late for Magical Express?

[DisneyHardin]

Two hours cuts it a little close. A couple years ago, our DME bus to take us to the airport was almost an hour late picking up at the Poly. The CM's were calling DME for us and no one could really figure out what was going on. There were tons of families waiting for that bus and we were starting to worry. Once it came, we still had to go to another resort, then fight traffic to the airport, go through security, find our gate, etc. We arrived at the gate just a little before boarding and that was getting on a bus right at 2 hours before our flight.

 

[goofy4tink]

Just curious...
If you're supposed to be at the ME 3 hours prior to flight time, what happens if you arrive late. Say, 2 hrs prior???

Here is how DME works.....the buses are scheduled based on need. If there is no one at, say, Pop needing to leave at 6am, the bus won't stop there. The bus will not stop unless someone is scheduled to be there (this is why it's a nice thing to let DME know if you won't be taking the bus back to the airport...it won't be sitting there, waiting for just you and your family!). So, if you oversleep, and you get to the DME bus stop at 5? There may not be a bus coming until 5:30 or so!!! And now you could have an issue.
If you think the earliness of the morning is an issue, you may be better off booking a car service.

At that hour, you're on the first bus of the day. If you aren't on time for your MDE bus, there's no guarantee that it will be there waiting for you 5 minutes later, for example. I believe that's the answer to your question. Also, at that hour of the day, I'd be worried that your MDE bus, and probably the next one, will make multiple stops to pick up people - I would guess there aren't nearly as many flights at that time, so they may make stops at other resorts. So even though you leave your resort at 4:15 am, you may not make it out of WDW property for another 30-45 minutes. That's why they build in so much buffer time. (Hopefully you wouldn't have crazy lines at security, though, once you got to MCO - but you NEVER know.)

Last time, we missed MDE. We got stuck waiting for a bus at DTD and were too late. Cab cost us $90. No joke. I was fuming. Not a good way to end a WDW visit.

I have seen DME buses picking up guests at 2:30, 3 and 3:30!!!! Always felt badly for them!!! Here I was, just returning from a park, and they get to go home!!!

 

[Jeannie in NJ]

My husband is always late for everything, but somehow, it is a miracle, he has never made us late for DME bus.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

We always purpose to arrive at the airport 2 hours ahead of time.

Regardless of your transportation method, not leaving the parks until 2 is risky.

If you had no bags to check and already have your boarding passes, you might be okay.

Have no idea how DME will work with you on that.

 

[Simba's Mom]

You'll be paying for a cab to the airport and you're taking a real risk of missing your flight.

I wouldn't recommend it.

That's exactly what I had to do when I missed Magical Express about a year after it began. Since I was solo, I was told later that the driver probably just figured he'd miscounted by one and just left without me. And he left a couple minutes early-that's why I now make sure I'm there the full 15 minutes beforehand they recommend now. The fact that he'd left a little early didn't help my "cause" (no refund) since the instructions clearly state to be waiting 15 minutes beforehand.

 

[Polydweller]

Leaving 2hrs before your flight from your hotel? Not a good idea at all. The drive alone is 30-40 minutes and that's with no stops at other resorts. Even with a straight to airport drive you'd be there only 1 hr 30 minutes to 1hr 20 minutes before your flight time and since boarding start 20-30 minutes prior to flight time you'd have about 1hr to get through everything. And don't forget you've also got a tram ride to the actual terminal building after security. Nope, not enough time.

Even when we have a rental car we leave the resort to arrive at MCO at least 2 hrs in advance. We've never been sorry to do so.

 

[Simba's Mom]

I'm so weird that I usually catch an earlier bus if there is room. I hate risking being late to catch a flight. I much rather wait in the terminal, shopping, grabbing something to eat, and sitting at the gate reading. Running through the airport at my age is just not happening.

Maybe I'm weird too since I do that, too. They always have room for me, maybe because I'm always solo when using ME and there's always room for one more, they say!

 

[jec6613]

Does this imply that if you make your scheduled DME bus and somehow still miss your flight that you *do* have some recourse against Disney or Mears (they're the bus co, right?). Luckily I've never been cut that close, but I haven't read the fine print to know if they'll somehow compensate you for change fees or a hotel night if missing the last flight. . . . I suppose it might make sense since they are the ones dictating a 3-hour window, which indicates they believe that's sufficient time for all traffic, security, etc.

Actually, yes they will if they blow it! While I was at WDW some years ago, AA made a flight schedule change and moved my flight 2 hours earlier, and DME didn't catch it, so when I got my information packet the day before from them it still had the original information on it (FWIW, I took Amtrak down and flew back so DME was booked manually over the phone). When I got to the airport and read the screen and realized that my flight number was departing in 5 minutes and there was no way I could make it, I went to the DME counter and explained the situation, and they re-booked me at their expense on B6 (in an exit row seat, too).

 

[maxiesmom]

Actually, yes they will if they blow it! While I was at WDW some years ago, AA made a flight schedule change and moved my flight 2 hours earlier, and DME didn't catch it, so when I got my information packet the day before from them it still had the original information on it (FWIW, I took Amtrak down and flew back so DME was booked manually over the phone). When I got to the airport and read the screen and realized that my flight number was departing in 5 minutes and there was no way I could make it, I went to the DME counter and explained the situation, and they re-booked me at their expense on B6 (in an exit row seat, too).

Actually you also blew it. It is still up to us to check that our flights are on time. That is not the responsibility of DME.

 

[jec6613]

Actually you also blew it. It is still up to us to check that our flights are on time. That is not the responsibility of DME.

This was in the early-smartphone era (pre-iPhone), and the schedule was changed (permanently, might I add, not a temporary flight delay) while I was at WDW but still several days early and it mailed to my home, so I had no way of knowing. At least at that point, they only asked for my flight number and told me they'd track changes if the airline moved it, and that my departure on DME was based on the scheduled departure of my flight.

 

[Shadowcat70]

I'm not planning on being late. However, my ME arrival time is 4:15 AM. Wow. What was I thinking! ?!? I doubt that will be the busiest time for ME or for the lines at the airport. But I'm not one to take chances. I just keep thinking what IF we oversleep a little and were not there exactly 3 hrs prior. I guess I'd be taking my chances then.

That was us in October. We had to wake up at 3:30am to pack and get out to the DME. The 7:05am flight was the cheapest, so I took it, and then regretted it later. It was just way too early to be getting up. On the bright side though, everyone was too sleepy to get into that "we're leaving WDW today" funk.

 

[gtpoohbear]

The issue really isn't whether you think 3 hours is excessive, but the fact that the 3-hours-before-your-flight-bus is the only one you have a reservation for.

The busses back to the airport are not like the ones from the airport where you just get on the next one leaving. They schedule them specifically to take exactly a full load- in fact I've never been on one that had even a single empty seat. It's possible you could get lucky as a party of 1 or 2, but with a large family it will be tough.

If you simply don't make it in time for your assigned bus, there is s good chance you will be taking a cab.

I've had two sets of friends recently miss thiers. One was able to get assigned another one, but almost an hour later and they only made their flight because it got delayed. The other was told it would be nearly 2 hours before there was an available bus, so they wouldn't even let them try, and they did have to take a cab instead.

The MCO Hyatt is a great option for early morning flights. Otherwise, you'd best just set multiple alarms!

 

[rubbergypsy]

And the 3 hour window is the reason we always opt for a later in the day flight. 3:30 am is not the way I want to leave Disney!

 

[disprincess2213]

OK so will DME let us schedule a later pickup? If we do it days before? We have TSA preckeck so security is quick.

 

[jec6613]

OK so will DME let us schedule a later pickup? If we do it days before? We have TSA preckeck so security is quick.

So do I, and it still took me 35 minutes last time I went through MCO because there was a half hour line to the sorting station.

 

[fbb]

The MCO TSA security lines are the worst I have ever seen...

The Las Vegas lines are worse, in my experience. But my Vegas hangovers are worse too; maybe those alter my perception.

 

[tjmw2727]

OK so will DME let us schedule a later pickup? If we do it days before? We have TSA preckeck so security is quick.

Probably not unless you change the flight info you give DME to reflect a later departure time - and I wouldn't recommend this!

We also have TSA Pre and it often does little to nothing to speed up the process at MCO. In fact the lines there get so long I find the TSA agents tend to divert non TSA Pre passengers to the Pre line making it as slow (maybe slower!) than the regular line. This results in folks not understanding the line they are in; taking off their shoes and jackets, putting them back on, taking out 3-1-1 bag putting it back and general confusion IME.

 

[danny1649]

Fellow Dis folks thanks for staying on subject and giving informative replies.This thread is more a Transportation Board thread than TP&S thread.That said I will allow it more time here but will move it in near future. Thanks Danny

 

[JanaDee]

OK so will DME let us schedule a later pickup? If we do it days before? We have TSA preckeck so security is quick.

There is nothing quick about security at MCO, even with precheck. To make the lines move quicker, TSA often will direct people into the precheck lines.

 

[JennyDrake]

We have had it both ways. Sitting in the airport food court & looking in shops for 2 hours, and once literally running to our gate, making it just as boarding started. ( with Magical Express ). I would rather be safe than sorry. We have waited in some horrible Security lines at MCO

DITTO! DITTO! I fly out of MCO at least 3x/year using DME.

I've been there when I had what seemed to be days of time left to kill and I've been there when the boarding started. There is NO WAY of judging what the lines at security will be.