Can y’all estimate the time it takes

[Kleese]

To get from the airport to your Disney resort using Magical Express? Our flight is supposed to land at 1:30pm.

 

[FCDub]

Plan 90 minutes

 

[MickeyWaffles]

Really depends. We always fly out in the morning and it usually takes 60-90 minutes for us from getting off the plane to getting to the resort. Just depends on if we get on an almost full bus that’s ready to go or not.

It took my sister’s family 2 hours last week. They landed at 8:15pm and arrived at our BLT villa at 10:30pm.

 

[Jimsig]

It depends on what you consider at the airport as your starting point. For some people it means when you got to the gate, others when you got into the terminal, and for others when you arrived at DME.

Some of it depends on you and some on DME. If you are close to the front of the plane you can possibly shave some time off. Take a long bathroom break and that could add time. Stop to eat/shop at MCO and that will take more time.

When it comes to DME you could be the last ones on the bus and it leaves just as you take you seat and that helps save time or you could be first and sit for say 20min. Yours could be the first resort they stop at or could be the last, you never know.

For us we usually sit near the front of the plane and have a quick bathroom break at MCO, we usually use the bathroom about 30-45 min before we land as well. We have been the last resort a few times and we have been the first resort dropped off.

One time it was 85 min from wheels down to our resort. Took 6 min from wheels down to taxi and stop at our gate (think its the quickest I have ever taxied at MCO). We were close to the front and had a quick bathroom break, we were at DME 19min later scanning our bands. We were the last resort and was dropped off 60 min later. So it was only 60 min from DME to resort. Another time it was closer to 75 and we were the first resort and other times 90min being the last resort and both those times were from exiting the aircraft into the terminal to our resort.

 

[WishICouldSpeakWhale]

I think it depends on what you're trying to do next, sort of. Just wondering when you'll get to your resort so you can relax and hit the pool? 90 minutes is a fine estimate - we made it that fast once. I'd leave at least three hours if your trying to plan a fast pass in a park. Even if you miss it, no harm done. If you're thinking about a dining reservation, I'd probably give at least 5 hours or wait until you are on the bus.

 

[NJ Goofy]

I would go with 90 minutes also, that's a good estimate. The fastest we ever made it was 50 minutes ! But everything worked in our favor, it was a positive "perfect storm", we were in row 2 of the plane, we walked quickly to the DME, there was no line, we walked on to the bus the driver closed the door behind us and pulled out, traffic was almost non-existent and we were the 1st stop !! If we go 25 more times, that will probably never happen again.

 

[lorenae]

It took my friend about 2 hours in January- she said that there were a ton of stops before arriving at PO-FQ. She didn’t wait long for the bus, but she said they stopped at many resorts first and she was one of the last ones still on the bus.

 

[Kleese]

Thanks everyone for your help. We normally come late and just go to bed and start fresh in the morning so I’ve never paid attention to the time. I was thinking of trying to fit in a little bit of Magic Kingdom this time since we are getting in kind of early. I wanted to know when I should book the fast passes. I really hope we don’t have to wait 2 hours. I don’t care if we miss the fast passes but after traveling having to wait in a long line for a bus sounds like a nightmare

 

[lorenae]

Is using Uber a possibility for you? It’s about 35 minutes from the time you get out to where you’d be picked up until you get dropped off at your hotel, in general.

My friend wouldn’t Uber (she’s smartphone phobic) and wouldn’t use Mears- so DME it was.

 

[sponica]

@Kleese I don't think I've ever waited in a long line for a bus and I've arrived in mid morning and late evening time frames.

I've been both the last person on the bus and one of the first people on the bus, but I don't think I've ever waited more than 5 minutes in a line for a bus (if that makes sense).

 

[kaytieeldr]

It's not "waiting in a long line" (although that could prepare you for getting to and from the parks .) It's the overall time from landing or exiting the p!ane, to stepping off the bus at your resort.

 

[dancin Disney style]

Thanks everyone for your help. We normally come late and just go to bed and start fresh in the morning so I’ve never paid attention to the time. I was thinking of trying to fit in a little bit of Magic Kingdom this time since we are getting in kind of early. I wanted to know when I should book the fast passes. I really hope we don’t have to wait 2 hours. I don’t care if we miss the fast passes but after traveling having to wait in a long line for a bus sounds like a nightmare

Plan FP+ for approx. 3.5hrs after you're scheduled to land. That should give you plenty of time to get to the resort and then travel to the park. It should also give you a little cushion if your plane is late.

I've used DME many, many times and I stopped timing it years ago. I feel like the average is close to 2hours. Our last trip, in December, we got on the bus and sat at the airport for 40 minutes before leaving. The bus made one stop before ours to let 2 people off.

 

[AngiTN]

90 min. is avg.
Sometimes more, sometimes less.

 

[AngiTN]

Thanks everyone for your help. We normally come late and just go to bed and start fresh in the morning so I’ve never paid attention to the time. I was thinking of trying to fit in a little bit of Magic Kingdom this time since we are getting in kind of early. I wanted to know when I should book the fast passes. I really hope we don’t have to wait 2 hours. I don’t care if we miss the fast passes but after traveling having to wait in a long line for a bus sounds like a nightmare

90 min isn't waiting to get on a bus.
That's from wheels down to walking in the resort doors. Avg.
As you can see above, lots of times it's faster and sometimes it's slower.
You'll want to add another hour to reach a park, minimum. And remember, you have a 1 hour (and then some) time to use a FP.
Book them to begin 4.5 hours after landing and should be fine.

 

[sponica]

I only care about door to door time, as in when I get to the DME desk to the front desk. Because the time from the airport gate to the exit is a "sunk cost", you're going to be spending those minutes deplaning, collecting any gate checked strollers, heading towards the exit no matter what the transportation mode you choose is.

Usually it's been within 60 minutes from the time I got to the DME desk to the hotel desk, and 30ish minutes is the travel time from the airport to WDW (another sunk cost, you'd be spending that time going from point A to point B anyway)

For a 130 arrival, I'd be comfortable scheduling an FP starting at 430 or 5?

 

[Orionreplay]

Our last trip we were almost two hours from Southwest landing on tarmac at MCO to getting to the resort. I think we had just missed the AoA bus, so had we actually made that bus I would guess closer to 90 minutes like others say here.

We landed at 5:10pm, were first in line at Magical Express by 5:35pm, on the bus by 6:15pm and arriving at AoA by 7pm. We did sit on the bus for a while as the driver got bags onboard.

 

[AngiTN]

The goal of ME is to leave the terminal when the first guest has been on board for 30 min, or when the bus is full, whichever comes first. This is the same 24 hours a day. However, they are not 100% on goal and there are always some exceptions where people wait longer than 30 min.
90 min from landing to walking in the resort comes from
30 or so min to deplane, and walk to ME and check in
30 or so min to wait to depart for Disney
30 or so min to drive to Disney
90 Min or so avg
All you can do is plan for avgs. If you are faster, great. You'll have extra time. If you are slower, well, that's why you have that hour+ for the FP and you book it at the end of that window, not the front of it. And why ADR are even riskier. Always plan one of those you can adjust on the app easily and watch time so you have time to adjust them.

 

[nkereina]

If you land on time at 1:30, I would expect that you could be entering MK around 4-5pm. If the average of 90 minutes holds up, you'd be arriving around 3pm to your resort, drop off your stuff in your room, then head to MK. So I would make FPs starting at 5pm to give yourself a buffer. If you arrive earlier, you can edit them accordingly when you get there.

 

[PanamaMike]

My recent trip had us walking off the plane at 1030. I was at the ME desk at 1050, departed at 1110 and arrived at the All Star Resorts at 1145. I was in the Magic Kingdom by 1230.