To ME or not to ME, that is the question

[LoveMickey]

We used to always do a Limo, but since DME we have been using that for the return.

It has been easier (and cheaper) for us to rent a car (one way) upon arrival at MCO. We can then do shopping (Pepsi Lovers) and the outlet stores the day we arrive.

We will turn in the car 2 days later at the Dolphin this time. Last time we used the Car Care Center at MK. It is costing us $80 from Friday am to Sunday am.

 

[Allan]

We are MEing it then renting from a DTD location hotel.

This is exactly what we want to do on our next trip. We want a car for a couple of days for groceries ect... but not for the whole time. Which DTD hotel are you using?

 

[bpmorley]

You go to the front desk of whatever Disney resort you are staying with. They'll take care of if for you. I think you have the choice of Alamo and budget(maybe national), but don't quote me on that. They rental company will drop the car off at your resort and pick up there also.

 

[corpcomp]

We used ME both coming and going last time. No problems using it other than long luggage waits arriving.

In the past always flew down to Boca Raton to visit family first and then get a rental car and drive up to WDW. We then ditched the car and took cabs to the airport at the end. Now if we fly directly to WDW we will only use ME and we do not feel the need to have a rental car.

If we want to go to Universal (known across CMs as the "U" word ) we take a unmarked MEARS bus that picks Disney guests up at their resorts and takes them to U. We prefer the WDW parks but my 11 year old wanted to experience some of the roller coasters at U so we took a day trip there.

Don't feel at all confined not having a car. There is too much to do within walking distance of BCV. We don't need go to Publix to buy groceries and the local BCV market has most everything we need. I'm not going to make my DW cook on vacation. After all, its her vacation too.

One last comment, most all the cab companies and ME are owned by MEARS (WDW contracts out to MEARS). The ME does have disney good-bye videos showing which my son loved to watch which does ease the pain of leaving.

 

[photobob]

One of the reasons I've always enjoyed staying onsite is the use of Disney transportation. If it takes me a little longer to get somewhere so be it. Part of the total escape from reality for me is not having to drive while there, let them take me wherever I want to go. That being said we do drive there and have a car available if we need it. We have driven the car only one time on property in seven trips. I know alot of people who prefer to drive themselves everywhere, but that's just not for me. Wish I was sitting at a bus stop at a WDW waiting for the MK bus right now!

 

[castleri]

We have always had a car and hardly use it except for the water parks, and going shopping off site. This year I need one to pick up sone at airport and return him several days later, go to UIA, and will do the grocery run. I have been able to get a ressie picking it up and returning it to the Dolphin for 7 days for $144 including taxes etc. for standard size (Monte Carlo). This is for Sept. I have not been able to find any good rates for Dec so will take a cab to Publix or Winn Dixie for groceries or use garden grocer and use ME. In my case it's different strokes for different trips. I did look at 3 separate 1 day rentals and said - for an additional $20-30 I can have it for the whole time and not have to spend time getting and returning cars. We also have a minivan reserved for the return trip to the airport which I will pick up the last evening for $39 total. Wish I could have gotten a good price for the minivan for the 10 days so I only had one rental and return but this works for us. We may still cancel the van and use ME to get back to the airport if we can get DSD to agree that leaving an extra bit early is not the end of the world.

 

[bobbiwoz]

Usually our guests have used ME, but this last trip, we decided to skip the aggravation of getting the bags with all of the baby things that we were already carrying, the 3 car seats, the stroller and numerous carryons. It worked out very well.

We used Disney Transportation to MK, AK and to the GF from WL with the entire group, and it worked out very very well.

We had planned to get a car from the Car Care Center, ($20 for the day, total) and that worked out, because I had to go to the doctors, we needed some birthday supplies for our DS, and many of us visited a sick friend in Daytona Beach when we were there last week. We wound up having the car for 2 days, and the rate was the same for the second day. That rate was special, we haven't been able to duplicate it for our next couple of trips .

We had a very bad experience with the grocery delivery company, so we're going to try something else the next time, but we do plan to use ME for many of our stays from now on, and rent a car for a single day. In December we have a car (nearly $50) from Saturday to Sunday for Church and we want to visit Gaylord Palm's Ice show and visit some off site attractions. We bought the dining plan for that trip, since DDE doesn't work for the CP or Fantasmic package.

Bobbi

 

[kcdisneymom]

This trip we are using ME. We've used it to get the majority of the group to the room but 1 would go get a car. This time we are trying Garden Grocer for food and shipping dry goods UPS. Pretty much going straight to the parks after we check in. My mom and I got stuck at DTD after parks and TC closed. DTD buses run till 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning and go everywhere. If you get stuck, just ask the bus drivers.