Dme

[kerrie]

Ok its our first time usung this and im not sure what to expect I have read some bad stories. Is there anything anyone can tell me from their experiance? did you check strollers curb side or is it easier at gate? my kids have never been on a plane any tips. I personally hate flying so.. any and all advice is great thanks:sohappy: only 73 more dayss to figure out all details

 

[coltow]

We have never had any problems with DME and we've used them I think 5 times.

If you think you need stroller att airports use the gate check. Our younger son was 2 1/2 last trip. We knew we didn't really need stroller at airports so checked it with the rest of our bags. It made for one less thing to carry around. It arrived in our room at Pop with the rest of our bags too.

 

[disneychic71]

We have also had many great experiences with DME. Sometimes there is a little wait for the bus, but never too long (and never as long as luggage claim would take!). We used to gate check the stroller just in case we had a sleepy child at the end of the flight (lugging a sleeping kid through the airport is not a great way to start your vacation!).

As for tips, take plenty of snacks and activities on the plane. Books, crayons, a portable DVD player if you have one, and hand-held games are all good. We have a Disney 20-Question game where we give initials of rides and the kids guess (POTC=Pirates of the Caribbean, etc). Have snacks and water or juice on hand; getting these items from the flight attendants can be tricky. Good luck, and have a great trip!

 

[Monty]

We have also had many great experiences with DME. Sometimes there is a little wait for the bus, but never too long (and never as long as luggage claim would take!). We used to gate check the stroller just in case we had a sleepy child at the end of the flight (lugging a sleeping kid through the airport is not a great way to start your vacation!).

As for tips, take plenty of snacks and activities on the plane. Books, crayons, a portable DVD player if you have one, and hand-held games are all good. We have a Disney 20-Question game where we give initials of rides and the kids guess (POTC=Pirates of the Caribbean, etc). Have snacks and water or juice on hand; getting these items from the flight attendants can be tricky. Good luck, and have a great trip!

Plan to buy any water/juice after you're through security. They'll throw out anything over 3 oz of liquid.

 

[disneychic71]

Thanks...forgot to point that out! There are exceptions for very young children, but I'm not sure what they are.

 

[RNRguy]

we used dme for te first time in feb , we loved it!.. my dad said he would take that over driving bc of the the contruction and stuff.. but very enjoyable!.. and wewere the first resort stop too so... :ROFLOL:.. we had som questions about our bags , bc they were comingfrom the south west baggage claim but the ldy at the airport toild us if they have the yellow tags they will be fine and yes they were. so enjoy your trip!- ps the kids will lovw the video.. on the ride

 

[Monty]

we used dme for te first time in feb , we loved it!.. my dad said he would take that over driving bc of the the contruction and stuff.. but very enjoyable!.. and wewere the first resort stop too so... :ROFLOL:.. we had som questions about our bags , bc they were comingfrom the south west baggage claim but the ldy at the airport toild us if they have the yellow tags they will be fine and yes they were. so enjoy your trip!- ps the kids will lovw the video.. on the ride

Just so you know. It doesn't matter what airline you're on. If you land at MCO and your checked bags have the yellow tags they will be retrieved by DME.

If you don't have at least one person from your party board the bus they may not deliver them to your resort, but they will have retrieved them.

The only time it matters which airline you're flying with and where you're flying to is if you choose to use the Resort Airline Check-In Service, which is only available for certain airlines and only for Domestic flights.

 

[durangojim]

We've been using DME with our kids (4 and 1 currently) since its inception (probably 10-15 times) and have found it do be great. Only one time did we have an issue and that was when we got to Orlando at 11:00pm and waited to leave the airport until 12:30am. That was unusual and haven't had any issues during the day.

 

[swimmom]

We've used DME on our last three trips and have had no problems, even when arriving in Orlando at 2:00 a.m. due to a delayed flight.

Gate checking strollers is the way to go if you need them in the airport. Portable DVD's or a laptop is great for movie entertainment if your kids are old enough. Even as adults we have started buying drinks in the airport for our flight. A bottled drink with a cap fits in the pocket in front of you and you don't have to wait until you are offered a drink, which sometimes can be quite awhile. Also be sure to bring disinfecting wipes for the tray table, or even better yet, don't put it down. Tray tables almost never get cleaned on airplanes

 

[jpm46]

When should you expect the yellow DME luggage tags to arrive in the mail?

 

[DaGoof00]

Always have enjoyed Magical Express since I first used it in 2005! It's a great way to start the magic immediately! Never have had to wait too long, the corny video always makes me happy too, although, Goofy tends to star as the host of the thrill rides on the tour of the parks.... so I may be biased to him!:lol:

 

[Rob562]

When should you expect the yellow DME luggage tags to arrive in the mail?

Generally 3-4 weeks before your trip.

-Rob

 

[jvenegas]

We have used DME three times and we would never think of going to the World and not use it. It is a very convenient, reliable and efficient service. And it's FREEEEEE!!!!

 

[lbrad]

We used DME on our last trip in Nov.
LOVED it!!!! No issues!!!
Have a great trip:wave:

 

[CleveRocks]

Thanks...forgot to point that out! There are exceptions for very young children, but I'm not sure what they are.

The only exception is for formula/expressed breast milk for infants under 1 year old. With that, you are permitted to take a reasonable amount to cover usage during the entire length of your itinerary.

But there is NO allowance for water or juice or anything like that. I guess they figure you can buy water and juice after you pass through security or even get it on the airplane, but you can't buy formula there.

 

[dreamscometrue]

We've used DME 9 times, with afternoon and evening plane arrivals, and stayed at several different resorts, and it has been awesome every time. The longest we waited on a bus before departure was 30 min. when we arrived one night on an 11:15pm flight. The driver even apologized for the wait, but said he had to sit the required 30 min. to see if more guests were coming.

We used to always go to the DME counter to check in, but at Christmas, they just ushered those of us with DME booklets directly to the bus queue. We checked in at AKL about an hour after walking off the plane with (only our carry on bags). In our case, we've always had our bags in the room upon returning from the parks too. The only exception was the late night arrival when we asked that they be stored with bell services so as to not wake us in the middle of the night.

Also, although I know it's 'built into' our package costs somehow, I enjoy not spending $60 plus on a taxi each way..although we also tip our DME drivers well.