Taking a later DME - anybody done it?

[Lovetherodent]

So my flight home leaves at 6:00 AM. DME pick up is 2:40 AM, but we can request a later one. It'll be December, but not near the holiday. So, would you try to get on a later bus or suck it up and get to the airport in the wee hours?

 

[mom2rtk]

It's all at your own risk. But you can put any flight down as your return flight. They don't check. So you could put down a later time. Not sure if I'd risk it though myself. I probably wouldn't sleep for worrying about it.

I'd probably change to a cheaper hotel close to the airport that last night.

 

[SG131]

This was maybe 6 years ago and not DME but the same principle. I took my little cousin to universal and we had mears scheduled for our return and they gave us a pickup time 3 hrs before flight. We decided to chance it and changed the transport to 2 hrs ahead of time. Security was a mess as it usually seems to be at MCO and we got to our gates just in time for final boarding. It may be worth giving them a slightly later time but I wouldn’t chance any less than 2.5 hrs before unless you have pre-check.

 

[tjmw2727]

The issue is the unknown - you won't know how many resorts DME will stop at after picking you up and how long each stop will take.

If you do decide to risk it you will have to provide an "alternate" flight number as DME won't book you on a bus anytime later than the 3 (+/- 15) hours.

Maybe a ride share would be a better option for you on the outbound ? Affordable, saves you 1/2 hour or so and no other guests/resorts to pick up

 

[kaytieeldr]

So my flight home leaves at 6:00 AM. DME pick up is 2:40 AM, but we can request a later one. It'll be December, but not near the holiday. So, would you try to get on a later bus or suck it up and get to the airport in the wee hours?

December is busy all month, just busier as the month progresses. mom2rtk and tjmw2727 each offer great advice.

 

[bumbershoot]

I'd probably change to a cheaper hotel close to the airport that last night.

Yep I’d just stay at the Hyatt in the airport (not necessarily cheaper, but it’s right there).

The issue is the unknown - you won't know how many resorts DME will stop at after picking you up and how long each stop will take.

Exactly. You might be the first stop of 5. Or the last. You won’t know until you’re on that bus either getting to the airport at 3:20 or biting your nails with each resort stop.

I’ve had both experiences. I personally prefer being at the airport early.

 

[a1tinkfans]

So my flight home leaves at 6:00 AM. DME pick up is 2:40 AM, but we can request a later one. It'll be December, but not near the holiday. So, would you try to get on a later bus or suck it up and get to the airport in the wee hours?

I’d do ur entire last day and night as you want... grab ME back to mco whenever you finish, make ur last nite a Hyatt/mco nite..
wake up and walk thru..
It’s great!

 

[sam_gordon]

Exactly. You might be the first stop of 5. Or the last. You won’t know until you’re on that bus either getting to the airport at 3:20 or biting your nails with each resort stop.

Actually, I'm willing to guess they'll be the first resort. The assigned pick up time is 3:20 before the flight, that's even earlier than the +/- 15 minutes that's generally talked about.

I’d do ur entire last day and night as you want... grab ME back to mco whenever you finish, make ur last nite a Hyatt/mco nite..
wake up and walk thru..
It’s great!

I don't think it's that easy. You are ASSIGNED a DME bus back to the airport. You can't just grab the next one you see.

OP, assuming you have luggage to check and are not TSA-Pre, I'd target getting to the airport 2 hours before your flight. That would be 4am. I would arrange Uber/Lyft/Taxi no later than 3:30a. That's an extra hour sleep. That's worth the cost to me.

OR

I would cancel the last night at the Disney hotel and get an Uber/Lyft/Taxi to a airport hotel the night before.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Alternative to sam_gordon's third suggestion: cancel the last night at WDW, and change your DME reservation.