Help-Virgin Transfers

[WaT05]

So quite a few months ago I decided that I would rather have a towncar pick us up then use the free virgin transfers, so I booked with Tiffany Towncars Anyway I rather stupidly forgot to cancel the transfers with Virgin and then last Saturday I thought I better ring up. Well they told me it would cost £25 per person to do this as my tickets had already been sent out which I didn't know as my travel agents haven't been in touch. So I told them to keep it as it is and I have cancelled my towncar reservation. I feel like a real ditz So please can someone help and tell me anything about the Virgin transfers such as where do u get them at Orlando Airport?? Do they go to all the resorts?? How long before my flight home will they pick me up and do they only pick you up from your hotel. Any help would be great.

Thanks
Hazel

 

[jools]

It's a good few years since I have used the Virgin transfer but from what I remember it is easy.

If the details do not arrive with your tickets before you go then after collecting your luggage on landing in orlando go over to the Virgin Holidays Desk and they will show you where to go for your coach. The journey always seems to take ages, may be this is because you just want to get there or in our case it was becasue we were the last ones to be dropped off after it had toured round all the other resorts.

For coming home, again if the details did not arrive with your tickets then sometime during your stay a Virgin Rep will be in touch with you to tell you what time the coach will pick you up from your resort. Again depending on where you are staying and where on the pick-up route you are this could be several hours before your flight home also they like to get you all to the airport really early for your flight so be prepared to spend time in the airport.

Like I say it is along time since I have used the transfer so someone else might know different.

 

[JohnnySharp2]

When you collect your bags from the Airport there will be plenty of Virgin personnel there to assist and direct you to your transportation.

I would have thought instructions would be provided with your tickets.
However, I would not worry as contact details are all provided in the documentation.

As I understand it the driver will presumably have a list of passengers and drop-off points so basically the coach will stop off at each destination until you reach yours.

I would have thought they would collect all the passengers from the hotel yes. Most of the hotels will require you check out by 11 anyway, so I would imagine you would be collected not much later than say 1pm - but I am guessing here obviously.

I would not worry as thousands of passengers use Virgin coach transfers every year.

 

[VSL]

What about if you do DTD check-in?

 

[JohnnySharp2]

What about if you do DTD check-in?

Not sure - I would have thought that they are strictly airport transfers so I would imagine they would not transfer you to DTD check-in.

 

[VSL]

No no no I meant, what if you check-in at DTD - will they pick you up from there to go to MCO?

 

[JohnnySharp2]

No no no I meant, what if you check-in at DTD - will they pick you up from there to go to MCO?

Oops - I would say no, but that would be (again) a guess.

 

[Laurafoster]

Yeah i think they still pick you up at the same time from your hotel - which is why we didnt bother doing the DTD check in.

 

[LorraineH]

Be VERY careful if you do DTD Check in and use Virgin Transfers!!

We did this on our trip. The pick-up from MCO to our hotel (on I-Drive) was straight forward enough, we were last to be dropped off but didnt mind as we were too busy looking out of the windows enjoying the sights!!

So, the day before departure we phoned the Virgin Rep to ask that we get picked up from DTD and not our hotel, which they said was fine. They gave me a new pick up time (which was an hour later than the one they had originally given) and we were pleased as we had an extra hour in the parks on our last day.

So on the morning of departure we got a cab to drop us at DTD with our luggage and joined the check-in queue (there were about 4 families in front of us) and we were checked in by about 8:30am.

But then the problems started, as we couldnt get to a park as there were no taxis and no direct Disney buses. So we had to wait to catch a resort bus, and they didnt start running until about an hour later! The shops at DTD werent open until 9, so we just sat on a bench!

We eventually got to MK and spent our last day there. We walked to the Contemporary to catch a direct resort bus back to DTD.

We were half an hour earlier than our pick up time, but this gave us a chance to get changed for the flight home.

We started to get concerned when no-one else came to queue for the Virgin Transfer bus.

The bus did not show. We called the number and they said it was on its way. Half hour passed and the bus still did not show. We called again, and they said "yep, stay there, its on its way". But it still did not show.

I was in floods of tears, thinking we were going to miss the flight.

After waiting an hour after our pick up time we only had about 35 mins to catch the flight before the gate shut. We called again. They sent a taxi, who sped to the airport but did say that it didnt look hopeful we would make the flight.

Thankfully we did, but it was REALLY stressful.

So if you are taking the transfers, I'd advise against DTD check-in.


Lorraine D

 

[fizz13]

After reading this post I will be ringing Virgin to check the details on transfers. When I booked, they put my party down for transfers as we didn't want the car. They informed me that if I didn't want them, to just tell their reps at MCO when I arrived so i could go and get my towncar etc. They never mentioned a £25 charge (although I know how much they love their £25 charges) I think I should check this out...

Claire xx

 

[VSL]

Well, luckily Jay and I are planning to stay at DTD on our last day and we already know that busses don't run directly from DTD to the parks. I s'pose we could just check-in in DTD but return to ASMo in time for the transfers.

 

[PaulaSB12]

I did the dtd check in when I went in October. I started with the charactor breakfast, was taken to down town check in, go rid of my luggage. had a wonderful day in downtown doing a last minute shop and got picked up by the bus at 5.30pm.

 

[WaT05]

Thanks for all your replies so far but I have another question I am planning on doing the DTD check in, so can I use the transfers to get to my hotel when I get there but can I then tell the rep that I will not need it coming back and then I can get a taxi/towncar to pick me up at DTD (which is where I plan to spend my last day) at the time I want rather then having to have the transfers and leave earlier. They wont charge me for this will they?
If you use DTD check in how early do you need to be at the airport??

 

[musketeer]

We did DTD check in last week we were at the airport about 2hrs before the flight this was to get through all the security checks etc.

 

[Rain]

We also had problems last year with Virgin transfers.
We checked in at DTD and then went back to the hotel. The transport never arrived, we were there 30 minutes earlier than we needed to be.
The concierge rang Virgin when we had waited about 15 minutes past the time.
15 minutes after Virgin rang the hotel and said we were a No Show!!!!!
She explained we had been waiting there but got no where with them. We paid for a taxi!

This time we just told the rep when we got to the airport that we had decided not to takea the transfers. It was not a problem.

 

[wilma-bride]

No no no I meant, what if you check-in at DTD - will they pick you up from there to go to MCO?

If you do DTD check-in, you need to tell your Virgin rep or phone the number in resort and tell them. They will then arrange to have you picked up from DTD instead of your hotel. We did this last year and it all went very smoothly.

 

[widget]

We also have transfers booked but have decided at last minute to splash out on a limo. Rang Virgin and were told all we have to do is inform the rep at Orlando that we no longer require the transfers. Asked if we had to pay any charges and were told no. So not sure why they have asked you for £25?
Two years ago we also used DTD and just rang Mears (Virgins transport people) who arranged for our collection from there instead of the hotel. It all went smoothly despite my concerns that they would forget us.