Has DME become more saturated?

[AngiTN]

MCO = why TSA created PreCheck

 

[Euby]

MCO = why TSA created PreCheck

MCO = the reason I finally got TSA Pre-check

 

[keishashadow]

There was no love in the precheck line @ MCO last Sunday, terminal B @ 7:30 am. Longest I've seen it, although we typically fly thru A TSA inspection.

Granted weather was bad, forcing flight cancellations & they were somewhat enforcing the sign that stated no entrance before 2 hours prior to flight. Only noticed that as many were squawking near entrance to regular line.

In PIT sometimes the precheck line looks longer than the regular one BTW.

I wait in enough lines @ WDW, MDE has always felt saturated to me. Likely due to popular times I visit, flight times, resort(s) sharing buses, etc. Just not a positive experience for an admittedly type A person.

MDE is something you need to try once or twice and see if it works for you & your temperment/travel budget. I only use it when doing a shorter trip on a dime/can't snag a decent car rental rate.

Whether designed to entice folks to stay onsite or not, it's a 'free' service. IMO not magical or express in it's delivery lol but it's a nice option to have.

 

[shocker]

The term 'tragical express' is an *extremely* common term used by Disney fans online, when referring to the DME return from from WDW back to MCO. It denotes a sad trip because you're leaving Disney and not a negative nickname disparaging the DME service.

Also why my family says the walk from the park gate to our car at the end of the day is the "longest walk of the day." It was no longer or shorter when we arrived that morning...it just doesn't lead to anything FUN.

 

[ZebraDomeCrazy]

We use ME to Disney all the time.

We do not take ME back to MCO

AngieTN,

Just curious why you don’t use it for your return trip to MCO? And what service do you use?

 

[AngiTN]

AngieTN,

Just curious why you don’t use it for your return trip to MCO? And what service do you use?

I use Uber or Lyft and I don't use ME because they go back too soon and because we don't leave from the resort, we leave straight from the park

 

[Buzzsgramma]

Glad the 4 hour thingy is over...Dec 14th DH and I had late afternoon flight into MCO we boarded the DME and waited for about 15 min then dropped some people off at CBR then headed to BWV..total time about an hour...
Leaving on Dec 19th from BWV..for laate afternoon flight....our bus was about 20 min or more late....also stopped at CBR...we arrived in plenty of time at the airport..(due to the 4 hour thing at that time)...both the bus drivers were beyond helpful and polite...
We would use them again...when we go in March...

 

[Shanti]

DME works well. People exaggerate & post complaints when they're disgruntled.

 

[Meglen]

We used FLtours last trip and they were amazing and nice. Going to be using them again this year. 160$ round trip is worth the time we save waiting on a bus.

 

[DebbieB]

I took it a couple of years ago around noon on a Saturday and the lines were huge. Took a good 45 minutes to get on a bus to BWV, one bus was leaving when I got there, another one came and was full, then I got on the next one. Last month, it was around noon on a Saturday, lines were not bad, I got on the first bus that came, about 15 minutes.

 

[Colleen27]

As a few others have said, I think a lot of problems are guest-related. And I do think that's gotten just a bit worse since MagicBands, because we've been behind multiple families that packed their MBs in their luggage and then slowed down the whole check-in line and/or checked in when the MB system didn't seem to be working and everyone had to be looked up manually.

But mostly, I think airport problems are behind the biggest complaints (the early pick-up times) and that's unavoidable. I don't fly a ton so maybe there are worse airports out there for security, but I haven't been to one. Everyone has a ton of junk, probably half the people in line seem new to the TSA routines, and it just crawls. It is impossible to predict whether you'll breeze through or stand in a barely moving line for hours. On our last trip, we got through security in 20 minutes and it felt like we were sitting around at our gate forever; the time before that, it took almost 2 hours and we didn't even have time to stop at the kiosk for drinks for the flight. All Disney can do with that is err on the side of not missing flights.

 

[disneywv]

In July 17 we (2 adults, 2 grandkids) arrived at DME gate at 7:40 am. Waited less than 3 minutes and were the only ones the entire bus. We were dropped at BLT at 8:15am

 

[UrsulaTime]

I use Uber or Lyft and I don't use ME because they go back too soon and because we don't leave from the resort, we leave straight from the park

I've always wanted to do that! What do you do with your bags??

 

[AngiTN]

I've always wanted to do that! What do you do with your bags??

Epcot has luggage lockers near the bus stops. They are coin operated (4 quarters) and large enough to hold any bag that can be a carry on. They are outside of the secure zone so you won't have to take them through bag check either.

 

[siskaren]

I've always wanted to do that! What do you do with your bags??

You can use RAC to check your bags before going to the park - it's not connected to DME. Just think of it as checking in for your flight at your hotel instead of the airport.

 

[sam_gordon]

In November security lines at MCO were so long we almost missed our flight even with DME picking us up 3 hours before our flight, so I understood why they switched it to 4 hours.

That's impossible. Everyone know DME will drop you off so early you'll be waiting at your gate for 2 hours with nothing to do.

 

[UrsulaTime]

Epcot has luggage lockers near the bus stops. They are coin operated (4 quarters) and large enough to hold any bag that can be a carry on. They are outside of the secure zone so you won't have to take them through bag check either.

That's good to know! I thought I'd heard the lockers were super small.

You can use RAC to check your bags before going to the park - it's not connected to DME. Just think of it as checking in for your flight at your hotel instead of the airport.

Thanks for pointing that out - I forgot about RAC! I refreshed my memory by reading the sticky after I saw your reply. Two of our party are flying on Spirit, so no RAC bag check for them.

 

[AngiTN]

You can use RAC to check your bags before going to the park - it's not connected to DME. Just think of it as checking in for your flight at your hotel instead of the airport.

I'm talking about carry on bags. We do check our large bags with RAC

That's good to know! I thought I'd heard the lockers were super small.

All other lockers are smaller. Not super small, we could still fit several shoe boxes after shopping at the Expo one trip, and DH fit his back pack carry on in the one at AK when he met us at the park straight from the airport
These at Epcot are the only luggage size lockers that I've ever found.
HS also has lockers outside the park gates (and bag check), but they are smaller than the ones at Epcot. We did manage to use them one trip but it was tighter fit for our carry on bags. We just prefer to end our trip at Epcot any way. We have traditions of a beer at Rose and Crown and certain snacks we get to end our trip. Before they moved the Uber pick up it was very close to the luggage lockers too. Now it's not too far, but not as close at it was.

 

[siskaren]

I'm talking about carry on bags. We do check our large bags with RAC.

I know, but UrsulaTime didn't indicate what kind of bags she was asking about, and you only mentioned what you do with your carry-ons.

 

[Gehrig1B]

We have been fortunate to come multiple times in the last 10 years and have not noticed any difference in DME. We arrive at different times during the day and have stayed at moderate and deluxe hotels and our experience is usually closer to 60 minutes than 90 minutes MCO to resort and bags in our room pretty soon thereafter.

We have TSA-pre so no longer use DME back to the airport. Last month we used RAC then Ubered to MCO from Wilderness Lodge and were at our JetBlue gate a full 2 hours prior to departure anyway! TSA pre-check line took us about 6 minutes. Regular security lines were showing a 38 minute wait.

Don't know if I would take my carry on bags to a locker unless my resort was a long way from the park. For us, with MK and WL it is a 10-15 minute boat ride to pick up carry ons from Bell Services before grabbing a ride share from the hotel. The most important and expensive items never go in hold luggage so putting cabin luggage in a locker would not sit well with me, not saying I would never do it!

Now it appears you can take a Minnie Van to MCO, if you want to spring for an extra $150!