Disneys's Magical Express

[codysmom1990]

Who likes to wait in line for 2 hours or more to check in to ride this bus? Then when you are done you have to go stand in another line to get on the bus. We did this last week and we arrived at 9:30 a.m. We didn't get to our resort until 2:30. I will never use this service again to get to the resort, only to get back to the airport. We usually only had to go get our bags when we got off the plane then go get right on the bus. I can not believe how long the line was. Now you have to stand in the line to check in, and they take your bags, which they didn't before with us, do not put the yellow tags on I have learned if you want access to your bags. I will pay for a taxi or limo to take us to resort from now on, it is not worth the hassle. This service has gone down!!! Save yourself the aggravation and kids melting down beacuse of the long wait go a different route to resort.

 

[brekin67]

I have experienced the long waits as well. We usually do not plan to go to the parks on our first day, hoping we will get bumped on our flights to collect future airline tickets. Sorry that you had to start your vacaiton off like that. I don't understand why it is now taking so much longer than when we just hopped on the Mears bus. Hope the rest of your trip was good.

 

[Edd]

The season and the time caused your long waits. In the morning the busses are picking up passengers for the flights going out. So busses are concentrating on getting passengers to MCO. At approximately 1100 hours all the flights start arriving and so the busses begin to stay at the airport to carry passengers back out. During the slower seasons everything works out okay. When it is busy than everyone gets to wait around quite a bit longer to get to WDW. Summertime, October, Christmas and Spring are the busiest of times for Disney. The DME slows down at those times.

 

[Disneydonnam]

Last time we used ME we got off the plane and then just checked in. Do we need to go to baggage and get our bags before we go to the check in line.

 

[TDC Nala]

I don't know when the OP was there, but I have ridden ME in excess of 20 times (many of them this year and one just a week ago) and I have never waited 2 hours in line just to check in, nor has it ever taken me six hours to get to the resort. Whatever occurred that day must have been extreme, because I have NEVER seen anyone post a six-hour airport to resort time. My personal longest is 2.5 hours airport to resort.

 

[pooch]

I don't know when the OP was there, but I have ridden ME in excess of 20 times (many of them this year and one just a week ago) and I have never waited 2 hours in line just to check in, nor has it ever taken me six hours to get to the resort. Whatever occurred that day must have been extreme, because I have NEVER seen anyone post a six-hour airport to resort time. My personal longest is 2.5 hours airport to resort.

never heard of a trip this bad on DME. Must have been a doozy of a day!!!

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Last time we used ME we got off the plane and then just checked in. Do we need to go to baggage and get our bags before we go to the check in line.

No.

Just attach the yellow tags to your bags before you check them to Orlando at your home airport. Make sure your carry-ons contain anything you'll need the first few hours at WDW. When you land in Orlando, go straight from the airplane to the DME check-in counter. After you check in at your resort, go out and have fun. Your bags will be delivered to your room, and you don't even have to be there. You don't have to deal with your checked bags at Orlando International or at your resort. It's a great system.

Some people think that they're outsmarting Magical Express by throwing away the yellow tags and claiming their bags at baggage claim. By doing so, they're typically delaying their arrival at their resort by 30-60 minutes. (I had to wait a full hour for my bags at baggage claim at Orlando International last year when I wasn't going to WDW.) And they have to carry their bags across the huge airport, possibly from one corner to the other. And they have to deal with their bags at the resort. Every time anyone assists them with the bags -- at the airport, on the DME bus, and at he resort -- tips are customary.

It seems that one of the contributing factors to the OP's long time from arrival at the airport to arrival at the resort was the OP's choice to claim bags rather than using the great (and free) DME luggage transfer service.

Even then, arriving at the airport at 9:30 a.m. and not getting to the resort until 2:30 p.m. sounds strange. Typically, it takes 50-90 minutes, not 5 hours. And even when the DME counter line looks very long, snaking back and forth several times, check-in takes about 10 minutes, not 2 hours.

 

[zurgswife]

I waited in a huge line last december It wrapped around the cattle chutes 3.5 times...It took me 25 mins inline and then I waited for my bus for 15 mins. That is the longest I ever waited. I've taken DME at least 10 times.

The line was huge but there were many many agents to help all the people so the line moved very efficiently.

I also think the wait for this persons bags at luggage pickup added a lot to his time frame.

 

[Tanzanite]

I took the Magical express to the airport i had 2 suitcases and a small children i got there at 4am i tipped the driver then went to get a luggage cart i had no change so i asked the driver for change i could not get the machine to except my money the driver saw i was struggling just stood there i tried to pick up my bags and fell on my knees no one helped me finally a security guard helped me up stairs to check in there was some men on the bus what happened to men helping a helpless woman if i see someone needing help i try to help te bus driver made me so mad after i tipped him no help i will not take the bus again

 

[codysmom1990]

I don't know why there was a long time that day, it was a mess. And I did not claim my bags, they had the yellow tags on them so they were taken by Disney. I just know after that horrible day I will not ride the bus to Disney resort again. Maybe thats what I get for going in August, a busy time I am told and going on a Sunday. I guess during the week is better?

 

[Lollipop's Mom]

Last time we went we got into the airport about 530pm and were the only ones in line, walked right up to the counter, and then down to the bus. Waited about 5 mins, were put on a bus, waited another 10 mins and off we went.

 

[swald91]

WOW! That definitely doesn't sound fun. I have never waited more than 5 mins. in line. We have maybe waited 15 mins before getting on a bus. Did you ask anyone why this took so long? If that was my 1st experience I probably wouldn't want to use it again...I am hoping for a smooth & timely transition in 10 days!

 

[codysmom1990]

The ladies directing people did not know, they just kept saying you need to wait in line. It was very crowded at the airport. Also the bus didn't go straight to our resort it stopped at others also.

 

[dburg30]

The ladies directing people did not know, they just kept saying you need to wait in line. It was very crowded at the airport. Also the bus didn't go straight to our resort it stopped at others also.

Well the other stops are normal. Unless as Edd said, it was while they were still in getting people TO MCO mode, I've never, ever heard a story like that. And people will complain about ANYTHING that isnt perfect with DME here. And the worst if every heard of was like 2 1/2 - 3 hours.. And that's VERY uncommon. I would be curious to see what caused the issue that morning..

 

[aubriee]

That's strange. I was one of the ones who used DME the first week in started and we've used it 3-5x a year since then. We've never waited more than 10-15 minutes to check in and no more than 5-10 minutes in line waiting for the buses. We usually get to our resort about an hour after we land. Our flights usually lands at MCO around 9:30am-10:30am though. We also always put the yellow tags on and let DME handle the luggage. We love DME and have never had a problem.

 

[esdras]

Now you have to stand in the line to check in, and they take your bags, which they didn't before with us, do not put the yellow tags on I have learned if you want access to your bags. I will pay for a taxi or limo to take us to resort from now on, it is not worth the hassle. This service has gone down!!! Save yourself the aggravation and kids melting down beacuse of the long wait go a different route to resort.

Had you used Disney's Magical Express before? Or, did you use it when you had to pay directly to Mears for the service? The actual "included in the cost of your stay" DME service has been around for just over three years - if your last trip was before that, you didn't actually use DME. If that's the case, it's a real shame your first experience with the service was so bad.

I don't know why there was a long time that day, it was a mess. And I did not claim my bags, they had the yellow tags on them so they were taken by Disney. I just know after that horrible day I will not ride the bus to Disney resort again. Maybe thats what I get for going in August, a busy time I am told and going on a Sunday. I guess during the week is better?

Maybe. We used DME for the first time two years ago - arrived the Tuesday immediately after Labour Day (one of Disney's slowest weeks) - landed at MCO around 5:00pm - and there was NOBODY at DME. There were employees - just no customers. We walked right up to the counter, and right on the bus. They announced that we would be waiting for about 20 minutes as two other families were scheduled to be arriving. There were about 12 of us on the bus to the resorts.

Sunday's are busy travel days - airfare is often higher - and you arrived on one of the last weekends before almost 75% of kids return to school in the U.S. - and you landed pretty early in the morning. As another poster mentioned, DME might have still been in the GET TO MCO mode.

5 hours is still unreal though - something, somewhere must have glitched. But, you seem to have had the perfect screw-up: a glitch in the system somewhere, while the busses were still in get to MCO mode, while arriving on one of the busiest travel days of the week on one of the last weekends of the summer before kids go back to school.

Out of curiosity - when did the bags get to your room? They travel separately - and since DME gets bags to your room (usually) about 2 or 3 hours after you check in - with your five hour arrival time, it's possible that your bags were waiting for YOU at the resort.

 

[goofy4tink]

I hope the OP reported the excessive waits to somebody. I can well understand the frustration of that long a wait!! Not very magical at all. Disney does a pretty good job, the majority of the time, getting guests to their resorts in a timely fashion. But, every once in awhile, something happesn to bog down the system.
There could have been entire families waiting in that checkin line...only one person for each party needs to be in line. The bus line could have been long because the previous bus, to that particular resort, had just pulled out and there were a large number of guests heading there.

'Most' of the time, DME works quite well. Many have complained about the wait for their bags at their resort. That can get excessive....usually I have just checked in, and then gone off to a park, so don't know when my bags arrived. But, one time it took POP close to 5 hrs to get my bags to me.

I'll be using DME in three weeks....I'm anxious to see what the story is. If my time from deplaning to resort is more than 85-90 mins, I'll be rethinking my transportation options from the airport in the future. In over 5 trips with DME only one time has been more than an hour....that time it was close to 90 mins..third stop with a ton of luggage to be unstowed and handed over to guests at the first two stops. I understand that you can't always be the first stop but it makes little to no sense to have so many guests bringing all their checked luggage to the bus with them..it slows the process for everyone else.

 

[Questforthemouse]

The five times we've used it we've made it to our resort within 80 mins. One thing I would like to see them do is create two separate lines at DME check-in. One for those that have their DME papers in order and used yellow tags and one for those that a) don't have their papers in order (or at all) or b) forgot to put tags on or c) never signed up prior to arrival and are now booking DME at the counter. Their should be dedicatied counter CMs for each line. The CM directing folks to have one pesron stand in line while the others wait with luggage out side of the line could also determine which line people get in. When you have your papers in order and have used the yellow tags it usually takes no more than a minute checking in at the counter. Very frustrating knowing the buses are only a few feet away and that you'll only be a minute at the counter but you're stuck behind multiple families having 5 - 10 minute conversations at the counter to get everything straightened out. Now as I said, we're typically through the whole process very quickly and this would only cut our 10 minute check-in by 5 minutes but it must be exacerbated quite significantly during busy check-in times. I certainly heard numerous people in line behind me grumbling about this issue.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I took the Magical express to the airport i had 2 suitcases and a small children i got there at 4am i tipped the driver then went to get a luggage cart i had no change so i asked the driver for change i could not get the machine to except my money the driver saw i was struggling just stood there i tried to pick up my bags and fell on my knees no one helped me finally a security guard helped me up stairs to check in there was some men on the bus what happened to men helping a helpless woman if i see someone needing help i try to help te bus driver made me so mad after i tipped him no help i will not take the bus again

Respectfully - a couple of thoughts.

I'm not sure why, if you didn't have change, you expected the bus driver to have any, or more to the point, why you're upset with him because he didn't have change while not being upset with yourself for not having change?

It's extremely possible the driver did not assist you after you debarked the bus because, well, while he is of course responsible for the passengers' passage and safety during the trip, once they've all left the bus he's responsible for the bus; too, you may have been dropped off on Side A, and the driver still had passengers to drop off on Side B. He would've had to get them there, not assist people with luggage once it was removed from the bus.

I'm also confused how you were able to handle the two suitcases at your resort - from your room to the DME stop - but then, without adding any item to any suitcase, they were so unwieldy once you arrived at the airport that you fell to your knees trying to carry them.

 

[Tanzanite]

Hi i was told to bring my bags down to front desk day before leaving had a bellhop help me then told could not check them in until departure stored them at front desk the front desk helped me to the bus i gave the bus driver my last 4 dollars for putting othem on bus noticed no one else tipped there was no other passengers but one family i was helped with luggage on way to hotel so thought would get help on way backbut i guess once trip over you are on your own i had a 10 dollar bill the bus driver changed it but machine was not taking money had someone told me noone to help i would have gotten a taxi but the nice guy from united helped me i will never tip again and my friends wont either