How long? MCO -> hotel (WL) using ME?

[lisareniff]

I am trying to decide our plan to get to the hotel. Our plane arriving on 3:15pm on Thurs. Feb 15th. That evening we are going to the Princess and Pirate Party at MK that night and needed to know how long it would take to get to the hotel using ME?? DH wants to rent a car, but between the extra cost and waiting forever at the Airtran carousel thought using the ME might be good choice but it does hinge upon our ability to get to the PPP in plenty of time.


Here is a more convoluted question....

Could we do both? Have ME deliver the luggage and rent a car? Would anyone have to ride the ME bus for them to deliver the luggage?

Thanks

 

[goofy4tink]

In order to have your luggage transported to your resort, someone has to be on the DME bus. Disney has stated that DME is not a luggage transfer service, but a people transfer service with luggage transfer included. So, at least one person in the group has to take the bus in order to have the luggage delivered.

So.....it should take between 70-90 minutes to get to your resort. It has usually taken me the 70 minutes from deplaning to resort checkin. I usually arrive late morning, close to noon, so I can't say for sure what your mid-afternoon experience would be. Be aware though...your luggage could take 3+ hours to get to the resort. So, be prepared to have what you will need in a carryon. Each person in our group has their own carryon, so it isn't a big deal.

If you really want to rent the car, then I would have dh head to the car rental area, and you head to baggage claim and grab the luggage. Otherwise, it will take an inordinate amount of time...you go to baggage, wait for your bags, then head to car rental counter, wait there...you get the idea.

 

[lisareniff]

Thanks Tink, I was thinking someone needed to go with the bags. For us the most frustrating part of getting to WDW is waiting for the luggage. I don't know if it is just Airtran (our only direct flight from ROC) or MCO but it takes a very long time for it to come out. We usually use National and Emerale Isle so that is quick. I thought if we could get rid of that baggage step by having one of us go on the DME then we would shave a good amount of time off the trip. We are low maintenance so a carry on with extra clothes (we will need anyway since we are coming from the land of snow!) and waiting for the bags should be fine for us.

This still could have some merit. Hummm... DH could check us in since he will arrive first.

 

[havencruiser]

Nobody is actually going WITH the bags, since they are loaded on a truck, not the bus that you will be on. The only luggage on that bus is the luggage that people picked up themselves from the carousel.
My suggestion would be to pack what you absolutely had to have within a few hours after arrival into a carry-in b ag and take ME. I was there last Friday and was at the resort within 60 minutes from landing and the luggage was there in less than an hour later.

 

[goofy4tink]

Thanks Tink, I was thinking someone needed to go with the bags. For us the most frustrating part of getting to WDW is waiting for the luggage. I don't know if it is just Airtran (our only direct flight from ROC) or MCO but it takes a very long time for it to come out. We usually use National and Emerale Isle so that is quick. I thought if we could get rid of that baggage step by having one of us go on the DME then we would shave a good amount of time off the trip. We are low maintenance so a carry on with extra clothes (we will need anyway since we are coming from the land of snow!) and waiting for the bags should be fine for us.

This still could have some merit. Hummm... DH could check us in since he will arrive first.

You could be surprised.... you could get there before he does. But, as the previous poster said, your luggage does go on a different truck. Not sure if I was clear abou that. So, you take your carryon stuff with you, and the rest of the checked luggage goes from the plane to a truck to the resort..to arrive at some point down the road (about 3-4 hrs.).
If you do decide to go the route of grabbing your own bags, and then taking DME, be sure to not put those yellow tags on your checked luggage. Just leave them plain, as you would normally, and you will be a able to get them from the carousel. If you put the yellow tags on them, they will be pulled 'behind the scenes' at the airport and you won't see them until they get to the resort room. Hope that doesn't confuse you any more.

 

[lisareniff]

Maybe I was using "go with" a little incorrectly. Sorry for the confusion. I just meant someone had to use DME from the airport at the same time the luggage is transported. So I (and perhaps a child or two) could go on the DME, which would allow the luggage to be transported, while DH (who needs the car) could scoot over to the Emerald Isle and snag a car, go check in and we could meet him at the room! Thus eliminating the wait for the luggage which is really really long with Airtran, especially with little whiny ones.

 

[kaytieeldr]

You can absolutely do that! To be absolutely safe, try to use just the yellow tags for the people who'll be riding the bus, and to make things easier on YOU, make your DH take the carry-ons in the rental car with him

 

[havencruiser]

Would it work if somebody just "checked in" at the DME counter? I don't remember how they know if you actually get ON the bus. I would assume the luggage transfers are based on what goes into the computer at the counter versus a voucher collected by the Mears driver.