Magical Express not too magical for us!

[CleveRocks]

Why doesn't someone tell this lady to walk up to Disney greeter 15 forward steps from the escalator and ask the greeter if she could find a Disney employee who will take her to the DME Welcome Center. Descibe the greeter, Medium blue captains coat with gold bars and tan bottoms, to the lady and have her watch for the greeter as she goes down the escalator. Everyone walks toward the escalator from the third floor and she can just follow the crowd down the escalator where she will find the greeter on the second floor. If she wants a picture let's get her a picture of the greeter. Disney has enough employees walking around the airport that they can find one who will walk the lady over to the DME.

This is why, for someone like the aforementioned VERY nervous flyer, I think DME will work better than a car service. I'm not maligning anyone or any car service. The point is, Disney/DME has a physical presence at the airport, with many people who can help her if need be. This makes DME, in this specific instance, a much better fit for the person. Even in a worst-case scenario, Disney will still be at MCO. But with a single person, a driver, there can be worst-case scenarios that would prevent even the most responsible and experienced person from being at the right place at the right time. This is in no way an argument against car services overall, as adults of average emotional and cognitive ability could deal with the small chance of a driver being unexpectedly delayed.

Now, on the flip side, I also think that personalized service, a one-on-one "relationship" with a driver may be better for the nervous/emotional traveler, but since hooking up with the transportation should be guaranteed versus almost completely guaranteed, I'd tip the scales in DME's favor.

 

[kaytieeldr]

From what I've read over the past few months, it's likely what you saw was one of three different tasks:

You forgot one possibility:
4) The persons with the clipboards had nothing to do with Magical Express

This thread makes me nervous. We are having a magical gathering in October and my 20 year old sister is flying for the first time and is using DME for her flights. I am wondering if we should shell out the extra for a towncar of something to make sure everyting goes ok?

You're free to do whatever makes you feel most comfortable. Just keep in mind:
Over three and a half million Guests have used Disney's Magical Express since its inception (based on 483 days with an average of 7,500 passengers per day); even if you figure a hundred passengers a day (extraordinarily high figure chosen for ease of calculation) are displeased for whatever reason, that's just over one percent total.
And much displeasure is due to expectations not being met, not the service failing.

I will already have left when my sister is flying out. If she has any troubles with check in she will have a nervous breakdown. She is very scared about flying.

I still believe DME is the best option. How long before she departs will you be leaving?
If it's just earlier the same day, you may well be able to help her check in - assuming she's flying home on a participating airline.
Actually, no matter WHAT airline she's using, she can just check in at the airport instead. That would eliminate the almost negligible chance that she'd have problems using RAC.
If you're leaving even earlier than THAT, you could still take time out to walk her through the leaving process. As long as they're not busy, I'm sure an RAC person will help.
If you're leaving the day before she is, you can just make sure she has her DME packet before you leave.
If you read this and other threads, people have also had problems with car services not showing up, or showing up late. At least with DME, there are people right there to help.

If a driver knew her problems he could probably be depended on. The posts on these boards which make drivers look like they are irresponsible are stretched a lot. The lady needs someone to meet her at the escalators and take it over from there, whether it be a driver or the ME representative.

No, the posts on this board describe individual negative experiences with town car drivers, just as the posts on this board describe individual negative experiences with DME. We do not know exactly what assistance the lady in question needs, but not being able to "find one's way out of a parking lot" (and if I were twenty, I'd think qst4it is MY sibling ) is in NO way comparable to needing a guide to get through an airport as well-designed and well-marked as MCO:
Level 3 = Departures/Arrivals
Level 2 = Baggage Claim
Level 1 = Ground Transportation
Simple.

 

[havencruiser]

Jsut something to think about, no need to respond:
Is the woman's fear dealing with the actual act of FLYING or more an agoraphobia (fear of open spaces ,traveling, details) etc? If it's flying, then perhaps the details of an airport won't be quite as traumatic as we think becuase, if that were me, I 'd be more upset checking in at the beginning of the flight rather than picking up my stuff at the end.
However, if it's more global anxiety about travelling in any manner, especially by herself, that's a different story. You may want to contact the airline to see what assistance might be available from the airline for situations such as this. I work in the clinical services field and realize that there is a whole spectrum of special needs ranging from being a "anxious flyer" to somebody with more encompassing social/emotional/funtional issues which make any sort of unexpected event translate into a larger issue than most might think it "should" be.
Either way, my vote is still for DME for all the reasons stated by the previous posters.

 

[qst4it]

I am pretty sure we will stay with DME. I booked her flight with disney to make sure we would be able to use it. My sister is just not grown out of a teenager yet. She is still at an age where she expects someone else to take care of things for her and if something goes bad she throws her hands in the air and gives up. I know it sounds stupid but she will outgrow it eventually. right? She is the most bok smart person I know, just lagging in other areas. Last time we went I drove across the state of NC (I live on the coast, she is in Charlotte) to get her and then we went to FL. I now have two toddlers and can't do that again. She will have to do things on her own at some point in time.

 

[kaytieeldr]

One more thought - you'll already be at Disney, right? Do you and she have cell phones? If she runs into any problem at the airport, can she call you and you'll talk her through it? You know, directing her from the gate to the tram, then once in the main terminal down two flights to the Ground Transportation level and turn (sorry, I forget which way) to head to the DME counter? Once there, CMs will be everywhere to help her - just make sure she knows which resort she's going to, and pays attention when the driver announces the stops!

 

[CleveRocks]

I am pretty sure we will stay with DME. I booked her flight with disney to make sure we would be able to use it.

Just for clarification of others who may be reading this ....

You don't have to book air through Disney to use DME. The only requirements for using DME are: being named on the reservation at a WDW owned-and-operated resort; using the bus from MCO to your resort (NOT a different resort) on your check-in date, and from your resort (NOT a different resort) to MCO on your check-out date. Doesn't matter who you booked air with, or whether you have a room only reservation or a package.