So nice to end our trip with DME not showing up.

[leslieb66]

Was supposed to be picked up by 6:40 at POFQ on 3/7......after 20 minutes had Bell Services call....said they were running late and to call back if they didn't come in 15....called back.....we were told they weren't sure they were coming!!!!! What??? Finally the 7:10 bus shows up (15 Minutes late) and takes us as well as that group.....no sorry or explanation. Not impressed and CM's didn't seem to care at all.

 

[maxiesmom]

At what time did you arrive at the bus stop? If you were not there by 6:25 it could be the bus came early and you missed it.

Otherwise I would be very angry. And while it doesn't help now, if it happens again, next time demand that they put you in a taxi. No way should you sit there, and risk missing your flight, because they screwed up.

 

[georgina]

DME was running late last May during my trip also. I showed up 20 minutes early for my bus, and there was a bus there already but it was the one that was supposed to have been there much earlier. I think I was on a 4:30 bus and he said it was the 3:30 bus. There was space so I went on that one, not wanting to wait and see how late the next bus would be on a Friday afternoon.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

I've had it run late too - there was a big accident that blocked one of the major roads - I kept hoping they wouldn't show up so I could stay one more day since I was on the last flight out.

Bell Services said they'd call me a taxi and the resort would pay for it if necessary. I was disappointed when DME showed up.

 

[seashoreCM]

This one probably should be a poll question but I don't know how to set up a poll question.

If you arrive at the Magical Express platform a little ahead of time and there is an airport bound DME bus sitting there (here's the question) should you simply get in line to board and present your papers without asking if this is the X O'clock bus? Then let the driver take the next step, checking his papers and either letting you board or specifying his bus time that is different from yours?

It is always desirable to get on an earlier DME bus back to the airport if you see on the spot that there is one with room for you. Among other things this frees up space on a later bus in case some overcrowding should occur then.

 

[kaytieeldr]

No, of course you shouldn't just get in line and act as if that's the right bus!!!!!!! I wish I could say I can't believe anyone on the DIS would even suggest lying like that . But I'd be lying.

 

[shoes99]

We had a 7:15AM DME bus reservation at AoA and we dropped off the rental scooter and were at the stop at 6:55AM. The 6:30AM bus was still there so we asked if we could get on. There was plenty of room and we went straight to the airport from AoA.

 

[sharona]

It's a valid question except for the not saying anything part. I would ask which bus and if it wasn't mine, ask if they have room for X more.

 

[kjs1976]

We got in an early ME bus last April. Just asked the bus driver if he had room. He was so kind and welcoming. Not that we wanted to leave on an earlier bus, but we figured better be early than sorry since we were ready.

 

[leslieb66]

At what time did you arrive at the bus stop? If you were not there by 6:25 it could be the bus came early and you missed it.

Otherwise I would be very angry. And while it doesn't help now, if it happens again, next time demand that they put you in a taxi. No way should you sit there, and risk missing your flight, because they screwed up.

We were in the bar at 5:45, could see where the bus would have pulled in, we watched one leave then. We went out to wait at about 6:25, 15 minutes early like we were told. Another couple was also waiting for same bus as well as others waiting for the now also late 7:10. When the 7:10 driver finally got there he radioed in and said he would take us with his group. We picked up at SS and OKW where there were other unhappy guests who were also supposed to be picked up by our no show bus. We could hear the driver communicating on the radio. They had NO answer or clue as to why no bus came for us. Didn't blame traffic, accident, they just had NO answer. The driver that took us apologized to every unhappy group he picked up. I went in and asked a manager at POFQ what was going to be done if no one came from us and we missed our flights. She just smiled and said oh that doesn't happen but if it does we'll talk then.

 

[Gracie09]

This one probably should be a poll question but I don't know how to set up a poll question.

If you arrive at the Magical Express platform a little ahead of time and there is an airport bound DME bus sitting there (here's the question) should you simply get in line to board and present your papers without asking if this is the X O'clock bus? Then let the driver take the next step, checking his papers and either letting you board or specifying his bus time that is different from yours?

It is always desirable to get on an earlier DME bus back to the airport if you see on the spot that there is one with room for you. Among other things this frees up space on a later bus in case some overcrowding should occur then.

If your stop is not the last stop, or even if it is but there are people behind you that should be on the bus, you can cause them not to have seats and therefore no ride or a later ride to the airport. Imagine if you were a family of four waiting for you bus to arrive and when it did there were only one or two seats. Why because another family of four decided to just hop on an earlier bus. So now what does the family that should have been on that bus do? They're stuck.

 

[maxiesmom]

I'm over taking DME back to the airport. And experiences like the OP had just reaffirms that decision. No way do I want to be sitting there, hoping that my bus will show up even close to the time given, and that I will end up with enough time to clear the security nightmare that is MCO and make my flight.

 

[Amanda999]

...
If you arrive at the Magical Express platform a little ahead of time and there is an airport bound DME bus sitting there (here's the question) should you simply get in line to board and present your papers without asking if this is the X O'clock bus? Then let the driver take the next step, checking his papers and either letting you board or specifying his bus time that is different from yours?

I've done this 3 times IIRC - and asked permission each time. No problem at all. YMMV, but each time the ME driver said that if they have room they take us on an earlier ME bus. (To other PPs: they do check your ME 'ticket,' so you wouldn't be taking a spot someone else is booked for. They only let you take a different bus than what your ticket is scheduled for if there is room (they know how many people are booked for each bus).) They didn't mind at all. Once it was crowded - so, possible they didn't have room - so they had us wait (off the bus) until everyone else was on board. They had just enough seats left for us.

Of course its not guaranteed, but I've always had good luck. HTH.

 

[PSUGuy]

My daughter, SIL and grand kids had the opposite problem a few years back. We were in our room at BoardWalk with more than 15 minutes before pick up time for them, the 2 of us were staying a few more days. Out the window we saw the DME bus pull up. We rushed down with all their stuff in time to see the bus pull out. They ended up paying for a cab/van.

Bill From PA

 

[teddygurl28]

my last expeirnce with my dme pick up was the same. we were there about 20 minutes early. a dme bus pilled in maybe 5 minutes before our scheduled time. but it was for the pick up about 30 minutes prior to ours....ours showed up about 35-40 minutes late. then we went to okw and the dme driver went in the wrong way and wrong stop and had to back out- it was miserable. i was so stressed getting to the airport- thankfully we had the even more speed pass from jet blue to skip the massive security line. not sure everyone on our bus made their flights. by the time we got to the gate we had mybe 15 minutes before boarding....

 

[Minnesota!]

Because we are notoriously, ridiculously early for everything, we are typically waiting for the DME outside our resort at least 45 minutes prior to pick up - generally closer to an hour. Most of the time, when the earlier bus pulls up and asks if we are waiting, then we express we are there for a later one, they tell us to hop on

With MCO being as chaotic as it can be, I much prefer the earlier bus, anyway. Less stress, more time to people watch.

One of these last trips, our bus actually did show up about 20 minutes early...so it was a good thing we are early to a fault. I am sure there were people who missed that time.

 

[maxiesmom]

I've done this 3 times IIRC - and asked permission each time. No problem at all. YMMV, but each time the ME driver said that if they have room they take us on an earlier ME bus. (To other PPs: they do check your ME 'ticket,' so you wouldn't be taking a spot someone else is booked for. They only let you take a different bus than what your ticket is scheduled for if there is room (they know how many people are booked for each bus).) They didn't mind at all. Once it was crowded - so, possible they didn't have room - so they had us wait (off the bus) until everyone else was on board. They had just enough seats left for us.

Of course its not guaranteed, but I've always had good luck. HTH.

My last time using DME we were at the bus stop early. When the bus pulled in I knew it wasn't ours, but I thought I would ask if they had room. We were told sorry, but no. Then our bus ride ended up being horrible where we made 3 more stops and then had to go back to another resort for someone's wheelchair. I was stressing the whole ride to the airport. No thanks!!! I'm a towncar girl now.

 

[bumbershoot]

should you simply get in line to board and present your papers without asking if this is the X O'clock bus? Then let the driver take the next step, checking his papers and either letting you board or specifying his bus time that is different from yours?

I personally would rather do that than ask random CMs what bus it is (random CMs at resorts have specifically told me that you do NOT get to the bus 15 minutes early, and wondered where on earth I had heard such nonsense...and that's more than once at different resorts). And I'd rather get in line and wait my turn to find out, than to call out to the driver and interrupt his work.

No, of course you shouldn't just get in line and act as if that's the right bus!!!!!!! I wish I could say I can't believe anyone on the DIS would even suggest lying like that . But I'd be lying.

How is it lying, though?

The person has to ask someone what bus it is anyway; it's polite to get in line and wait your turn to ask, isn't it? So you get in line, you show your papers, the driver tells you yes or no. They know best, and it's nicer to be in line to find out rather than cut in with your question while the driver is doing his/her job.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Lying by omission.

 

[Amanda999]

My last time using DME we were at the bus stop early. When the bus pulled in I knew it wasn't ours, but I thought I would ask if they had room. We were told sorry, but no. Then our bus ride ended up being horrible where we made 3 more stops and then had to go back to another resort for someone's wheelchair. I was stressing the whole ride to the airport. No thanks!!! I'm a towncar girl now.

Ugh! I think I remember you writing about that before!

It's stories like that, and the 45 minute wait for a (park) bus I get at least once every trip, that is making me lean towards renting a car next trip in April. I like someone else doing the driving, and most of the time ME and park buses are fine, but when there's a problem it seems pretty bad.