Anyone not use the free Magical Express??

[lovepooh]

I'm sure this has been asked before but has anyone opted out of using the free Magical Express transportation. My friend used it last August and she said they had to haul their luggage to the the bus and it was late at night and the kids were waited down with luggage as well. Then they sat on the bus for over a half hour not really sure what was happening (it was around midinight and their kids were getting tired). Finally they did get to their resort. I'm just not sure if we should use this service or not. It would save us over $100 but I don't want an unpleasant experience to start off our trip. We are flying Midwest Airlines so we will be incharge of our own luggage. Me, DM, DH, DS's 9, 4, and 1.

 

[TDC Nala]

I use it and it's fine...but I would not use it at midnight. If I have to come in past 8 PM I rent a car for one day and return it at the Dolphin.

I don't know why your friends had to haul their luggage down to the bus. It's supposed to be picked up and transported by ME.

 

[sue1013]

You do not need to be in charge of your luggage on arrival to MCO no matter what airline you travel on. You only have to haul your luggage around if you want to. The airline only makes a difference on return to MCO. That difference is only whether you can check your luggage at the resort. Please read the sticky at the top of the page so you can better understand ME.

 

[zurgswife]

Like the other posters said, on the way into MCO you don't need to wrestle your own luggage. I've used it twice and it was worked perfectly. I've also arrived prior to 8pm...

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

My friend used it last August and she said they had to haul their luggage to the the bus and it was late at night and the kids were waited down with luggage as well. Then they sat on the bus for over a half hour not really sure what was happening (it was around midinight and their kids were getting tired).

Your friend may have thought that retrieving their own luggage from baggage claim was the best option (or only option) with a late arrival.

Considering that they waited a half hour for their motorcoach to be dispatched, chances are that the previous motorcoach to their resort was dispatched while they were waiting for their luggage at baggage claim.

Here's the other option for a late arrival:

• Pack small carry-on overnight bags with pajamas, toiletries, and clothes for the next morning.
• Use the yellow tags on the all checked luggage — regardless of airline, and regardless of the scheduled arrival time. (There's no such thing as a participating airline list for inbound travel.)
• Add a tag to each checked bag with a message such as, "Magical Express: Please do not deliver to room until after 9 a.m."
• When arriving at MCO, go straight from the arrival gate to Magical Express to get on the first possible Magical Express departure to your resort.
• The next morning, the checked luggage will "magically appear," even if you've already left the room.

That seems a lot more convenient than retrieving ones own luggage late at night, and having to drag the luggage through the airport and the resort — especially with little kids.

Of course, Magical Express is a shared service, so there's always a chance of arriving just after another motorcoach left for your resort and having to wait until the next dispatch. A towncar or private van service will take you to your resort as soon as your luggage arrives at baggage claim.

 

[lovepooh]

Thanks so much for the information. I'm not sure why my friend had to haul her luggage either. I'll be sure to pass on this info to her as well.

 

[Lowillian]

We do not use ME. We use a towncar service because we prefer to go straight to our resort or make a grocery stop if we need to.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

We do not use ME. We use a towncar service because we prefer to go straight to our resort or make a grocery stop if we need to.

A towncar service is a good choice if you prefer not to depend on the timing of Magical Express motorcoach dispatches. A private car is a nice luxury, especially if there are only two or three passengers. (It gets crowded with four.)

We considered using a towncar service for our trip last fall. We were spending a week in a DVC villa with a full kitchen, so we wanted breakfast foods and snacks. In the end, we decided to use Magical Express and a grocery shopping/delivery service (WeGoShop). We saved the cost of a towncar. We saved the time we would have spent at the grocery stop. But we had to pay the service fee (and we tipped) for the grocery service.

We will use Magical Express and a grocery service again next time.

 

[Adora]

My friend and I are going April 19th and decided not to use ME. We deiceded to use a towncar service. We land a decent time of day and we liked the idea of getting off the plane, being met and having our luggage with us the full time and it landing in our room the same time we do. Also the gracery stop is something we wanted. We felt that for the 60 bucks each, that the service stright to and from our resort was worth it. The early pick up time on the way back was also a reason. We wanted to just be taxied haha, just the two of use and no other stops but the ones we wanted.

 

[plutospup]

We like to rent a car since we often go off property for food, and outlet shopping. However, if we planned a trip where we were going to stay on property 100% of the time I'd sign up for "Magic Express" in a heartbeat!

 

[MomofCKJ]

We are going to skip it in December. There are 5 of us and we are arranging a van pickup from ***********. My reasoning is that we are travelling with our 3 kids. It will be their first trip, first plane ride even. I just wanted once we landed to be able to get to our hotel quickly. With my luck ME would take a long time that day and I just want to start our trip off on a good note. Plus we will have them do a grocery stop and get some bottled waters, juices for the room too.

Allyson

 

[wdwfan1]

We have been to WDW 4 times since the beginning of ME. We have always chosen to rent a car. We like the ability to go right to our hotel if we want to without stopping at other resorts. We also like to stop at Goodings, and to be able to drive to DTD. It is worth it to us to be more independent.

 

[cinmell]

We arrive at MCO on May 10th and we will not be using ME. We currently have a towncar service booked but we might switch to a rental. We like just getting to the car (w/ our luggage) and heading right over to WDW.

 

[salmoneous]

Just to answer the original question, I don't use ME. But it has nothing to do with problems with ME. It's just that I like to do things outside of Disney property when I'm on vacation, and it's just easier to rent a car.

 

[zulaya]

I always get a car. I have to be in control of my own transportation. Not that I don't trust Disney...I just have to be in control.

 

[Dizzy4Dizney]

We don't use it either. We rent a car for a day, stop for lunch and groceries and return it that afternoon when we arrive. We rent a car for one day on the way back to the airport. I just like being in control of my own transportation.

One time, DH was going to use ME when he had to come back early and they wanted to pick him up 3 hours before his flight. He had no baggage to check and had his boarding pass and decided to take a cab. He left 1 hour before the flight and still waited. He got to spend an extra 2 hours with us. Time in the World is worth the price.

 

[TDC Nala]

I am going to comment about the 3 hour pickup time for return to the airport. Some of that is to accommodate stops at other resorts to pick up passengers. I want to note that even without the necessity of stopping at the airline check-in counter to check luggage, on my last three flights out of Orlando the lines for security check took up 30 to 45 minutes. I was glad to be one of those who could stay calm rather than run everywhere to locate an airline representative because my flight left within the hour. I saw plenty of folks doing that.

 

[goofy4tink]

I am going to comment about the 3 hour pickup time for return to the airport. Some of that is to accommodate stops at other resorts to pick up passengers. I want to note that even without the necessity of stopping at the airline check-in counter to check luggage, on my last three flights out of Orlando the lines for security check took up 30 to 45 minutes. I was glad to be one of those who could stay calm rather than run everywhere to locate an airline representative because my flight left within the hour. I saw plenty of folks doing that.

Absolutely correct. I'm one that doesn't like to have to worry about getting stuck in MCO's interminable security lines and having to rush to the gate. This is a very possible scenario if you only leave 2 hrs to get from the resort to MCO. It takes about 30 minutes anyway just to make the drive. You are going to be in a security line for at least 10-15 minutes, and it could be much worse!! So, right there are 45 minutes...best case scenario.
While I hate leaving WDW until I absolutly have to, even the towncars pick you up 2 hrs before flight time, and that can be too close!
You are so much better off leaving plenty of time to get to your flight....it's a nasty way to end a wonderful vacation...rushing around like a nut, trying to get you, your kids and all that carryon stuff to the plane with only 30 minutes to spare. Not to mention that there are time contraints on when you are to be checked in.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

He had no baggage to check and had his boarding pass and decided to take a cab. He left 1 hour before the flight and still waited. He got to spend an extra 2 hours with us.

Leaving from WDW by cab just one hour before the scheduled flight departure will normally result in missing the flight.

The cab ride alone is 25-35 minutes, depending on traffic and how much the driver exceeds the speed limit. Security lines of 20-40 minutes are common at MCO. And MCO is a big airport; it takes at around 10 minutes to get from the curb to the gate, not counting security.

Airlines begin boarding 30 minutes before the scheduled flight departure. Passengers are expected to be at the boarding gate at least 15 minutes before scheduled departure time, or a passenger is considered a "no show." Airlines can and do use the seats of "no show" passengers to accommodate stand-by passengers. Airlines often seal the the door 5-10 minutes before departure. Anyone who arrives after that is out of luck.

Catching a cab one hour before the scheduled flight time is not good advice.

 

[disneyfanfamily]

We like to rent a car/van. It gives us more freedom to run around Disney and go outside of Disney if we choose. Plus, my DH is excellent at knowing how to get places. If it was just me and the kids I would use the Magical Express.

We still end up at the airport earlier than most people because I stress about missing our flights. (Although we usually end up waiting for a couple hours before we can get on the plane)