What approximate time for return DME?

[Ashleybritton]

Our return flight is at 5:35. Approximately what time will we need to be back at the hotel?

 

[DebbieB]

Our return flight is at 5:35. Approximately what time will we need to be back at the hotel?

*Corrected* Bus will be around 2:15-2:45, you will get the time the day before. Arrive 15 minutes early.

 

[siskaren]

Bus will be around 3:15-3:45, you will get the time the day before. Arrive 15 minutes early.

The pick-up time is 3 hours before the flight time, give or take 15 minutes, so it would be an hour earlier than that - between 2:15 and 2:45. And the time they give you is the time the bus leaves, so yes, you should be there about 15 minutes earlier. Also, you'll want to allow time to retrieve your carry-ons from Bell Services, make a pit stop, maybe make one last trip to the hotel gift shop, so you probably want to be at your hotel 45 minutes to an hour before your pick-up time.

 

[Alesia]

Plan on being back by 1:30.

 

[sam_gordon]

You will NEED to be back at some point between 2:05 and 2:35. Your pickup time will be assigned somewhere between 2:20 and 2:50 and you are supposed to be ready to board the bus 15 minutes before your assigned time.

 

[Alesia]

You will NEED to be back at some point between 2:05 and 2:35. Your pickup time will be assigned somewhere between 2:20 and 2:50 and you are supposed to be ready to board the bus 15 minutes before your assigned time.

Yes, but you also need to allow time to pick up any bags you've left with bell services. The bus won't wait for you if bell services is taking longer than expected to get your things. I've had it take 20 minutes or so. Also, the bus won't wait for you if it takes you longer than expected to get back to the resort. I don't recommend pushing it.

 

[goofy4tink]

For a 5:35 flight departure, I would imagine the DME will give you a pick up time of about 2:30...give or take 15 mins either way. You need to be back at the resort at least 30 mins prior to this time....45 would be better. You probably have carry on bags to get from Bell Services, you will want to use the rest rooms and it seems that everyone always needs that one last walk through of the gift shops!!!
So, plan on being back at the resort by 1:45. This means you need to be ready to leave the park by 12:30.

 

[sam_gordon]

Yes, but you also need to allow time to pick up any bags you've left with bell services. The bus won't wait for you if bell services is taking longer than expected to get your things. I've had it take 20 minutes or so. Also, the bus won't wait for you if it takes you longer than expected to get back to the resort. I don't recommend pushing it.

I agree. But the OPs question was what time do they NEED to be back. If you don't have to collect bags or make another stop at the gift shop or go to the restroom, you can push it a little more. They NEED to be ready to board the bus 15 minutes before their assigned time. Hopefully they're smart enough to allow time for whatever they need to do.

 

[DebbieB]

Oops - subtraction mistake. I should have said 2:15-2:45.

 

[dancin Disney style]

Just a little FYI. 2 weeks ago my DME pick up time was set for 3h 40min before flight time. I was flying SW to BUF.

 

[Shanti]

Yes, but you also need to allow time to pick up any bags you've left with bell services. The bus won't wait for you if bell services is taking longer than expected to get your things. I've had it take 20 minutes or so. Also, the bus won't wait for you if it takes you longer than expected to get back to the resort. I don't recommend pushing it.

If you're checking bags I recommend using Disney's Resort Airline Check-in the morning of your departure day, so you can check in for your flight and send off your bags in advance of your departure. (This is free & separate from ME.) Then just carry a light shoulder bag with essentials with you around the park that day, & it can be your carry-on item on the plane. That will let you avoid having to collect bags from Bell Services upon your return to the resort.

 

[seashoreCM]

Just a little FYI. 2 weeks ago my DME pick up time was set for 3h 40min before flight time.

Your sweet spot bus would have been about 3h 10min before flight time given the half hourly scheduled bus pickups from your resort. But that bus might have been full by the time the DME scheduling crew got to filling in your name so they gave you the bus before.

Shoot to be back at your resort a little over an hour before your bus time as shown on your confirmation paper. Allow even more time if you need to get carryons back from the bellhop or do other last minute resort chores.

 

[dancin Disney style]

Your sweet spot bus would have been about 3h 10min before flight time given the half hourly scheduled bus pickups from your resort. But that bus might have been full by the time the DME scheduling crew got to filling in your name so they gave you the bus before.
.

I think it had more to do with the security situation at MCO. This was shortly after the Paris and California shootings. The MCO security line that day was more than a 30 minute wait. Many, many times I've waited in a long line at MCO but never like that. The TSA was constantly pulling people aside and calling other agents to come and get them. There were TSA(maybe police, not sure) dogs moving about the lines as well.

 

[goofy4tink]

I think it had more to do with the security situation at MCO. This was shortly after the Paris and California shootings. The MCO security line that day was more than a 30 minute wait. Many, many times I've waited in a long line at MCO but never like that. The TSA was constantly pulling people aside and calling other agents to come and get them. There were TSA(maybe police, not sure) dogs moving about the lines as well.

Have to agree! I flew home on Dec 9. Security was a mess at MCO. I've never been so happy to have paid for my PreCheck status!!! More than paid for itself on that trip. And, the other thing I noticed, that precheck line wasn't crowded at all! There have been many times that it was almost as long as the regular lines....agents would direct non-precheck people to that line...made it a nightmare since they had no idea how that line worked!!! I have to wonder if the tighter security has made it more difficult to get put into that precheck line. That would be a nice thing.

 

[dancin Disney style]

Have to agree! I flew home on Dec 9. Security was a mess at MCO. I've never been so happy to have paid for my PreCheck status!!! More than paid for itself on that trip. And, the other thing I noticed, that precheck line wasn't crowded at all! There have been many times that it was almost as long as the regular lines....agents would direct non-precheck people to that line...made it a nightmare since they had no idea how that line worked!!! I have to wonder if the tighter security has made it more difficult to get put into that precheck line. That would be a nice thing.

We flew home on Dec 8

 

[Starwind]

The pick-up time is 3 hours before the flight time, give or take 15 minutes, so it would be an hour earlier than that - between 2:15 and 2:45. And the time they give you is the time the bus leaves, so yes, you should be there about 15 minutes earlier. Also, you'll want to allow time to retrieve your carry-ons from Bell Services, make a pit stop, maybe make one last trip to the hotel gift shop, so you probably want to be at your hotel 45 minutes to an hour before your pick-up time.

This is important to remember.

When ME picked us up at AoA at the end of our recent trip, there was a family there waiting - they had arrived before we did. However, the family had NOT gone and gotten their luggage from luggage services -- it seemed in the confrontation that later occurred that they expected the driver to get it or something. Eventually they did go get their luggage, while everyone else was loading our own luggage under the bus (I am used to the ME driver doing the loading; this driver did no loading, only unloading at the airport; for us no loading = no tip).

The family therefore ended up at the end of the "line" with their luggage beside them (they did not try loading it under the bus). Then came the confrontation witht eh bus driver who explained there was no room on the bus for them and that there would be another shortly. Other CMs came out of the woodwork to deal with that issue and the very unhappy family, while our bus took off for the airport.

So -- get your luggage with plenty of time before the bus is supposed to be there. Also, at AoA it took several minutes for them to retrieve our luggage, so don't count on a last minute arrival.

Also, if you are leaving on an international flight, your pickup time will be 4 hours before your flight.

Finally, we only spent one night at AoA (last night of a multi-part trip). When we checked in we were NOT given the ME transportation letter. I had to go back to the front desk later and ask for it.

SW

 

[siskaren]

The family therefore ended up at the end of the "line" with their luggage beside them (they did not try loading it under the bus). Then came the confrontation with the bus driver who explained there was no room on the bus for them and that there would be another shortly.

I wonder why there wasn't room for them on the bus, unless that wasn't their assigned bus.

 

[DebbieB]

I flew home on December 11th. My flight was 3:15, I got picked up at BWV at 12:15. I had pre-check but I noticed there were not long lines on the Southwest end. I guess it just depends on the day and time. Bus was not crowded.

 

[goofy4tink]

I wonder why there wasn't room for them on the bus, unless that wasn't their assigned bus.

Possibly. But.....a few weeks ago, I was leaving from the GF, my friend and her sister were also leaving the GF. We had flight times that were about 30 mins apart. My flight was about 35 mins after my friend's flight...so I had the bus scheduled after her bus. I asked the driver, when her bus arrived, if there was room for me on the bus...that I was scheduled for the next bus, but wanted to go back with my friend, but if there wasn't room, no big deal. I've been on buses that have been only half full, so figured if that was the case, no harm, no foul. The driver said sure, no problem, so I got on. Well...there was, in fact, a problem. Yes, the GF was the last stop, but there were maybe 4 seats left by the time I got on, behind my friend. She and her sister found seats many rows apart from each other...no big deal, they didn't mind. However, there were a few seats that had bags on them! There were a few people boarding after I did...the driver asked if there were more free seats...I responded with 'there are seats with bags on them'..fairly loudly. Two people very grudgingly moved their bags. So, we were all able to find seats, but I certainly didn't think my boarding that bus was a 'no problem' thing. I shouldn't have been allowed to get on....I almost got off in fact!!!

The folks that Starwind mentioned may have been scheduled for a different bus..or more likely, guests got on the bus earlier, that shouldn't have been allowed to board. I have never, though, seen a driver say that he/she wouldn't load the bags underneath the bus. I thought it was a safety issue. I tried to stash my bag in once and the driver went nuts!!!! And it should be the same when traveling in both directions. That's very curious.
But DME is very clear about getting your own bags out of storage...so not sure why they thought the driver was going to take care of it for them.

 

[Starwind]

The folks that Starwind mentioned may have been scheduled for a different bus..or more likely, guests got on the bus earlier, that shouldn't have been allowed to board. I have never, though, seen a driver say that he/she wouldn't load the bags underneath the bus. I thought it was a safety issue. I tried to stash my bag in once and the driver went nuts!!!! And it should be the same when traveling in both directions. That's very curious.
But DME is very clear about getting your own bags out of storage...so not sure why they thought the driver was going to take care of it for them.

It wasn't even a matter of the driver saying they wouldn't load them; he was on the bus and did not come out of the bus to load bags...

I was not amused. And definitely a safety issue - I whacked my head inside the cargo thing after I put my first bag in as I was extricating myself from it. Not saying the drivers should be the ones whacking their heads but (a) they are probably much more aware of "space" under there and thus less likely to whack themselves; and (b) Disney definitely does NOT want the guests whacking themselves.

All other times we have used ME the driver loads and unloads the bags under the bus. I do not know why this time was an exception but am hoping it was exactly that - a weird exception.

SW