Any first-hand Magic Express reports yet?

[scarboroughmom]

Has anyone out there used the Magical Express transportation service yet? How was it?

 

[mbcary]

The Magical Express service is not scheduled to start until May 2005. I don't we will get any reports until then. I am anxiously awaiting too!

 

[lmhall2000]

I have to ask...what is the Magical Express transportation??? I haven't heard of it and we may be traveling that time of the year...
Thanks!
Tara

 

[mousefan]

Walt Disney World® Resort has announced an innovative new service called Disney's Magical Express which offers complimentary airport shuttle, luggage delivery and airline check in for Disney hotel guests*.
Beginning May 5, Disney's Magical Express will allow guests to check their bags at their hometown airport, bypass baggage claim at Orlando International Airport (OIA) and board luxury motor coaches to the Walt Disney World® Resort - as their bags "magically" appear in their room upon check in. The round-trip service, which is available and complimentary during Disney's Happiest Celebration on Earth event (which also begins May 5, 2005), is patterned after the successful Disney Cruise Line model and designed to give Disney hotel guests the stress-free vacation they want.
Disney's Magical Express service makes guests' return to OIA hassle-free as well. This convenient system lets guests avoid airport check-in lines by enabling passengers on domestic flights** to check their luggage and receive a boarding pass before departing their Disney hotel. Guests with flight departures later in the day no longer have to worry about their luggage after they check out of their hotel. They can simply check their luggage at the Resort Airline Check-in Desk and then enjoy the last day of their stay.
In addition to partners at OIA, Walt Disney World developed this innovative service in conjunction with private and public sector leaders including: the Mears Transportation Group, the largest provider of ground transportation to the Walt Disney World Resort; BAGS Inc., the provider and innovator in off-airport passenger check-in services for the hotel, convention, cruise and airline industries; ARINC Incorporated, a leader in transportation communications and systems engineering; the Transportation Security Administration; and airline partners.
*Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin hotel, the seven hotels on and near Hotel Plaza Boulevard, and Shades of Green are not included.
**Participating airlines include American, Continental, Delta, Song, United and Ted. Walt Disney World hopes to add other air carriers to the Resort Airline Check-In service in the near future.

 

[john2u]

Mousefan

Have you heard any news on whether Southwest will join in on Magic Express???

John

 

[scarboroughmom]

Isn't Orlando International Airport MCO not OIA?

 

[Minnie&Nana]

Isn't Orlando International Airport MCO not OIA?

Yup, it's MCO

 

[Tink03477]

I wonder if they'd let us go to baggage claim and just make sure my luggage made it with me. I'd feel alot better knowing my luggage is there. If it's not there, forms have to be filled out. What do they do then, bring you back to the airport?? I don't see the problem with getting my luggage and just giving it to the people who are supposed to deliver it to the resort. Does it go on the same bus as us or does it come later? I like to unpack as soon as I get to the room to "de-wrinkle" and air out the clothes. I wonder how long it will take for the luggage to "magically" get to the room?? I can't wait to hear the first reports on this! I'd like to not rent a car this time.
Kim

 

[DebbieB]

Isn't Orlando International Airport MCO not OIA?

I noticed when we were there last month that the news stations refer to it as OIA now.

 

[Drizzo67]

1. Magic Express starts in May 2005 in conjunction with the 50th Anniversary of Disneyland.

2. MCO and OIA are one and the same. The change to OIA was a recent change.

 

[DebbieB]

I wonder if they'd let us go to baggage claim and just make sure my luggage made it with me. I'd feel alot better knowing my luggage is there. If it's not there, forms have to be filled out. What do they do then, bring you back to the airport?? I don't see the problem with getting my luggage and just giving it to the people who are supposed to deliver it to the resort. Does it go on the same bus as us or does it come later? I like to unpack as soon as I get to the room to "de-wrinkle" and air out the clothes. I wonder how long it will take for the luggage to "magically" get to the room?? I can't wait to hear the first reports on this! I'd like to not rent a car this time.
Kim

From what I understand, your luggage is not sent out to the carousel. They pull all luggage with the Disney tags behind the scenes and load them onto trucks to go to WDW. So you could not check if it was there.

 

[Tink03477]

From DebbieB: From what I understand, your luggage is not sent out to the carousel. They pull all luggage with the Disney tags behind the scenes and load them onto trucks to go to WDW. So you could not check if it was there.

Oh, I wonder what would happen if my luggage wasn't there? It's never happened to me before, but there's always a first time. I'm always holding my breath waiting for my luggage and praying it made it with me. I'm hopping they'd check my amount of checked bags against some list and cross reference against me sitting on the bus. I'd hope they'd hold the bus until all the luggage is accounted for? I guess we'll just have to wait until May.
Thanks Debbie!
Kim

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Isn't Orlando International Airport MCO not OIA?

The official airport designator code for Orlando International Airport is still MCO, for "McCoy." The airport is the former McCoy Air Force Base, which ceased to be a U.S. Air Force base in 1974.

However, the airport's nickname is OIA, bacause "Orlando International Airport" is too wordy and MCO is rather meaningless (except for Web ticket purchases and on luggage tags).

You have the same situation in Denver, where Denver International Airport is referred to as DIA, even though the official airport designator code is DEN. And nobody refers to Chicago-O'Hare International Airport as ORD (short for Orchard Field). Instead of using a 3 letter code, people just call it O'Hare.

2. MCO and OIA are one and the same. The change to OIA was a recent change.

There has not been any recent change. OIA and MCO refer to the same airport, but in different ways.

 

[DebbieB]

Oh, I wonder what would happen if my luggage wasn't there? It's never happened to me before, but there's always a first time. I'm always holding my breath waiting for my luggage and praying it made it with me. I'm hopping they'd check my amount of checked bags against some list and cross reference against me sitting on the bus. I'd hope they'd hold the bus until all the luggage is accounted for? I guess we'll just have to wait until May.
Thanks Debbie!
Kim

It would make me nervous too. From what I heard, they use this same system with the cruise ships. So they are used to looking for the tags in the baggage handling areas. We always like to rent a car and plan to continue.

 

[Tink03477]

It would make me nervous too. From what I heard, they use this same system with the cruise ships. So they are used to looking for the tags in the baggage handling areas. We always like to rent a car and plan to continue.

Hummm, hope my luggage doesn't end up on the cruise ship!
One more thing to worry about.
I wish they'd start it earlier so we can hear reports! Arrrrg!! I'm so impatient.
Thanks again!
Kim

 

[goofy4tink]

I figure that Disney has been doing this for years with their cruise line people. If there had been a problem with luggage not making it to the ship, I'm sure we would have heard it over and over here on the boards. It may take a little while for the bugs to shake out, so to speak, but I think it's going to work wonderfully. Disney does not want unhappy people in their resorts, causing a ruckus about no baggage or missing a piece or two. They really want this to work so you don't go out and rent a car. We have never rented a car but I think that if we did we would probably use it to go off-site!! And there is no way Disney wants you doing that. Nope, losing pieces of luggage is NOT in their best interest.

Easy for me to say, since I'm not going until mid-June. We should know how it all works by then!!