Anything really magical about Magical Express for a 3YO?

[Harleydottie]

DD will be 3.5 by our trip. She loves planes, trains, and buses, so the simple fact of riding on a bus will thrill her. However... in laws are driving up to meet us and can pick us up at the airport.
Which would you do? Is there something especially magical about the shuttle?
And if we don't ride the shuttle, will they still pick up our bags from the plane and magically they will appear in our rooms? I really like that aspect

 

[TempleOT]

I don't know if I'd really say its magical. While you ride the bus, run on a TV monitor a show that talks about the different parks, looped with some short Mickey cartoons. The bus drivers vary--some talk to you a lot and are really exuberant, others are low key and really just drive the bus. Buses are also shared between resorts, so your resort may not be the first stop, which results in a longer ride obviously. If its easier for you to get picked up, then I say go for it. I believe as long as your bags are tagged correctly, then they should be picked up by ME, whether you are on the bus or not....but I have never tried to not take the bus, so can't be completely positive about that.

 

[MandiC]

We rode the Magical Express so we didn't have to deal with our luggage and because it was free
For kids, it is a lot of waiting, they do have the video playing but honestly I don't even think my kids watched it at all and I doubt a 3 year old would be all that interested. You first have to wait at the airport in a line for the buses to come and then you have to wait in the bus until they fill up (3 resorts per bus it seemed like) and then you might possibly have to wait while the people at the resorts before yours unload before you finally get to yours. Not all that fun for kids

 

[dpswift]

No there is nothing magical about the bus. After waiting in line you sit on the bus while it goes to different resorts. They show a movie about checking in. I have heard that they do not transport luggage if you are not on the bus however I have no experience with that.

 

[akclayton]

We went in February with our fresh 3 year old. She had only turned 3 about 2 weeks prior to our trip. She LOVED the airplanes and she LOVED the ME bus ride. We only had to wait 5 minutes to get on the bus at the airport. Some buses go to more resorts than others. Luckily, the bus we took, we were the first drop off so we didn't have to wait while others got off. When you first get on, there are small disney cartoons playing. Once you get start on your trip, a narrator comes on and explains what you do when you exit the bus and what to expect in the parks. Our daughter watched most of it and laughed when characters came on. She looked out the window a lot at everything and was pointing things out. She was just excited about the ride in general. The little things that make 3 year olds happy is beyond me. When the bus came to pick us up to take us back to the airport, she was even more excited because she knew what was about to happen. So if your little one enjoys it, then it may be something to do. It's different than a car ride that they are used to so the change might be just the thing to start off the trip right. What resort are y'all staying at? I don't see why they wouldn't still deliver your luggage even if you didn't get on the bus but I've never tried it. The bus doesn't carry your luggage that you checked at the airport with your ME luggage tag. The bus only controls what you give them that used as a carry on. A separate van picks up the luggage from the airport and takes it to the appropriate resort.

 

[theduhaimes]

The ME bus ride is a must do for my kids. We have always used the ME on our trips until our last trip this past December. We rented a car and drove from the airport. The kids were very upset and said they missed the "Mickey" bus ride. It just seems to start the vacation off.

 

[EMode]

Your 3 year old will not be missing anything magical by skipping ME.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

Safe yourself a potential long wait and have your parents pick you up.

 

[Fratthouse]

Another vote for skipping DME and riding with your parents. Everyone's experience is different, but we seem to always have LONG waits on the buses. We typically get boarded right away, but then sit on the bus 30 - 45 minutes before itd leaves. Then the bus can stop at up to 4 (or more) resorts, so depending on which stop you are, you can wait an additional 45 minutes or more to get to your hotel. So it typically takes 1 1/2 - 2 hours to get from the airport to the hotel. Sometimes it's shorter - there will be people who make it in around an hour, but that's never been my experience. I believe drive time is around 30 minutes.
They do show a cute video while you're driving, but as a parent of a toddler, I'd prefer just to get there quicker!

 

[DizneyLizzy]

If they were still running the old video with the characters I'd say ride the bus...but the combo of the new (lame) video and the possibility of long waits, I say go with the in laws.

 

[MSSANDRA]

I think the excitement of grandparents will outweigh a bus ride....both for your little one and your parents who are sure to be anxious to see your DD. When DS was little, he loved the bus ride because it meant no car seat, but buses to the parks can serve the same excitement. Bags should be no issue though it takes a while for delivery to your room sometime, but if that is not a big deal, it's much easier to let them handle it.

 

[DisneyBliss7]

My kids were excited to ride the bus There was a bit of a wait but it wasn't horrible...But I will say my 3 yo fell asleep. She wont miss anything by not riding ME but it's exciting to ride the ''Mickey'' bus to your resort!

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

It varies by kid if they think it is magical or not.

You are not supposed to use ME as a luggage service. It is supposed to be only for people riding the bus. However, there is a whole thread about people who do it. The general consensus is that you aren't supposed to do it, but if you do and something goes wrong then it's a PIA to get it resolved.

 

[pumpkinpatchquilter]

Well - keep in mind there is a short drive from the airport to the parks (20 minutes or so? I don't remember exactly how long...) - they do take your luggage for you directly to your room, however don't forget it can be up to three hours after you get there. The drive for your In-Laws to the airport and the time it may or may not take for your luggage to show up could all weigh in on your decision.

Personally, if it were me, I'd plan to meet up with the in-laws at the park a few hours after you've settled in. I don't know when you arrive, but our plan is usually to take ME to our resort, check in, and then go have lunch or a snack and check out the resort while we wait for our luggage to show up. After that we usually get anything we need out of the bags and head to the parks.

 

[kastoney]

Definitively nothing magical about it. All it did was cement in my daughters mind that we get on a plane and then bus to go to disney world ; )

 

[Minnesota!]

Absolutely love DME - everyone in my party does! We enjoy it just as much as a ride at the park

My kids have been obsessed with it since day 1 - and still now, at 10 and 7, look forward to it.