHO.
If it were me, I'd be checking the clock all night anyway with such an early leave time...you may as well take the bus and get settled in the airport with an early breakfast.....it's probably a difference of less than 30 mins-

 

[maxiesmom]

You won't gain much time at all using a taxi. And you don't want to cut it too close, as early morning security lines are often brutal!

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

According to the Mears Taxi Fare Estimator (all taxis that pick up at WDW are owned by Mears), the estimated taxi fare from Disney's Polynesian to Orlando Int'l is now $64.00*. ("* Please note that the fare listed below is only an estimate and will vary depending on route taken, time of day and traffic conditions," according to the estimator.)

Add a tip and possibly a small delay along the route, and the taxi is likely to cost around $75 to $80. You can also reserve a towncar service. The cost will be similar.

In either case, as others have noted, you'll only get an extra 30 minutes or so of sleep, compared to using DME.

Another idea is to spend the final vacation night at the Orlando Airport Hyatt. You would check out of the Polynesian one day earlier, leave your bags with bell services, take DME to the airport in the evening (with your bags), and check in at the Hyatt. When you wake on the morning of your flight, you would already be in the airport terminal.

The Hyatt is not cheap, but it should cost quite a bit less than Disney's Polynesian. And it eliminates the need to consider a $75-80 taxi.

 

[jamuth]

Just an FYI... you will probably spend an hour on ME picking up other guests before you even leave for the airport. We did this and it wasn't fun with 2 small kids.

 

[PSU]

So is there a standard bus route for ME - our friends are meeting us at BLT for a few days during our upcoming trip...we have a car, but they said --we'll just take the shuttle...I don't want to stick them sitting on a bus for an hr more if possible..but also don't want to miss vacation time at the airport..
Any ideas?

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

So is there a standard bus route for ME - our friends are meeting us at BLT for a few days during our upcoming trip...we have a car, but they said --we'll just take the shuttle...I don't want to stick them sitting on a bus for an hr more if possible..but also don't want to miss vacation time at the airport..
Any ideas?

Inbound DME routes are "dynamic." The departures and routes from the airport are based on actual demand, so that DME guests can get out of the airport to their resorts relatively fast. Normally, each coach serves about three resorts that are near each other. Of course, it;s better to have the first stop than the final stop.

The outbound DME routes are more-or-less set, but there's no published routing or departure schedule. Normally, each resort is served twice per hour, as long as there are guests who have reservations to return to the airport.

All DME passengers must be list on a WDW resort reservation and must reserve DME ahead of time. The contract with the airport prohibits DME from taking "walk up" passengers at the airport.