How long does it usually take Magical Express to get to Disney Resort?

[msminnieears]

Just wondering on average how long does it take for Magical Express to get to your Disney Resort? I thought in the past it was about 1-2hrs but can't remember because it's been 2 years. Just thought someone who just returned from Disney could let me know how long it took them! Thanks!

 

[CleveRocks]

The average time from airplane landing to resort drop off is 70 minutes. Each of my 3 times was slightly shorter than that.

 

[Alesia]

It took me 72 minutes from the second we stepped off the plane until we walked into the lobby at Pop. That included a bathroom stop in the airport.

 

[jimmiej]

In June, it took us about 75 minutes from gate to resort. Please note though, we went to the wrong side of the airport for ME & had to backtrack.

 

[tam626]

I think it was a little over an hour for us & we had to stop at two other resorts before ours.

 

[Sienna]

Does anyone know the order in which they stop at the resorts?

 

[goofy4tink]

Depends on the route. For instance...I normally take the ME bus to BW. Routinely, it has stopped at YC, BC, BW, then gone on to CBR..that's what it did for about 4 trips. Then, in April, we went to POR first...huge surprise to me. And it did the same thing in August when my dh flew down to meet us at BW (we started at the Swan so didn't use DME).
At POP, the bus usually went there first, then to CSR and AKL. But, I was on it one time that it went to AKL, the CSR and finally to Pop.
Nothing is etched in stone with DME..routes can, and do, change.

I have had times of anywhere from 50-90 mins, most of the time it has been under 70 mins.

 

[SallyDavey]

Mine have been 50 minutes...last two times being the first stop, so that's probably somewhat conservative.

 

[CleveRocks]

Does anyone know the order in which they stop at the resorts?

No pre-set groupings of resorts, no pre-set routes. Some groupings are more common than others, but the groupings can change even within the same day ... it all depends on about how many people are going where and at what times ... they know this from the reservations, and they make the most efficient groupings possible.

In terms of the ORDER of the drop-offs, that is solely at the discretion of the bus driver ... Disney doesn't tell the drivers what order to do the drop-offs in. The only "rule" is that if the bus has guests from both Polynesian and Grand Floridian on board, Poly guests get dropped off first, because those large buses can't make the turn to go from Grand Floridian into the Poly complex without having to back up and make a K-turn.

 

[keishashadow]

aside from the number of stops before your resort, you need to factor in how many have stowed all their luggage & need to off-load.

 

[goofy4tink]

aside from the number of stops before your resort, you need to factor in how many have stowed all their luggage & need to off-load.

And that is why I had one time of almost 90 mins!! About 75% of the bus had bags that had been stowed underneath. I'm not sure why those guests felt that they had to have their luggage with them, and it is their right to do so if they choose to. But...it sure did make our trip longer. First, we had to sit at the airport and wait while those bags were loaded. That was the longest I've ever sat there, at the airport. Then we went to AKL first (which was unusual), where we sat and waited for nearly 15 mins, while the bags were taken out, handed over all the while the driver waited to be tipped for his luggage handling. Then, off to CSR...where we repeated the first scenario...it was brutal. By the time we got to POP, I couldn't wait to get off that bus....I had no bags to collect so was able to be first in line to checkin but man, it took way too long to get there...and it was basically because of all that stowed luggage.

 

[keishashadow]

Sounds like my 'only' ME trip, if you add on almost another 30 min before we pulled up to BCV

Adding insult to injury, after bus' 1st stop @ CBR with much time spent unloading, etc, we had to double back as a guy started running after the bus as we were pulling away

The family had forgotten to get their stroller, back to square one.

I admit to being the A type personality. Unless they decide to prohibit this luggage practice (other than allowing a small 'lapbag' on the bus for whatever essentials): for me it's def worth digging for cheap rental car rate or paying $100 or so for private transport.

 

[goofy4tink]

Sounds like my 'only' ME trip, if you add on almost another 30 min before we pulled up to BCV

Adding insult to injury, after bus' 1st stop @ CBR with much time spent unloading, etc, we had to double back as a guy started running after the bus as we were pulling away

The family had forgotten to get their stroller, back to square one.

I admit to being the A type personality. Unless they decide to prohibit this luggage practice (other than allowing a small 'lapbag' on the bus for whatever essentials): for me it's def worth digging for cheap rental car rate or paying $100 or so for private transport.

I hear ya....but, there are sometimes reasons that guests can't send their bags with DME. Perhaps they arrived the day before but chose not to head to WDW that late in the day, but stay at the airport, so had to take their luggage with them.
But...that is a very small group of people. Most people want to know that their bags are there, at MCO. They don't trust DME to get their bags to them. They trust the airlines though...and they are the ones who routinely misdirect luggage!!!
I would so much rather that people send their bags with DME but they take alternative transportation to their resort....rental car, towncar, yak...don't care. It's so much better than dragging those 4 bags with you to the bus and then holding everyone else up. And believe me..those drivers seem to be more than happy to tell their passengers that they have to remain on the bus until all bags are taken out...seems it's a safety issue. More like a tipping issue.
My favorite DME experience??? At CBR, last April. We got there, some people got on the bus for the return trip back to MCO. But, there was one group of people (about 6 of them) who were concerned because part of their group hadn't arrived yet. So...the bus driver waited, and waited. We sat there for about 10 mins. Then, the driver noticed a pile of luggage, sitting outside at the bus stop. She asked if those bags belonged to anyone on the bus. No one answered her. She got off the bus, walked around a bit, talked to some CMs there about the bags...all the time we are sitting there, waiting to leave. Finally, she got back on the bus, asked if the bags belonged to the missing group. The others, in that group, said they didn't know. The driver said that 'well, we really can't wait any longer.' and we pulled out. But, we had been there, just sitting and waiting, for about 20 mins total. Darn good thing they pick you up early. While it's nice that the driver didn't want to leave anyone behind, she did impact a lot of other people.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

It's varied for me the 2 times I've used it so far.

The first time it was only 40 minutes. I thought that was just amazing. I got off the plane, right onto the little mini monorail at MCO, down to DME and right on the bus without having to wait.

The second time was an hour and a half. I was thinking that was about normal.

 

[Tozzie]

I am at WDE now took DME yesterday and it took about 75 minutes. As for routes as posters say the routes vary but they generaly group resorts in the same area together this trip however for my bus it was POP CBR then my resort AKV most of my other trips have been 60 minutes or less.

As a side note, many people ask about luggage delivery. I happened to be in my room when the luggage came yesterday. I checked in and was in my room by 3 pm and my luggage came at 4:10 pm I made sure to note the time for the people that ask.

 

[keishashadow]

wow, guess that is why the scheduled return departure time is -3 hours to flight time

i can see waiting 10 min or so; no longer, otherwise 'the needs of the few outweigh those of the many'.

now, im mulling over what happens to those who do miss their scheduled bus back to airport and whether they can grab the next bus...wonder if they leave a % of empty seats on each bus factoring this occurence?

 

[CleveRocks]

now, im mulling over what happens to those who do miss their scheduled bus back to airport and whether they can grab the next bus...wonder if they leave a % of empty seats on each bus factoring this occurence?

Nope.

If you miss the bus because you weren't there, Disney has no responsibility to get you back to the airport.

The other thing to keep in mind is that there there will not necessarily be "the next bus." They don't come around on a static schedule like Disney Transport park buses do. They only do pick-ups at resorts when/where there are reservations for those pick-ups. IF there are reservations, a DME bus comes around once every 30 minutes. But if an hour or so goes by when there are no reservations for DME pick-ups, then an hour or so will go by when no DME bus stops at the resort for pick-ups. And then never mix pick-ups and drop-offs on the same bus.

The other other thing to keep in mind is that buses can be reserved as full. If the driver is irresponsible enough to let people onto a bus who don't have a specific reservation for that bus, this may mean that someone else down the line can't get on the bus they had a reservation for because it's already full. In such a case, if people argue their case to resort cast members, they typically get a taxi back to the airport, paid for by Disney. In such a case, it's Disney's fault.

 

[keishashadow]

good to know, thanx for the info