Magical Express 3 hours or 4 hours

[blackpearl77]

Is Magical Express back to 3 hours for return trip to airport? Or is it still at 4 hours like it was over xmas. Thanks!

 

[Capang]

I believe it is back to 3.

 

[goofy4tink]

It is back to 3 for domestic flights, 4 for international flights.

 

[blackpearl77]

Thanks!!!! Glad it's back to 3!

 

[tjmw2727]

Three hours on 4/5/18!

 

[cruisin5]

4 hours was just awful. Awful. I hope they don't reinstate it again for the holidays.

 

[Ralph&Pam]

4 hours was just awful. Awful. I hope they don't reinstate it again for the holidays.

The 4 hours was in response to recommended airport arrival times from MCO administration due to anticipated holiday traffic, so I suspect it will be reinstated in fall 2018if MCO again recommends earlier arrival.

 

[MudBud]

When it was increased to 4 hours were the international flights increased to 5 hours?

 

[1911]

You are not locked into a time for pick up,just call ME and tell them what time you would like.I have done it the last 3 trips and they worked with me.

 

[fgnghg5821]

You are not locked into a time for pick up,just call ME and tell them what time you would like.I have done it the last 3 trips and they worked with me.

How long before your flight do you request pickup? We have TSA precheck and are trying to gauge how long we need

 

[1911]

I ask to be picked up earlier than the 3 hours before our flight usually its 3.5 hours.I do this due to our flights home have been during peak traffic times at mco.We don't have precheck and ME could potentially stop at more resorts after you are picked up so you can't accurately gage how long the trip to mco will take.
I figure an hour for the trip and an hour for security, leaving an hour and half waiting for the flight.(my comfort level)

 

[FCDub]

You can request an earlier time, but I can't remember seeing any confirmed reports of people being granted a shorter window.

Disney does not want to be held responsible for people not leaving themselves enough time and missing a flight.

 

[tjmw2727]

You are not locked into a time for pick up,just call ME and tell them what time you would like.I have done it the last 3 trips and they worked with me.

In my experience, (4/5 trips a year for many years) you can request an earlier pickup time but not a later time. You are also limited to the schedule for that resort - so for example if the bus on the CSR route picks up at 15 past and 45 past the hour you can't choose 10:30!

 

[1911]

In my experience, (4/5 trips a year for many years) you can request an earlier pickup time but not a later time. You are also limited to the schedule for that resort - so for example if the bus on the CSR route picks up at 15 past and 45 past the hour you can't choose 10:30!

you are correct,I should have mentioned that.I didn't know about requesting a later time as I would never want to try and cut arriving at the airport so close.
edit to add: I would imagine if you were determined to cut it close you could always tell ME that your flight time has been changed and "adjust" it for your desired departure time.if you miss your flight it's on you.

 

[B. Shoe]

This is excellent information to know. We'll have a 7 p.m. departure flight on a Friday. I'm sure we'll take the standard 3-hour window (or a little earlier, if that's how the schedule works), just to allow for weekend traffic on the roads and in the airport, and hopefully find something to eat before boarding.

 

[beccasmom]

We were at WDW in late February. The return trip to MCO was 3 hours before our flight.

 

[grumpytx]

Just returned from WDW yesterday, 4/14/2018. We were picked up 3 hours before our departure, 2pm for 5pm departure. We have TSA precheck and breezed through the security line around 3 with only about 5 to 6 people deep on a Saturday which I thought was great. Be aware, it appears they are remodeling/renovating the terminal and we found escalators out of service, etc.

 

[Tortellini5]

In my experience, (4/5 trips a year for many years) you can request an earlier pickup time but not a later time. You are also limited to the schedule for that resort - so for example if the bus on the CSR route picks up at 15 past and 45 past the hour you can't choose 10:30!

Is there anyway to find out this schedule ahead of time?

 

[leebee]

Urg... my flight's at 7:10am. Are they really going to pick me up at 4am??

 

[FCDub]

Urg... my flight's at 7:10am. Are they really going to pick me up at 4am??

Yes, they will.