Magic Express Availability - Ask and Ye Shall Receive...

[ehagerty]

Conversation with Disney Room Reservations 6/19 8:00 EDT:

.....after booking room at WL for 6/17-18 (to be followed by a string of resort hopping over vacation club rooms)

Agent: Would you like to try our Magical Express service?
Me: Well, I would, but I thought it was only available if you have the MYW package.
Agent: No, any resort guest
Me: Even if I resort hop to a vacation club?
Agent: Any resort guest.
Me: Even if I don't come in through one of the 4 preferred airlines with the standard bag-tag system?
Agent: Any resort guest, any airline.
Me (still amazed): So, let me understand. I can make a reservation at WL for 6/17 coming in on US Air, and leave 7/1 from the SSR back to US Air - and I can get free airport to hotel ground transportation?
Agent: Yes. Would you like me to book that?
Me: Yes, I would. I have a friend coming in on Southwest on 6/26 to stay at the SSR - can she get it, too?
Agent: Any resort, any airline.
Me: How do I book it?
Agent: Vacation Club Member Services will be happy to set it up for her. Give them a call tomorrow.
Me: Wow. Disney has outdone themselves again. You know, this isn't very clear on the web information. I'm glad I called.

Good Luck to the rest of you!!

 

[DebbieB]

Yes, you can get the free transportation with any airline. When you arrive, they will pickup the luggage from any airline and send it to your resort. The list of airlines only comes into play if you want to check your luggage at the resort upon checkout and have it sent directly to the airport to be checked in automatically. If your airline is not on the list, when you leave to go home you have to take your luggage out to the bus and check-in at the airport yourself.

 

[safetymom]

Thanks for the report but that is what has been posted here by many people. It is the return ride to the airport that many people are confused about.

 

[rsschneck]

I will be calling DVC MS in the morning. MY SIL is flying Sun Country and needs to get to the resort. We have family members that will get her back to the airport.

Thanks for the update!

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Thanks for the report but that is what has been posted here by many people. It is the return ride to the airport that many people are confused about.

Yep. The "list of participating airlines" seems to be the number one cause of confusion.

• Magical Express and Resort Airline Check-in are really two different services.
• The list of participating airlines only applies to Resort Airline Check-in, not to Magical Express.
• Qualified WDW resort guests can use either service without using the other service, or they can use both, or, of course, they can use neither.

 

[grumpyandbashful]

We are flying in on Southwest - My DH and DD one day before me. We can get Magical Express to Disney, but not back to the airport (because we are flying Southwest), so we have to pay our own way back to the airport. I was first told by the reservation CM that we would have transportation to and from by Magical Express, then while on prolonged hold, I cancelled our rental car reservation, only to be told when she came back on that we could not have transportation back to the airport. Hope this changes by our trip May 31, but I doubt it.

 

[safetymom]

You will still be able to use Magical Express for your return trip to the airport. You just won't be able to check in for the flight and give them your luggage. You can still ride the bus to the airport. You will have to take your luggage with you on the bus. Bus driver will stow it in the bottom of the bus. Then when you get to the airport you will check in with your airline and give them the luggage.

I suggest calling another CM so they can confirm this for you.

 

[grumpyandbashful]

I will try calling another CM, but the CM I talked to this morning put me on hold at length and talked to her supervisor after I told her that I had read on these boards that I could get a ride back. I asked her exactly what you said - "can't we get a ride back and take our luggage on the bus" and she said "no - not with Southwest Airlines". I will try again.

 

[RweTHEREyet]

We are flying in on Southwest - My DH and DD one day before me. We can get Magical Express to Disney, but not back to the airport (because we are flying Southwest), so we have to pay our own way back to the airport. I was first told by the reservation CM that we would have transportation to and from by Magical Express, then while on prolonged hold, I cancelled our rental car reservation, only to be told when she came back on that we could not have transportation back to the airport. Hope this changes by our trip May 31, but I doubt it.

That is odd. Not only am I flying out on Southwest and have Magical Express booked, but I am doing it one-way. I am driving down with my son who will be working at the marina at DTD this summer, and will only be flying on the return trip. Magical Express will not check your bags with S outhwest as they do with the "preferred" airlines, but they will transport me and my bags on the day of my departure to the airport. I booked this the end of last week and my return flight is May 18, just FYI.

 

[rsschneck]

I just got off the phone with DVC MS and booked my SIL with ME. She is flying on Sun Country and I was able to book round trip. The luggage tags are being sent to our address and I have to mail them to her, but that is no big deal.

I am excited to try the new service! 24 days and counting!

 

[LisaS]

I will try calling another CM, but the CM I talked to this morning put me on hold at length and talked to her supervisor after I told her that I had read on these boards that I could get a ride back. I asked her exactly what you said - "can't we get a ride back and take our luggage on the bus" and she said "no - not with Southwest Airlines". I will try again.

I'll be interested to hear what they tell you when you call back. My DH and I are flying Southwest as well. Signed up for ME many weeks ago and the CM took the flight info and told me we're all set. I am aware that I have to take my luggage with me on the return trip to the airport which is no big deal.

I can think of no reason whatsoever for what this CM told you. The only difference for those of us flying non-participating airlines is that the bus driver will have to load our luggage into the luggage compartment of the bus. Otherwise, we're going to the airport, just like everybody else.

When you call back, maybe you should ask for a supervisor and tell him/her that some CMs are providing incorrect information re: ME.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

That is odd. Not only am I flying out on Southwest and have Magical Express booked, but I am doing it one-way.

That's not odd. It's simply a case that grumpyandbashful spoke with a CM who gave misinformation. And the supervisor seems to be spreading that misinformation to other CMs in the call center.

Magical Express will not check your bags with S outhwest as they do with the "preferred" airlines, but they will transport me and my bags on the day of my departure to the airport.

Yes. Or, to state it differently, the participating airline list is only a factor for the optional Resort Airline Check-in feature. It doesn't apply to the overall Magical Express service.

 

[grumpyandbashful]

I called back and got a very well-informed CM who told me what safetymom said-we can get free transportation to and from AKL, we will just have to transport our own bags back to the airport and check them in ourselves.
Now let's hope they have all the kinks worked out by May 31!!

 

[Goofy'sFriend]

We usually use a towncar service and when we return to MCO, the driver lets us out at the door to our airline's check-in. I'm not really familiar with the drop off area and we are flying home on Independence this time (rather than SW). Where will the ME bus drop off passengers and is Independence Air's check-in on that same level? I don't want to be running around with 3 kids and bags after we are dropped off.

Thanks!

 

[TimNDansMom]

I made my Pop Century reservation over a month ago and still haven't received my room confirmation.

At the same time, the CM noted my flight information on my room reservation and she told me to "just show up" at the Magical Express loading point. I have since discovered that you have to make a reservation for ME.

So I phoned back the other day and yes, they have my flight info on my room reservation but I'm still not clear whether I've actually made a reservation for ME? Does the system cross-reference? I haven't received anything in the mail yet for ME either. The CM seemed to think that everything was in order but I get the feeling in reading here, that some CMs don't have all the correct info. I did ask this CM to send out another room confirmation, will it also contain my luggage tags and ME info?

 

[safetymom]

You will receive your ME tags approx. 21 days before you leave for Disney.

 

[LisaS]

The posted info states they will send out the ME tags 21 days prior to your departure date (or that you should receive them approx. 21 days prior) but I leave on May 8 (in 17 days) and haven't received anything. DIS'ers leaving a few days before me haven't received anything either, according to their reports. Someone called Disney and was told there was a problem with the tags and they had to be reprinted, causing a delay in mailing them out but that the first batch is going out this week. So maybe early next week the folks leaving May 5+ will start receiving their tags. I sure hope so!!

 

[katypop]

You SHOULD receive your tags about 21 days in advance...but I just called to confirm that they have all of my info correct and that I am all set and was told they are behind in getting the booklet and tags out, she said none have been sent or are going out until a few days before ME begins. My trip is May 9th, she said not to expect them until a couple of days before. I have a friend joining me on May 12th and sure hope I get them in time to mail to her, disney will not send them to a different address and she lives in another city. The CM did say that they will have a staff member who will be very visible with the disney ME info at every stop the shuttle makes at MCO. You will just need to watch for them and they can direct you to the busses. She said no one should need to wander around lost looking for which way to go, so this part sounds good. I'm keeping my fingers crossed it will all work out
Kathe

 

[Catrin]

I am glad I am going in June, and not May! I want all the May travellers to be our guinea pigs on this Magical Express project!

We are flying Southwest.... and we were told that we can use ME, but we have to bring our own bags to the bus and then check in at the airport. No big deal, it still saves us money in Transportation!
Catrin

 

[CleveRocks]

We are flying in on Southwest - My DH and DD one day before me. We can get Magical Express to Disney, but not back to the airport (because we are flying Southwest), so we have to pay our own way back to the airport. I was first told by the reservation CM that we would have transportation to and from by Magical Express, then while on prolonged hold, I cancelled our rental car reservation, only to be told when she came back on that we could not have transportation back to the airport. Hope this changes by our trip May 31, but I doubt it.

[]The CM was dead wrong.

READ CAREFULLY: If you are staying at a WDW resort and are arriving at MCO on or after May 5, you are entitled to FREE ROUND TRIP TRANSPORTATION TO AND FROM THE AIRPORT, REGARDLESS OF AIRLINE.

PLUS, REGARDLESS OF AIRLINE, WHEN YOU ARRIVE AT MCO YOU DON'T NEED TO CLAIM YOUR LUGGAGE, AS IT WILL "MAGICALLY" APPEAR AT YOUR RESORT.

WHEN YOUR STAY IS OVER, YOU CART YOUR OWN LUGGAGE ONTO THE DISNEY'S MAGICAL EXPRESS BUS FOR YOUR FREE RIDE BACK TO THE AIRPORT. HOWEVER, IF YOUR AIRLINE IS ONE OF THE PARTICIPATING AIRLINES, YOUR LUGGAGE GETS TAKEN FOR YOU FROM YOUR RESORT, AND YOU CAN ACTUALLY CHECK IN FOR YOUR FLIGHT AT YOUR RESORT.

-- Eric