Late Night Arrival & ME

[Magic2000]

We are arriving in Orlando at 10:45 pm and are scheduled to use Magical Express. Anyone have any experience with ME and a late night arrival - will we have to wait for a full bus before leaving for the resorts? What are the chances of having a "full bus" with such a late arrival? Do you think it would be better to use a towncar service??

We usually book a towncar service, and thought we'd try ME this time! I'm a little nervous here! Thanks!

 

[DisneyNotes]

The bus does not have to be full. I think late night would be an even better time to take ME. You'll be tired and won't want to mess with luggage. Just walk off the plane and onto the bus and sit. Nice.

 

[CleveRocks]

DME procedure is that a bus must leave no more than 15 minutes after the first guest boards the bus.

Last time, we landed around 10 p.m., only 1 person in line ahead of me at the counter, maybe one other family on the bus when we got on, and we pulled away about 10-15 minutes later (I'd have to go check my notes for exact times ... sad but true, I timed everything and took notes). We were dropped off at our resort around 11 p.m., exactly 56 minutes from the time we walked off the aircraft.

 

[Josh125]

We arrived last year @ 11PM. It was great. Breezed through the counter and walked on the bus and left. No worries, the later the better IMO.

 

[DisneyNotes]

DME procedure is that a bus must leave no more than 15 minutes after the first guest boards the bus.

Now that 15 minute procedure is one of the most useful pieces of info that I've read on this site. I'd never heard that before. I figured that we'd be sitting there for 30 minutes or more. That's a nice tip to know.

 

[Magic2000]

Thanks everyone!!! I was getting a little nervous with that late arrival!!! Since it will be rather late - and I know my DD will be tired - we will probably just each bring a carry on and that way we don't have to wait for the luggage to be brought to the room!

Hopefully, we'll be able to get to the room, take baths, and get to bed quickly! But I do have a "sleep in" day planned for the next day, just in case!

Thanks again!

 

[DisneyNotes]

I think many people get to WDW and hit it running. Your sleep-in day is the way to go. You'll be rested and ready to enjoy.

 

[poohbear2]

We also arrived around 11pm and moved right along. Actually everytime we took the ME we never had to wait more than 5 minutes. Good timing perhaps?

 

[sharond150]

I wish they'd share the "15-minute rule" with some of the DME drivers. While I rarely ever before had a long wait, the last time I was ther (July 29), we were definitely NOT the first ones on the bus and still waited over 20 minutes. No wonder the folks (not from the same family) who had been on for awhile before us were quite unhappy.