ME Question... No ressies for ME, will they take me?

[Corryn]

Hello,
We're staying on-site at SSR.
We are renting a car.
I have to return home one day during our trip. I have a test that I cannot miss back home during the middle of our trip, and yeah, it stinks, but I have to go home for a day. I will be returning to Orlando that evening. I have already scheduled ME to take me to the airport in the morning. DH will have 4 kids and taking me or picking me up at the airport is not an option.

Disney told my AAA TA that they can only drive me TO the airport.
She has no idea why they cannot drive me BACK to the resort that evening when I return.

Like I said, we rented a car, I am not abusing the privilege that Disney offers their on-site customers. I'm getting one way, but how come they won't give me the other way? I've taken ME before and the buses were not crowded. In fact, there were only three of us on the whole big bus last year when I took it.

And has anyone ever tried walking up to the counter and asking for a ride, especially if they're staying on-site?

Thanks

 

[Tozzie]

Hello,
We're staying on-site at SSR.
We are renting a car.
I have to return home one day during our trip. I have a test that I cannot miss back home during the middle of our trip, and yeah, it stinks, but I have to go home for a day. I will be returning to Orlando that evening. I have already scheduled ME to take me to the airport in the morning. DH will have 4 kids and taking me or picking me up at the airport is not an option.

Disney told my AAA TA that they can only drive me TO the airport.
She has no idea why they cannot drive me BACK to the resort that evening when I return.

Like I said, we rented a car, I am not abusing the privilege that Disney offers their on-site customers. I'm getting one way, but how come they won't give me the other way? I've taken ME before and the buses were not crowded. In fact, there were only three of us on the whole big bus last year when I took it.

And has anyone ever tried walking up to the counter and asking for a ride, especially if they're staying on-site?

Thanks

When you get to the resort the first time, call DME directly and see about getting a reservation I know the rule is one trip to and one trip from the airport, which is what you are doing only backwards so I would see what they say directly but since you booked through AAA you need to wait until you get there to the reservation. Either that or have your Travel agent make a seprate reservation for your return to the resort and don't tell the DME cast member you have the other reservation.

 

[goofy4tink]

Have your travel agent call and make your DME reservation, from MCO back to the resort, before you leave for WDW. As if you were arriving there for the first time...no mention of the fact that you just left there earlier. Then, when you get to WDW, head to the front desk and arrange for your ride back to MCO for the test. That should work.
Everyone is entitled to a ride to the resort from MCO and then back to MCO again. You're just doing it backwards.

 

[carolina_yankee]

Good luck with the transportation and the test. If I were in your shoes, I would do exactly the same thing, but have you factored in a back-up plan to account for air travel delays getting back home? I would hate to have that mess up the test.

Another thought is that taking DME will mean leaving for the airport 3 hours early. Would a taxi or car service to the airport, and DME on return give you more time?

Dirk

 

[seashoreCM]

I'm not sure you're "permitted" to do it backwards, but your travel agent (or you) can certainly make your Disney-bound DME reservation for a later date (your part 2) than the rest of the family checks in, preferably before you (all)actually arrive for your part 1. Then you can make a one way homebound DME reservation after you get there and a few days before you need that even if other family members aren't checking out yet.

The possible catch is that the system may raise a flag that the room was filled to capacity some days ago. Next, the DME welcoming agent humanly* refuses you the already reserved Disney bound ride for part 2 of your vacation on the grounds that a "new" person doesn't get a DME ride to replace "someone" who checked out early.

Going back to the airport, you can take a taxi from a park compared with having to plan enough time and slack to surely be at the DME bus platform at your resort 15 minutes before your bus time.

*OT: In the real world but within the US, government is supposed to be by law, not by men.

 

[goofy4tink]

Because they are renting a car, DME has no idea who is actually already there and who isn't. I know that I have checked in before, without using DME to get to my resort, and been able to get my dh to the resort on DME with no issue.
The only issue you may have is the whole leaving before you arrive, so to speak. Is it possible to make your return to MCO DME ride reservation in someone else's name??? Let's say one of the other women in your group?? You could make that return ride reservation in her name..they won't ask for anything other than the voucher or letter. Then, you can make your arrival DME reservation in your own name for when you arrive back at MCO later that day.
It shouldn't be an issue since you are renting a car..not arriving at the start by using DME.
The other thing you could do is this...if you can't make that DME reservation back to the resort, you can always just arrive at MCO, then go down to the Mears counter. You can book a ride, for about $20, to your resort. You can't reserve it ahead of time, but you can do it when you arrive. You may even be put on the DME bus going to your resort.

 

[Corryn]

Goofy4Tink, is Mears really only about $20 to the resort???? I thought it was like $60 or $80!

Thank you all for your tips. I am going to reread this thread later on this evening and plan out what I am going to do, then I'll make my phone calls tomorrow and try to straighten this out. It's just so simple, but so confusing, I guess, if you're a computer.. how silly!

 

[goofy4tink]

Goofy4Tink, is Mears really only about $20 to the resort???? I thought it was like $60 or $80!

Thank you all for your tips. I am going to reread this thread later on this evening and plan out what I am going to do, then I'll make my phone calls tomorrow and try to straighten this out. It's just so simple, but so confusing, I guess, if you're a computer.. how silly!

Yes, it really is. BUT..it is the shuttle bus, not a towncar. I used it myself, a year ago...I really wanted to see how it all worked so I could report about it here. I was staying at the Swan, so not able to use DME in any case. But, for those who, for whatever reason, are not able to use DME, the Mears shuttle bus is a good alternative. It took me about 75 mins to get to the Swan...but, as I mentioned, you might even be put on a DME bus rather than the Mears shuttle bus, going to SSR.

 

[Corryn]

Thanks!
You are right. Last year it took a little over an hour to get to the Poly when I took ME. I was not happy LOL I was the last one to get off the bus!
But for the $20 maybe it's worth it instead of dealing with the aggravation from ME as far as a backwards trip is concerned.

I just checked Mears on the link above - a DIS sponsor, and they wanted $60 one way

 

[clkelley]

I had to go home for a couple of days our last trip. We did use DME for our regular round trip. So I needed to use Mears for the in between trip.

Here is what I did.

When I got to the airport I went to the nearest Mears counter and purchased a one way from the Swan to MCO. (I took no luggage home for this intermediate trip, so not a problem.)

At the appropriate time, I arrived at the Swan and was taken to the airport. The cost was $20.00

Upon my return to MCO a few days later, I proceeded to the Mears counter all the way down next to the DME Welcome Center and requested to purchase a one-way ticket to All-Star Music. They then directed me to a DME bus and I was delivered to All-Star Music!!

Now, since your family is NOT using DME anyway, here is what I would do.

Reserve your get back to Disney ride in advance on the evening you are supposed to return. That way that ride is set. You will have a DME booklet and a transportation ticket.

When you arrive at Disney, go to the front desk of your resort and reserve your "leave Disney for the class" ride. You "should" then receive a voucher under your door the day before you depart with your DME bus time.

Quite honestly, I don't think the computer system is set up savvy enough to know that you have a reservation to "come to Disney" on DME later that night.

If for some reason it does, and they say you can't take DME to the airport before arriving, then call Mears and arrange for a pickup at the Swan or Dolphin. You would simply pay the driver $20 in cash.

 

[clkelley]

I just checked Mears on the link above - a DIS sponsor, and they wanted $60 one way

That is for the towncar service. The Mears system WILL NOT tell you in advance how much Mears is to/from a Disney resort as that is part of their contract with Disney to run DME. Disney wants folks on their DME system.

 

[safetymom]

Disney asks for your confirmation number to verify the details. You wouldn't be able to do it backwards.

 

[clkelley]

Disney asks for your confirmation number to verify the details. You wouldn't be able to do it backwards.

If that is the case then she can simply take the Mears shuttle from the Swan/Dolphin to get back to the airport OR pay for a Mears ticket to ride DME back to her resort.