Orlando Airport transportation solicitors.. your story?

[yayagoofy]

Soliciting transportation at the Orlando Airport is illegal. Have you been approached by solicitors? If yes, tell your story here. Was it around the baggage carousel? The top of the escalator near baggage claim? The bottom of the escalator? What did they say? Do you remember about what time of the day it was? Give any details you can. Perhaps replies will get noticed by the airport.

 

[dudspizza]

Perhaps you are a disgruntled limo driver or transportation company owner.... how's the Magical Express working for you?

 

[yayagoofy]

Pizzadud, you presumed wrong. I'm talking about limo companies, town cars, vans, sedans, etc. soliciting. But, if you want to include DME, that's fine too, that would be fair and equal.

 

[ralphd]

Soliciting transportation at the Orlando Airport is illegal. Have you been approached by solicitors? If yes, tell your story here. Was it around the baggage carousel? The top of the escalator near baggage claim? The bottom of the escalator? What did they say? Do you remember about what time of the day it was? Give any details you can. Perhaps replies will get noticed by the airport.

First two posts on the website????? Not a subject that would interest the average member of this website.

Agree with dudspizza... looks strange.

 

[yayagoofy]

Just in case you are interested, below is from a previous thread.
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The Orlando International Airport has a big problem with ground transportation companies illegally soliciting passengers. These slimy drivers (known as "gypsies" in the business) will approach tourists as they are leaving the baggage claim area. Normally they will be near the escalator (top or bottom) to the ground transportation level, to catch you after you claim your luggage. The airport plays a recorded announcement over the intercom, it warns passengers about this. If a tourist questions a solicitor, I've seen/heard the solicitors show their Orlando driver permit, which has nothing to do with them illegally soliciting passengers in the airport, that's illegal. The naive tourist does not know this, so they go with them. If you want to help stomp out this problem, if you are approached by a solicitor or see one working the crowd, dial 2666 (airport operations) on any white page phone in the airport. Give them a discription of the person, where they are, etc. If you get a recording, still give the info so they can have it on record. If you can only phone after leaving the airport call 407-825-2666, let them know what you saw, experienced, etc.

Help keep Orlando a wonderful expereince for all...[/QUOTE][/B]

 

[yayagoofy]

First two posts on the website????? Not a subject that would interest the average member of this website.

Agree with dudspizza... looks strange.

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Here below is a post from another previous thread, let's hear your stories.
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I got hit on Friday night. I had to stop just after I got off the escaltor from the arrival level to rearrange my computer case! Two guys with signs asked me if I needed a ride. I wonder if they really had customers or were just trolling and had signs to allow them to stand there.

If I wasn't in a hurry I think I would complain and after this stunt if it happens again I think I will contact the airport and complain. I didn't notice the car service signs this time, but I will make note next time. If these guys want to whine about Disney soliciting then they have to play by the rules they made.
__________________
CarolA

 

[safetymom]

I agree. Strange what topics will get people to post for the first time. The person you quoted above was mentioning her experience in regards to DME and other transportation companies soliciting. It would have helped if you would have copied all the information.

If people have a complaint about soliciting they should take it up with the airport authority. I doubt the authority will make decisions based on a thread on the DIS.

 

[momof3disneyholics]

Maybe the OP is trying to start awareness?

 

[WillCAD]

First two posts on the website????? Not a subject that would interest the average member of this website.

Agree with dudspizza... looks strange.

Absolutely incorrect! I have been a member of the DIS Boards for quite some time, and since I fly into MCO on almost all my trips these days, I am very interested to hear other peoples' experiences with being solicited by the towncar, limo, taxi, or shuttle companies on airport property.

My personal experience has been quite limited. I have seen limo and towncar drivers standing at the bottom of the escalators, but only once (about two years ago, I don't remember exactly when) has one of them asked, "Hey buddy, you need transportation to your hotel?" or something to that effect. I said, "No thanks, I have a rental car," and that was that. At the time, I didn't know it was illegal for the transport companies to solicit within the terminal, or I would have reported it to someone at the airport.

 

[Lewisc]

I suspect the OP has an alternate identity on these boards.

Sorry but I see a big difference betwen an individual driver breaking rules to feed his family and a major corporation having a system in place to systematically violate airport rules.

The airport is losing out. None of us using DME would be walking to WDW and it sounds like Disney is paying well under $1 per passenger in franchise fees. We know the car rental agencies pay almost 10% and I think the towncar companies pay something like 10%. Disney is paying well under half what the aiport would otherwise be getting.

 

[safetymom]

Then why didn't the Airport authority do something about it when they allowed Disney in?

 

[seashoreCM]

I was told that Disney pays the airport about 50 cents per passenger for Magical Express, where a typical day this summer has brought about 5,000 people or a take of about $2,500. But for all I know this fee could be a fixed daily amount as opposed to a per passenger amount, busy season or slack season.

For a fair comparision we should ask how much the airport gets from hotels that bring in their shuttles.

The only time I took up a solicitor was about 20 years ago getting a ride from Detroit's airport to downtown. About 5 of us [arriving airport pax], all going to different places, got in his car which probably made for a safer trip than just me alone. The fare was the same as the limo service. In retrospect I should have declined, and never again did I accept a ride from a solicitor.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/magicx.htm

 

[Lewisc]

Then why didn't the Airport authority do something about it when they allowed Disney in?

They did. Disney evidently agreed guests would have to have advance reservations to be transported. Disney isn't requiring advance reservations, is soliciting business at the airport and is going so far as to transport guests who aren't even staying at a Disney resort. Evidently the number of guests is at least double what Disney told the airport when the deal was negotiated.

The airport is doing something about it now.

It's not free competition when a large company is pricing a service far below cost in order to drive competitors out of business.

DME is a great deal for us but it's really not a good deal for the airport and other transportation companies. It might not even be a good deal for us if too many towncar companies go out of business before DME starts charging.

 

[Lewisc]

For a fair comparision we should ask how much the airport gets from hotels that bring in their shuttles.

Airport hotel shuttles are traditionally free. Shuttles to hotels more than a few miles from the airport are traditionally charged for.

If DME didn't exist passengers wouldn't be walking to WDW. The question is how much money is MCO losing. A fairer comparison would be how much the airport gets from a Mears passenger. The airport fee for a rental car is almost 10%. That's going to wind up being a few dollars per head.

 

[seashoreCM]

. Disney isn't requiring advance reservations, is soliciting business at the airport and is going so far as to transport guests who aren't even staying at a Disney resort..

Really? I never heard that one.

But since DIsney has not been stellar at sending out written confirmations even to those who specifically asked, it is reasonable to transport someone who insists he made a reservation 10 days in advance.

If a limo company's decoy is going to get into a shouting match with a CM over a reservation or lack thereof, that should not be counted as a violation on Disney's part dealing with the airport.

Airport hotel shuttles are traditionally free. Shuttles to hotels more than a few miles from the airport are traditionally charged for..

To the guest, yes. To the airport authority, that is an open question.

. Evidently the number of guests is at least double what Disney told the airport when the deal was negotiated...

Apparently Disney was caught by surprise too. There were not enough ME buses for the summer crowds and Disney had to contract for some plain white Mears buses to fill the demand.

 

[safetymom]

They did. Disney evidently agreed guests would have to have advance reservations to be transported. Disney isn't requiring advance reservations, is soliciting business at the airport and is going so far as to transport guests who aren't even staying at a Disney resort. Evidently the number of guests is at least double what Disney told the airport when the deal was negotiated.

QUOTE]

Where is this reported? It wasn't the airport that reopened all this. It was the transportation companies.

 

[TDC Nala]

Have they been transporting anyone who isn't staying at a Disney resort? They've always checked my reservation and the last time I used DME it was without paperwork in hand because they never bothered to send me any.

 

[DisMN]

I don't want to argue who's who and why someone might ask the question here......although I do think it's a valid question to be honest, so I'll share my embarrassing story.

My sister and I took 3 children to Disneyworld a few years ago and while we're both fairly seasoned travellers and not fearful in the least, we still had an uncomfortable experience at the Orlando airport.

We were waiting for our bags and a man came up to us asking if we needed a taxi. Now I hadn't been to the Orlando airport in 14 months at this point and didn't know if the policies had changed and didn't even THINK to question them at the time, nor did I realize there were semi-scams out there. Stupid and ignorant I know. I told the man we'd go find a taxi at the "usual" location.
He told us he WAS one of the taxi businesses that served the airport area and he began to load our bags onto his cart. I thought "gee, how nice of him to be so helpful" not realizing that he was gonna drag us through kingdom come to find his vehicle. He was parked in Timbuktu and as we walked and walked my sister and I felt more and more uncomfortable. Initially I had asked how much the taxi was and it was in line with the amounts I had paid before so I think that was one reason I believed "who" he was.

Anyway, we got to his vehicle and he drove us to the resort, no problem. When we got out of the car he held out his hand and asked for 25$ MORE than he originally had quoted us. I gave him the lesser amount and he actually had the nerve to tell me it wasn't enough ......he still had our bags and we had 3 little kids with us so I didn't want to fuss. My sister and I were still in shock about our whimpy behavior and being taken for a ride so easily that I didn't say anything more and was just glad to be out of his car. We didn't report it to anyone and barely talked about it the rest of the trip.
I think we're both quite embarrassed that we went along with it like we did.

After we got home I did some research and found out there were some shady transportation companies that worked the airports and while you do get your ride, it leaves you with a feeling of having been taken. Not a cool way to start a vacation at all.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Maybe the OP is trying to start awareness?

I'm going to go along with you and give the OP the benefit of the doubt!

Now, this is not MY experience (and I'm not going to provide contact information for the person to whom it did happen) but my brother was solicited by what I would guess could be considered a gypsy cab driver at MCO a few weeks ago. I'm basing that on the rate - $30 to a Disney property for two people. They were approached IN the airport, on the baggage claim level, and accepted the offer. They had NO problem or complaint - other than, if he'd TOLD me he was going I could have saved him the $30 by directing him to book DME in advance
Approximate date was the second or third week in August, on a Sunday

 

[kaytieeldr]

The airport is losing out. None of us using DME would be walking to WDW and it sounds like Disney is paying well under $1 per passenger in franchise fees. We know the car rental agencies pay almost 10%

Lewis - do we know for sure that's what the car rental companies pay the airport, or is that just what they charge us?

Think about it - either way, aren't the car rental companies charging that PER DAY, even though each of us completes the rental transaction only once? Whereas Disney, or Tiffany or any of the other transit companies, only PAYS the franchise fee to the airport once per passenger or trip?