goofy4tink
No tags...not needed! Transportation moderator
- Joined
- May 2, 2002
- Messages
- 54,711
You know...I may very well start renting a car for my WDW stays! We arrived at MCO, and were speedily met by Ed Korgan...as usual, good ride to Portafino Bay at US/IoA..with grocery stop. He then picked us up the next day to drive us to BWV for our one night stay. That was okay as well. This is when the fun started.
The next day, Saturday, we went down to Valet and asked for a cab..it was about 8:30 or so, over to VWL. They called a cab up and they told the driver we were going to WL. Okay. I restated it, just so there would be no mistake...'Ok' says the driver. Well, we headed out of BW, and rather than making the right turn, past S/D, to head to WL, he continued straight. Well, I figured he knew a short cut (couldn't imagine what it was, but who knew!). I mentioned that I thought this was a strange way to get to WL. The driver said, and I quote "Oh, yes, this is the way to AKL!' Seriously? I told him we were going to WL, not AKL. His response was to almost drop the F bomb, but caught himself, saying geez, this is the second time I've done this. Okay, turns around at CSR. He took $2 off the final tab, making it $14. I handed him a $20 bill...'Oh, sorry, I don't have change'. Are you kidding me? So, my friend and I scraped together $15....a ten and five one's...and that's what he got. I don't think he was very happy...tough.
Buses, and boats worked pretty well while we were there.
Then, it came time to head home yesterday. You all know I've been a strong proponent of DME....but maybe not so much anymore. We had a 3:30 p/u time so we arrived out at the DME bus area by 3:20. We had been sitting in the lobby at WL for about 45 mins, killing time, but once it got to 3:15, I started checking to see if our bus was there. As we started walking across the entry over to the DME bus stop, a bus pulled up, and a valet person yelled that it was dropping off only!! And I do mean yelled! I told her that was fine and continued to the seating area. Well, when it became 3:45, my friend and I approached a CM and asked if the bus was still coming. 'Oh yes, it was on it's way. We just called and it's about 15 mins behind schedule.' Okay...so we go back to sit and wait. Now, it was about 95 degrees, we were sitting in the sun....I was getting really cranky! At 4:10, my friend got up and approached Sami, the girl from valet who had yelled at me already! When she was asked about the bus, she very snippily said the bus was coming! When my friend told her it was pretty hot in the sun, Sami's response was 'Well, you shouldn't be sitting there..that's not the seating area for DME. People sit and wait over there by the doorway!' and she walked away! So, I'm curious as to why the DME sign is across the street from the port ochre, with seating in the sun...but we aren't supposed to wait there, but instead, over by valet, where there is very limited seating. Finally, at 4:20 a bus came....fairly full by this time!!! And there were probably 20 people now waiting for the bus! We jumped on, finding the only two seats together left...there were maybe 6 single seats that were empty! We sat there for about 10 mins...waiting for who knows what..the bus was full, no one else was going to be able to get a seat. Finally left at almost 4:30. Got to MCO around 5:15, thank God I had TSA Precheck, as did my friend (a first for her!). We got to our gate with less than 35 mins 'till boarding was called. Yes, we made the flight, but it sure wasn't the way it should have been.
My issue? No one really seemed to care that there was no bus coming at the scheduled time. They, in fact, lied to us...and that I find to be completely out of line! Don't tell me you called and were told the bus was running 15 mins late when it was obvious that you didn't since the bus never got there until almost an hour after my p/u time!! And to offer no apology, but rather, make the guest feel like an idiot and that it was their fault that they were now hot and miserable? Yeah, not cool at all.
I'm feeling really put off by DME at the moment...not sure what I'm going to do in November when I go down. It's just me so not a huge issue, but still..who wants to be left sitting for an hour!?
The next day, Saturday, we went down to Valet and asked for a cab..it was about 8:30 or so, over to VWL. They called a cab up and they told the driver we were going to WL. Okay. I restated it, just so there would be no mistake...'Ok' says the driver. Well, we headed out of BW, and rather than making the right turn, past S/D, to head to WL, he continued straight. Well, I figured he knew a short cut (couldn't imagine what it was, but who knew!). I mentioned that I thought this was a strange way to get to WL. The driver said, and I quote "Oh, yes, this is the way to AKL!' Seriously? I told him we were going to WL, not AKL. His response was to almost drop the F bomb, but caught himself, saying geez, this is the second time I've done this. Okay, turns around at CSR. He took $2 off the final tab, making it $14. I handed him a $20 bill...'Oh, sorry, I don't have change'. Are you kidding me? So, my friend and I scraped together $15....a ten and five one's...and that's what he got. I don't think he was very happy...tough.
Buses, and boats worked pretty well while we were there.
Then, it came time to head home yesterday. You all know I've been a strong proponent of DME....but maybe not so much anymore. We had a 3:30 p/u time so we arrived out at the DME bus area by 3:20. We had been sitting in the lobby at WL for about 45 mins, killing time, but once it got to 3:15, I started checking to see if our bus was there. As we started walking across the entry over to the DME bus stop, a bus pulled up, and a valet person yelled that it was dropping off only!! And I do mean yelled! I told her that was fine and continued to the seating area. Well, when it became 3:45, my friend and I approached a CM and asked if the bus was still coming. 'Oh yes, it was on it's way. We just called and it's about 15 mins behind schedule.' Okay...so we go back to sit and wait. Now, it was about 95 degrees, we were sitting in the sun....I was getting really cranky! At 4:10, my friend got up and approached Sami, the girl from valet who had yelled at me already! When she was asked about the bus, she very snippily said the bus was coming! When my friend told her it was pretty hot in the sun, Sami's response was 'Well, you shouldn't be sitting there..that's not the seating area for DME. People sit and wait over there by the doorway!' and she walked away! So, I'm curious as to why the DME sign is across the street from the port ochre, with seating in the sun...but we aren't supposed to wait there, but instead, over by valet, where there is very limited seating. Finally, at 4:20 a bus came....fairly full by this time!!! And there were probably 20 people now waiting for the bus! We jumped on, finding the only two seats together left...there were maybe 6 single seats that were empty! We sat there for about 10 mins...waiting for who knows what..the bus was full, no one else was going to be able to get a seat. Finally left at almost 4:30. Got to MCO around 5:15, thank God I had TSA Precheck, as did my friend (a first for her!). We got to our gate with less than 35 mins 'till boarding was called. Yes, we made the flight, but it sure wasn't the way it should have been.
My issue? No one really seemed to care that there was no bus coming at the scheduled time. They, in fact, lied to us...and that I find to be completely out of line! Don't tell me you called and were told the bus was running 15 mins late when it was obvious that you didn't since the bus never got there until almost an hour after my p/u time!! And to offer no apology, but rather, make the guest feel like an idiot and that it was their fault that they were now hot and miserable? Yeah, not cool at all.
I'm feeling really put off by DME at the moment...not sure what I'm going to do in November when I go down. It's just me so not a huge issue, but still..who wants to be left sitting for an hour!?
I've had a couple of them too, hence the town car. Are you sending off an e-mail letting them know about the lack of concern on the part of the CMs, and about how late the bus was?
