Disney Magical Express - Excessive Transport Time

[jek253]

Hey just curious to see what other's experiences were.

Last May my family and I took a trip and stayed at BLT. Literally we waited 45 minutes just to board a bus, then took another 1 1/2 hours to get to our resort. Basically, the bus stopped at 3 separate resorts before finally getting to ours.

What I'm trying to ask, is this typical? Do other's just take a taxi and use magical express for luggage delivery? How long did it take you?

 

[HeyIt'sMe]

We're too impatient to wait for DME so we use a towncar service. We meet our driver at baggage claim, get our luggage, and then head off to the resort. No waiting, no multiple stopping.....it's so much faster!

 

[jek253]

What does that usually run each way? Do they provide car/booster seats?

 

[JWigs]

We took MDE last year around this time and it only stopped at 2 places before BLT but on way out it stopped at a lot more.

I think depends on if there's someone who's waiting for them (ie reservations) otherwise we kept going and didn't stop at every hotel.

 

[Minnesota!]

We have taken Magical Express upwards of 10 times. I would say 80% of the time, we are at our hotel 75 minutes after getting off the plane. There have been two times where the wait has been longer – one we were waiting in the line, the other we were waiting on the bus. Within both, though, we were at our hotel within 2 hours of landing. Even with multiple stops.


I am ok with 2 hours for free!

 

[goofy4tink]

DME routinely makes 3-4 resort stops. I have used it at least 15-20 times. My times, from gate to resort, have been between 60-90 mins. Most run around 75.
The longest wait I've had to get on a bus was 23 mins....I got there just as the bus was leaving. I was first on the next bus, but had to sit and wait for 15 or so mins for others to straggle in. The ride to the first resort took 35 mins. My resort was the third stop. It took longer than usual at each stop due to a large number of checked bags to be un-stowed and given to guests!!

Generally speaking, a car service will save you about 30 mins. A side note....DME isn't a luggage delivery service. Having your luggage handled by DME is a perk of riding the bus. Will your bags get to your resort if you don't ride the bus? Most likely. Is it what Disney wants you to do? Nope.

 

[DebbieB]

When I took it in December, I waited maybe 10 minutes (mid afternoon). I was at Boardwalk, second stop, took about 75 minutes after landing and I picked up my own luggage.

 

[HeyIt'sMe]

What does that usually run each way? Do they provide car/booster seats?

For a town car we pay $130 + tip roundtrip.
I don't know if they provide booster seats. We started using them after DD was older and no longer required a booster seat.

 

[AngiTN]

The part of your trip that fell in to the unusual area was the 45 min wait for a bus to depart the airport. That is not normal.
Their goal is for any guest to be on their way in no more than 30 min after arriving on a bus. I'm not sure what their target time is to board a bus but I'd think it's short. I've never waited more than 5 min, there has always been a bus on site when we arrived.
It's 30 min to Disney (give or take a few minutes) so that is not going to change no matter what method you use.
The stops at other resorts is normal, usually 2-3 per bus.
I'm still not going to pay $130 to use a car service, you can rent a car for nearly that amount. Taxi will run you about $60 or so.
I guess only you know if you are willing to pay that kind of money for something you can do for free.

 

[Nebraska_Disney]

I won't say DME is "free" as you are paying for it through the prices Disney establishes in their pricing, but your point is spot on, why pay "twice" for a service that Disney is providing as part of your package?

 

[dancin Disney style]

I've never had any long delays but we've only used the DME about 8 times. I would say that our average has been 90 minutes from stepping off the plane to walking through the door of our room.

We shall see how my trip next month compares. We usually fly in mid afternoon. This time we arrive at 10:25pm so we are going to have to pick up our luggage before getting on the bus. Just to make it more fun we are flying SW which uses the A side.

 

[jek253]

Yeah we'll probably give the disney magical express another go - it's a free service that requires patience. Plus with online check in and luggage delivery, from BLT we can head anywhere once we get there.

 

[MinnieMSue]

Tuesday before thanksgiving we had a very very long wait for a bus to get us at the airport. There were accidents on all routes to and from The World. They were up front about it and apologetic - but it wasn't any one's fault. We were luckily the first hotel they stopped at though

 

[jesster]

We've used DME exclusively for our past four trips, the latest one being last August, 2015. We've never wait long to board the bus, but last August we stopped everywhere on our way to the Poly - WL, GF, CR and I'm pretty sure the campgrounds and cabins, too - it took so long and by the end of that trip we were five of only seven people left on board and getting off at the Poly. We had already had a long travel day and we decided that we probably wouldn't use DME again; it just felt like a lot of wasted time. If it gives you any idea how long it took on that particular trip the video started again from the beginning while we were dropping folks at CR. (At that point my then 10-year-old was begging to let us get off and take the monorail from the CR to the Poly!)

 

[abner1776]

Is a town car faster ? Absolutely but it's also more expensive. I always take DME but not just because it's cheaper. I stay on property because Disney is an escape from the day to day cycle of life and I want my vacation to begin when I get off the plane and see the DME desk not when I get to my resort. I don't mind that it takes up to an hour longer to get to OKW because when I check in at DME my vacation has already begun. I checked my bag at Logan and don't have to worry about it anymore...let the vacation begin.
I have been to Disney upwards of 20 times both personal and business and have always used DME( even when on business) and have only had one marginal trip and that was when I arrived after 9m and had to share a small van with 12 people. Other than that my DME trips have been great and for some reason, the resort I am staying at seems to always be the first stop.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

We've used DME exclusively for our past four trips, the latest one being last August, 2015. We've never wait long to board the bus, but last August we stopped everywhere on our way to the Poly - WL, GF, CR and I'm pretty sure the campgrounds and cabins, too - it took so long and by the end of that trip we were five of only seven people left on board and getting off at the Poly. We had already had a long travel day and we decided that we probably wouldn't use DME again; it just felt like a lot of wasted time. If it gives you any idea how long it took on that particular trip the video started again from the beginning while we were dropping folks at CR. (At that point my then 10-year-old was begging to let us get off and take the monorail from the CR to the Poly!)

I think I would have done this unless it was park-closing time.

 

[tstidm1]

I budget that it will take about 90 minutes from leaving the plane to getting to my resort via MDE. I took a Mears shuttle from Universal to MCO and it took a good 45 minutes to get from the hotel to MCO. That's probably due to traffic at MCO area. As a single or couple, it makes better sense to take MDE money wise.

 

[czmom]

Hey just curious to see what other's experiences were.

Last May my family and I took a trip and stayed at BLT. Literally we waited 45 minutes just to board a bus, then took another 1 1/2 hours to get to our resort. Basically, the bus stopped at 3 separate resorts before finally getting to ours.

What I'm trying to ask, is this typical? Do other's just take a taxi and use magical express for luggage delivery? How long did it take you?

We experienced the same long times last November. I have never seen the DME waiting area so packed!

 

[goofy4tink]

Is a town car faster ? Absolutely but it's also more expensive. I always take DME but not just because it's cheaper. I stay on property because Disney is an escape from the day to day cycle of life and I want my vacation to begin when I get off the plane and see the DME desk not when I get to my resort. I don't mind that it takes up to an hour longer to get to OKW because when I check in at DME my vacation has already begun. I checked my bag at Logan and don't have to worry about it anymore...let the vacation begin.
I have been to Disney upwards of 20 times both personal and business and have always used DME( even when on business) and have only had one marginal trip and that was when I arrived after 9m and had to share a small van with 12 people. Other than that my DME trips have been great and for some reason, the resort I am staying at seems to always be the first stop.

Pretty much the way I look at it. I can take a car service, and pay about $130, and get to my resort in about an hour.....or take DME (letting them deal with my bags) and get to my resort about 80 mins later.

 

[maxiesmom]

Hey just curious to see what other's experiences were.

Last May my family and I took a trip and stayed at BLT. Literally we waited 45 minutes just to board a bus, then took another 1 1/2 hours to get to our resort. Basically, the bus stopped at 3 separate resorts before finally getting to ours.

What I'm trying to ask, is this typical? Do other's just take a taxi and use magical express for luggage delivery? How long did it take you?

Typical? No. Have I had a similar experience? Yes.

As has been pointed out the luggage delivery part is a perk of using DME. I wouldn't book a town car and leave my luggage for Disney to handle, but that is just me. It is not what they want you to do either. I am one who has booked a town car more than once. I will do so if I am either in a hurry to get to the parks, or arriving so late at night that I would have to grab my luggage anyway. I also now always book a car for the ride back to the airport. I have had more than one negative experience with the buses on the way back to MCO so now I pay the $75 for a town car service back.