Will we have enough time -- DME or Towncar

[apulk]

Trying to squeeze as much into our short 4 day trip that is coming up and so plan to head to the MK the night we arrive in WDW --- basically with just a short stop at the hotel to drop off our carryons. Here are our current timings -- as I made the FP+ it seemed reasonable....but now that I see them in print -- thinking EVERYTHING has to go perfectly from a time standpoint for these to work out:

Friday, March 27th

• Arrive via Southwest at MCO: 5:10pm
• Signed up for Magical Express but thinking we won't have time
• Checking at POR
• Bus to MK
• 1st Window for FastPasses -- 7pm - 8pm -- Big Thunder Mt.

So basically we have from 5:10pm to get from the plan until 8pm to get off the plane, head thru the airport, get on the ME bus, wait for it to leave, hope it doesn't stop at other hotels first (not sure what the routine is for POR -- does it stop at POFQ first?), get to the hotel, did pre-checkin so hopefully go right to our rooms, catch the bus to the MK and then get to the back of the park by 8pm.

Questions and advice requested:

1. Doable or not?
2. Should we stay with the plan to do ME -- or should we let the luggage get picked up by ME and arrange for a Towncar to get us to the hotel?
3. Should we forget about ME and just do the Towncar and wait for our own luggage?

What do you think????

andy

 

[Alesia]

A town car may save you 15 to 30 minutes over DME. Or, if you have my luck at the baggage carousel, it could take longer.

Either way, I put your chances of making it at about 25%, assuming you can move quickly.

 

[sam_gordon]

Assuming everything works PERFECTLY:

5:10 Arrival
5:25 Walk off plane (depending on where you sit)
5:40 Arrive at baggage claim
5:50 Pick up bags
5:55 Walk to town car
6:30 Arrival at resort
6:45 Checked in, drop bags in room
7:00 at MK bus stop
7:30 at MK

That's allowing only 10 minutes for your bags to show up. Obviously if you don't have checked bags, that saves you 10 minutes. Even so, you're not getting to MK until 7:15, and that's if everything goes PERFECT.

I'd say there's no way to make it with DME (you're looking at arrival at your resort around 7p at best).

 

[canadiandisneynut]

I have only ever waited 20 minutes for DME at the most and its a quick walk to get there. I honestly think you would spend that much time retrieving your bags. Why not push your FP+ back by a half hour?

 

[maxiesmom]

If you are really tied to those FP times, I would spring for a town car. With DME you have no idea how long it will take, and no control over it either. Book a town car. Get your checked luggage and go.

 

[goofy4tink]

Some of my times.....
DME.....60-85 mins..from gate (not landing!!) to resort
Towncar....carryon only...45 mins gate to resort
Towncar with checked bags....60 mins, gate to resort

Can you make it using DME? Maybe. Can you count on it? I wouldn't. The one time you have to be someplace is the one time that the transportation gods conspire against you, and every wait takes double the normal time.

 

[nacho113]

That's a LOT of hoping for the best. I think I'd take a towncar to maximize your time at the park and minimize possible delays with DME.

Could possibly do a one day car rental. Drive straight from the airport to the park, keeping your luggage with you. Then when you leave the park, just go to your resort and check-in. Return the car to the CCC in the morning and have them drop you off at TTC, ready for your next park day.

 

[sam_gordon]

That's a LOT of hoping for the best. I think I'd take a towncar to maximize your time at the park and minimize possible delays with DME.

Could possibly do a one day car rental. Drive straight from the airport to the park, keeping your luggage with you. Then when you leave the park, just go to your resort and check-in. Return the car to the CCC in the morning and have them drop you off at TTC, ready for your next park day.

That would save a bunch of time also, but only if you rent through one of the companies that you don't have to wait at the counter (National Emerald Aisle and Budget Fast Break are two). I've seen lines at those counters be LONG.

 

[apulk]

I have only ever waited 20 minutes for DME at the most and its a quick walk to get there. I honestly think you would spend that much time retrieving your bags. Why not push your FP+ back by a half hour?

Have been trying to do this but haven't been given that option.....only seeing times earlier in the day. Would like to push all back by 30 mins just in case. Will keep checking that each day to see if that opportunity opens up.

 

[apulk]

Some of my times.....
DME.....60-85 mins..from gate (not landing!!) to resort
Towncar....carryon only...45 mins gate to resort
Towncar with checked bags....60 mins, gate to resort

Can you make it using DME? Maybe. Can you count on it? I wouldn't. The one time you have to be someplace is the one time that the transportation gods conspire against you, and every wait takes double the normal time.

Last time we did DME was on 12/31/2013 and we arrived 1pm I think. The goal was to get to the MK before 3pm in case they were closed the park for New Year's Eve. We made it about 10 mins to 3pm after checking in at AKL so that one time everything went perfect......I like your times/experiences.....if we hit it right then the time with checked bags and a town car might not save us much.....and I really don't want to spend the cash just to make sure we get in one more ride. Thinking I"m not going to stress over it....if I can push the FP+ time back 30 mins I will - otherwise, just stay with the DME plan and spend the extra $$ on dinner at Boma. Thx.

 

[Sugardimples]

I really don't think a town car will save you any time at all after you factor in the time you will spend retrieving your bags. Just relax, take ME, and stop fretting. If you make it, you make it. If you don't, you'll ride later on. You're putting a lot of stress on yourself for a four minute roller coaster ride.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

just for a grandson's MAW trip where we had to get bags. we stopped at bathroom, stopped for drinks took train and met greeter and still waited about 15 minutes for luggage to arrive. I do not see how having to wait for your checked bags is going to save you any time. after bags started to arrive was like 15 minutes to get all our bags as they were not together. to add time one of the bags which was not charged as too heavy or big did not come out had to find someone to get from a different area after getting the others

 

[charmed59]

Is it possible to take the ME to the Contemporary, walk to MK, and either checkin via a phone or after you return from the park?

 

[Alesia]

Is it possible to take the ME to the Contemporary, walk to MK, and either checkin via a phone or after you return from the park?

The OP must get on the bus going to POR. The chances of that bus also going to the Contemporary are small.

 

[sharona]

Trying to squeeze as much into our short 4 day trip that is coming up and so plan to head to the MK the night we arrive in WDW --- basically with just a short stop at the hotel to drop off our carryons. Here are our current timings -- as I made the FP+ it seemed reasonable....but now that I see them in print -- thinking EVERYTHING has to go perfectly from a time standpoint for these to work out...

For a short trip just do carry-on only. Get the towncar and walk right from the plane to the car. If your flight is on time you'll be at your resort before 6pm.

 

[apulk]

OK -- just got back -- here is how things turned out for my DME vs. should we do a limo question. All in all -- everything worked out just fine -- but we did miss our first FP+ time -- not really due to Disney ME though. Turned out that Pittsburgh had one more snowy morning left and it came on our travel day -- just a dusting here or there but it meant that planes needed to be de-iced (not complaining at all -- safety first and glad they were cautious -- it was about 34 degrees at the time). So that cost us about 30 mins. So our tight window pretty much closed at that point. When we go to the DME line a bus was waiting....but had just started loading passengers so we waited about 20+ mins until we headed to our hotels. We were staying at POR which meant stops (albeit quick stops) at Old Key West, Saratoga Springs, Port Orleans French Quarter and then POR. Received the text message that our room was ready as soon as we touched down in MCO so no checkin. Were on the bus to the MK about 20 mins after arriving at the resort.

Missed our 1st FP+ time(Big Thunder Mt) BUT -- apparently it rained and rained HARD during the afternoon which cleared out a lot of folks -- from about 8:30pm until 10:15pm we were able to take in our other 2 FP+ rides (Peter Pan and the 7 Dwarf's Mine Train) AND take in It's a Small World, Little Mermaid, Dumbo, Goofy's barnstormer (twice), Tomorrowland Speedway (watching the fireworks from the line), Buzz Lightyear and one spin on the Carousel. So, ended up being a pretty good night even with the missed FP+ -- and we saved the money which went right to lunch at Be our Guest a few days later.

So a 3 hour window from landing to park ride taking DME is not wise -- but 4 hours would have been fine.

Thanks all.

andy

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

For anyone doing this in the future....Skip checkin.. Not sure why you have all this "Going to room" time in here.

Whatever method you use to get to the hotel... go directly to bell services, tell them you are trying to make a FP, check your carry on. Head to park

Come back, get luggage head to room.

 

[apulk]

Room was already ready -- had carryons that we wanted to leave in the room and my wife and daughters wanted to freshen up before heading to the park. Never did a checkin at the front desk this trip since we did pre-arrival checkin online. Had the magic bands already and received the text message with the room # so never needed to see the lobby at all this trip.