limo vs. magical express

[wooster5]

Hi, I was wondering if it would be worth it to rent a limo for transfer
from the airport to our hotel vs. the magical express service.
Any advice?

 

[goofy4tink]

Well, it all depends on what you want your 'experience' to be like. With a limo service you will be met at the bottom of the escalator in baggage claim by a driver, who will help you claim your luggage, then guide you downstairs to the rental car/limo/DME area. He will have you wait while he goes and gets the car. THen he will load you and you luggage into the car and off you go. When it's time for you to leave your resort, your driver will be there to pick you up about 2 1/2 hrs before your flight time. He will load your stuff, then drop you at the departure area of MCO. Usually this service costs in the area of $100 (give or take), then add on a 20% tip.
For DME, you would make your reservation, you then get your info packet, with yellow luggage tags. Tag any bags you are going to check at the airport. When you get to MCO, go to the bottom level of the airport (limo, rental/DME area again), check-in at the DME desk where you will be given vouchers for your return trip. YOu will be told which line to wait for your resort bus in. Then, you hop on the bus and off you go. Your luggage (checked) should arrive at your resort within a few hours of your arrival there.
In my past three experiences it has been about 75 minutes from deplaning to resort check-in using DME. With a towncar it's about 50 minutes.
I always have a carryon bag with me with shorts, bathing suit, deod, brush..that kind of thing, so that I can swim or just change my clothes and head out to a park, without worrying about when my checked luggage is getting to me.
If you are concerned about your checked luggage, then do not put the yellow tags on them, and when you get to MCO just go to baggage claim and grab them yourself. You can take them on the bus...the driver will load the bags underneath the bus. Be aware that if the driver 'touches' a bag, he really should be tipped...$1 per bag.

When it's time to go back to MCO with DME, you will be given a time to be at the bus, about 3 hrs before your flight. Be there, with your bags if you aren't able to check them through (those using a paticipating airline can do this), and they will go underneath the bus.

Any other questions, concerns...just ask away!!! Oh, and to the DIS boards!

 

[Marseeya]

One thing that's swaying my decision to go with a limo rather than ME is the grocery stop.

 

[CleveRocks]

If the grocery stop is the only thing swaying you, then let me introduce you to the idea of a grocery delivery service. The one I used, Gooding's (www.goodings.com), has it set up that you don't need to be in your room when they deliver. You can be wherever, whenever, doesn't matter. Gooding's delivers to your resort's Bell Services (BS), then BS tries to deliver to you. If you're not in, they'll leave you a message AND they'll store your groceries for you, even keeping the cold stuff cold (Gooding's separately bags and labels the cold stuff).

By doing this, you save precious time. You go right to your resort rather than spending time navigating an unfamiliar supermarket, waiting in line, etc. I found it incredibly convenient.

I think the major reason to take a limo versus DME is the pampering, personalized experience. If you want to pay for that, it's there for you. Me, I was happy to keep that $120 or so and have it for other things (more souvenirs, better meals, electric bill, etc.). I rode on an airplane with a few hundred other people, so I had no problem sharing a bus with 40 other people.

If DME fell off the face of the Earth and it was back to paying for a towncar or paying for Mears, I'd pay for the towncar (if I'm paying anyway, I'd be all for paying A LITTLE MORE for personalized service) but I'd STILL go for the grocery delivery over the grocery stop. SOOOO convenient the way Gooding's does it, the whole not-having-to-wait-in-the-room-for-it thing. If www.wegoshop.com and www.gardengrocer.com did it the same way in the future I'd consider using them, too. FYI, since a lot of people ask, Gooding's does not deliver alcohol.

ENJOY WDW!

 

[maine_jennifer]

I prefer using a car service even when I don't use the grocery stop. My thoughts are if I'm going to be on crowded busses all week, I don't want to start or end my vacation that way. Anyway, my next trip with my 10yo nephew, I will be using the grocery stop (for some reason the kid has to eat). It will be saving me a minimum of $26 over using free ME and eating onsite. Haven't used grocery delivery for anything except water through netgrocer.com (non-parishables only). Even if it takes a little extra time, I prefer being able to pick out what I want myself.

Cheers!