Note: This post was written in 2021 and reflects travel during the Covid-19 pandemic and does not reflect travel now.
Trying a new option for Covid testing to return to Canada from Disney.
Once I had made my first trip back to Walt Disney World in 2021 after 18 long Covid months, I knew I couldn’t un-ring the bell. Being back in the magic was everything this Canadian Disney fan had been missing and I knew I would never take it for granted again. Crossing the border had never been more confusing and anxiety inducing with all of the tests and protocols, but now I knew how it worked. If you haven’t read my experience GETTING to Florida – you can find it here.
My first experience returning to Canada from Orlando I had my PCR test at the airport. I didn’t have a lot of time after getting off of my cruise, so I needed a place that guaranteed results within a certain time. If you want to read about that experience, I have detailed it here.
With my next trip, I was only doing a resort stay so I had time to try out a new service – Beeper MD.
Why I chose Beeper MD for my Covid test
First things first – Beeper MD is free if you schedule 2 or more tests. Given there were 4 of us that would need testing so we qualified for FREE. That’s a big difference from the $175 USD per person I paid at the airport on the prior trip.
I scheduled our tests a few weeks in advance online and we each had to upload the following to the Beeper MD site:
- Our passports (or government ID)
- Patient intake form
- Insurance info (if available)
You do not need insurance to use Beeper MD. According to the site:
The US government wants everyone to get tested and therefore they are covering the cost of testing for anyone that doesn’t have health insurance.
On the patient intake form, it’s very general information including your name, address and date of birth. For address we entered the resort address where we were staying.
We originally scheduled 5-7 PM as our window online when we booked. After hearing that my friends had experienced delays with their appointments, I called in to update our window to 3-5 to give plenty of time that evening.
Beeper MD appointment times
The day before the test was scheduled I called to confirm our appointment. They assured me that we were booked for between 3 to 5 PM the following day, but once the scheduling was done we would be given a time.
At 5:43 PM that day I got an email confirming the appointment for 3:50 PM – a more precise time.
The following day we were at the Beach Club waiting when we got a call saying she was running late due to traffic. She called twice to keep us posted and she arrived at 4:30. We met her in the driveway and she performed the tests there.
We had to provide our passports for verification and she did the swabs. The test was painless and quick.
After the swabs were done, we needed to speak to the nurse practitioner via video call to confirm who we were and to answer any questions we had. We were done. For all 4 of us I think it took 30 minutes and it was free (we did give her a tip).
Then – we wait… that was the part that we weren’t sure about, how long the results would take. We needed to have our test within 72 hours of our flight, but Beeper MD said it could take 36-48 hours for the results of the PCR test. (NOTE – One of my readers pointed out that if you have a connection in the US before returning to Canada, you must incorporate that in to your timing for the testing!)
For PCR tests, you’ll receive the results directly in your email’s inbox within 36-48 hours.
We had a backup test booked for 2 days later at the airport just in case.
Beeper MD test results
The tests were done by 5PM on the Wednesday and at 4:30pm the following day we all had our results in our email.
So the question is:
Would I use Beeper MD again?
Yes, I would. You can’t beat FREE and the fact that they come to your resort. But I would always have a back up plan just in case. My experience was terrific, but I know others who didn’t have such a great time. Given the service is free though, can you really expect the same service as if you were paying $175? I don’t think so.
I will reiterate that this was my experience. You should do your own research to determine what your comfort level is and risk tolerance.
Have you used Beeper MD? What was your experience like?
That is great information – thank you. One question – the 72 hours, is it measured by exactly the time or is measured by day in general?
It’s funny you ask – the way I interpreted the rules is that to enter the US they use 3 days so that you don’t have to figure out the hours. The way I read the rules from the Canadian airlines – it’s 72 hours before scheduled flight time. So, totally inconsistent 🙂
Be very careful with this. Check your airline’s policy. In early October we met a couple in line at MCO airport testing site that were flying Air Canada. They had just been refused boarding because their COVID test was 72hrs and 8 minutes before their scheduled flight time. The airline attendant told them they only allowed a 3 minute leeway over the 72hrs. They had to reschedule their flight and pay for a second test. The upside was they were spending another day at Disney World
For sure – it’s so important to check with the airline to make sure it all works within their policies.
We also used BeeperMD and had a great service. Out Nurse was actually early, but Lost in thr Parking Lot if the All Stars so she called and we opted to meet her at the Lobby. Which worked out as she was meeting another couple at our resort as asked them to just meet in the Lobby. Our tests were quick and our results were received in 27 hrs from testing.
That’s so great to hear Ashleigh! It seems there may have been some bumps in the road at the beginning, but I’m hearing some pretty positive stories lately about Beeper MD.
So you didn’t have to pay for the tests at all? Or just bot pay for her to come to you?
So you didn’t have to pay for the resting at all? Or just that you didn’t have to pay for the coming to you?
I paid for an appointment time with Beeper MD – but didn’t have to pay for the tests
Thanks for your help. How much is it for an appointment for 4 people
I did it for my trip in November I paid I think $40 for a time window… and it really didn’t matter they were late anyway 😉
I just booked and it was asking for insurance details, I just said I do not have US insurance, hope it will still be ok, I had message that it was booked
That’s what I did too. You can just say you don’t have insurance 🙂
We just got back from Disney. Used BeeperMD for our test. 5 days later we still have no results. Called several times and was promised result times by the time our plane landed so we could drive across the border. We landed and still no results. Had to drive 2 hours away and pay for a 1 hour pcr test so we could go home. I’m guessing we will never see out results.
I would never recommend them.
Oh no Angela that’s terrible! Usually what I’m hearing is them missing the appointment or not showing up, but I hadn’t heard of them giving the test but not the results. Thanks for sharing your experience. It really seems to be hit and miss with Beeper MD