ME Routes?

[cg1200]

Heading down in about 3 weeks. I've always uses a car service to get from the airport to our hotel (since before ME existed). We are a family of 5 and just got used to the convenience. However, I'm debating using ME for the first time. Are their defined routes for the buses? We will be staying at the VWL (also a first for us, normally we stay at BWV). Realistically how long will it take to get from the airport to the hotel? We get in around 10:30am. I like the idea of not having to worry about my luggage but I'm concerned about the additional time required to get to and from. For a $100 (round trip) car service can't decide if it's worth it or not.

What do you folks think? Apologies if this is a common question.

 

[Edna "E" Mode]

Not sure if I can help much but I'll give it a whiz ....yep, there are different buses/routes for different hotels but since I haven't been to the VWL I couldn't say for sure how long that ride will take.

When we used the ME we landed at 10AM and it took about 3 hours to get to the hotel on Disney.

How it worked for us was we got off the plane then walked to the ME check in desk, got through that line, then depending on hotel, park etc. they put you in another line to wait for the bus.

Once we got on the bus it was another 30 minutes till we left the airport then it was about another 30 minute ride to the hotel. We were are All Stars Movies.

With luggage, just wanted to say when using ME for that make sure you have enough clothes etc. with you for a whole day. Your luggage will trail you to the hotel. Ours took 8 hours to reach us.

The ME information Disney sends tell you about 3 hours from getting in but since your luggage doesn't travel with you once off the plane it can depend on the other flights, if there are delays and how long it takes for the truck to get full before it heads back to Disney to start dropping off the luggage. So there are a few variables there.


You don't have to check your luggage with ME. Just don't use their tags and claim your bags as normal and they can be loaded under the ME bus when you get on.

We're actually thinking of getting a car service (if we can find a good one)this time cause we are getting in about 9:30PM and probably would not get our luggage till the AM if we used ME and that just won't work.

That was our experience other then the luggage it wasn't too bad but we did feel like we wasted a lot of Disney time getting there.... course having kids asking every 5 mintues "why aren't we there yet" does seem to make things take a lot longer....lol

 

[dburg30]

Not sure if I can help much but I'll give it a whiz ....yep, there are different buses/routes for different hotels but since I haven't been to the VWL I couldn't say for sure how long that ride will take.

When we used the ME we landed at 10AM and it took about 3 hours to get to the hotel on Disney.

How it worked for us was we got off the plane then walked to the ME check in desk, got through that line, then depending on hotel, park etc. they put you in another line to wait for the bus.

Once we got on the bus it was another 30 minutes till we left the airport then it was about another 30 minute ride to the hotel. We were are All Stars Movies.

With luggage, just wanted to say when using ME for that make sure you have enough clothes etc. with you for a whole day. Your luggage will trail you to the hotel. Ours took 8 hours to reach us.

The ME information Disney sends tell you about 3 hours from getting in but since your luggage doesn't travel with you once off the plane it can depend on the other flights, if there are delays and how long it takes for the truck to get full before it heads back to Disney to start dropping off the luggage. So there are a few variables there.


You don't have to check your luggage with ME. Just don't use their tags and claim your bags as normal and they can be loaded under the ME bus when you get on.

We're actually thinking of getting a car service (if we can find a good one)this time cause we are getting in about 9:30PM and probably would not get our luggage till the AM if we used ME and that just won't work.

That was our experience other then the luggage it wasn't too bad but we did feel like we wasted a lot of Disney time getting there.... course having kids asking every 5 mintues "why aren't we there yet" does seem to make things take a lot longer....lol

That wasnt a normal deal. You will find normally DME will get you to your resort 70-90 minutes on average after deplaning, if you go directly to the DME counter. If you stop for food or shopping or potty breaks, of course you need to add that to the total. 2 times in the last 12 months took us just over an hour, this last time in Nov, it did take us closer to 2:00 to get there, but we stopped to potty and took a slower pace to the DME area so I think we just basically missed the bus so to speak. I know our bags got to CSR less then an hour after we checked into CSR, which was about 3 hours after landing, and 2 hours faster then WDW said it would take, they didnt have a full truck of luggage I dont think that has anything to do with it, I would guess there may have been an issue somewhere else possibly, perhaps luggage mis directed or something. Who knows, but 3 hours to resort and 8 hours for luggage isnt normal (although, if it was 3 hours to get to the resort, they say 3 hours after check in, they were only 2 hours late )

I love DME and will use it again a 4th time in less then 2 weeks..

I would say that on average, you would gain 30 minutes going to your resort using a car service (you have to wait for your luggage) and maybe an hour going back, DME will pick you up about 3 hours before your flight, where car service probably closer to 2 hours, but I wouldnt push it too much with MCO and the lines that CAN form there.

 

[Bobo912]

We've used ME for our last seven Disney trips and it has never taken more than an hour from the time the plane landed until we arrived at our resort. I'm sure we have been very, very lucky and not everyone has had such a good experience. If you decide to take advantage of ME, I hope it works out as well for you as it has for us.

 

[Edna "E" Mode]

Guess we got there on the wrong day.

We got off the plane and headed straight to the ME check in and all the lines. People were camped out on their luggage waiting to get on the buses and the driver had us waiting around to see if there were more people before he'd leave.

The information on the luggage and the trucks was what the people at the front desk were telling us after we had been at the hotel for 2 hours(5 after landing) and still nothing.

They called the driver while we were standing there and was told they were still waiting for more flights to get in to fill the truck but that the system did show that our luggage was on board.

We took a non stop hoping to limit the chance that it would get lost. There was another guest that had the same problem only he had been waiting much longer.

Course these were also the same people that told us Disney doesn't have cabs or allow any cabs on property so there was no way they could help us with any other transportation other then the Disney buses.

 

[SueM in MN]

There are not set routes for the ME bus. Where the bus goes and in what order it goes to the different resorts depends on where the guests are going and how they group the passengers.
So, you could be going to the same resort on 3 trips. The first time, your resort might be the first stop. On your next trip, it might be the 3rd stop and on your last trip, it may be the second stop.

 

[jamstew]

I've used ME five times, and it's never taken more than about an hour & fifteen minutes from deplaning to the resort. There was one instance where my luggage didn't get to the room for about five hours after I checked in, but it never happened again. I wouldn't do it any other way. I figuure by the time you claim your luggage, get the rental car, load the luggage and drive to the resort, you really don't save much, if any, time.

 

[cg1200]

We're actually thinking of getting a car service (if we can find a good one)this time cause we are getting in about 9:30PM and probably would not get our luggage till the AM if we used ME and that just won't work.

That was our experience other then the luggage it wasn't too bad but we did feel like we wasted a lot of Disney time getting there.... course having kids asking every 5 mintues "why aren't we there yet" does seem to make things take a lot longer....lol

I've used this place for car service http://www.transportation2disney.com/ every time over the last 8 years. No issues whatsoever. The driver meets you in the baggage claim area and helps you with your luggage. He is parked outside and normally we are at the hotel in less than an hour. It sometimes takes longer to get our luggage than the ride over.

The trip costs so much to begin with what's another $100? The convenience can't be beat. Even though I'm sure it would work out ok there does seem to be an outside chance of something going wrong. For $100 it just doesn't seem worth it. Call me spoiled. Maybe I'll change my mind and give it a shot.

Thanks for the replies.

 

[CleveRocks]

Even though I'm sure it would work out ok there does seem to be an outside chance of something going wrong. For $100 it just doesn't seem worth it.

There's an outside chance of something going wrong no matter how any of us chooses to get from the airport to WDW. No system is perfect. DME has had isolated problems with delays. Car services have had isolated problems with no-show drivers. Car rental agencies have had isolated problems with phantom reservations.

There's NO WAY to avoid an outside chance of something going wrong.

I always advise people to choose the type of service they desire. They are all about as reliable as the others. They all get you there in roughly the same amount of time. The only difference is the service experience and the cost.

DME is a shared ride, but its free. A car service is a personalized, private experience in which someone provides a service to you. A car rental leaves the guest in total control of the situation (after the car is received). To each's own. But I can't say that one is more trouble-free than another.

 

[parmtoo]

We used ME in Dec. of 07, and we loved it. It only took about an hour from the time we got off the plane, to arrival at Pop. We are using it again for our trip from Jan.10-17.

 

[kaytieeldr]

When we used the ME we landed at 10AM and it took about 3 hours to get to the hotel on Disney.
With luggage, just wanted to say when using ME for that make sure you have enough clothes etc. with you for a whole day. Your luggage will trail you to the hotel. Ours took 8 hours to reach us.

Those are unusually* long times. The average time from stepping off the plane into the terminal, to stepping off the bus at your resort, is 70 minutes. This assumes the Guest proceeds directly to the Welcome Center, does not pass "Go", does not collect $200, does not do a rest stop, does not have lunch, does not window- or real shop...
The Magical Express packet you will recieve will tell you that your luggage may take up to three hours after you check in and your room is ready, to get to your room. Again, eight hours is unusually long, but it is ALWAYS advisable whenever/wherever you fly to pack in your carry-on whatever items you will need for the first 24 hours at your destination.

*I am in NO way doubting or disputing the quoted poster's specific experience.

He is parked outside and normally we are at the hotel in less than an hour. It sometimes takes longer to get our luggage than the ride over.

Excuse me, but that's logistically impossible. The closest resort to the airport is Pop Century, and that's at least a 25 minute ride. If it takes longer to get your luggage, that's 26 minutes. Even if you run through the airport, it still takes close to ten minutes to get from the plane to the luggage carousel. Then there's the time it takes to get down to level one, and the five minutes it takes for the driver to get the car and pick you up.

And as I indicated above, this all assumes the Guest is staying at Pop Century. The ride to other resorts takes longer, so if it takes longer for luggage to come out than for the ride that extends the length of the entire trip.

 

[helenk]

I have used ME at least 6 times, maybe even 7, I've lost count. I love it! First its free, and second it have been reliable.
I usually get off the plane, stop and call my family to let them know I arrived safely, and then stop at the ladies room and then head on over to the ME counter. Do not let the lines there scare you, everything moves very quickly. Generally it has taken me about 1 hour and 15 minutes to an hour and a half from the time I get off the plane to the time I get to my resort.
Here is the time line from my visit in Nov.
Plane landed at 11:15 am, I was at the ME counter by 11:40, I was in line and checked in and in line for the bus to the Allstar Sports by 11:50, 5 minutes later I was on the bus to the Allstar Sports. By 12:35 I was at the resort. So from the time I landed to the time I got to my resort was an hour and 20 minutes. The Sports was the first resort to be dropped off, so if I were staying at the 3rd resort to be dropped off, I would add maybe 10minutes to that timeframe.
Usually I do not wait for my luggage as I tend to drop off my carry on luggage if my room is not ready and then go straight to a park. The only time I did not go right to the parks was this past September when we stayed at the WL, our room was ready so we dropped off our carry ons and then went to the Whispering Canyon for lunch after checking in and then went up to the room to freshen up, our luggage was delivered as we were getting ready to go out, so it was less than 2 hours to get our luggage. I do not know if this is the norm or not.

 

[cg1200]

Excuse me, but that's logistically impossible. The closest resort to the airport is Pop Century, and that's at least a 25 minute ride. If it takes longer to get your luggage, that's 26 minutes. Even if you run through the airport, it still takes close to ten minutes to get from the plane to the luggage carousel. Then there's the time it takes to get down to level one, and the five minutes it takes for the driver to get the car and pick you up.

And as I indicated above, this all assumes the Guest is staying at Pop Century. The ride to other resorts takes longer, so if it takes longer for luggage to come out than for the ride that extends the length of the entire trip.

Umm, not really. Sometimes it has taken a long time for our luggage to come out of the carousel. Was it more than 20-30 minutes? I really don't know (I've never actually timed it) but it sure felt like it. The ride to the boardwalk is roughly 30 min (maybe it's 35 or 36 -again I've never timed it). My guy was literally parked right in front of the ground transportation exit. Soon as we got our bags we went down the elvator and his van was right outside.

I was trying to make a point in favor of DME that waiting for your luggage can sometimes add a lot of time to your trip from the airport. This is a disadvantage to using car service - you have to wait for your luggage to come out which can take a while - sometimes.

Sure anything can go wrong with any mode of transportation. That is true. Both options are not without their problems. As someone said its up to the individual and the experience they most prefer (or saving the money!).