Could Someone Walk Me Through Magical Express Please?

[andyman8]

So excited because I'll be flying back to Florida & WDW on Friday, but this will be my first time using DME. Because I lived in FL for so long, I've only ever driven to WDW, and I can't even remember the last time I was at MCO, so I'm wondering if someone could walk me through what I need to do at the airport and offer any tips. My flight gets in at 6:55pm, but it's on American coming out of O'Hare, which means delays are very possible. What happens in the case of a delay? Do they still save me a seat? Also, I'm using the luggage service and have my tags. How does that work? How long should it take for me to get to the Polynesian, assuming my flight lands on time. Likewise, how long will my bags take to get to the room? Sorry for the barrage of questions. I'm meeting people at the hotel, but it's just going to be me alone navigating through this for the first time. Thanks!

 

[Turn the Page]

I can't answer all your questions but I will take a stab at most of them.

After getting off the plane at your gate you follow the signs to ground transportation and luggage claim. This may involve taking the little train at MCO between terminals. Once you get to ground transportation you will start seeing signs for DME. Basically, it's all the way to the right. When you get off the escalator at the proper level just hang a right and keep going.

You will check in with your magic band and the staff will see our reservation on the computer and tell you which line to get in. I forget how many lines there are but they are numbered. Each line goes to multiple resorts, usually 4 I think. After you get on the bus you just hang out until they get to your resort. Plan on an hour from the airport to your resort but it may be faster. It just depends on what order they go to the resorts in but it takes about 25 minutes or so from the airport to get on Disney property.

DME literature says it can take up to 3 hours to get your luggage but that is not 3 hours from when your flight lands that is 3 hours from when you get to your resort. On our last trip it took my parents luggage 5 hours to get to the room after they got there. Mom called bell services a few times and they tried to tell her their literature says up to 4 hours, which was not true. Anyway, you have the option of getting your luggage yourself and taking it on the bus with you. There are compartments under the bus so it's not as if you would be sitting on the bus with suitcases on your lap. Personally, I would do this since your flight doesn't even land until 7 PM you could very easily be waiting until after midnight for your luggage if DME collects it for you.

Two years ago we had a delay landing and they simply put us on a later bus so I wouldn't worry about that. I'm not sure if the DME buses have a cut off time or not though but I do know when we landed it was about 9 PM and there were still multiple buses so I wouldn't worry unless you are delayed several hours.

 

[linny172]

It was really easy, when you get off the plane follow the signs to transportation. When you get there you will see signs pointing you toward DME. It is all the way at the end. They will scan your magic band and tell you what line to get into. Before you get one the bus they will tell you which bus, just go get on the bus. We did the luggage thing too. We received our luggage about 3 hours later. So if you think you may need something put it into your carry on. We were at CBR, we were the first stop, so I think it only took about a half hour once the bus left the airport. It was so convenient. Also checking your bags in when you leave was great.

 

[msmama]

When you are standing in the main terminal under the hotel, you want to take The escalator to the first floor, on the side closest to the Kennedy space center store to get to DME. Then it's all the way to the right.

Luggage may be on the opposite side (I know SW luggage is) which is why I use the yellow luggage tags and just pack anything I need day 1 in my carry on.

If you use the yellow tags your luggage never comes to the carousel, it's grabbed from the back.

There are no assigned busses in the way to wdw (like on the way back to the airport). The bus will make several stops but generally in my experience it's 1.5-2 hours from airplane to resort.

 

[G719]

The DME operates 24 hours a day. However the luggage service does not. If you arrive after 10 pm and before 5 am the next day, you have to get your own bags and take them to the bus. I believe I have read that you are not scheduled on a certain bus. They fill the busses as pepole arrive.

 

[Turn the Page]

When you are standing in the main terminal under the hotel, you want to take The escalator to the first floor, on the side closest to the Kennedy space center store to get to DME. Then it's all the way to the right.

Luggage may be on the opposite side (I know SW luggage is) which is why I use the yellow luggage tags and just pack anything I need day 1 in my carry on.

If you use the yellow tags your luggage never comes to the carousel, it's grabbed from the back.

There are no assigned busses in the way to wdw (like on the way back to the airport). The bus will make several stops but generally in my experience it's 1.5-2 hours from airplane to resort.

I'm quite certain both of these are false. I know for sure the second is. Each bus only stops at four or so resorts so yes, you do have assigned buses.

 

[msmama]

I'm quite certain both of these are false. I know for sure the second is. Each bus only stops at four or so resorts so yes, you do have assigned buses.

There is an assigned resort bus but you don't have an exact bus time (like on the return trip) which is was trying to get accross and I thought OP was asking about with the delay question. Sorry for the confusion.

 

[andyman8]

Thank you all so much for your help! Already feeling much better about this. Assuming my plane arrives around the time it's supposed to, we're planning on doing a very late dinner at Disney Springs that night (definitely will need to grab a bite at O'Hare before I leave), so I shouldn't need much. Always can count on my fellow DISers! Thanks!

 

[Turn the Page]

There is an assigned resort bus but you don't have an exact bus time (like on the return trip) which is was trying to get accross and I thought OP was asking about with the delay question. Sorry for the confusion.

Got it. Sorry about that I misunderstood.

 

[siskaren]

When you are standing in the main terminal under the hotel, you want to take The escalator to the first floor, on the side closest to the Kennedy space center store to get to DME. Then it's all the way to the right.

Luggage may be on the opposite side (I know SW luggage is) which is why I use the yellow luggage tags and just pack anything I need day 1 in my carry on.

If you use the yellow tags your luggage never comes to the carousel, it's grabbed from the back.

There are no assigned busses in the way to wdw (like on the way back to the airport). The bus will make several stops but generally in my experience it's 1.5-2 hours from airplane to resort.

I'm quite certain both of these are false. I know for sure the second is. Each bus only stops at four or so resorts so yes, you do have assigned buses.

The first one is most definitely true. Part of the reason for using the yellow tags is so that the luggage handlers at MCO know not to put that luggage on the carousel but instead to put it aside for the DME employees to then load that luggage onto trucks and take it to the hotels. (The other reason for the tags is so that they know which hotel to take it to.) I can't imagine the DME employees trying to go to all the carousels and just watching for any luggage that has a yellow tag on it. They'd probably have to have people stationed at the carousels all the time.

 

[SaintsManiac]

We had a great experience with DME today. Only waited a few minutes for the bus and it took no more than 30 minutes to Pop. Our bags were in our room about 3 hours after we arrived here. We had not used it in 6 years, but I can tell you it was better this time. It took forever to get to the Contemporary last time! There were so many stops.

 

[scrapquitler]

I'm quite certain both of these are false. I know for sure the second is. Each bus only stops at four or so resorts so yes, you do have assigned buses.

Unless you flight lands between 10PM and 5AM, if you have yellow ME tags on them, the baggage handlers never put them on the carousel because they are sent directly to the resort.

You have an assigned bus, but it is not assigned to you until you check in. If your flight is late, there's not need to worry about missing your bus...they put you on whatever one leaves next heading toward your resort. Now when you go from the resort back to the airport, there IS a certain specific bus to which you are assigned.

 

[lustergirl]

I have always had great timing on DME.

 

[seashoreCM]

I'm quite certain both of these are false. I know for sure the second is. Each bus only stops at four or so resorts so yes, you do have assigned buses.

When you are standing in the main terminal, in the middle of the cavernous Hyatt hotel atrium, with security behind you, the B side is to your left and the A side is to your right. Look slightly to your left. Like standing at one goalpost of a football field, and looking downfield to the far left corner. You want to head off in that direction and then take the stairs all the way down for the Magical Express welcoming area. Or, go directly to your left, take an elevator all the way down, and go left after stepping out of t he elevator door.

Normally the DME buses leaving the airport stop at 4 or fewer resorts each but which resorts and their order can vary. The CMs at the welcoming area will direct you to the next bus for your resort.

Only if it missed the watchful eyes of the CMs behind the scenes (rare) would a bag with a yellow DME tag find its way to the carousels during DME processing hours (5 AM to 10 PM).

No problem if you are tardy, or dilly dallied at a food court first, when taking DME to your resort.

 

[marinejjh]

I would get your luggage youeself. We had the same flight times a few years back and didn't get our luggage until about midnight.