Early ME Departure from WDW

[aljer]

Hello,
We will be using ME for the first time in March, just my Dh and myself. Our plane will be leaving MCO at 7:30am. Anyone have experience with ME that early in the morning? Will it be busy? How early will we have to leave our Hotel we will be staying at the Poly. Any info would be appreciated.
Thank you!

 

[goofy4tink]

You will be picked up by DME around 4:30. It's no problem at all, just early!! My only issue with these early flights is that I can't use the resort airline checkin perk, if flying on a participating airline. The desk opens at 5 am, and you are supposed to check in with them no less than 3 hrs before your flight time. If you can't do that, then it's no problem getting your bags to the DME bus stop and having them loaded underneath the bus.

 

[NJPluto]

We had a 9:10am flight on our most recent trip. We were told to be at the bus stop at 6am. A Mears van instead of a Disney bus arrived promptly to take us to MCO. My family of 3 were the only passengers leaving from the Poly (no other passengers were on board at the time). The van then went to the GF where a couple and a family of 4 got on board. No one else could've fit on the van!

 

[Skroops]

We have had early departures several times. We've had to bring our bags to the ME bus stop. At OKW, SSR and CSR we needed luggage assistance to get to the front of the resort and we arranged for assistance 1-2 days prior. Every time, the CM was right on time with a ride for us and luggage help. We tipped big, because we really appreciated the timeliness and freindliness given the time of day!
It always seems too early to leave (about 3 hrs prior to departure is when your scheduled pick up time is by ME), but MCO is always busy to get through security at all hours of the day. IMO, we have never wished we had left the resort later after getting to our gate. It's nice to leave the resort and not feel time pressure to catch your flight.

 

[clkelley]

At OKW, SSR and CSR we needed luggage assistance to get to the front of the resort and we arranged for assistance 1-2 days prior. Every time, the CM was right on time with a ride for us and luggage help. We tipped big, because we really appreciated the timeliness and freindliness given the time of day!

I'm glad you had good luck with bell services picking you up with 1-2 day prior reservations. My son had a problem with that at Ft. Wilderness our last trip in December. He had an 8:30 am flight with a 5:25 am Magical Express pickup. (I was staying longer and was still asleep when all this happened). The day before HE went by the Ft. Wilderness front desk to arrange to be picked up at our site at 4:30 am. At 5:20 am still no van. He finally went to the comfort station and called and a van came right away, but too late to catch his Magical Express. They did call a cab for him and paid for it. Of course, when I woke up and talked to him later that morning, he was all pissy with me because when the van did show up, they told him that he should have called 30 minutes before he needed the pickup, not 1 day ahead. 20 somethings, geez!! Of course, I reminded him that THEY told him they would be there when HE asked for the next day pickup so back off

Of course, if it had been me, once the van was 5 minutes late, I would have been marching over to the comfort station and wondering what was up.

 

[aljer]

Thank you for the information. Looks like we will be getting up early. Sounds like things should go smoothly!Hopefully!!

 

[4forWDW]

We have had good luck also. Our flight left at 6:00am so ME picked us up at 3:00 on the dot from CSR. I arranged for help with the luggage the evening before when I settled the room bill. Everything went smoothly especially with that time of morning! Even my DS & DD were cooperative!
Good Luck

 

[MousekaMaddi]

no prob with insanely early pickups,,,ME bus stopped at a number of resorts picking ppl up on our way th MCO airport,,,no prob at all, smiley and jovial driver too!