Magic Express for DVC

[akline]

I think Magic Express is the program Disney offers that picks up your luggage at the airport and takes it to your resort?? If you book your trip as a DVC member, are you elgible for this service? Thanks.

 

[Dopey Sharon]

Yes you are.

 

[athenna]

I think Magic Express is the program Disney offers that picks up your luggage at the airport and takes it to your resort?? If you book your trip as a DVC member, are you elgible for this service? Thanks.

You sure can! In fact, you can actually book it from the members website..If you do, make sure you get a confirmation e-mail. When I booked mine, I didn't know, and never received a confirmation, and when I called them to tell them my flight # changed, the didn't have record of my request.

 

[ennisb]

Use it in November and it was great. We did hit a snag in we received our yellow luggage tags a week after we got back.

Not a huge problem however, we picked up our bags after the flight and went to the ME counter and on our way. Even checked out bags at the hotel for the trip back which was fantastic.

 

[Raggs]

Can you use Magic Express if you are renting points from a DVC member?

 

[RobDoc]

Can you use Magic Express if you are renting points from a DVC member?

Yes, Magical Express is available (thru 2006) for anyone staying at a WDW resort.

 

[patsfan]

I know there's probably more information about this elsewhere, but can anyone describe the Magical Express service in more detail for me? We are a party of 16 traveling in June 06 on three separate flights. If we book ME, do we board a bus at the airport that then travels to the various resorts? We're staying at Boardwalk. What's the travel time from the airport to Boardwalk thru ME? Does the service run hourly? Just trying to decide if renting cars is better for our party. Sorry if this has been posted before. I've been off the boards awhile but am getting geared up for our visit in June. Many thanks.

 

[bethsg]

I used Magical Express (ME) as a resort guest in Sept. At my departing airport, I checked my luggage with my yellow tags. I arrived at MCO, went to the ME counter, and then fairly quickly boarded a bus. I was staying at All stars, so the bus I was on only went to all stars, we were at music so we were second. It was fairly quick, and on the bus they show a great welcome to Disneyworld video. We checked in and went straight to the parks. When we came home later that night, our bags were in the room. How nice to not have to go to luggage claim in MCO.
We are going to Disney staying at our DVC resort in a couple of weeks. I have our yellow tags all ready to do. They are premarked with the resort you are staying at. The package comes in the mail for the # of passengers who are staying at the resort. It's easy to book through the DVC members web site. I would say you would have to do one booking per departure airport. The nicest part to me, is not having to deal with the luggage. This next trip we will have 2 elderly individuals with us, along with some kids, and to deal with all their luggage would require porters. This way, we can do curb side check in from home, and not have to worry about the luggage again, until it's delivered to our room. Even though the bus may stop and more than one resort, you are saving time, not going to baggage claim. I see no need for a car in WDW, so I love this free service. Ordinarily, I would be spending $120+ for Tiffanytown car van service.. this has to be hurting their business.

 

[RobDoc]

I know there's probably more information about this elsewhere, but can anyone describe the Magical Express service in more detail for me?

You will get special tags to place on your luggage- Disney will retrieve the bags and deliver them to your room. You will report to the ME desk where they will verify your ME documents and direct you to the bus queue. There are usually no more than 3 resorts on each bus. Buses are leaving all the time. We've never had to wait more than about 15 minutes for a ME bus - usually less. The trip will take about 30 minutes from the airport to the first resort stop. The return trip is also easy, the bus will pick you up about 3 hours before your flight is scheduled to leave. Some participating airlines even allow you to check your bags right at the resort before you leave for the airport- you'll just have to pick them up at the carousel when you deplane.

We've used ME 4 times since it began last May and have enjoyed the service. I wouldn't hesitate to use it for a large group, it is certainly convenient.

The only negatives are no grocery stop (as with a towncar) and the return trip is a little earlier than with a towncar service, but the convenience and price is great for ME.

 

[susieh]

Has anyone from the UK used this service please?

You say Disney retrieves your luggage and you dont have to pick it up yourselves at MCO - what if you are coming from the UK and have to clear customs with it? Do you lose that benefit as you have to retrieve it yourself, go through customs and then hand it back or do they get round it some other way?

 

[westjones]

I never got a confirmation email. Is that something that everyone gets once you book it through MS? Should I call and check on that?

I have it scheduled for June, so it is a ways away. I will have to call closer to time with our flight info.

DJ

 

[RobDoc]

The confirmation packet and luggage tags will usually come within 2 weeks of your arrival date by mail (I've never gotten anything by email). If there is not sufficient time or if it doesn't come, you can still use the service by going to the ME desk on the 1st level on concourse A at MCO. They will still get your bags if you provide the claim check.

I think the service is available only for domestic flights, as you will need to clear customs with your own luggage - but you might check with MS about that policy and how it affects international flights.

 

[trvlr4301r]

We also used the ME on our trip in September. Got the bus at the airport and it took us to our resort. We arrived late at night about 11:00 and when we checked in to the resort we asked about our luggage. The CM said it could take up to 3 hours for the luggage to arrive. We decided to go to bed and get it in the morning. The CM said we would have a message on our phone when the luggage arrived and they would bring it down to us. We woke up around 8:00 with plans to leave for the parks that morning. Of course we didn't have a message on our phone so we had to call the desk and ask about our luggage. The luggage department didn't even open until 9:00! The CM was very nice and told us they would put $50.00 for each of us on our card so we could get what we needed at the store...toiletries and shorts, etc or to use on whatever we wanted to spend it on. We did lose park time as there were no shorts we wanted to wear at the store so we did have our bathing suits in our carry on so we put those on and spent the morning at the pool....waiting for our luggage. Next time I use the ME I will retrieve my luggage myself and put it on the bus with me so I won't have to worry about this again. It was a real pain...but everything did work out okay.