I think I read somewhere that we can order the ME, but not put our luggage tags on for our flight there. Then we can take a taxi then with our luggage to the hotel? Then when we want to come back home, we can use our other set of luggage tags for the ME service on the return flight? Is this true?
Thanks! Also, don't mind the faces on the bottom. My son wanted to try adding some!
Yes, but it doesn't quite work the way you think.
The two trips can be booked independently. When you call, just tell them you are getting yourself to the hotel, but you'd like to use ME to get back to the airport. On departure day, you check your bags at the resort with Resort Airline Checkin (RAC)---but you don't need ME tags for that; an RAC agent will tag your bags for you with "real" airline luggage tags. Here are the details for your return trip:
http://allears.net/acc/mexpress.htm#resort
Yes you can take ME for only one part of your trip if that's what you're asking. We do it every year. We always rent a car upon arrival as we stay with family the night before check-in, then take ME on the way home.Originally Posted by Jenn M
I think I read somewhere that we can order the ME, but not put our luggage tags on for our flight there. Then we can take a taxi then with our luggage to the hotel? Then when we want to come back home, we can use our other set of luggage tags for the ME service on the return flight? Is this true?
Thanks! Also, don't mind the faces on the bottom. My son wanted to try adding some!
Empty your mind. Become formless and shapeless, like water. When water is poured into a cup, it becomes the cup. When water is poured into a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Be water, my friend.
Check the prices for a taxi, but you can usually get a limo service for about the same cost.
Good point. A town car is a lot nicer, and the driver will help you with bags
Unless there's other factors, I'd recommend taking ME to the resort and if you want to do alternate transportation for one leg do it for the return trip. One of the things I like best about ME is not having to deal with claiming my luggage upon arrival. By the time you deal with claiming luggage, finding the ground transportation, you're not saving too much time over ME. With the return you can check your bags at the resort regardless of how you're getting back to the airport. And then you get to control your return time, with ME they have you leaving earlier than is really necessary in most cases.
Where would I find the limo service? Do I have to order that before we go???
Thanks for all of the help!
Jenn, is there a specific reason why you don't want to use Disney transportation to your resort?
We like to use a limo service on arrival because they make a 1/2 hour grocery stop if you want them to, and we're able to save the grocery delivery fee.
Some people like to use the limo service because it's a fun and special way to start your vacation, and usually gets you to your resort slightly ahead of Magical Express. For most people though, a comfortable and relaxing ride on Magical Express is a nice way to start the vacation.
As far as recommendations for limo services, check out Happy Limo http://www.happylimo.com/ and I'm sure others will give you more.
They changed our flight, so we were getting in at 10:30 and now it isn't until 12:40. We have ADR at 4:50 for the F! dinner package, so it would be nice to not be so rushed to get there. DH and I were thinking that if we took a taxi, we could get back to the hotel a little faster and hopefully not have as much of a line. I think I heard that there could be a line of people getting off of the bus that will all be checking in at the same time. We were kind of thinking we would play it by ear the day before. Maybe we need to make a decision now! I also thought we could take ME to our hotel, sit near the front (?), and then take a taxi to HS for our reservation. Which do you think would be better? I know that we are cutting our ADR close, but we decided to keep it. It was the latest one you could get for the 8:30 show, and I called 180+ days out.
On one trip, we were a little concerned about whether or not our luggage would fit in the rental car (I had National Executive Elite status, so I paid for a mid-size and would be able to pick any car on the Executive Aisle -- often, but not always, a SUV or Mini-Van was a choice), so we decided to split up. My wife would take Disney's Magical Express (because we were told that at least one of us had to ride if we checked bags on DME -- I'm not positive that is true, but we didn't want to risk it) and I would take the kids and the carry-ons.
My wife headed straight for DME. The kids and I picked a rental car (and we did get an SUV!), loaded up, went through the drive-through at McDonalds (maybe a 5-10 minute delay), and drove straight to the resort. We were in the check-in line when my wife arrived on the DME bus.
The other factor that would even things out is if you have to wait for bags. By the time you wait for bags and then take a taxi, I bet DME may actually be a little quicker.
I don't think I would go through the extra expense of a taxi.
This is why I really hate making any reservations on a travel day, it can just be so darned stressful!
I would keep trying to change the ADR to a different day if possible, or at least for a later time on your arrival day.
There are absolutely no guarantees that that 12:40 flight will land in Florida at 12:40 - so many things can cause delays that could make it impossible to arrive in time to make that reservation.
That said, I think a limo is your best option. But, are you willing to pay an extra $100 just to make it to a dinner reservation? That's the question you'll need to answer yourselves. And yes, you'll need to do it relatively quickly as you will want to make the limo reservation within the next week or so.
The nice thing about the limo is the driver will meet your family at luggage pickup, they will help you with your luggage and whisk you to the car which will be parked closeby. From there it is a short drive to your resort with no extra stops. There's still no guarantee that there won't be a line at check in, and definitely no guarantee your room will be ready.
A more likely scenario would be that you will be able to get checked in relatively quickly, but your room won't be ready so you'll need get in another line and leave your bags at baggage check - sometimes that line can be slower than check in.
I'm not a big fan of must-do ADRs on arrival day, myself...
Me neither......we have had way too many flight delays. We have been delayed as much as 3 hours getting down to WDW and had a flight cancelled so couldn't go out until the next morning all because of thunder storms. (And all of our delayed flights have happened in summer time!!!!)
Brenda - TAinVA
Follow TAinVA - Magical Dream Vacations on Facebook.
Email: magicaldreamvacations@msn.com
I would just do it and not worry about it. If you get there late, go to the restaurant anyway and see if they can still accommodate you. Disney is especially good at putting the magic back into trips when others have taken it out.
A limo or a taxi really won't be any faster than DME, or if it is, it won't be substantially faster. Waiting for luggage at MCO has always been slow, IMHO. I'd much rather be sitting on Disney bus than standing in the baggage claim area waiting for bags.
But I do agree with the others -- don't schedule "must do" stuff on the arrival day if you can help it. (Similarly, always schedule yourself to arrive at least one day before a cruise departs!) Besides DHS is probably one of the worst parks to arrive at mid-day. I like to do Epcot or MK on our arrival day.
Really? I've found it to be relatively speedy lately, but I usually fly airlines that charge most "regular people" for baggage, and I suspect that has a lot to do with it.Waiting for luggage at MCO has always been slow, IMHO.
DS has plenty of shows, for which time-of-day just doesn't really matter, and the Streetmosphere is excellent. True, you won't be riding Toy Story, and probably not even Coaster, but even Tower often has FPs late into the day.Besides DHS is probably one of the worst parks to arrive at mid-day.
We are only planning on having dinner that night at DHS and then meeting some characters. I am going to try to grab a FP for ST on the way to our ADR, but that is it. We really just want to see F! We are going back to HS for another day where we plan to ride the rides, etc. I wonder if we could switch our ADR for Sci Fi to our arrival day, later like 6, and then do the F! dinner package for the full day we are there. I guess that is an option. Thanks! Maybe we'll just ride ME and then take a taxi to HS if we have to because we are running late. It is a direct flight, so hopefully that means less can go wrong! :) Happy thoughts!
That DEFINITELY helps! Also, you might call the airline and see if they can switch you to an earlier flight. If they've had a schedule change, I've found most airlines more than happy to do that.
Maybe we've just had a few slow experiences. It seems like we always have one or more bags that take forever to come off the conveyer. It probably just seems a little longer when you're trying to herd three tired, little kids while gathering your bags. Plus, a lot of times we are flying First, so we get to the baggage claim area quicker. The one time we took DME, it was REALLY nice just to walk past the baggage claim area.
True. I hadn't even thought of the shows. But depending on the time of day, I've seen 30 minutes waits even for the Great Movie Ride. I guess TSMM and RnR are always a big part of our DHS days, and those have huge lines and no FPs in the afternoon.
For the OP's plans and expectations, DHS sounds fine.
FWIW, I would get Fantasmic out of the way on the first day. You'll have so much more flexibility on the other full DHS day if you aren't scheduling around Fantasmic.
Also, are there two Fantasmic's that day? If there are, the second Fantasmic is usually REALLY easy to get into. It's the first one that has the huge line. If you miss your ADR and they're not willing to seat you later, you could always use that as a fallback plan.
I know this is extending the original question, but Jenn, what do you have planned the next day? Is it a rope drop? If so, then a travel day + night time entertainment and getting back to your room late (and still maybe having to unpack) can make the next morning sure seem like it arrives too darned early.
Just something else to think about.
Wow! Thanks for all of your advice! Okay, here is what we did. We had planned on one full day at HS and then the evening on the night of our arrival. So, I switched around the dinner reservations. I moved our Sci Fi reservation to the arrival night at 7:35. I figure we won't stressas much about getting to the park that early, and we can still go to do some of the easier things that evening. We all wanted to try Sci Fi, plus we'll see the Indiana Jones show at 6:45. I also want to get some of our character meet and greets out of the way. Then I made a new ADR for the F! dinner package on our full day at 6:15 at Hollywood and Vine. We were eating at Mama Melrose, but this will be fine too. There is only one show on the nights we will be there as of now, so that is why I am making the reservation. I didn't want to have to worry about the show on the night of our full day, but I think that our travel changes make it harder to get to our original ADR. I hope this works! Now I have to rework our touring plans! :)
Sounds like a much less stressful plan!
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
