magical express vs cab back to airport

[smw]

instead of sitting at the airport for hours doing nothing at all, i'm debating taking a cab back this time. what seems like it would be a safe amount of time to give ourselves to get from BLT to the airport, through security, and to the gate for a 5:30ish flight? wasn't able to get anything later this time and would like to squeeze a bit extra out of our last day. last time the 2+ hours sitting in the airport killed me, thinking about what we could've been doing.

or given the time of day, traffic, etc should we just stick with ME?

 

[DisneyJoe]

instead of sitting at the airport for hours doing nothing at all, i'm debating taking a cab back this time. what seems like it would be a safe amount of time to give ourselves to get from BLT to the airport, through security, and to the gate for a 5:30ish flight? wasn't able to get anything later this time and would like to squeeze a bit extra out of our last day. last time the 2+ hours sitting in the airport killed me, thinking about what we could've been doing.

or given the time of day, traffic, etc should we just stick with ME?

Is the cost of a cab, $60-$70ish plus tip I believe, worth it to save you perhaps an hour of sitting in the airport?

 

[rufio]

I would get the cab! I am so over the ME after my last ride in 2010. My friend and I were staying at the Wilderness Lodge and arrived outside 30 minutes before our bus was scheduled to leave. We were told that our bus was not there yet. There was a Disney Cruise Line bus out front, but they told us the several times that I asked that it was not our bus. Finally, 5 minutes before our bus was scheduled to leave, I asked one more time, a different person, and guess what? DME was using the DCL bus! That had been our bus the whole time! We caught it in time but there was no room left. We had to sit on the floor in front of the bathroom door all the way to the airport (and awkwardly get up every time someone had to go). It was terrible! Not sure I'll ever use DME again.

 

[wrblplayas]

I already booked a cab for my departure in June.
Was quoted $51 for 6 of us with luggage. Swan to Airport.

Believe it was Diamond Cab Company.

 

[jpittore1]

I prefer ME

I prefer ME since I don't have to think about it....our family is lucky though...there's a direct flight home from Orlando that leaves at 8:30 pm...so we can get a better part of the day in at a park. I probably would rethink it if our flight was in the middle of the afternoon.

 

[dreamfinder]

I guess I am still old school and try to be at the airport 2 hrs before my flight. No matter where I am flying out of or what time it is. Why? Because I have gotten stuck in massive TSA backups, and also had flights canceled while I was at the airport but was able to get on another earlier flight to still get to my destination on time.

Especially with some of the lines I have seen at MCO, I wouldn't risk getting there any later. Yeah its a waste of time to sit at the gate and wait, but isn't it better to wait 30 minutes before the flight, then to miss your flight due to lines and have to wait hours for another one?

I think you would be better of served by taking the cab from the park back to your hotel so you get the extra 30-60 minutes in the park. If you take WDW transit back to your hotel, you still need to be at the bus stop an hour or so before your cab pickup at the hotel, wasting just as much park time as if you were taking DME.

 

[Pioneer Hall]

I dont really see an issue with the time ME picks up. If you are on your own then you might get at most an hour, but then that might really cut it close if there are any delays getting to the airport. It isn't like they pick you up 3 hours early for something that is right next door...it does take you about 30 minutes to get there without any delays. I'd prefer to get to the airport early than pay for missing my flight.

 

[lebeau]

I would get the cab! I am so over the ME after my last ride in 2010. My friend and I were staying at the Wilderness Lodge and arrived outside 30 minutes before our bus was scheduled to leave. We were told that our bus was not there yet. There was a Disney Cruise Line bus out front, but they told us the several times that I asked that it was not our bus. Finally, 5 minutes before our bus was scheduled to leave, I asked one more time, a different person, and guess what? DME was using the DCL bus! That had been our bus the whole time! We caught it in time but there was no room left. We had to sit on the floor in front of the bathroom door all the way to the airport (and awkwardly get up every time someone had to go). It was terrible! Not sure I'll ever use DME again.

That exact same thing happened on our last trip. Fortunately, we were still among the first to board and the bus was relatively empty.

 

[Missymoe4]

Is the cost of a cab, $60-$70ish plus tip I believe, worth it to save you perhaps an hour of sitting in the airport?

I ALWAYS pay for a "limo" through Happy Limo. I have used them twice round trip from MCO to either the Contemporary or the Polynesian. It is WELL worth the money. They usually pick us up about two hours before flight time so we don't have to rush. They are always on time--and very, very nice. If you opt to do a round trip package, it was around 150 with a stop on the way in (grocery store or where ever you wish).

I would much rather pay a few extra bucks to spend more time in WDW than save some money and sit and wait on a huge bus.

It all depends on how you like to vacation.

 

[I_heart_Tigger]

I guess I am still old school and try to be at the airport 2 hrs before my flight. No matter where I am flying out of or what time it is. Why? Because I have gotten stuck in massive TSA backups, and also had flights canceled while I was at the airport but was able to get on another earlier flight to still get to my destination on time.

Especially with some of the lines I have seen at MCO, I wouldn't risk getting there any later. Yeah its a waste of time to sit at the gate and wait, but isn't it better to wait 30 minutes before the flight, then to miss your flight due to lines and have to wait hours for another one?

My last trip home from the Orlando airport was pertty hectic and luckily I was there 2 hours prior because I needed every minute of it.

I ended up being told that I was at gate 85, which changed to gate 87 - not a big deal since they're next to each other. After I passed through customs they changed my gate to 25...fairly big deal since I was now in the wrong side of the airport and had to pass through customs again.

Got to customs to go through to gate 25 and was told by the customs officer I was in the wrong area and since my passport was already stamped for that day departure I was pulled into security who told me that my gate was 85 and they wanted to know why I was on this side of the airport.

I asked them to confirm and they made a call and told me I was at gate 14 and that a customs officer would walk me there. Got to gate 14 and found an American Airlines flight boarding for Houston - not a Westjet flight for Halifax. The people at the gate had no idea why I would be there since Westjet only leaves from the other side of the building.

Eventually after speaking with 4 customs officers, 3 Am. Airlines agents and 4 Westjet agents I ended up at gate 25 boarded the flight which departed on time but missing 19 passengers who were probably getting the run around I was. I got to the gate 8 minutes before my flight left, so it's a good thing I was there 2 hours early :hammer:

 

[I_heart_Tigger]

I ALWAYS pay for a "limo" through Happy Limo. I have used them twice round trip from MCO to either the Contemporary or the Polynesian. It is WELL worth the money. They usually pick us up about two hours before flight time so we don't have to rush. They are always on time--and very, very nice. If you opt to do a round trip package, it was around 150 with a stop on the way in (grocery store or where ever you wish).

I would much rather pay a few extra bucks to spend more time in WDW than save some money and sit and wait on a huge bus.

It all depends on how you like to vacation.

I used Happy Limo for my transfer from Pop to Hard Rock. They were very good.

 

[smw]

..our family is lucky though...there's a direct flight home from Orlando that leaves at 8:30 pm...

Yeah I wanted the 9:30 flight but my buddy got our tickets as a gift and chose 5:30.

I guess we'll stick with ME. I was probably getting a little greedy trying to juice an extra hour.

 

[MorganKelly]

We always use the resort check-in service; it saves a lot of time. But the lines at TSA can be long. IMHO it is easier to get there and get it over with. I use the time to check my e-mails and read.

Before ME was operating, I once used Mears to get to the airport. Even though we left the resort 2 hours ahead of time, a bunch of folks ending up missing their flights. There were several long pick-ups at 4-5 resorts and we hit a lot of traffic . It was awful.:brick: My flight had been delayed, so I ended up not being affected (except my nerves!).

I learned a lesson that day.