What has everyone experience been using ME?

[Mickiethepooh]

I have decided to give ME a try this trip, even though we will be renting a car, I WAS going to rent at MCO but decided to take ME and rent from Disney Car Care center instead once we arrive. So I called ME and told them I will arrive with ECV etc. and they said they would have a transfer bus there.
I have read a couple of accounts of people having to wait a long time for one and wondered what those on this board, [who have these same issues] have experienced using the service.

Also anyone who has rented from Alamo at Car care center, did they pick you up in a timely fashion etc.? [will be picking up husband, I will be waiting at POR.]

 

[BillSears]

I've had fairly good experiences. Over 3 trips I did run into one non-working lift leaving the airport and heading to WDW. They quickly got another bus and everything was fine. On the way back they always had a lift equipped bus arrive at the scheduled time.

Make sure you let them know you need the lift equipped bus. I tell just about every CM I run into that I'll need the lift. I figure it's better to tell them all then to mniss telling the perosn who needs to know.

 

[SueM in MN]

We have used DME at least twice (but I think 3 times) with a wheelchair. We have not had to wait any longer than people without disabilities have waited to leave the airport.
The bus to go back to the airport has always had a lift (we make really sure to check that they know about it). When we left our resort on Oct 8 this year, the 11am bus was there a few minutes after 11. Since everyone had been waiting for it since about 10:40, it felt pretty late. We got to the airport in good time though.

 

[Mickiethepooh]

Thanks for the info. I just got a reply on the transportation board to the question of when arriving at the resort on ME whether I would be unloaded before the luggage of everyone who brought luggage and I was not pleased with the answer.
We all say that we want equal not preferential treatment, well I have no problem with the other PEOPLE on the bus getting off before I do, but I have a big problem with being stuck ON the bus while the other peoples LUGGAGE is taken off first. and I am told that is exactly what they do.
IF that is the case I will file a complaint with the Dept. Of Transportation.
Unless the bus driver takes all the luggage off before he lets ANYONE off the bus then it is NOT equal treatment is it.
Sorry but this really gets up my nose.

 

[madenon]

I've used ME during my last trip, twice. (long story, had to go back to the airport during my stay, so did MCO-WDW and WDW-MCO both twice)

Yes, they did have to get a bus there with lift, not every bus has one. The longest I've waited for that bus going to WDW? About 15 minutes. The busses back to MCO were precisely on time, (both with another wc on board allready, so they either timed it fairly spacious or the driver worked fast)

 

[bzzymom]

My parents tried that in March, but when they got to the car care center, the rental car place was closed, they have very limited hours. My father even told the Alamo reservationist what time they were arriving, that person didn't bother to check the hours when he made their reservation. They had to wait until the next day to get the car, and then, they found out that they had to turn the car in the day before they were going to leave because of the hours it was open. It messed up there plans. I strongly urge you to check your flight times and check with Alamo for what the hours are. You don't want to be stuck like my parents were.

 

[Mason7AK]

Have used ME once and will be using them again in December. We were travelling with two wheelchairs. We were very pleased with both service and treatment. We did not have to wait until the luggage was unloaded before we were unloaded. Other passengers got off, then we were unloaded, then the driver went to help the resort bell services who were already in process of taking luggage from underneath the bus. Our resort was POR. At the airport, it was already on our reservation that we needed the lift. At the resort, we let the front desk know the day before we left and again the morning of our departure that we needed the lift. The bus for our scheduled departure arrived with the lift, and we were loaded before other passengers, again as resort staff was loading luggage.
Hope this helps.
Angela

 

[Piper]

I used them in July and had to wait for 20-25 minutes at the airport. ME had on my reservation that I needed a lift and my flight was on time and I told the person who checked me in that I needed a lift-but I still had to wait on a lift equipped bus. They had me pull out of line and to the side so I wouldn't block all the people behind me getting on the bus. Then when the bus finally came, one of the people in line made a nasty comment about my "getting special treatment" and getting on the bus first!! (It was the third bus going to POFQ after I reached the front of the line!

I double checked that they would send a lift bus on the way back to the airport and they did--on time.

 

[Vijoge]

I don't know how mobile you are but since I am able to board the bus using the steps we just stowed my ECV under the bus with the luggage.

 

[SueM in MN]

Have used ME once and will be using them again in December. We were travelling with two wheelchairs. We were very pleased with both service and treatment. We did not have to wait until the luggage was unloaded before we were unloaded. Other passengers got off, then we were unloaded, then the driver went to help the resort bell services who were already in process of taking luggage from underneath the bus. Our resort was POR. At the airport, it was already on our reservation that we needed the lift. At the resort, we let the front desk know the day before we left and again the morning of our departure that we needed the lift. The bus for our scheduled departure arrived with the lift, and we were loaded before other passengers, again as resort staff was loading luggage.
Hope this helps.
Angela

That's what happened to us when we used DME.
When we got on at the airport, our DD in her wheelchair was put on the bus before the other passengers or their bags.
When we got to the resort, the other passengers got off, bell services CMs took care of the luggage while the bus driver took the wheelchair off.
When we left the resort, the driver loaded DD first with the door shut, then the other passengers. Other passengers were not happy; our bus was actually about 5 minutes late, but there had been a Cruise line bus that was taking people to the cruise and not the the airport. Another bus had left people off, but was not picking up. So, people were not real happy. While fastening down DD's wheelchair, the bus driver told DH that we should be unloaded first, but because people were already angry, she asked if it was OK with us to unload the luggage first. It was our option and we agreed it would probably be better all around if the luggage got unloaded first at the airport. We thought the idea of having a bunch of impatient, angry people possibly crowding the driver while she operated the lift was not something we wanted to choose.

 

[Mickiethepooh]

I don't know how mobile you are but since I am able to board the bus using the steps we just stowed my ECV under the bus with the luggage.

I would love to do that, no bus driver yet has allowed me to do this, all insist I use the lift. that could have something to do with the scooter weighing 235 pounds assembled. LOL and disassembly takes several minutes and still has some hefty pieces.

I am beginning to think of scrapping the idea and just taking the rented van from the airport.
Or at this point of cancelling the entire trip, it seems to be more trouble then it is worth some times.

 

[Vijoge]

I would love to do that, no bus driver yet has allowed me to do this, all insist I use the lift. that could have something to do with the scooter weighing 235 pounds assembled. LOL and disassembly takes several minutes and still has some hefty pieces.

I am beginning to think of scrapping the idea and just taking the rented van from the airport.
Or at this point of cancelling the entire trip, it seems to be more trouble then it is worth some times.

Hmmm. . .my DH asked the bus driver if her wanted him (my DH) to put the ECV in and the bus driver said "Well, you can help me if you want to". They didn't take it apart-just folded the seat and the fork. The DME driver certainly seemed as if this is what he does all the time and this was both when arriving and departing with two different bus drivers. BTW, my scooter weighs a lot, too. Heck, each battery weighs about 40 lbs.