Saturday using ME ?

[Mick]

We are flying in Saturday, October 27 at 5:00 pm. I have read that on the weekends it can take from 1 1/2 to 3 hrs to get to your resort from airport. Which is twice as long than during the week. Is this the norm?

If you have flown in on a weekend afternoon will you let me know what your experience was?

 

[Bob P]

In general, experiences reported here have said that it takes about 70-100 minutes from the time you get off the plane to the time you arrive at your resort.

If there have been instances of 3 hours, I'm sure that is far from the norm and can be traced back to some kind of breakdown or problem.

 

[CleveRocks]

We are flying in Saturday, October 27 at 5:00 pm. I have read that on the weekends it can take from 1 1/2 to 3 hrs to get to your resort from airport. Which is twice as long than during the week. Is this the norm?

I woud doubt that inforamtion is accurate, and here's why. More people arrive on a Saturday or a Sunday than on any other day of the week. That would mean a lot of people arriving and having 90 minute to 3 hour experiences. If that was so rampant, there would be MANY reports of such all over the DISboards and other places, too. But in reality, there are VERY FEW such reports. Honestly, I can't even recall reading a post saying it took 2 or three hours to get to a resort via DME (if the person is skipping baggage claim, as DME was designed).

 

[Lewisc]

The average is something like 70 minutes. Ed has observed longer waits, during busy times. Very few posters complained about DME taking longer then 2 hours.

I wouldn't make any critical dinner ADRS the night you arrive. DME could take 2 hours, there could be a line to check in at your resort and your flight could be delayed.

Luggage handling gets suspended during the afternoon thunderstorms. You might not save any time if you booked alternate transportation but had to wait for your luggage.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

You may have heard it takes anywhere from 1 1/2 to 3 hours to get your "luggage" from ME at the resort, which is true. I don't think it takes that long for you to get to the resort.

 

[goofy4tink]

I've used DME 3 or 4 times now, at different times of day, and on different days of the week. Although I have yet to arrive late at night, even after 5:00, so I can't say anything about those times.
I've had times of 60 mins to 90 mins so far. The 90 mins was on a Monday morning, about noon time. POP was the last of three stops (had always been stop number 1), and there were a lot of people with bags underneath the bus (they, for whatever reason, decided against using the baggage delivery) so it took a bit more time at each resort while the driver sorted through the appropriate luggage.
If you see a long line at the DME checkin counter, you will find that generally speaking they will have extra CM's working. They know when they are having a bunch of people arriving so they plan accordingly. Same with the buses.
It does really work out that the busier times will find more staff on duty, with more buses rolling.

 

[Mick]

Thanks for your replies.

It was in Unofficial Guide 2007 that I read on weekends you expect to reach your hotel anywhere from 1hr 45 mins to 3 hrs. If it was going to be close to 3 hours we would just rent a car. I am feeling a bit better that it would not be the norm to wait close to 3 hours.

 

[CleveRocks]

Thanks for your replies.

It was in Unofficial Guide 2007 that I read on weekends you expect to reach your hotel anywhere from 1hr 45 mins to 3 hrs. If it was going to be close to 3 hours we would just rent a car. I am feeling a bit better that it would not be the norm to wait close to 3 hours.

I love the Unoffiicial Guide. I love their "attitiude" and their writing style. I very much respect their theme park strategies. But my respect and admiration for what's in that book pretty much end there. I've read too many inconsistencies and too much not-quite-correct information to trust it except for advice on how to efficiently tour the theme parks.

 

[clkelley]

Our experience was just the opposite on a Saturday afternoon about a year ago. We arrived and were taken very quickly to our bus. It filled immediately with folks from All-Stars and that was it's only destination.

We got there in about 60 minutes.

I would imagine the more crowded, your time in transit will actually be quicker as more guests will be going to each resort, so fewer stops will be made, and buses will be dispatched more frequently.

The initial line may be longer, but there will be less downtime because the bus will fill quicker, and less time in transit because fewer resorts will be combined.

(If you have 150 folks going to three different resorts it makes more sense to send one bus to each resort, than to send all three buses to all three resorts.)