Should I go to the airport to meet my father?

[elaine amj]

My father is joining us on our upcoming Disney trip and we are very excited. We will be there for two weeks and he is joining us in the middle of the vacation. He will be flying from Asia and it is a very long flight. He has just asked if I will be meeting him at the airport. He is worried about being groggy and tired. Also, he will not have his luggage tags or his magic band.

Prob is he will have access to Magical Express to our onsite resort but I won't. I would have to take a taxi to the airport and then a taxi back to Saratoga Springs.

Thoughts?

 

[JimMIA]

Should you go to the airport? YES!

You can Uber or Lyft for half the price of a taxi.

I've never used DME, so I have no idea if this is possible -- but I wonder if it might be possible for the DME driver to let you board with your father under these circumstances? You ARE staying onsite, and if the bus is not completely full...

 

[rigs32]

If your father speaks english and is not infirm, I'm not sure why he would need you to meet him there. There must be a way to email him a pdf of the luggage tags or have them sent directly to him so that part is taken care of. Or retrieve luggage and get tags from the ME counter once at MCO.

It's at least 20 min each way without traffic from WDW to MCO. What if he's delayed? How long will it take for him to get through customs? Can you go to meet him, sure. But it'll take at least a couple hours out of your day.

 

[mousefan73]

Are you not at sarasota springs? is he alone there? why not add your name to the reservation then... only the 3rd adult gets the added fee.. this way you can get a mde ressie..... and a magic band...

or even a one day economy cat...care rental might be cheaper than an uber back and forth??

Also not aware of any asian non-stops to mco... I assume he is then connecting elsewhere in the usa? then he has pasted customs.. customs at mco is a pain as you get luggage, clear and then have the option to put back on baggage system for mco to move bags to official baggageclain in a or b.... or you can carry own bags past customs on the train to a or b.

might be alot for an older, tired persion...

 

[elaine amj]

I am also staying at Saratoga Springs (we have a 2 bedroom villa so no extra adult fee) - but I am assuming I can only use MDE for my arrival and my departure (I will be flying in a week earlier and leaving several days later than my father).

- The luggage tags and magic bands all came to me but there is no time to mail them to him as our trip is coming up soon.
- He speaks English fluently and is an experienced traveler but he is 69 and this will be a 30 hour journey.
- He will not be going through customs in MCO - he has a 2hr 20 min layover in Philadelphia where he will go through customs.

The last time he joined us we were staying offsite and he just took a taxi directly to our offsite hotel.

 

[focusondisney]

He doesn't have to use DME. You can get a town car one way for about $75-80. The driver will meet him at the entrance to baggage claim, help him retrieve & carry his bag & bring him right to your resort. You can be waiting at the lobby to meet him. That would be peace of mind & worth the money to me. We use a town car every trip. Very nice when you're tired from traveling.

No need for luggage tags or magic bands either.

Edit to add: you can even pay online ahead of time so he doesn't have to worry about that.

 

[elaine amj]

Thanks!! I have just been trying to figure out what best to do. He's such an experienced traveler that it never occurred to me that he might ask me to meet him at the airport.

Then I realized I had sent him some info about DME and went into detail about checked luggage, bag claim tickets, etc etc that I think it got him worried! I just messaged him telling him it's actually super simple. Hopefully just telling DME his name will be sufficient.

If he still feels nervous though, my backup plan is to tell him to skip DME and just use a taxi as he is more familiar with that process. It would be super time consuming (and $$) for me to go to the airport to meet him. I would do it in a heartbeat if he needed me - but my father has traveled the world for longer than I have been alive, so I can't imagine that he won't be able to handle this.

That said, I really hate saying no to my father so if he prefers me to go meet him, I'll do it happily

 

[mousefan73]

Thanks!! I have just been trying to figure out what best to do. He's such an experienced traveler that it never occurred to me that he might ask me to meet him at the airport.

Then I realized I had sent him some info about DME and went into detail about checked luggage, bag claim tickets, etc etc that I think it got him worried! I just messaged him telling him it's actually super simple. Hopefully just telling DME his name will be sufficient.

If he still feels nervous though, my backup plan is to tell him to skip DME and just use a taxi as he is more familiar with that process. It would be super time consuming (and $$) for me to go to the airport to meet him. I would do it in a heartbeat if he needed me - but my father has traveled the world for longer than I have been alive, so I can't imagine that he won't be able to handle this.

That said, I really hate saying no to my father so if he prefers me to go meet him, I'll do it happily

They have red caps or valets that can help him with luggage and escort him to DME. Wirth the tips (not sure if they niw charge). Sure DME are super healpful.

 

[Best Aunt]

You can get a town car one way for about $75-80. The driver will meet him at the entrance to baggage claim, help him retrieve & carry his bag & bring him right to your resort. You can be waiting at the lobby to meet him. That would be peace of mind & worth the money to me. We use a town car every trip. Very nice when you're tired from traveling.

This.

 

[goofy4tink]

I'm assuming you will have already used DME to get to SSR...which is why you can't use it again. I would just tell your father that it's very easy to get to DME and onto the bus. He can get his bag(s) at baggage claim and take them down to level 1, B side, and check in at the DME area. He should have the resort reservation number handy, that will make check in much quicker.
I know many people think of 69 as 'old', I'm 68 and have no issues with traveling, so if dad is a veteran traveler, he'll be fine. If he lands on Side A, he will have to go down to level 2, Side A, get his bags. Then, back up to level 3 (the level you arrive on) and cross over to Side B...very easy, just look up and see the bright neon Side B sign above head. Go down to level 1, via the elevators, and down the way to DME...there are plenty of signs nowadays! If he lands on Side B, easy peasy....go to baggage claim on level 2, then down to level 1, ground transportation and DME!

 

[Aliceacc]

MCO is a big airport, and the DME counter is downstairs and out of the way.

If he is worried and has asked you to meet him, I would take an Uber to MCO and meet him, then take Uber back. Or take the town car someone suggested.

You'll be there for 2 weeks. You can give up one afternoon to make dad comfortable.

 

[Jimsig]

This is a link to the official Disney DME map, I believe you get it with your DME info. You can email it to him so he has it. What airline is he coming in on?

https://wdpromedia.disney.go.com/me.../faqs/pdf/DME-Confirmations-All-Gates-Map.pdf

 

[Shanti]

My father is joining us on our upcoming Disney trip and we are very excited. We will be there for two weeks and he is joining us in the middle of the vacation. He will be flying from Asia and it is a very long flight. He has just asked if I will be meeting him at the airport. He is worried about being groggy and tired. Also, he will not have his luggage tags or his magic band.

Prob is he will have access to Magical Express to our onsite resort but I won't. I would have to take a taxi to the airport and then a taxi back to Saratoga Springs.

Thoughts?

I think that after he's taken such a long trip, it would be extra nice for you to arrange a town car to pick up your father. That way he won't have to find or wait in line for DME. The driver will be inside the airport with a placard with your dad's name on it, will collect the luggage for him, walk him to the town car, make him comfortable and drive him straight to the resort. It doesn't cost much more than a taxi, but it is much more comfortable and convenient. That is what I would do for my parent, instead of meeting him at the airport. Then I would be waiting at the Saratoga lobby to meet him when he arrives.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I'd agree to meet him, if that's what he wanted. But I'd also talk to the CMs at my Disney resort soon after I arrived. Very nicely explain that you need to meet an elderly family member at the airport, and want to know what options they recommend. Maybe they can give you some sort of "escort pass" to bring him on DME. Maybe you'll get to "test" a Minnie Van. At the very least, they'll give you numbers of cab companies they trust...but they might surprise you.

 

[tinkerbellandeeyor]

I'd agree to meet him, if that's what he wanted. But I'd also talk to the CMs at my Disney resort soon after I arrived. Very nicely explain that you need to meet an elderly family member at the airport, and want to know what options they recommend. Maybe they can give you some sort of "escort pass" to bring him on DME. Maybe you'll get to "test" a Minnie Van. At the very least, they'll give you numbers of cab companies they trust...but they might surprise you.

Minnie vans don't go of property and MCO is most definitely of property

 

[goofy4tink]

A car service would be nice, if you can afford it. I do have to take exception to the use of 'elderly' though. Dad is only a year older than I am.....I highly doubt anyone would call me elderly.
The OP's dad seems pretty capable. DME isn't hard to find at all. In fact, more signage has been added in recent years.
As far as taking the time to drive to the airport goes.... we have friends joining us. They arrive the day after we do. They asked if we were picking them up. Nope. We have DME booked for them. It's a very nice way to start your vacation. It's not as though you get crammed in a van with two other families, and all your bags!! The bus is a nice way to travel.
But...that's just me. OP....you need to do what works for you and your dad!! Doesn't matter if something else works for others.

 

[bumbershoot]

I would rent a car for the day and pick him up.

I mean, this isn't going to happen, since I don't speak to my dad. But if my mom were alive and traveling to spend time with me from Asia I'd rent a car and get her.

 

[tinkerbellandeeyor]

I would rent a car for the day and pick him up.

I mean, this isn't going to happen, since I don't speak to my dad. But if my mom were alive and traveling to spend time with me from Asia I'd rent a car and get her.

Speaking from experience it is a hike from gate to short term parking

ETA I wish I had a answer but the past two years my mom as always picked me up after visiting my dad out west

 

[adisneyaunt]

69 old? I think not, lol. A seasoned traveler would easily navigate DME,
but if it were my dad, and it was a 30 hour long flight situation and he asked me... I'd either uber/taxi to the airport to meet him or have private transport at the gate to meet him with a sign...
Whatever you decide... safe travels for ur dad and have a great visit!

 

[elaine amj]

OP here I was a bit taken aback when he asked me. Like I mentioned, he is a very experienced traveler and has traveled for business all his life, hopping to Europe and the US regularly. At first I thought I made DME sound too complicated. I reassured him that it is a simple process to use DME but he replied still asking one of us to be there to greet him. I told him we would uber over to greet him and take him back to the resort the same way. While I'd prefer not to spend money unnecessarily, I'm happy to do whatever he needs to be comfortable.
Super excited that he's able to join us! My parents split when I was in my teens and I never had a chance to vacation with my father again until 20 years later when he joined us for a Christmas WDW trip. 3 years later, I'm over the moon that he's coming again to Disney Only 2 weeks to go and I'm scrambling to rework our park plans and get him his FP+s (he just confirmed and I bought his park ticket on Monday).

I'd agree to meet him, if that's what he wanted. But I'd also talk to the CMs at my Disney resort soon after I arrived. Very nicely explain that you need to meet an elderly family member at the airport, and want to know what options they recommend. Maybe they can give you some sort of "escort pass" to bring him on DME. Maybe you'll get to "test" a Minnie Van. At the very least, they'll give you numbers of cab companies they trust...but they might surprise you.

I'm going to give this a shot - it would be ideal if I could get some kind of "escort pass" for DME. Worth asking anyway Plus I do have another onsite resort reservation for my final night. So technically, I am entitled to one more round trip on DME that I will not be using.