Horrible experience with Magical Express

[ckret01]

We went to Disney from 12/8 to 12/13 and used the Magical Express for the first time. At first I was skeptical because of all the mixed reviews but figured...hey ...it's free why not. We arrived on Saturday Dec 8 at 10:30am and the line to check into Magical express felt like it was a mile long (well it was half way down the airport, put it that way). The line took us about 45minuted to get through then we only waited about 15 more minutes till we got on the bus.

Heres the bad part.....

On our return back home today we orginally were scheduled for a 2pm flight with an 11am pick up by Magical Express at the All Star Sports, but with the snow storm we heard our hometown in NY was getting hit with we decided the night before to go on standby for a flight at 7am out of Orlando to NY on the same airline we were scheduled for that afternoon. We called Magical Express to let them know the night before and were told our new pick up time would be at 4:05am. AGHHHH That is early but we didn;t care because we wanted to get home before the snow came.

At 3:55am we left our room and got to the bus stop at 4:00AM. We had a great, close room to the bus stop so it was really only a 2 minute walk from our room to the bus. WEll at about 4:10 we are still waiting for the bus, 4:15...still waiting....then by 4:20am we decided to call them to find out what was going on. They said the bus was already there and that we weren;t there on time. We argued and said we were standing there at 4am on the dot waiting for the bus and they were never there. We argued on the phone with the girl and she told us we needed to catch the bus at the All Star Movies because that is where the bus was. We asked how in the world are we supposed to get there!!!!!!! She was not very helpful and we asked her how are we suppoed to get to the airport. She told us we would have to wait for the next bus which was at 5:05am and we told her we couldn;t wait that long because we were going on standby on an early flight and had to be at the airport first thing. She didn;t seem to care and said there was nothing else she could do and she winded up hanging the phone up on us because we kept asking her what we were supposed to do.

At that point I was livid!!! We were lucky that a taxi cab was sitting in front of the hotel and was able to take us to the aiport for $55 plus tip AGH! When we got in the taxi cab we told the guy our story and he told us he did see a bus but it left before our scheduled time...so when we heard that we were even more mad that the bus left before the time our actual pick up was scheduled for.

I will never use them again!

 

[Lewisc]

You're told to be at the bus stop 10 minutes before your scheduled pick up time. By your watch you were only there 5 minutes bfore your scheduled pick up time. You weren't at the stop at the time you were told to be there and you missed your bus.

 

[ckret01]

When I orginally made my reservation for my original departure at 11am I was NEVER told to be there ten minutes early. I was told the bus would pick us up at 11am and that was it. The same thing happened when we changed our reservation for an earlier time. They told us the bus would pick us up at 4:05am.....they NEVER said be there early!!!! If they did I would have been. If I was there at 4am and they told me the pick up time was at 4:05 am then that bus SHOULD NOT leave till 4:05AM! Therefore I was at the bus stop at the time they told me the bus would pick me up but because the bus decided to leave before 4am was not right. The taxi driver told us they left early too...that is not right!

 

[magicaldisney]

You're told to be at the bus stop 10 minutes before your scheduled pick up time. By your watch you were only there 5 minutes bfore your scheduled pick up time. You weren't at the stop at the time you were told to be there and you missed your bus.

Unfortunately I agree....I can't imagine cutting it that close on time. In this case it worked against you. I understand 4:00 means 4:00, but you were going to need to load onto the bus for it to leave at 4:00 which is why I also would have been there 10 to 15 minutes early.

 

[goofy4tink]

The rule of thumb is to be at the bus stop 15 mins before your appointed pickup time. We have been saying that here for years now. I know that when I took the bus back to MCO on Wed, the 12th, my pickup time was 8:50 and I was there by 8:35...just to be on the safe side. The stated pickup time is the 'pickup' time..that's when the bus leaves. I know that there were a ton of people running up to the bus when I was on it, at the departure time. I couldn't believe how many people cut it so close. But, the driver saw them coming and waited. It added time to our trip to the airport, leaving less time at the airport. If I had taken the next bus out, I would have had only about 45 mins at the airport!!
I'm sorry you were never told to be at the bus stop at least 10 mins before departure time. I know that I was told that at least one time. But, I will say that my DME rides this time were less than magical. The trip to WDW was okay, but the luggage delivery service wasn't great (had to wait well over 3 hrs to get my bags, but that could have been the airline's fault since my friend who was on my flight got her bags in a timely fashion) but the trip back was miserable. Too many stops, too long at each stop (those people arriving at the appointed departure time!), slowness of the bus...it just wasn't worth it to me.
I'm taking it again, for the arrival at WDW part anyway, in January. We'll see how that goes.

 

[Edd]

If you are told a bus would be there at 0400, why would you wait until 0400 to get to the spot. No one has the same clock that you are operating on and so you are taking huge chances. There are to many people taking those chances on the pick up back to the airport. It seems like everytime I am waiting at the resorts I notice people come running up looking for their bus at certain times. When they are told they missed it they go berserk at the doorman and any one around.

Remember, the bus is free. If you want to be sure you catch your ride you need to be waiting for the bus 15 minutes before you are scheduled. If you can't handle those circumstances than you have to pay. Remember there is no solution to you missing that bus. The next bus coming may be filled with reservations and the driver can turn you down.

 

[cbrfan]

I just looked at the Transportation Notice I received the day before my flight back regarding ME. Under "Important Disney's Magical Express Motorcoach Information" it states, in part, "The motorcoaches make multiple stops and must depart the resort promptly so please arrive at least fifteen minutes prior to your pick-up time." You would have been given that information the day BEFORE your original flight. I guess ME didn't figure they needed to tell you twice.

 

[Lewisc]

I don't want to sound like I'm piling in the OP. The reason some of us are responding is to warn other posters.

According to the OPs watch they got to the stop 3 minutes before the bus was scheduled to depart. I don't think I'd rely on my watch, and the drivers watch, being that close. Sounds like the driver got to the stop 5-10 minutes before the scheduled time, saw no passengers waiting and moved on to the next stop. If every guest got to the stop 3 minutes before the scheduled departure time there isn't any chance the bus would leave on time. It's rude for any guest to think they're special and can cut it that close.

Spending $50 or so for a taxi or a car service makes a lot of sense when guests want to depart early in the morning.

 

[ckret01]

Rough crowd here. I do not think I am special as someone here posted thinking I can cut it that close. Not that 3 min or 5 min makes a difference but if you are to quote my words I was at the bus stop at 4am with a 4:05am pick up.

 

[momtoBrandon&Jacob]

I have to agree with the others. Even if you were not told to be at the bus stop 10 or 15 mins ahead of time, wouldn't common sense dictate otherwise?? I just know that when I have a flight to catch, I leave nothing to chance and always try to be ahead of time. Getting there 5 mins early is really taking a chance. As someone else mentioned, no one's watch is the same. I think you should just be glad that there was a cab there. Hey, money talks!

 

[poptoone]

Rough crowd here. I do not think I am special as someone here posted thinking I can cut it that close. Not that 3 min or 5 min makes a difference but if you are to quote my words I was at the bus stop at 4am with a 4:05am pick up.

Per ME you should have been there at 3:55, you weren't and got left. Not to be harsh but funny how it's always someone else's fault when you don't do what you are asked.

 

[ckret01]

Per ME you should have been there at 3:55, you weren't and got left. Not to be harsh but funny how it's always someone else's fault when you don't do what you are asked.

First of all I was never asked to be there 10-15 min early...if that bus was to leave at 4:05am and I was there at 4 I should have made that bus if the bus waited to the correct time but it didn;t .

 

[NancyIL]

I'm sorry you were never told to be at the bus stop at least 10 mins before departure time. I know that I was told that at least one time. But, I will say that my DME rides this time were less than magical. The trip to WDW was okay, but the luggage delivery service wasn't great (had to wait well over 3 hrs to get my bags, but that could have been the airline's fault since my friend who was on my flight got her bags in a timely fashion) but the trip back was miserable. Too many stops, too long at each stop (those people arriving at the appointed departure time!), slowness of the bus...it just wasn't worth it to me.

My experience going back to the airport in mid-November was similar. I was one of only 2 people that were picked up at the Beach Club, but there were TONS of people at Caribbean Beach. It took a long time just for the driver to load all the luggage, as most of those people were on an airline that didn't check luggage ahead of time. I can see now why they schedule your pick-up for 3 hours before your flight, because you will need it.

 

[goofy4tink]

Just to clear up my poor old brain....it would seem that you got something from DME telling you of the time of your pickup, probably the day before departure. It 'usually' tells you to arrive at the bus stop 15 mins before the departure time. I can't say for sure since DME never got that info out to me the day before. But, on other occasions, it has been specified in the letter.

I think it would be nice if we kept any sarcasm, or negativity to a minimum here. The OP made an honest mistake...unfortunatly it cost her/him to arrive later than they should have. It's a good lesson for others out there. Be sure to arrive at the bus stop, ready to go, at least 15 mins before your departure time. I watched too many people arrive at the bus stop, at the time we should have been driving away. If it had not been for the numbers of families boarding with a lot of luggage, those late arrivals would have been out of luck!! Get to the bus stop early people!!

 

[disneyagain]

Sorry for your bad experience, but the documents do say to arrive early. This isn't a private service like a towncar/limo/cab. You are part of mass transportation and the loading of many people and their luggage takes time and arriving 5 minutes before departure, just doesn't make sense (Although I'm one of those alwasy early people) I would assume the driver of the bus, knowing that the documents state to arrive 15 minutes early and they arrive and no one is waiting, they will move on to the next stop.

To all of those traveling in the future.... make sure you read your travel documents through, the information is there for a reason.

 

[kaytieeldr]

As others have stated, both the documentation you receive the day before your return to the airport, AND repeated advice/information posted here (where, although it's not stated, it's likely you've read the 'mixed' reviews of this free service - keeping in mind that few, if any, of the over four MILLION Magical Express users to date who've had good experience would likely NOT post reviews about it) that DME users need to arrive at least fifteen minutes before the assigned time. And, for Guests who've checked luggage with Bell Services/Luggage Assistance (NOT the OP, this is merely general information) should allow at least another fifteen minutes to reclaim that luggage.

At any rate, while I agree with the posters who've stated that the OP's watch, or even room clock, likely did not coordinate with the bus driver's watch - the one that matters - if she was supposed to catch the bus at All Star Movies (strange) she should have been told that when she called to change her DME reservation. And, if that was the case (although the taxi driver did see a DME bus before the OP got to the stop), how one would get from All Star Sports to All Star Movies, would be, well, walk?

 

[Lewisc]

Guests are told to be at the stop 10-15 minutes before the scheduled departure time. It was in the written information you were given. 3:55a would be the correct time for the bus to leave if there weren't any passengers waiting. No different then an airplane.

I understand you made a mistake, but others reading this thread have to understand the DME bus was following the rules. Guests that aren't ready to board their bus, including getting their luggage out of storage, 10 minutes prior to the scheduled depature time of their bus run the risk of missing their bus and having to take find their own transportation to MCO.

I think you post serves as a warning to guest that cut it too close.

First of all I was never asked to be there 10-15 min early...if that bus was to leave at 4:05am and I was there at 4 I should have made that bus if the bus waited to the correct time but it didn;t .

 

[SB in KY]

Aside from missing the bus at your hotel because you were late, they then offered you the option of getting on a bus at another near by resort, which you declined, but then you got in a waiting cab for the airport....did it occur to you that you could have hopped in the same cab and instead of spending $55+ to get back to the airport you could have just spent $10 to go to the other resort and catch the bus??

 

[TDC Nala]

You're told to be at the bus stop 10 minutes before your scheduled pick up time. By your watch you were only there 5 minutes bfore your scheduled pick up time. You weren't at the stop at the time you were told to be there and you missed your bus.

This is true. However, I was told when this happened (I was there 10 minutes before but the driver's time was apparently a minute ahead of mine) the drivers can arrive early, but are supposed to leave at the pickup time, not 5 minutes before. But they can leave if you don't have the whole party at the bus stop by the departure time, or if they can't get your stuff onto the bus by the departure time because you cut it too close.

When they say be there early, they mean it.

 

[dopeyfanatic]

I think that's ridiculous. Regardless of what their rules are, if departure time was 4:05 they shouldn't have been able to leave just because they pull up at 3:55 and the person isn't there. They should still have to wait until 4:05, and if the person arrives and the bus driver doesn't feel they can load everything on in time to depart by 4:05, that's different. Also, they should not say the bus will PICK UP at 4:05, they should say the bus will DEPART at 4:05! BIG difference!!!!