Magical Express Vs. Round Trip Transfers

[Ocean Angel]

Hello Everyone - I have booked a land/sea vacation for August 2009 through Dreams Unlimited, but I am going to book the airfare myself. Is there a difference between Magical Express and round trip transfers which my TA booked for us? Do I understand correctly that ME is only for Disney participating airlines? Thanks.

 

[bumbershoot]

I'm very much NOT an expert on this, but could the transfers be from WDW to and from the cruise ship? DME is only between airport and WDW. And you can use DME with any airline; but on the way back to the airport from WDW, if you're not with a participating airline you have to take care of your luggage on your own...that's the difference with airlines and DME.

 

[safetymom]

Magical Express is for everyone. If you need to get to the port for the cruise then you need the DCL transfers.

 

[Edd]

Your transfers your travel agent booked for you sound like car service transfers. They are much cheaper than the DCL transfers that are mentioned. DCL transfers cost $69.00 per person from the airport and return to the airport. I have no idea what the charge is to transfer you from WDW to the port and than back to MCO. I am told the transfer price from WDW to the port and return to MCO is $105.00 per person but can't seem to verify it. It is built into your package if you go to the cruise from WDW. That per person price can get costly for a 5 person family, running possibly $525.00 compared to about $250.00 for car service depending on the service your agent chose.

Car service provides you with direct service to the Disney terminal from your hotel in about 1 hour and 20 minutes. DCL bus service from WDW could run you over 2 and a half hours depending on where you are picked up at WDW and not including the time it takes you to get from your hotel to the hotel to meet the bus. Car service can also stop along the way and pick up necessary items you might need during the cruise, if you ask the driver to stop. Car service also will provide your children with the proper car seats you may need for your smaller children.

 

[safetymom]

Transfers to the cruise are not built into the price of the cruise. The client needs to ask for it and then they are added with a separate cost.

 

[Edd]

If you book on the Disney site the cruise transfer prices come up including the DCL round trip price from MCO. You have to go to the third page and refuse the DCL transfer in order to find the cruise price without the DCL Transfer.

Dreams Unlimited also quotes the prices including the DCL transfers. I have used both ways to cruise Disney. An agent will usually go with the DCL transfer unless they are knowledgeable about the transfer rates or the passengers requests other tranfer options. It is possible the poster looking for their own air transportation, alerted the agent to find other transportation than DCL.

I just went to the Disney and looked at the price of Land Sea booked on line. They do not charge you for the trip from Disney to the airport. The transfer price in the package is $345.00, which is the same price as from MCO to the Port round trip, and it is included in the price first seen on-line. The price is stated for the bus transfer. You have to decline the ground transportation to get an adjusted price for the vacation.

The price given does not include air fare as you will have to add it to the total. Dreams Unlimited gives you the same price that is listed on the first page of the web site.