For those DVC folks that use Magical Express??

[edk35]

Can you book on the DVC web site and do you ride all over WDW going to several resorts before making it to your DVC resort? We have always used a car service but every time I am tempted to try it. Any tips??

 

[Disneypirate85]

I have not used the website to book, we use MS, and yes you travel to multible resorts, usually 3, maybe your 1st off maybe not just depends. But tho I have heard of it being slow for some we have never had a problem with ME...Shawn

 

[uicbear]

I second what Disneypirate said. The biggest issue we had was how long we waited before we actually boarded a bus. It had to be about 30-45 minutes. I don't know what the norm is though, as this was our first experience. It was nice not having to deal with the luggage.

 

[HGD24]

I've booked ME through the member website for ourselves, family and friends, all traveling on different dates and it worked out just fine. This last trip, we waited almost an hour to board at the airport since we arrived in line just at the SSR bus was leaving. We waited about 25-30 mins for the next bus to arrive and then waited another 30-40 minutes on the bus for more passengers to arrive. We were traveling with our 8 month old baby at the time and would have loved for someone to tell us we were going to have such a long wait on the bus - she wasn't too happy sitting on our laps that long - and then there was the 30 min ride to the resort. Luckily, SSR was the first stop. DD had enough of our laps by then!

 

[TagsMissy]

I've never had an issue with DME with any of my trips in the past... we love the service. The earlier or later you come the less busy and quicker things are. Personally I've never waited in line to speak to a CM at the counter and have walked straight onto the bus and waited no more than 5-10 minutes to take off... It's all about timing I guess LOL

 

[TagsMissy]

Oh and for your other question about booking -- I've booked/altered reservations online, via the phone and through an agent.... all ways worked fine

 

[Morganpics]

We have not used the online, we have used MS. We have had really good experiences, having used ME for the past 4 or 5 trips. We haven't had to wait long at MCO, once was about 25 minutes, which was REALLY LONG. All the other times it has been just a few minutes at both the counter and then on the bus. We stay at OKW and our bus had folks for there and SSR, and we were (fortunate) the first drop. We have no complaints about using ME at all. The few minutes we may wait more than make up for a car rental that is a waste of money for us. I do want to add that there is just DH and myself-no kids anymore.

 

[goofy4tink]

I book online about 50% of the time. If I know my flights when I book my stay, then I give the info to the CM on the phone, but sometimes I haven't booked my flights yet, so do it online later on.
I have had decent service each time I've used DME...about 8 times to date. When I go to BW, the bus generally stops at YC, then BC, then on to BW. The bus sometimes continues on to CBR. I know that on several occasions when I have left BW, the bus has gone to CBR after leaving BW. And there have been guests from YC and BC already on the bus.

My average time from deplaning to resort checkin has been about 70 mins...but that can change depending on time of year, day of the week and time of day.

 

[disneyistheone]

I have always used the online ME with excellent results. They always answer back within one day.
As far as the ME itself, our last two stays were at SSR. Our bus was the #5. #5 serves SSR, Old Key West and Ft. Wilderness Campground and Resort and makes it's resort stops in that order.

 

[edk35]

Hmmmm what to do what to do. Well we are traveling the 3rd week of July on a weekday (not sure if that matters) and our flight will arrrive around noonish. I guess all we should do it try it. What do we really have to lose?? Maybe some time. It is a money saver too. So your luggage magically appears in your room????? What airlines participate in this??

 

[White_Sox_Fan]

We used DME for the first time last week. No checked luggage as we all traveled with carry-on's. I booked it thru MS and the wait time was almost nothing. We checked in, waited less than 5 minutes before boarding the bus, then about 5 minutes later we were on our way. On the return trip the bus was right on time. Since we stayed at SSR we were the second stop, after OKW, and the last pickup.

 

[della]

One year a family member went down a few days ahead of me on a Sunday afternoon. They waited forever for the bus to come. She called to tell me that ME was sooo crowded her party could not sit together on the bus. I called MS because I was going to be travelling alone with 4 kids. I wanted to make sure I could wait for the "next bus" if I needed to. The castmember assured me that my experience would be totally different on a Tuesday. She was right. We were seated immediately on the bus which departed in a about 5 mins. There were only a few people on the bus.

 

[edk35]

One year a family member went down a few days ahead of me on a Sunday afternoon. They waited forever for the bus to come. She called to tell me that ME was sooo crowded her party could not sit together on the bus. I called MS because I was going to be travelling alone with 4 kids. I wanted to make sure I could wait for the "next bus" if I needed to. The castmember assured me that my experience would be totally different on a Tuesday. She was right. We were seated immediately on the bus which departed in a about 5 mins. There were only a few people on the bus.

If we try it...we would be arriving on a Thursday and departing on a Thursday.

 

[edk35]

I second what Disneypirate said. The biggest issue we had was how long we waited before we actually boarded a bus. It had to be about 30-45 minutes. I don't know what the norm is though, as this was our first experience. It was nice not having to deal with the luggage.

So after you get off the plane...where do you go and do you just stand in line waiting???

 

[casper]

I have used DME for the past four trips and I just received my packet for the next trip this May. My steps for ME usually happen in this order: First, book my vacation resort. Second, book my flight. Third, go to the DVC web page and put in all the info about the flight. The packet with the luggage tags comes about a month before (or a little more) from my arrival date.

I have never had a problem using ME. Last time there was a huge line filing through the main check-in desk area. We are talking hordes of people! But I got through that in about 15 minutes. (Prior experiences was just a couple of workers at the counter and maybe 5 to 10 people and hardly any wait). I have never waited more than 20 minutes for the bus, and have been at my resort within an hour and a half of landing.

I was uncomfortable about the luggage delivery to the room (what if my luggage gets lost, delivered to the wrong room, airline lost it somewhere, etc). I eased my comfort level by taking a direct flight to Orlando. But so far, luggage delivery to my room has not been a problem. In fact, I have learned to like it. Nothing like, checking in and immediately heading to a park.

I believe all flights coming into MCO are part of the "luggage delivery" program. It is the flights leaving MCO where there are special things with ME. If you are flying on: Airtran, Alaska, American, Continental, Delta, Jetblue, Northwest, United, US Airways you can check your baggage and pick up your boarding pass AT THE RESORT you are staying at. All other airlines you have to put your baggage on the bus, haul it to the airport, and check your baggage as you are picking up your boarding pass. I have done it both ways. Now I always try to fly on one of the listed airlines. So much easier.

As in most things, patients is the key. But my personal experience with DME has been wonderful and the way to go. But by the time I get to MCO I am thrilled to be "away" from home and at Orlando so I even enjoy the airport! However, not so much on my way back home when vacation is over. Sad. So sad.

 

[casper]

So after you get off the plane...where do you go and do you just stand in line waiting???

In the packet you will recieve they give you a diagram of the airport. Basically, you head from your plane to the B side (Green side) of the airport and go down to the lower level (level 1) and look for the DME Welcome Center. There you will present your booklet to the person at a check-in counter, confirm your luggage (tell them that you do have luggage for them to pick up), and they tell you to walk down a bit to where another person stands. That person will ask you what resort you are going to, they will tell you what line to get in (they are numbered). That's where you stand and wait for the bus to come. They will open the line up and show you the way to your bus in a kind of "follow the leader" method (often done with a big Mickey Mouse glove).

It is actually very easy.

 

[casper]

If we try it...we would be arriving on a Thursday and departing on a Thursday.

Thursdays have been my arrival day each time. Usually in the morning. The last time was December 4th and that was the busier than busy time. The other 3 times it was actually kind of lonely down there.

 

[edk35]

Thursdays have been my arrival day each time. Usually in the morning. The last time was December 4th and that was the busier than busy time. The other 3 times it was actually kind of lonely down there.

SO are there several bus waiting spots? Kinda like when you leave the park to go find your resort bus (but on a smaller scale of course LOL)??

Do they usually group DVC resorts together or are the mixed in with the regular resorts?

Do the busses wait until they are FULL???

 

[casper]

SO are there several bus waiting spots? Kinda like when you leave the park to go find your resort bus (but on a smaller scale of course LOL)??

Do they usually group DVC resorts together or are the mixed in with the regular resorts?

Do the busses wait until they are FULL???

1) Kind of like that. Same concept. Except all the queue lines are right next to each other (parallel to each other). The person standing right or left to you are going to different resorts.

2) I have only gone to OKW and SSR and my experience has been a little different each time. My first bus was heading to OKW and SSR only. The second bus was heading to OKW, SSR, and Port Orleans. The third bus was heading to several resorts (it was fairly empty) and they were just making sure we didn't have to wait too long at the airport. It wasn't scheduled to stop at OKW but there were six of us in line, so they put us on that bus (and we were the first off). My December trip was back to OKW and SSR only. I'm not sure how resorts like Boardwalk, etc do it.

3) I have had "full" buses and "half full" or is that "half empty" (which is the positive way to say it?). My experience has not had me sitting and waiting on the bus for more than 10 minutes. Others have had that experience where they have waited for a very long time. So I guess I don't know what their official policy is about waiting for the bus to be fully loaded.

 

[ottboy3]

We have used ME a few times and only once has it been problem free. The first trip was great so we used it again the second trip. This time however on the return trip the bus was over an hour late and almost caused us to miss our flight. The excuse they gave us was the bus that was supposed to pick us up broke down. We gave them the benefit of the doubt that trip and used it again a third time. Once again on our return trip the bus was over an hour and they gave us the excuse the bus that was supposed to pick us up broke down. This seems like their standard excuse.