mears shuttle service or private town car?

[jenstang25]

i need so me advice...i am currently debating whether or not to use the mears shuttle service versus the private town car service they provide...my hesitation in using the shuttle service is the possible "extended stay" at the airport upon our return home...i've been told the shuttle will arrive at your hotel 3-4 hours in advance before your scheduled flight...i'm concerned about that because of our 3 year old "get bored easy" daughter...the other concern i have is the major price difference betweent the two...the shuttle service provides free transport for children 1-3 and $29.50 per adult round trip versus the private town car service is $130.00 round trip...any suggestions and/advice is greatly appreciated

 

[kkmauch]

Just curious...why aren't you using Magical Express?
That would be my suggestion first. Then, if for some reason you can't use Magical Express, my suggestion is to always go with a towncar. I can't say enough about how different it is.

 

[jenstang25]

i had originally intended back in may to use magical express but steered away from it when i read all of the mixed comments about it...i totally don't like the idea of not having my luggage with me upon arriving at our resort...i like to unpack and "organize" before venturing out anywhere...for my peace of mind i would rather pay the fee for a transport service and that's just my personal opinion...i'm so not knocking the magical express at all because that is really an awesome service that disney is now providing for budget conscience families or for people that just don't want to pay the fee for transport service...i am strongly steering towards the town car as it seems that it would be the most "stress free" experience..i just wanted other peoples opinions/experiences to help me decide...thanks so much for replying!

 

[pugdog]

I'm sure I will be corrected if wrong, but I thought I heard that Mears does not go to WDW anymore because of ME. So that would only leave the towncar for you.

 

[kirbsam]

Have always used town cars, and I am going to continue.

 

[jenstang25]

I'm sure I will be corrected if wrong, but I thought I heard that Mears does not go to WDW anymore because of ME. So that would only leave the towncar for you.[/QUOTE

no mears still provides the shuttle service, the only difference is you can't access reservations for that online as the magical express automatically comes up on their website...you must call them and request this service but then they simply tell you that you don't need to reserve the shuttle service just simply upon landing go to the reservations desk located at the airport to set it up.

 

[wdwgoofeeee]

We paid $80.00 round trip using Prestige Town cars in June. I understand their fare went up a little since then but if you book online they may still be offering a $5.00 coupon. We had a great driver and super service from them. I believe their web site is prestigetowncars.com. They have merged with Tiffany Town cars so you can also try tiffanytowncars.com.

 

[goofy4tink]

I would book DME and grab you luggage yourself if that is a concern! Sure, most of us love not worrying about lugging our stuff around the airport but there are plenty of others that want to have their bags with them. So, call and make DME reservations. Then, do not put the yellow tags on your bags. When you get to MCO just go to the baggage claim area as usual, grab your stuff and head down to DME. Your bags will just go on the bus with you. When it is time to return to MCO you will be picked up about 3 hrs. ahead of time...that's only about 30 minutes sooner than the towncars pick you up.

 

[jenstang25]

I would book DME and grab you luggage yourself if that is a concern! Sure, most of us love not worrying about lugging our stuff around the airport but there are plenty of others that want to have their bags with them. So, call and make DME reservations. Then, do not put the yellow tags on your bags. When you get to MCO just go to the baggage claim area as usual, grab your stuff and head down to DME. Your bags will just go on the bus with you. When it is time to return to MCO you will be picked up about 3 hrs. ahead of time...that's only about 30 minutes sooner than the towncars pick you up.

oh I so did not know that you could do that! so i can reserve the magical express service but instead of having them transfer my luggage to a different bus other than the one i'm riding i can go and claim it myself and have it with me when i board and they take me to my resort? are the buses like shuttle buses or motor coaches or what? i mean we will have alot of luggage for just us 3...they can still accomadate us? i wonder if others do this as well? this really changes things in my mind now! thanks for that tip!

 

[CleveRocks]

I would book DME and grab you luggage yourself if that is a concern! Sure, most of us love not worrying about lugging our stuff around the airport but there are plenty of others that want to have their bags with them. So, call and make DME reservations. Then, do not put the yellow tags on your bags. When you get to MCO just go to the baggage claim area as usual, grab your stuff and head down to DME. Your bags will just go on the bus with you. When it is time to return to MCO you will be picked up about 3 hrs. ahead of time...that's only about 30 minutes sooner than the towncars pick you up.

I just wanted to quote what goofy4tink wrote because I agree with every word!

are the buses like shuttle buses or motor coaches or what? i mean we will have alot of luggage for just us 3...they can still accomadate us? i wonder if others do this as well? this really changes things in my mind now! thanks for that tip!

The DME buses are NEW motorcoaches with DVD screens, air conditioning, plushly upholstered seats, lavatory, etc. I was impressed. On DME, each passenger is entitled to 2 pieces of checked luggage (or in this case, luggage you'll pick up), the same as most airlines allow you to have. I've not seen a specific limit on carry-ons, but I can't imagine if you flew to MCO in the first place that you would be able to have too much stuff for DME to handle.

We've read of numerous people who, for whatever reason, wanted to retrieve their own luggage and take it to the DME bus with them (the driver will load it into the cargo hold of your bus, and then unload it for you, too). If you do this, as goofy4tink already said, MAKE SURE YOU DON'T PUT THE DME TAGS ON YOUR LUGGAGE!!!.

Have fun!

-- Eric

 

[jenstang25]

woh! go disney! those motorcoaches sound awesome! after discovering that i can retrieve my own luggage i think i may just go that way instead of the town car...haven't completely made up my mind just yet but strongly steering towards me now...NOW i called disney reservations tonite just to get some more info on it and i was told that i couldn't even make the reservations until 21 days before my arrival...does that sound right? i'm the kind of person who thrives on organization and preparation so waiting until 21 days before our trip kinda scares me....you know how you can be told one thing by one person and then call back 5 minutes later and be told something totally opposite...just wondering if that is a possibility here?

 

[CleveRocks]

NOW i called disney reservations tonite just to get some more info on it and i was told that i couldn't even make the reservations until 21 days before my arrival...does that sound right? i'm the kind of person who thrives on organization and preparation so waiting until 21 days before our trip kinda scares me....you know how you can be told one thing by one person and then call back 5 minutes later and be told something totally opposite...just wondering if that is a possibility here?

It's not just a possibility, it's a certainty, and I speak from personal experience (with DME). The CM might be confused. 21 days is the usual time at which DME materials are mailed out to the guest. Call back. Keep calling back if you have to. Get that DME reservation made just for peace of mind!

-- Eric

 

[localdriver]

woh! go disney! those motorcoaches sound awesome! after discovering that i can retrieve my own luggage i think i may just go that way instead of the town car...haven't completely made up my mind just yet but strongly steering towards me now...NOW i called disney reservations tonite just to get some more info on it and i was told that i couldn't even make the reservations until 21 days before my arrival...does that sound right? i'm the kind of person who thrives on organization and preparation so waiting until 21 days before our trip kinda scares me....you know how you can be told one thing by one person and then call back 5 minutes later and be told something totally opposite...just wondering if that is a possibility here?

Mears owns and operates the DME coaches. IF your concern is your luggage, simply DO NOT attach the DME tags. Claim your luggage and bring it to the DME Welcome Center. Your luggage will travel with you to your resort.

If you choose to use the luggage portion, attach the tags, your luggage will be pulled prior to reaching the claim area, sorted, loaded onto trucks, transfered to your resort, and delivered to your room. This is done by a company called BAGS inc, not Disney, or Mears, as I understand it. They have been doing Disney Cruise Lines for years, so this is not new to them and has worked quite well.

There is plenty of mis-information from Disney Reservations.

Must be within 21 days doesn't sound right. Seems I heard 21+ days, hardly time to print and send customized booklets and tags inside of 21 days.

Someone knows the answer.....Horace???....LOL

 

[goofy4tink]

Nope, I would call again and make those reservations. They have a problem with getting out the luggage tags to those who make reservations a month in advance. I called a week before I left and they didn't even bother sending me anything!!! Once again, a CM seems to have it wrong. Ah well...they are getting better. Of course, if you aren't going to need those yellow luggage tags, it won't be an issue. I made a last minute trip several weeks ago...literally called on a Friday to leave the following Friday! The DME person told me they couldn't get me tags out that soon. Not a problem because it was a short trip and I was doing only carry-on. And when I got to the check-in desk, they had no problem bringing my reservation up in their system...gave me my vouchers and off I went.

 

[jenstang25]

i know it didn't sound right to me either...everywhere i read stated that once making reservations you would receive your luggage tags within 21 days of departure...i will call back this evening and lol put my foot down...tis true i really don't have to stress about it though because i know in advance that i won't be needing the luggage tags anyways so as long as i have the reservations everything should be ok...now how does the return trip work? will i be told what time a coach will pick me up? or do i need to reserve again once arriving at the airport (first day i arrive i mean) for the return trip?

 

[goofy4tink]

i know it didn't sound right to me either...everywhere i read stated that once making reservations you would receive your luggage tags within 21 days of departure...i will call back this evening and lol put my foot down...tis true i really don't have to stress about it though because i know in advance that i won't be needing the luggage tags anyways so as long as i have the reservations everything should be ok...now how does the return trip work? will i be told what time a coach will pick me up? or do i need to reserve again once arriving at the airport (first day i arrive i mean) for the return trip?

They should ask for all of your travel info...times and flight numbers, and what resorts you will be at. Then, the day before you are due to leave, you should get a notice on your door, from DME, telling you what time you should be at the bus area ready to depart. You can either leave your bags with bell services and then pick them up when it's time for the bus (leave about 20 minutes to do this) or you can check them through to the airport if you are on a 'participating' airline. Then just hop on the bus and back you go. It is usually about 2 hrs and 45 minutes before your flight time, give or take.

 

[jenstang25]

ok...update...i called back to me reservations today and was told that because i booked my airline reservations online that is the reason why my info will not "transfer" to their system until 21 days before my departure...still doesn't make since to me...i thought it was linked to when you make your hotel reservations...anyways...i was instructed to go to disneysmagicalexpress and make my reservations there...there it states that if you are making the reservations within 10 days or less before departure that they cannot guarantee you will receive your booklet i imagine which contains those ever popular yellow tags...before hanging up i asked the very nice rep if i can check my own luggage instead of using the tags...she said i could but advised me that since my flight comes in at 12 noon that my room will not be available until 3pm anyways so i should go ahead and take advantage of the service....boy that puts a new spin on things....if i still decide to check my own luggage where do i and my luggage go until 3pm?

 

[CleveRocks]

before hanging up i asked the very nice rep if i can check my own luggage instead of using the tags...she said i could but advised me that since my flight comes in at 12 noon that my room will not be available until 3pm anyways so i should go ahead and take advantage of the service....boy that puts a new spin on things....if i still decide to check my own luggage where do i and my luggage go until 3pm?

Two things:

1) Your resort's Bell Services can store your luggage for you. This includes carry-ons, if you wish.

2) Just because check-in time is 3:00 p.m. doesn't mean your room won't be ready. My flight arrived at 9:15 a.m. and my 2 rooms were ready when I checked in at 10:30 a.m. Yes, I was lucky, and as they say "Your results may vary," but there's a chance you won't have to wait until the official check-in time.

-- Eric

 

[CharityLynn]

Wow, I am a bit confused...I have booked my DME and I have 60 days until my trip. I had no problems what so ever when I made the reservation, all they wanted were flight numbers and times. I was also told if at 25 days out we did not receive our package to call a number (they gave me the number but I'm not sure where i put it lol) and they would send the packet out ASAP

 

[goofy4tink]

ok...update...i called back to me reservations today and was told that because i booked my airline reservations online that is the reason why my info will not "transfer" to their system until 21 days before my departure...still doesn't make since to me...i thought it was linked to when you make your hotel reservations...anyways...i was instructed to go to disneysmagicalexpress and make my reservations there...there it states that if you are making the reservations within 10 days or less before departure that they cannot guarantee you will receive your booklet i imagine which contains those ever popular yellow tags...before hanging up i asked the very nice rep if i can check my own luggage instead of using the tags...she said i could but advised me that since my flight comes in at 12 noon that my room will not be available until 3pm anyways so i should go ahead and take advantage of the service....boy that puts a new spin on things....if i still decide to check my own luggage where do i and my luggage go until 3pm?

Can you clarify something for me?? When you say you booked your air online, how did you do it?? I ask because I always book my air online, directly through the airline website. I have used DME twice now and had no problem at all with the reservations being taken. Once I did have to go through Member Services because I was staying on my points, but when I stayed at Pop this month is wasn't an issue. Just curious.

Also, you may get into your room earlier. But, if you have your stuff with you and it makes you feel better to do it that way, then do it. Leave your bags with Bell Services. We do that all the time. We did DME and still left our carry-on stuff with BS until we could get into our room. We ate lunch, had a swim and were nice and relaxed by the time we got our room.