IS ME worth it.. For me absolutely

[marmar]

The BIGGEST PROBLEM I had with ME were the people who refuse to read, don't listen, have unreal expectations, and shout at the poor guy at the counter and hold up lines.

I was so relieved to not have to wait 30-45 mins for my luggage to arrive, with rude people pushing and shoving around the luggage belt and their screaming and out of control children. I did not have to share a tiny elevator with these same people who run their strollers and luggage wheels over my feet going from the luggage claim floor down to the bus/limo floor. I did not have to stand in line at the rental car counter for another 30 mins, while the person at the counter explains insurance to that nice lady from NJ who has never rented a car in all her 60 years. I did not have to drive the 30-40 mins through the traffic to get to my resort dodging Mears Shuttles, Limos, and rental car drivers who have no idea where they are going.
I did not have to wait 30 mins at the resort portico, while a 3 different groups with enough groceries to feed a family of 10 for 3 weeks unpacks the limos and uses up all the luggage carts and ties up all the bell service. I also did not have to wait in my room another 30 mins for my luggage to appear. And then another 30 mins while my family digs around for their stuff before we can go to the park (and they had previoiusly told me all the stuff they needed was in their carry on.)

Lets see that is 3 hrs of hassle I avoided so far.

I did not have to wait 30 mins in the room the morning I leave waiting for the bell man to pick up and store my luggage. I did not have to be back at the resort so I could spend 30 mins waiting for my luggage to be loaded into my rental car. (those folks with the groceries must have clones that arrive every day, cause there are more arriving on the day I leave). We take the return 30 min drive back to the rental car return. (We used to rent ALAMO and they used to be off airport - so that would add at least another 30 mins for the ALAMO bus back to the airport). And we had to be at the airport at least 2 hours ahead to check in, which took about another 30 mins.

That's 2.5 hrs more of hassle I avoided.

Now if I add back in the 30 mins I waited while other folks argued and delayed the line at resort check in (which I assume I will always have to wait for since I don't think it is likely they will ever read the instructions anyway).

That totals up to 5 hours of hassle time I avoided in exchange for
not getting my luggage to the room until 3.5 hours from landing. And $150 savings in a rental car.

I think I won in this deal.

 

[kirbsam]

I pick up my luggage and am to my resort in less than an hour when I take a town car. Throw in the grocery stop, aww shucks, can't do that with ME. And i save money because for a hundred bucks or so in groceries I can eat 5-6 breakfasts and 5-6 lunches, and get enough water to keep me and my family happy for a week.

 

[CleveRocks]

I pick up my luggage and am to my resort in less than an hour when I take a town car. Throw in the grocery stop, aww shucks, can't do that with ME. And i save money because for a hundred bucks or so in groceries I can eat 5-6 breakfasts and 5-6 lunches, and get enough water to keep me and my family happy for a week.

Aww shucks, DME worked for me. I got in line at the DME counter at 9:37 a.m., and I got to CBR at 10:30 a.m., precisely 53 minutes. I ALWAYS take enough in my carry ons for the first 24 hours of a trip no matter where or when I fly, just in case the airline loses my luggage, so like the OP I had no worries about my luggage arriving at CBR 3 1/2 hours after I did. The luggage "magically appeared" inside my room while I was with my kids in the pool. And so did my grocery delivery from Gooding's (which I arranged via Internet a few days before I left) -- I didn't have to be present for the grocery delivery, as it also magically appeared inside my room. My mother-in-law happened to be there to put the refrigerated stuff away, and if no one had been there to accept the grocery delivery, Bell Services would have stored the refrigerated stuff in their special refrigerated room until I responded to the note they would have left, and then they would have delivered that to us, too. So I saved the same "hundred bucks or so" in in-room breakfasts (bagels and cream cheese, instant hot cereal with help from the coffee maker, yogurt, fresh fruit) and packed lunches (sandwiches, fresh fruit), and enough bottled water to keep my family happy for a week, too. So, it looks like I got everything you did AND have about $100 more in my pocket. Aww shucks!

-- Eric

 

[BuckNaked]

It's all about what "vacation" means to each person.

I'm at the grocery store every Saturday morning, so I have no desire to do that on vacation. I make breakfast every morning, pack lunches most weekdays, and make dinner most nights, so I'm not interested in doing that on vacation, either. I fight DC traffic five days per week, so I have no desire to do the same from MCO to the WDW, no do I care to drive outside of WDW and fight LBV traffic while I'm on vacation. I've experience "lost luggage" before, so now I never board a plane without 24 hours worth of necessities on my shoulder, so I don't care if the luggage is there 2 hours or 10 hours after I arrive.

I'm happy to the option of free DME, and I'm happy for those that choose not to use it. To each his own.

 

[kycat]

I pick up my luggage and am to my resort in less than an hour when I take a town car. Throw in the grocery stop, aww shucks, can't do that with ME. And i save money because for a hundred bucks or so in groceries I can eat 5-6 breakfasts and 5-6 lunches, and get enough water to keep me and my family happy for a week.

We used ME and arrived at the Resort counter in 45 min. (From a 9:40 pm arrival) And our bags took 2 hours. And, we could have easily retrieved our own bags and still made the trip in 45 min. We also had groceries from "wegoshop" waiting for us ( No WASTED TIME shopping for groceries) Disney got none of our B-fast, Lunch, or Snack money either. ME worked great for us. AND....we got to watch previews of the park on the way!
Enjoy your Town car.