Mafical Express leaves earlier

[northie]

I just read this in my Passporter newsletter, so when making ADRs for your last day you might want to consider this...I changed mine from 8 am to 7 am and I am not even sure that will get us back to the resort to catch the bus. I think we will end up renting a car for the last day instead.

"Disney's Magical Express will now leave Walt Disney World for Orlando International Airport four hours prior to your scheduled departure, rather than three hours prior, in order to allow passengers more time to go through airport security."

Sara

 

[Tnkrbelle565]

This makes me sad I thought the 3 hour leave time was excessive. 4 is nuts!!! Last year, our flight was delayed by 3 hours...we sat at the airport for almost 6 hours after ME dropped us off! 6 hours that could have been much better spent in the parks It took us all of 2 minutes to get through security and then we just sat. I can't imagine that security is that slow...especially during slow times of year.

 

[jennyl772003]

Wow. We are just back and ME picked us up 3 hours before our flight. Security wasn't even bad! Actually, the line was surprisingly short!

I don't understand what all the fuss is about anyway. The security check points do not seem to be operating any differently then in the past. Still the same old 'put your stuff through the x-ray machine, walk through the metal detector".

I would not be happy to be picked up 4 hours early!

 

[MomofCKJ]

This is why I am glad we are having a towncar pickup. 3 hours seemed long, now 4? Our flight is not till 3:45pm, we'd be picked up at 11:45! No thanks!

Allyson

 

[scanne]

3 hours is MORE than enough time. I think this is ridiculous!!! Anyone know a number to call to protest this change? I know security is important, but both times we have taken ME, we got to the airport with 2.5 hours until our flight. We were through security within 1/2 an hour and basically sat and waited. I am NOT sitting and waiting 3 hours with 2 kids under the age of 4. No thanks. I'll take a towncar if they won't budge on this!

 

[Lanie]

I think I read on Mouseplanet on monday that it was 4h for international flights, but it remains 3h for domestic ones... But I could be wrong...

 

[maxiesmom]

We have already been told that they are back to the 3 hours. Maybe you will be getting something else in the mail. I would double check the 4 hour thing, if I were you.

 

[seashoreCM]

Even with the 3 hour in advance scheduling there have been some glitches and some instances where people were running for their flights and some instances where the resort had to hire a cab to take ME guests back to the airport.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

Christmas (and Thanksgiving) is coming, the goose is getting fat. Please put ...

 

[praisehim5]

The first thought that went through my mind was to get mears to take us back. This is our first time to use ME. And our first time to fly. I dont think I want to wait in an airport for that long.

 

[noseybuddy]

I just read this in my Passporter newsletter, so when making ADRs for your last day you might want to consider this...I changed mine from 8 am to 7 am and I am not even sure that will get us back to the resort to catch the bus. I think we will end up renting a car for the last day instead.

"Disney's Magical Express will now leave Walt Disney World for Orlando International Airport four hours prior to your scheduled departure, rather than three hours prior, in order to allow passengers more time to go through airport security."

Sara

I just got back on August 21. My flight was 7:31 PM and I didn't have to be at the bus until 4:45 PM. Of course the bus did not arrive on time, then took awhile to load everyone on. I was getting worried I might miss my flight. But when I finally arrived at the airport it was not crowded at all. I guess it depends on what time your flight is.

 

[goofy4tink]

Okay, it was true that DME was picking you up 4 hrs. before your flight..but that was in the days immediatly following the London air threats. It is no longer the norm. If you are flying domestic, then you won't be picked up more than 3 hrs. before your flight. International may differ.

 

[scanne]

Thanks for the clarification!

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

We came home on Aug. 12 (two days after the big London threat) and ME came for us 3 hours ahead. I did see on MousePlanet that they thought it was 4, but they corrected it. There have also been a few threads on the Transportation forum where people have called ME directly and they were told 3 hours for domestic flights.

 

[disneyag]

I called DME yesterday to ask this very question. The CM told me they pick you up 3 hours before domestic flights.

 

[weirdpaintballr]

Well, the orlando airport security checkpoints back up very easily. And when they back up, they are BACKED UP. We flew home a couple days after the 4th of July last year, and we almost did'nt get through security in time for our flight.(Were there about 3 hours in advance, may 3.5, I really can't remember) Now, I understand that it was a very busy time, but airport employees said that the airport can get backed up like that on any day. And it is ususally just because they are understaffed for the day.

 

[CarnotaurDad]

Orlando International Airport is VERY hit or miss. Sometimes it can take over an hour to get through security and other times it can take 10 minutes.

Better safe than sorry.

 

[northie]

We have already been told that they are back to the 3 hours. Maybe you will be getting something else in the mail. I would double check the 4 hour thing, if I were you.

I don't know...the Passporter News was from August 24 (found it in my spam filter, have no idea why) and you can read it here: http://www.passporter.com/news/news082406.htm#Updates

It is only what I cut and pasted, no more info than that...it's in the "What's New and Changed" section on the left side of the page. Maybe it has been changed back to three hours (which seems more than ample)...I don't know.

Sara

 

[Zoie]

Yes, I was there in early March last year -- not around any holidays or any high-traffic time at all -- and was SHOCKED when I got ready to enter the line for security 1.5 hrs prior to my departure time, a line which looked as if it would take about 15 minutes to go through, only to be pointed back by the airport person to another line WAITING for the line, which stretched on to infinity. After getting through security 1.5 hrs later, I RAN to my flight and JUST barely made it. Even so, 3 hrs early should still be sufficient. And though it seems excessive when security isn't backed up, Disney can't run the risk of people missing flights and blaming them.

So just plan to shop at the Disney store at the airport before going home, that will make the wait speed by in a jiffy!