Early flight, have DME, NEED wheelchair...

[bobbiwoz]

My friend booked a 7 AM return flight, but absolutely needs a wheelchair. It was cost that caused her to book so early. I and my DSis are not leaving WDW, or DSis would just go extra early with our friend. My friend remembers a very bad experience 3 years ago when a flight attendant actually wheeled her to a place where there was a wheelchair pusher.

Has anyone had the experience in which the bus driver called a number and a person met the bus with a wheelchair?

 

[bopper]

• WHEELCHAIRS
  If you require a wheelchair, please contact your airline in advance and they should be able to provide a wheelchair for your use within the airport.
  https://www.orlandoairports.net/get...lity/#disabled-services-ground-transportation
  
  https://www.orlandoairports.net/getting-around-mco/accessibility/
  
• 
  
• What airline is your friend flying on?
• E.g, United: https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly/travel/special-needs/disabilities/airport-wheelchair.html

 

[RaySharpton]

My friend booked a 7 AM return flight, but absolutely needs a wheelchair. It was cost that caused her to book so early. I and my DSis are not leaving WDW, or DSis would just go extra early with our friend. My friend remembers a very bad experience 3 years ago when a flight attendant actually wheeled her to a place where there was a wheelchair pusher.

Has anyone had the experience in which the bus driver called a number and a person met the bus with a wheelchair?

Hi, bobbiwoz.

I remember one time, a poster here said their DME bus driver called for a wheelchair ahead of time, but they do not have wheelchairs at DME station inside MCO airport.

If you require a wheelchair, please contact your airline in advance and they should be able to provide a wheelchair for your use within the airport. If you require a wheelchair for the duration of your visit, please email Visit Orlando or visit its web site. They should be able to provide you with a list of companies offering such a service.

I have heard many others have not had much luck.

They can be requested at any of the airline counter areas though.

But next to the DME area of the MCO airport inside there are restrooms, escalators, and elevators right next to the DME area.

If she could take the elevator up and have someone from her airline call for a wheelchair while she sat down, maybe they could bring her one.

I would suggest going to the nearest airline counter after getting off the elevator and request help. Maybe someone could call her airline counter for help to bring the wheelchair.

It is easier when departing the airline as the airline's attendant could take her from the airplane to the DME area, but they couldn't keep the wheelchair to board the DME bus.

Leaving WDW on DME is a different matter. As I said before they do not have any wheelchairs in the DME or car rental floor counters.

She can request online when buying tickets with her airline the need for wheelchair assistance to and from on her trip. But, again they usually do not come down to DME to roll her to the airline gate.

Do you think that she could walk off the bus and get on the nearby elevator to the airline counter floor and ask for help for an attendant to bring her a wheelchair to escort her to her plane?

I wrote a trip report below on arriving and departing and I took photos of the DME area.






These wheelchairs at MCO airport were only seen near the different airline gates and not the main MCO airport building.



Most airline wheelchair attendants work for the specific airline and will usually stay with the wheelchair user until her flight arrives and then pushes her wheel chair to the airplanes door down the gateway.

But sometimes they leave to pick up another wheelchair when called.

The only time I was pushed in an airline wheelchair from the airplane door up the gangway was when they were short of attendants. One time a pilot and another time a flight attendant. They also called the wheelchair attendant that I was waiting to be picked up and taken down to DME.

If this happens again, please have her to make sure the flight attendant calls the wheelchair attendant.

I was left one time without help and I finally waved down a flight attendant down to let that person know that no one has come back to pick me up and take me down to DME.

Good luck.

I know how troubling it is when you are by yourself without assistance.

The airport is comprised of a Terminal with an “A-Side” and a “B-Side”. Check the map and locate the terminal for your specific airline; park at the side of the terminal that corresponds with your airline to minimize travel distances within the airport

• Ticketing and All Gates are located on Level 3
• Baggage Claim is located on Level 2
• Ground Transportation is located on Level 1
• Minimal changes between floors
• There is no change of floor/level from check-in to boarding the aircraft
• Automated People Mover (APM) system is provided to and from gate areas
• Roll-on/roll-off train system requires no change of floor/level between the Main Terminal and the Airside Terminals (gate areas)
• Elevators, escalators, and moving walkways are provided to minimize walking distances. Moving walkways transport you from the parking garages to the Main Terminal.

 

[bobbiwoz]

Excellent information...Thank you!
I am passing this on to my friend!

 

[bobbiwoz]

What I especially like is the fact that she could walk to elevator and get help on the check-in level! She does NOT have to make it to her gate by herself. THAT was her main worry.

 

[Bjkandma]

When you get off the DME and needing a wheelchair assist has always been a problem for years. Only one time in 8 visits did the bus driver have success with contacting the airline and a wheelchair was waiting for me. Two years ago, I used the lift and wheelchair from ME and used wheelchair for the airport ride. I asked the bus driver to call Delta to let them know I was arriving, he told me he couldn 't. Was assisted off the bus and still seated in wheelchair, bus driver told me I couldn't take the wheelchair in the airport. Fortunately I had my walker, but had much difficulty. Succeeded in getting inside doors, and no one helped. A complete stranger went to Magical Express employees and asked for help. Finally about 30 minutes later, a person came and called for wheelchair assist. The person who arrived, told me he was "for hire". I asked how much and he told me whatever I wanted. Tipped him $5 he took me so far, called next person, another $5. It cost me $50 to get past security and to the gate.

Fast forward, last trip (August, 2019) booked with Delta. Told them I needed wheelchair assist. Gave me a phone number to call for return trip, when on Magical Express, did as I was told. Employee on other end, said they don't meet the bus. Well, there was no one waiting for me. I sat right inside the door patiently waiting for someone. Again, finally someone approached me and they did call someone. While I should have been boarded as one of the first (need aisle chair to board plane), the boarding process has already started. They stopped the boarding process to get the aisle chair assist.

Hopefully your friend will be able to walk the distance, to get help. If not, tell her to ask a stranger to ask the Magical Express employees to call someone.

Honestly, this is a big problem with using the Magical Express. There has to be a way of fixing this (especially since its existed for at least 8 years). When you call Magical Express, they say it's up to the airline. When you talk to the airline, they say it's Magical Express. (Airline says they have no way of knowing when you arrive,, even though I called the number Delta gave me for assistance, it was an 800 number and not connected to Orlando airport.

Next trip, I'm going to request an earlier pick up time for Magical Express, so I don't need to worry abou t missing my flight.

this seems to be a reoccurring problem and does not take away the enjoyment I get out of going to Disney!! Hopefully some day this will be fixe d! But in the meantime, planning my next Disney trip!

 

[bobbiwoz]

When you get off the DME and needing a wheelchair assist has always been a problem for years. Only one time in 8 visits did the bus driver have success with contacting the airline and a wheelchair was waiting for me. Two years ago, I used the lift and wheelchair from ME and used wheelchair for the airport ride. I asked the bus driver to call Delta to let them know I was arriving, he told me he couldn 't. Was assisted off the bus and still seated in wheelchair, bus driver told me I couldn't take the wheelchair in the airport. Fortunately I had my walker, but had much difficulty. Succeeded in getting inside doors, and no one helped. A complete stranger went to Magical Express employees and asked for help. Finally about 30 minutes later, a person came and called for wheelchair assist. The person who arrived, told me he was "for hire". I asked how much and he told me whatever I wanted. Tipped him $5 he took me so far, called next person, another $5. It cost me $50 to get past security and to the gate.

Fast forward, last trip (August, 2019) booked with Delta. Told them I needed wheelchair assist. Gave me a phone number to call for return trip, when on Magical Express, did as I was told. Employee on other end, said they don't meet the bus. Well, there was no one waiting for me. I sat right inside the door patiently waiting for someone. Again, finally someone approached me and they did call someone. While I should have been boarded as one of the first (need aisle chair to board plane), the boarding process has already started. They stopped the boarding process to get the aisle chair assist.

Hopefully your friend will be able to walk the distance, to get help. If not, tell her to ask a stranger to ask the Magical Express employees to call someone.

Honestly, this is a big problem with using the Magical Express. There has to be a way of fixing this (especially since its existed for at least 8 years). When you call Magical Express, they say it's up to the airline. When you talk to the airline, they say it's Magical Express. (Airline says they have no way of knowing when you arrive,, even though I called the number Delta gave me for assistance, it was an 800 number and not connected to Orlando airport.

Next trip, I'm going to request an earlier pick up time for Magical Express, so I don't need to worry abou t missing my flight.

this seems to be a reoccurring problem and does not take away the enjoyment I get out of going to Disney!! Hopefully some day this will be fixe d! But in the meantime, planning my next Disney trip!

Thank you for sharing. Yes, I hope there is a solution forthcoming.

 

[seashoreCM]

Long shot.
Inquire (in advance) if Magical Express could accommodate (not provide) a wheelchair pusher. This way. Your DSis would be reserved with separately issued vouchers and with your friend back to the airport and take DME back to WDW when done. (DSis would still take DME with you back to the airport normally when you check out.)

Handing off your friend to an assistant of your friend's airline (not a gypsy who takes you only so many yards for $5.) might still be possible partly through the process to take advantage of the assistant's superior ability to complete the boarding of your friend.

 

[tobikaye]

Another option, if cost is not too prohibited, would be to take a Lyft/uber and get dropped off at/near the airline check in counter. Then if they have setup a wheelchair assist, they would be picked up there and taken to their gate.

This would also allow for leaving WDW when the person wants, not when stipulated by DME, which can be good for extremely early flights. I am an early bird, but I will not get on an DME bus at 4 am for a 7 am flight.

 

[DisneyOma]

Or you could rent a car for the day, bring your friend there, have one person get the friend in as far as they could to hand off to the airport people, and then return the car. We've rented from one of the car rental agencies in Dolphin/Swan for one day (to go to Universal)

 

[bobbiwoz]

Well, my friend had a solution...Frontier put her on a later flight! I know it was very frustrating for her, I do not think it cost her a lot of money, or any even. She spoke to four people at Frontier and the fourth was willing to change her. Yeah!!

She then called DME...this is what she said to me

Got through. Being picked up about 6:45. So much better. He even said there would be someone there that could help me. Such a load off, I'm floating.

In another e-mail she asked that when we arrive, she would like to look at the drop off at airport so she can see just where the elevator/escalator is, so if she needed to go to ticketing floor to get help, she knew what to do!

Thanks to everyone for your suggestions!!

 

[Simba's Mom]

This may be too late for you, but last time I called an Uber instead of using DME. Uber dropped me off right outside the ticketing, where there was curbside check-in and they had wheelchairs. I walked about 5 steps. Come to think of it, I'll bet the curb-side check in people would have wheeled the chair over to the car if needed. The curbside check-in people wheeled me to Southwest (after I did curbside check-in), where I transferred wheelchairs (I think-I'm not sure) and Southwest's people took me to the gate.

 

[bobbiwoz]

This may be too late for you, but last time I called an Uber instead of using DME. Uber dropped me off right outside the ticketing, where there was curbside check-in and they had wheelchairs. I walked about 5 steps. Come to think of it, I'll bet the curb-side check in people would have wheeled the chair over to the car if needed. The curbside check-in people wheeled me to Southwest (after I did curbside check-in), where I transferred wheelchairs (I think-I'm not sure) and Southwest's people took me to the gate.

Good to know. Thank you. Do you know about what Uber cost?

 

[Simba's Mom]

Good to know. Thank you. Do you know about what Uber cost?

The Uber costs $29 from BCV to the terminal Southwest is in. That's before tip, but it included any tolls, taxes.

 

[kaytieeldr]

But rideshare costs fluctuate! depending on timing, availability, surge pricing, actual distance travelled, any delays...

 

[bobbiwoz]

This was the best outcome. My friend was met by someone at ME drop off. This person took her to counter and then gate. We are happy Frontier changed her flight time to just before 10, and the follow up help she was given was wonderful!!

 

[RaySharpton]

When I arrived at MCO a couple of weeks ago, I asked the DME castmember about guests needing wheelchairs on their return from WDW to MCO.

She said they installed several phones to different airlines at MCO where the DME usually drops guests off.

They can call the airline counter to ask them to send a wheelchair attendant down to carry that person to their plane.

I'll keep an eye out when I use DME this Friday.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Please do-that sounds super!

 

[DisneyOma]

They can call the airline counter to ask them to send a wheelchair attendant down to carry that person to their plane.

I know it's a typo - but this just made me this morning. I hope they use a wheelchair

 

[mamabunny]

I know it's a typo - but this just made me this morning. I hope they use a wheelchair

LOL when we lived in Alabama, folks would say "Would you carry me to the store?" - meaning "Can I have a ride to the store?" It always struck me as funny, but it's very commonly used, at least in northern Alabama where we were!