Taxi vx ME for return flight...

[Disney Mommy 3]

We have used the ME forever!! I am wondering about getting a taxi on this trip just for the ride back to the airport. I wanted to get a later flight home as we are cutting our trip shorter by one day-so I want a fuuuuull last day. The ME picks us up at least 3 hours before flight time,and we have always had super long waits at the airport. My question is for those of you who have gotten a taxi or whatever for the trip from Disney to the airport...how was it? Isn't it about 45 min to the airport? Give me the pros and cons of doing it this way vs. the ME....I need to decide what we are going to do! I am driving myself nuts with the planning!

 

[Alesia]

I would have the taxi pick me up no less than 2 1/2 hours before my flight, so the question is: Is an extra 30 minutes in the park worth the $60 you'll pay for a cab?

It wouldn't be worth it for me.

 

[MinnieLee]

I would stay with ME. If you hit traffic, long lines at security, turning in the rental car or any other snag that would set back your timing, why end your trip frantic. Especially if that means you are only picking up 1/2 hour to 45 minutes tops. ME alots for all of this. Not worth the "what ifs" and the $60 cab price.

Eventually, we all have to bite the bullet and return to reality. It is only a good excuse to start planning your next trip and do what you would have done that last day!

 

[goofy4tink]

It's always so hard to end our trips and head to the airport!!! And we all like to squeeze in as much fun time as humanly possible. BUT....when I have hired a car service to take me back to the airport, they have given me pickup times of 2 hrs prior to flight departure. I make them change it to 2.5 hrs prior...that way I get to MCO at the 2 hr mark which makes me much more comfortable about security.
It seems that if I am really early for my flight, security takes about 12 mins. But, if I arrive at the 90 mins prior to departure mark, that's the time security takes me about 30 mins!!! And I hate getting to the gate an hour or less before departure time.
Give yourself the needed time. Yes, leaving 3 hrs prior to flight time seems excessive. But truly?? You are only getting about 30-45 mins addtl park time.

Now..if you are planning on going to the airport directly from a park, that is a different story. If you can check your bags at the resort that morning, and your carryon bags are small enough that you can use a locker at the park, then fine, plan to be picked up at the park by a cab or car service. That will give you addtl park time since you need to allow about an hour or more to get back to the resort and ready for the DME bus pickup.

 

[lovetheduck]

We always take a taxi back to the airport.
We fly JetBlue, so we are able to check in and drop off our luggage first thing in the morning at our resort. We take everything that we need to carry on and put it in a locker at the park. About 2 1/2 hrs before our flight we go to the taxi stand to get a cab to the airport. There has always been one waiting and we've never had a problem.
However, most of our trips are 3-4 days so maximizing our park time is important. If we were there for a week or more I'm not sure it would matter to us as much. We also tend to take one of the later flights on a weekday and security at the airport is never that crowded because of the off time.

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

Thanks so much! Yes,..we usually check our luggage at the resort on the morning of our flight...I have the kids each bring a backpack and we could stick them in a locker for the day...Last year, bell services at the BC just held them for us until the ME bus came anyway...I guess I will just stick with ME...it just sounds so excessive when you hear 3 hours!! I guess in reality it's not that much more...I just really wanted to wring out my last hours there!