how long do you think we will ride the magical express?

[moopdog]

I don't know if your plans are set in stone or not, but we also had 'planned' on getting up at 3 am to ride a plane for 5 hours. I finally had a revelation (okay so maybe that's glorifying it a little)... I finally had an IDEA - why not leave the afternoon before. The airfare costs the same and the room at the AAA rate is only $61 at the All star movies. To me for the $61 and the cost of one extra meal at Disney.... WAY worth it to me. We can travel during "normal" hours, relax a little when we check in at around 6 PM and wake up the next day already there!! Just an idea.

 

[momof2OH]

Thanks for the reply. Just want to make sure I understand correctly...we have to put our luggage on the bus with us and hold it or does it go somewhere else on the bus?
Sorry, but we've never used a bus like this with luggage and all.

 

[timandlesley]

Thanks Tyler,

So what do we do? We get off the plane, and then where will the buses be located? How will we know which bus to get on? Thanks for the help in advance.
Lesley

 

[localdriver]

Thanks for the reply. Just want to make sure I understand correctly...we have to put our luggage on the bus with us and hold it or does it go somewhere else on the bus?
Sorry, but we've never used a bus like this with luggage and all.

The driver will load your luggage in luggage bays under the bus.

At the airport, the driver will unload the luggage, you take it from there and head to your check in for your airline.

 

[frannn]

still have their luggage taken to/from the resort via Magical Express? Since the luggage is not riding with the resort guests, and will be taken directly to the resort, I don't see how this would be a problem. It would be so much more convenient to just pick up our car and drive straight to check in, instead of lugging 2 kids all all the "stuff". It would also be great to not have to stash our stuff in the rental car on our last day, when we hope to get a short park visit in. We are flying Delta Song.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

So what do we do? We get off the plane, and then where will the buses be located? How will we know which bus to get on?

According to the Travel Agent FAQ:

Guests are met by a costumed Disney representative upon arrival at the airport and directed to our Disney Welcome Center located on Level One A side of the airport.

Guests will board a themed motor coach to their Resort and experience an “edutainment” video.

The tagged luggage is retrieved behind the scenes and delivered separately to their Resort room.

In other words, Disney cast members will make it easy for you to find and get on the right coach.

Can people who are renting a car at the airport still have their luggage taken to/from the resort via Magical Express? Since the luggage is not riding with the resort guests, and will be taken directly to the resort, I don't see how this would be a problem.

Officially, the answer is no when you arrive at Orlando Airport at the beginning of your vacation. It remains to be seen how (or if) this will be enforced. See "Magic Express AND car rental" at http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=740999

Officially, the answer is yes when it's time to return to Orlando Airport, it you're on one of the participting airlines. According to the Travel Agent FAQ:

Does the Guest have to utilize Disney’s Magical Express return transportation service back to Orlando International Airport to participate in the Resort Airline Check-in?
No. This service is available to Disney Resort Guests on outbound flights with domestic service provided by American, Delta (including Song), Continental, and United (including Ted). They can take advantage of the motor coach transportation back to Orlando International Airport or arrange their own transportation.

 

[Lewisc]

still have their luggage taken to/from the resort via Magical Express? Since the luggage is not riding with the resort guests, and will be taken directly to the resort, I don't see how this would be a problem. It would be so much more convenient to just pick up our car and drive straight to check in, instead of lugging 2 kids all all the "stuff". It would also be great to not have to stash our stuff in the rental car on our last day, when we hope to get a short park visit in. We are flying Delta Song.

Disney is not offering a luggage only option. Horace and I had a discussion a week or so ago regarding what Disney would do if you didn't take the bus. I think you may at least need to at least check in at the airport. Prehaps have some of your party take the bus and some take the rental car. Tell us who got to the resort first.

 

[momof2OH]

Thank You so much localdriver!!!
I don't mind having to check luggage myself, I just didn't want to have to try and hold onto all of it on the ride over! Maybe by June they will have other airlines participating, including SW and then I won't have to worry about any of it.

 

[Bill From PA]

frannn,

I'm looking to make creative use of this myself next year. We'll probably use a TownCar and make a grocery stop, but if we eliminate the need to wait for the carrousel to spit out our luggage we can get to our resort, check in and get to a park not too long after opening as our flight arrives at 9 am. The way I see it, your bags are pre tagged by you, they go on a truck to your resort and you go on a bus. I don't see Disney even trying to enforce the 'no luggage only' option. As you stroll up to the checkin counter, then or later, who's to know or care how you got there? I'll be watching this closely.

Bill From PA

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

I don't see Disney even trying to enforce the 'no luggage only' option.

You might be right. You might be wrong.

Disney has a serious financial incentive to discourage guests from breaking the "no luggage only transfers" rule. So they just might figure out some way to enforce the rule, or at least to discourage guests from using Magical Exxpress in a way in which it was not intended.

 

[Lewisc]

You might be right. You might be wrong.

Disney has a serious financial incentive to discourage guests from breaking the "no luggage only transfers" rule. So they just might figure out some way to enforce the rule, or at least to discourage guests from using Magical Exxpress in a way in which it was not intended.

I recently read a FAQ,

What if the Guest misses their flight? Where will their luggage go?
If a Guest checks their luggage from their city of origin in time to make their originally scheduled flight, their bags are likely to make it to Orlando International Airport as scheduled, even if they miss their flight. Disney representatives will pull their bags and wait for the Guest’s arrival before forwarding them to their resort hotel

Sounds like people electing the "luggage only" loophole may have to actually check in with Disney at Orlando. I guess they can't make you board the bus at gunpoint. May make sense to split your family, 2 take the bus 2 take the rental car and see who makes it to the resort first.

The reality is if you're staying onsite you really don't need a rental car for your entire trip and might as well just rent it for a few days from the National/Alamo desk at Disney.

 

[Bill From PA]

Lewisc,

The way I read that is if you miss your flight to MCO Disney will know this and retain your bags until you arrive. The fact that they mention this as special treatment for an unusual circumstance indicates to me that when all goes normally and you're on the flight with your bags, Disney just shoots the luggage to the resort at that time. We're not going until March 2006 so there'll be plenty of time to see how this works out. While we're at it, let's consider all the different permutations of how people will use this system. Most will arrive on the flight with their luggage, get on the bus and go immediately. Some will hit the bathroom, change a diaper, get a meal, settle their stomachs or do any of a number of things that will keep them from boarding the bus right away. I don't see Disney waiting until a given person or a whole family hits the bus before shipping their bags. Others will take the bus to the resort, see a huge line before them and skip the check-in until later in order to get to the parks.
Disney certainly wants you to use the service as they envisioned it, but I don't see some draconian system punishing those who get to WDW by means other than the bus.

Bill From PA

 

[Brian Noble]

if you miss your flight to MCO Disney will know this

How? There are only three ways: (a) the airilne tells them (and they generally won't tell you who did/did not get on a flight), (b) you call to tell them (why would you if your luggage would just be taken care of anyway?) or (c) they know you aren't there because you haven't checked in.

The easiest and least erroneous way for them to know is (c). Not saying that's the way it's going to be, but I think you're falling prey to wishful thinking.

 

[Lewisc]

How? There are only three ways: (a) the airline tells them (and they generally won't tell you who did/did not get on a flight), (b) you call to tell them (why would you if your luggage would just be taken care of anyway?) or (c) they know you aren't there because you haven't checked in.

The easiest and least erroneous way for them to know is (c). Not saying that's the way it's going to be, but I think you're falling prey to wishful thinking.

ITA, I can't see any airline instituted system that would tell Disney you didn't make your flight. Horace and I had a thread discussing luggage only transfers. Horace is convinced Disney will be using bar coded tags. I'd assume the luggage tag will get scanned like FEDEX. I guess if you haven't checked in at the Disney MCO desk the scanner will beep and tell them to hold your luggage. The concern might be if you're bumped and don't get ANY flight down your luggage may have to be given back to the airline to be returned to your originating airport. Disney may wind up holding the luggage in the airport for an hour or more,instead of storing the luggage in the resort they may just take it directly to your room after the system shows your room is ready.

People who want try a luggage only loophole might have to check in at the Disney desk and then go their own way.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Disney representatives will pull their bags and wait for the Guest’s arrival before forwarding them to their resort hotel

If the hooks are in the system to hold Magical Express luggage at the airport until it is matched with an arriving passenger, then it's highly likely that the same mechanism will be used to enforce the "no luggage only transfers" rule.

Earlier today, I spoke with a DVC Member Services CM who has been trained on Magical Express. I asked what would happen if someone tagged their bags with Magical Express luggage tags but then chose not to ride a Magical Express coach. She explained that luggage would be held at the airport until the arriving guest confirms their arrival with Disney at the airport.

Of course, that raises the question of whether a guest could check in with Disney at the airport, and then run off to a rental car or towncar.

If I were designing the system, the check-in at the airport would be very simple. Guests would be directed to the right coach by signs and CMs. Then, guests would just have their Magical Express coach tickets scanned or swiped as they get onto the coach. That would allow guests to go straight to their coach without standing in another line first. And it would ensure that guests get onto a coach to the right resorts (just as today's airline boarding passes ensure that passengers get onto a plane to the right destination). And it would update a database that tracks all steps of Magical Express guests and their luggage (just as FedEx tracks packages).

Of course, I didn't design the system, so I can only make educated guesses about how it will work.

Disney knows that a typical family that uses the Magical Express coach service is likely to spend many hundreds of dollars more with Disney than a typical family with a rental car. So Disney has a real financial incentive to enforce the rules. Otherwise, Disney is burdened with the expense of the luggage transfers, without the enhanced revenue to offset that cost. (Sure, some Magical Express coach-riding families will still rent a car for a day or two to go to Sea World, Universal, Orlando Premium Outlets, and off-site restaurants, but most won't bother.)

 

[Bill From PA]

I can't disagree with the logic of the posts above. At worst, a cell phone call from the TownCar to the effect that I ran into a relative who offered me a lift, please send my luggage to my resort should do the trick, and since my wife is the relative and it's her card we put these junkets on, it's all true.

Bill From PA

 

[Lewisc]

I can't disagree with the logic of the posts above. At worst, a cell phone call from the TownCar to the effect that I ran into a relative who offered me a lift, please send my luggage to my resort should do the trick, and since my wife is the relative and it's her card we put these junkets on, it's all true.

Bill From PA

Bill I'm sure there will be ways around the system BUT if too many people do a luggage only transfer Disney will be less likely to continue the service for free. If Disney gets wind that towncar companies are suggesting guests use magical express for luggage transfers Disney may very well go after them. Your customer left their luggage at the airport when will you be back to pick them up.

Disney may even say, when you didn't checkin your luggage missed the truck and was moved into storage. Don't worry we'll get you your luggage by 10:00p tonight.

I'm not kidding, I'd like to see a family split up and see who gets to the resort first, the bus or the rental car.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

At worst, a cell phone call from the TownCar to the effect that I ran into a relative who offered me a lift, please send my luggage to my resort should do the trick, and since my wife is the relative and it's her card we put these junkets on, it's all true.

Somehow, I don't think it will be that simple and convenient to circumvent the rules.

 

[heathriel]

From everything I've read/been told about the ME service, the "participating airlines" thing only comes into play on the return trip. They will pick up your luggage on arrival, but you can't check it at the hotel on the return, and hence have to carry your luggage.

Maybe JetBlue will be part of it by the time my trip starts

 

[Lewisc]

Somehow, I don't think it will be that simple and convenient to circumvent the rules.

Probably will be. Remember the stated purpose of ME is guest convenience. No mention of Disney using it to try to keep people from renting cars, although we all suspect that's one of the main reasons. Really no way to make guests go back to the airport. I could see Disney delaying luggage delivery, perhaps say it was moved to special storage when you didn't check in. Maybe even make you wait in your room for delivery but I suspect luggage only transfer is something that makes for good board discussion but that's all. The reality is most guests using ME like FREE and won't be taking a towncar or renting a car for their entire trip.