Magical Express ?: Returning to MCO (but not flying out)

[Magic Family]

Please help! I just got off the phone with a CM. I provided my incoming flight information, and then explained that I wanted to go back to MCO on Friday afternoon, but we are not flying out. Rather, my husband is flying in late Friday night and we will join him at MCO, where we'll be staying at the Hyatt before we leave to go on the Disney cruise the next morning.

The CM said I'd have to take a taxi back to the airport, and that I couldn't get on ME without a flight reservation. IS THAT TRUE???

 

[Mom2Elliot]

When I booked ours, I asked the CM the same question and she said that we could. We have to go to the resorts transportation desk and reserve a bus time for the day we are going back to the airport. We then plan on staying at a hotel near the airport as we have a very early a.m. flight. Hope she is correct, but I don't see why she wouldn't be.

 

[Jestocost]

The CM said I'd have to take a taxi back to the airport, and that I couldn't get on ME without a flight reservation. IS THAT TRUE???

No, that's not true. You should be able just to give them a time. Some CMs probably don't understand it or are too lazy to go through anything but the standard process. To avoid any problems, just find a flight--any flight--that leaves about three hours after you want to be picked up and give them that information. They don't check to see if you're actually on the flight, but now the CM has a flight number to plug in if they feel they have to and everyone is happy. It may be silly to have to play that game, but sometimes that's just the way it is.

 

[OhMickey]

That was almost the same question I asked. My daughter is flying down a day later than we are. She is a minor and I need to meet her at the airport.

A CM from DME told me I would be allowed to ride the bus back to the airport, meet her, and then both of us will ride the bus back to our Disney Hotel.

I hope she was correct!

 

[bumbershoot]

That was almost the same question I asked. My daughter is flying down a day later than we are. She is a minor and I need to meet her at the airport.

A CM from DME told me I would be allowed to ride the bus back to the airport, meet her, and then both of us will ride the bus back to our Disney Hotel.

I hope she was correct!

I definitely wish you luck, but generally, from what I've read here, DME only allows one ride to Disney and one ride to the airport. That's all the OP is talking about. YOur situation involves TWO rides to the airport for you, and that's the gray area.

I do wonder, how old your minor daughter is? Obviously if she's having to have a companion on the flight that's different, but if she's a teen, is there a restriction on her just taking DME on her own?

 

[Jestocost]

I do wonder, how old your minor daughter is? Obviously if she's having to have a companion on the flight that's different, but if she's a teen, is there a restriction on her just taking DME on her own?

Guests 16 years and older can ride DME unaccompanied. Anyone younger needs to be accompanied.

 

[Magic Family]

Thanks, everyone. Keeping my fingers crossed. I thought about using the bogus airline reservation, but I was worried that (1) they'd check it and realize I'm not on that flight, or (2) my bags would be whisked away to that plane. I suppose I'd have to pick a non-participating airline.

I'm starting to see why I've always used Happy Limo and not DME. It costs more, but it's worry-free.

 

[disneyfan97]

We did this last year...to get back to MCO without a flight reservation. We took ME back to the airport, then caught the Marriott shuttle to stay near the airport for a 6:30 am flight out the next morning. I gave them a flight time on the day I took the bus. The only way they touch your luggage is if you have checked it at the resort (which we didn't do), so without that, it's just a ride.

Good luck!

 

[Tozzie]

Thanks, everyone. Keeping my fingers crossed. I thought about using the bogus airline reservation, but I was worried that (1) they'd check it and realize I'm not on that flight, or (2) my bags would be whisked away to that plane. I suppose I'd have to pick a non-participating airline.

I'm starting to see why I've always used Happy Limo and not DME. It costs more, but it's worry-free.

Your bags won't go anywhere unless you actually check them at the resort. If the bags go on the bus then they are dropped off with you and you take them.