Help me pick a value for one night and tell me about late-night magical express....

[Schneewittchen37]

Hi everyone,

I've got a trip coming up in November to stay 4 nights at Boulder Ridge Villas as a DVC rental. My original plan was to fly in early Thursday morning and return home sometime on Monday. It turns out I'll save about $700 - 800 on my flights if we fly in Wednesday night. So, flying in the night before in a no-brainer....

DH and I have been talking possibilities about where to stay Wednesday night. There are four of us, 2 adults and 2 kids (DS9 and DD7). Hotels around the airport will run about $150 - $200/night plus the cost of a taxi to get there and then another taxi in the morning to get to Boulder Ridge. So I'm thinking a value resort at WDW with the Magical Express at night and perhaps a Minnie Van in the morning would be less hassle and perhaps even save a few dollars. I have an AP and there's a discount running right now for Fall trips - so that would help.

We've stayed at All Star Movies before, so I don't want to stay there again, just for variety's sake.

That leaves Sports, Music or Pop. I know we'll be okay with either full or queen beds. We'll probably want the preferred location just for being tired when we arrive and having to drag suitcases around. And I know we'll have breakfast at the food court in the morning.

Any one have strong opinions about All Stars vs. Pop? Better mattresses? Better sound proofing? Better bathroom situation? Better food court? I assume Sports and Music are similar to Movies, but have no idea about the situation at Pop....

I've never used Magical Express before. Any one have experience with using Magical Express after 10 pm? We'll only have carry-on bags, so we won't have to mess with baggage claim. How long did you have to wait? Was your bus full? Could children cat nap or was it too bright/loud?

 

[Marionnette]

Hi everyone,

I've got a trip coming up in November to stay 4 nights at Boulder Ridge Villas as a DVC rental. My original plan was to fly in early Thursday morning and return home sometime on Monday. It turns out I'll save about $700 - 800 on my flights if we fly in Wednesday night. So, flying in the night before in a no-brainer....

DH and I have been talking possibilities about where to stay Wednesday night. There are four of us, 2 adults and 2 kids (DS9 and DD7). Hotels around the airport will run about $150 - $200/night plus the cost of a taxi to get there and then another taxi in the morning to get to Boulder Ridge. So I'm thinking a value resort at WDW with the Magical Express at night and perhaps a Minnie Van in the morning would be less hassle and perhaps even save a few dollars. I have an AP and there's a discount running right now for Fall trips - so that would help.

We've stayed at All Star Movies before, so I don't want to stay there again, just for variety's sake.

That leaves Sports, Music or Pop. I know we'll be okay with either full or queen beds. We'll probably want the preferred location just for being tired when we arrive and having to drag suitcases around. And I know we'll have breakfast at the food court in the morning.

Any one have strong opinions about All Stars vs. Pop? Better mattresses? Better sound proofing? Better bathroom situation? Better food court? I assume Sports and Music are similar to Movies, but have no idea about the situation at Pop....

I've never used Magical Express before. Any one have experience with using Magical Express after 10 pm? We'll only have carry-on bags, so we won't have to mess with baggage claim. How long did you have to wait? Was your bus full? Could children cat nap or was it too bright/loud?

I suggest looking for an airport hotel that provides a free shuttle to/from MCO. Stay the night there, return to MCO in the morning and take DME to BRV.

 

[kiford]

I've never used Magical Express before. Any one have experience with using Magical Express after 10 pm?

We got DME at about 2 am in Feb and about 1 am in May. Both times our flight was delayed but the original flights would have had us still come in after 10 pm so we didn't use luggage tags. We did have bags checked but it didn't take too long to pick them up as there were few flights arriving at that time. We boarded the bus straightaway; in Feb we waited about 15 minutes for the bus to fill up and leave. In May we waited maybe 5 minutes. We're heading back in about 3 weeks and our flight is similarly scheduled to arrive at 11:30 pm. We'll see if we make it on time this flight.

On the down side is that you're exhausted and while you just want to sleep when you get to your room, you're still a little keyed up from the flight and I have to unpack and put everything away (totally not a morning person - I definitely do NOT want to be unpacking and looking for everything I need in the morning). On the plus side, there's hardly anyone in the lobby at registration (we were the only ones at WL in Feb and there were 3 other families in May at the CR who came on the bus with us) so it's a really quick check-in (we can't do online check-in since we have to pick up MBs at the desk and getting texts is hit and miss). And at WL we got some great shots of the lobby with absolutely no one else in it.

 

[Disneylvr1971]

POP is recently refurbished. If you stayed at Movies, then the other All Stars are similar.

 

[focusondisney]

I second Pop. Haven’t stayed there, but my kids did a few months ago, the rooms look very nice. Also, the gondolas will be open & there is a station right there. You can have bell services transfer your luggage to Boulder Ridge the next day & you can go right the park you have planned for that day. If you are planning Epcot or the Studios, you can take the gondolas there. Later in the day, you just head back to the new resort. The only issue with that is the luggage might not be there until 3 or 4 pm.

 

[Schneewittchen37]

I second Pop. Haven’t stayed there, but my kids did a few months ago, the rooms look very nice. Also, the gondolas will be open & there is a station right there. You can have bell services transfer your luggage to Boulder Ridge the next day & you can go right the park you have planned for that day. If you are planning Epcot or the Studios, you can take the gondolas there. Later in the day, you just head back to the new resort. The only issue with that is the luggage might not be there until 3 or 4 pm.

Bell Services will move my luggage!!!!???!!!! You just made my day.

 

[focusondisney]

Bell Services will move my luggage!!!!???!!!! You just made my day.

Yes they will! You just call for luggage pick up or walk the bags to bell services yourself. Tell them you want them transferred to Boulder Ridge. They will transfer them sometime in the afternoon. When you check in at BR, either call bell services from your room or stop at the desk to pick the bags up your self. We have done it several times with no issues.

 

[KPeterso]

Just did this in March. Landed about 10:30 PM at MCO and took DME to AS Movies. I had to pick up my bags, but they were out quick by the time I stopped in the bathroom and then got to baggage claim. I got on DME pretty quickly and then waited maybe 15-20 minutes for them to fill the bus more. I would think little ones might catch a little sleep. But the little guy in front of me was clearly wired. They took him outside to run around a little more before the bus left and then he still would not settle on th bus once it started moving ---- seemed like most other little ones did fall asleep. Lobby was super quiet when I arrived and the whole resort just felt dark. I got there about midnight (last stop).

The next morning I just took my bags to Bell Services and asked for them to be sent to AKV-Kidani, and then headed off to the parks!

Of your choices, I have stayed at Pop, Movies, and Sports. I personally prefer Pop but could not get it in March, so tried Movies. I did not have a re-furbed room there, and I would have preferred a room that had been done.

 

[buzznina]

We are not fans of staying at a hotel offsite for the night and much rather stay at a WDW resort for the night. I would suggest POP, so this way WDW can move your luggage and you can head to a park.

 

[BarlowFamily]

Of those three, I prefer the theme of Music, but I think Pop will get the most votes. I would just pick whichever (Sports, Music or Pop) has the least expensive Preferred Room. It sounds like you'll sleep, eat and get going. I do agree that if you plan on Epcot of HS for that first day, Pop gondolas would be nice.

 

[mkb3]

My first trip as an adult I was in the same boat. Magical Express Customer Service line told me I couldn't use Magical Express if my flight wasn't the same day. I was a WDW rookie and didn't know you could do a split stay so instead we rented a car and got an offsite hotel. Never again.

Our upcoming trip we are flying in late again this time staying at All Star Movies in a preferred room for that night. Much cheaper than an offsite hotel and transportation.

I do want to ask here though since it's a split stay MDE shows me the option to pick two magic bands. Will they actually send me two, didn't see a decline option like I have in the past? Seems like a waste

 

[wendlle]

We've used ME before for Midnight arrivals and it was great. Straight on the bus and right to the resort.
Never waited more than 10mins at the airport for the bus to leave.

 

[BamaBeagle]

You should be able to decline a magic band in the online check in

 

[Disneypro1]

Music or POP

 

[Lewisc]

You should be able to decline a magic band in the online check in

Recently a decline is interpreted as a decline to personalize and a request for grey

 

[bushdianee]

In March we arrived at about 2:30AM. We had been scheduled to land around midnight so we hadn't put the luggage tags on. We got to DME about 3AM. We got right on and if I remember correctly we were the only ones or there may have been a few others, we were too tired to really notice. When we got CBR they had us wait for someone take us to our rooms in Jamaica. We ended up waiting about an hour as there was only 1 person on in Bell Services. Another person finally came on and they took us by van to their rooms. There was 5 of us, luggage and a ECV so we probably would have been rather noisy, plus finding the rooms in the dark wouldn't have been easy.

 

[Shellbells]

We did this exact thing in May. We arrived at mc o around midnight and went to POP for one night. We stayed 4 nights at ASMu.
I can honestly say I really disliked Music. I wouldn't stay at the All stars again if I could help it. I loved POP. I'd stay there again in a heartbeat.
ME was fine. We waited to leave mco for maybe 30 minutes or so. But it was worth it in the morning when we were already at WDW and could get ready and head straight to a park.
I'm the morning, I wouldn't have wanted to go back to MCO, find my way to ME just to wait for it to leave, go check in at the new hotel and then head to a park.
It worked just fine for us and I'm sure we'll do it again.I

edited - sorry you asked about the bus. Ours was about 3/4 full. Everyone was tired and quite. They turned the lights off so it wasn't bright but they play the tv screens with a promotional video on loop. It wasn't loud. Most of the kids fell asleep right away.

 

[Selket]

Do ME busses run all night now? Many years ago we had a very delayed flight and arrived around 2am and ME had stopped but they got a Mears shuttle for us and paid for it. I can't even remember who was there or how I got the shuttle.

I've also arrived in the evening and my bags were not delivered to the room until the next day...later in the morning. I think I had to call the bell services to ask them to bring them up? We had the do not disturb sign on the door because we slept in a bit. Since you're getting up and moving to another resort I wonder if you'd even see your bags? You may just have to figure that out with the bell people when you get up the next morning. I agree with those who say PoP is the way to go - the newly renovated rooms are fantastic...very clean and nice there. Some of the All Stars are renovated but I can't remember which ones - and not sure if all the buildings in the resort are so you might not be a new room but at Pop you would. Good luck!

 

[mkb3]

If you arrive after 10 PM you are in charge of your bags so no need for the bellhop unless requested when getting off the bus.

 

[jbehr12]

Hi everyone,

I've got a trip coming up in November to stay 4 nights at Boulder Ridge Villas as a DVC rental. My original plan was to fly in early Thursday morning and return home sometime on Monday. It turns out I'll save about $700 - 800 on my flights if we fly in Wednesday night. So, flying in the night before in a no-brainer....

DH and I have been talking possibilities about where to stay Wednesday night. There are four of us, 2 adults and 2 kids (DS9 and DD7). Hotels around the airport will run about $150 - $200/night plus the cost of a taxi to get there and then another taxi in the morning to get to Boulder Ridge. So I'm thinking a value resort at WDW with the Magical Express at night and perhaps a Minnie Van in the morning would be less hassle and perhaps even save a few dollars. I have an AP and there's a discount running right now for Fall trips - so that would help.

We've stayed at All Star Movies before, so I don't want to stay there again, just for variety's sake.

That leaves Sports, Music or Pop. I know we'll be okay with either full or queen beds. We'll probably want the preferred location just for being tired when we arrive and having to drag suitcases around. And I know we'll have breakfast at the food court in the morning.

Any one have strong opinions about All Stars vs. Pop? Better mattresses? Better sound proofing? Better bathroom situation? Better food court? I assume Sports and Music are similar to Movies, but have no idea about the situation at Pop....

I've never used Magical Express before. Any one have experience with using Magical Express after 10 pm? We'll only have carry-on bags, so we won't have to mess with baggage claim. How long did you have to wait? Was your bus full? Could children cat nap or was it too bright/loud?

POP has the better rooms but also regularly had longer transportation lines and more crowded busses when I went in May, also I don’t like the generational theming as much. I prefer ASMovies for its theming, food court (which has significantly stepped up its game between the breakfasts, cupcakes, and secret menu items), and the fact we were usually the first pick up and drop off for the busses so we’d almost always get seats and the rides were slightly quicker. It felt more relaxed than POP for a number of reasons.

I can’t speak on lake night ME as I’ve never taken one outside normal hours.