Recent experience with ME??

[Michiganfamily]

Hi all, we are headed down to Disney for our very first trip. We are planning to use ME, but I've read a lot of posts about long delayed luggages, waits for buses etc. On the other hand, a lot of those posts are dated. So, does anyone have any recent experiences to share about ME. I love the idea of checking my bags and having them show up at the resort once we are there. Does it work???

Is the ME counter easy to find in Terminal B? I've never been to the orlando airport before.

Thanks for any thoughts. I'm really trying to check our every detail and plan carefully! I'm a little nervous about all the details.

Take care!

 

[goofy4tink]

I've used DME about 5 times now, the most recent on Aug 5 and then on Aug 10. I have yet to have an issue with any long waits for anything!! In Aug, we were at BWV, checking in, in about 65 mins after deplaning. I have no idea when my bags came because we weren't able to get into our room until about 3:30 and we had arrived at the resort at about 1:30, and our bags were brought up when we got into the villa.
The average time from deplaning to resort is about 70 mins..depending on which stop your particular resort is along the route. I've had times of under an hour when we were the first stop, and close to 90 mins one time, but I was the last of three stops and there was an inordinant amount of luggage that had to come out from under the bus...which takes up time.

As to how easy it is to find DME in Side B...very easy. Just go all the way down to level 1 (ground transportation level) and head to the right....at least that's the way we go using the escalator we use. It's all the way down on level one. Your info packet will have good directions for you.

 

[tjmw2727]

I have used DME 4x most recently April 07 and have had great trips. In fact all my experiences have had me at the resort in the same or less time than when I used a towncar with the beneift of not dealing with luggage.

I think some of the posts about "delayed" luggage may be due to a misunderstanding about how the luggage is delivered. Your bags are shipped separately and can take up to 3 hours to arrive in your room. If you plan for this by packing a carryon (a good idea anytime you travel) it won't be an issue.

Last trip we arrived at MCO at 9:15 and were checked into POFQ by 10:30 and off to the pool. After lunch our room was ready and our luggage from ME, groceries from wegoshop and water from staples was all waiting for us in the room. IMHO it dosen't get much better than that

TJ

 

[PatsMom]

We've used DME several times and have been very happy. Most recent was the last week of August. Plane landed around 9:40. I didn't note what time we arrived at BWV, but obvously the room was not ready. So we checked in, left our carry ons at Bell Services and were having a burger at Pecos Bill in the MK before noon! Don't know what time the bags arrived. They were in our room when we got there around 9:00 at night. We love not having to deal with bags at the Orlando airport. Wish we could check our bags going home but Southwest doesn't participate in DME (yet). The desk is easy to find.

 

[ShepFam]

Hi,
We used the ME in July and we were amazed at how well it worked. We had to search a bit in the airport for the ME check in counter so I'm not sure if we missed signs or what but it wasn't a big deal. There was no line when we got there and the check in was flawless. The bus ride was pretty quick and comfortable. We stayed at the Poly and after we checked in we headed to the MK by 1:00 and we were back by 4:00. When we got to our room our bags were there for us. We did pack a day's worth of clothes and such in our carry on bags just in case there was a problem but we were very pleased with how the ME worked. Checking in at the hotel on the way back made me a little nervous but our bags were there at the airport when we arrived back home! Have a great trip

 

[xnascar2x]

We used ME back in Aug and had no problems what so ever.

 

[mrsnj91]

We opted not to let them handle bags as we were getting there kinda late and wanted to make sure we had everything. I was rather surprised on how many others did it too. So luggage I can't commit on. I will say that we arrived at the hotel at 8:30 and by 11:00pm they were still dealing with load after load of luggage in the baggage area at the hotel. But finding the desk was rather easy. Only thing that surprised me was the monorail to that area. I wasn't sure if I was going the right way as I never heard about any monorail. But we got there ok, we threw everything under the bus and we were gone right on time. Drop off for departure ran just as smooth. I can't say I had any problems.

 

[goofy4tink]

Let me be more specific for those who are not familier with MCO.
When you get off your plane, you will head to the tram. MCO is kinda like a big X, but on it's side, with a terminal area at the end of eac arm. Each arm services particular airlines. Those on the top of the sideways X are on Side A, those on the bottom are the Side B people. DME is located on Side B of the terminal. So...you get off your plane. You have two choices here depending on what you did with your checked luggage. If you put the yellow tags on the checked bags, you will hop on the tram, and head to the central terminal. Then, head to Side B, take the elevator/escalator down to Level 1...ground transportation level. This is where you will find DME desk. It is a hike from the escalators. It is at the far end of that area.
Now, if you have chosen to not tag your checked bags with the yellow luggag tags, you will have to go to Level 2 to baggage claim. The only issue with that is this...if you are arriving on a Side A airline, you will have to take the tram from the gate area to the main/central terminal, then go down to Level 2 on Side A to get your bags. Then, you will go back up to Level 3 (the level you arrived on), then head over to Side B, then go down to Level 1...kind of a pain but that's what happens.
Hopefully this will make things a bit clearer for those unfamilier with the set-up.

And no matter how you choose to handle your checked bags...always, ALWAYS, pack anything you may need for the first 6 hrs of your vacation..no matter where you are going. Bags get misdirected, they get lost. Sometimes the airlines find them within a few hours, but sometimes not. You should be prepared with a change of clothes, toiletries, travel documents, so that you aren't stuck. I tuck in a swim suit when traveling to WDW...love to checkin and have a swim for an hour or so if I can't get into my room right away!!

 

[lurkyloo]

So if your flight arrives in the evening and it takes 3 or more hours for your luggage to show up, do they knock on your door in the middle of the night when your bags are ready, or do you have to go get them from the Bell Desk in the morning?

Thanks!

 

[tjmw2727]

So if your flight arrives in the evening and it takes 3 or more hours for your luggage to show up, do they knock on your door in the middle of the night when your bags are ready, or do you have to go get them from the Bell Desk in the morning?

Thanks!

Its up to you

You can pack a carryon with enough to get you through the night and make arrangements to have your bags delivered in the morning. Just tell the CM at check in and put the DND on your door.
or;
If one of you are night owls and you want your luggage asap they will deliver it whenever it arrives.

Either way they will deliver them so you don't have to go get them.
TJ

 

[anabelle]

We had a late arrival around 9:50 PM. We picked up our bags and got to the ME counter at 10:15 PM. We had to wait almost an hour for the bus to leave. I think they were waiting for it to fill up. WE did not check in until after midnight. There were no bell hops at OKW but a nice CM saw that we were exhausted and found a golf cart to take us to our villa. When we have got in early, we have had no problems.

Now waiting that long to get to the resort would not bother me if it weren't so late. But next time I will rent a car if we are getting in late.

 

[TDC Nala]

You can't plan that carefully.

I have taken a lot of ME rides and they have varied in length from 45 minutes to 2.5 hours (that only happened once and was partially due to very long lines in the airport which filled several buses).

Apparently they are not permitted to post signs in the airport to the ME desk. But it is on the B side of the terminal.

 

[stitchlover]

We have used DME the past two years without a hitch. But I will say that if you are arriving late and choose not to pick up your own luggage tell the front desk you want your luggage held until the morning and then take your phone off the hook! We arrived at MCO at 10:30 on a Thursday evening...were checking into the hotel by 11:30-11:45. Told the front desk please, please, please hold the luggage we will call for it in the morning. They said no problem. 2am the phone rings your luggage is here would you like us to bring it to you? At that point I said sure, I'm awake now! I wasn't thrilled to say the least! But that's just a small hitch in the system...nothing major.