Magical Express a day early?

[Epcot242]

I have a trip coming up with my wife and her mother. Her mom will have a separate room than us, with her reservation starting on a Wednesday. My wife will be staying with her Wednesday and Thursday night. My reservation with my wife will begin on Friday.

I will be arriving (late) Thursday night and will stay in their room then technically check in on Friday, where we will both move to our room for the remainder of our trip. Her mom is leaving before us, so she will then have her room to herself until she leaves.

My question is: can I get the Magical Express a day early? It's possible that because I'm arriving at MCO at 11:30 pm I may end up rolling over into Friday (just by the sheer fact that it could be midnight by the time I get to the ME check in). Has anyone done this before?

I am not on my mother-in-law's reservation, but since my flight is the day before my reservation's check in, maybe it's still possible to use the ME?

TIA!

 

[nkereina]

Its my understanding that Disney guests are permitted one trip from the airport and one trip to the airport during their stay. Since you'd be arriving the day before your stay begins, that makes me think you would not qualify for DME when you arrive.

If you arrive after midnight, I know the resort computers don't rollover to recognize it as the next day until about 6am. I can't say whether DME operates the same way. My guess is they do, only because you technically can't check into your reservation until 6am or later that day, at which time you'd be eligible for a DME ride.

DME used to offer the option for people to pay to ride it if they were not a registered Disney guest. You used to be able to purchase this right at the DME counter. I'm not sure of cost or whether this is even still an option.

You could always stop by the DME area and just see what they say. Worst they can say is no, and then you'll have to either buy a DME ticket (if still offered) or get a taxi/Uber.

 

[tjmw2727]

You will need to add yourself to the first reservation in order to use DME (and technically to stay in the room but....) there is a fee for each adult over 2. IIRC 15 for values, 25 for moderates and 35 for Deluxe, still cheaper than booking alternate transportation

DME is only offered to resort guests during your stay.

 

[Epcot242]

@tjmw2727: thanks for the info! So should I just give them a call to add us to the reservation? And do you happen to know if it's $25 (it'll be at the Coronado Springs) per night or just per person as a flat right?

 

[kaytieeldr]

$25 per night per person more than two. She can add you at the front desk on Thursday.

You could always just go to the Mears counter and pay for shared transportation. It should be less expensive than the third person fee, and you may well be assigned to a DME bus.

 

[Epcot242]

Can you do Mears 24 hours/day? Does it work the same as ME?

 

[nkereina]

@tjmw2727: thanks for the info! So should I just give them a call to add us to the reservation? And do you happen to know if it's $25 (it'll be at the Coronado Springs) per night or just per person as a flat right?

OP, you mentioned that your MIL is staying additional nights after you check into your own room. PPs are correct that its $25 per person per night. Because of this, you'll want to be sure that you're added on for the one night only and not the remainder of her stay. Your MIL and wife can do this before you arrive.

Also, I assume your wife is a registered guest on your MIL's reservation already? If not, she won't be allowed on DME either.

 

[Epcot242]

We're working on figuring that out--we realized the ME situation after the fact. $25 pp isn't bad though, and would be worth it. Thanks for the help.

 

[tjmw2727]

Honestly I would ask her to call and add you to the room - this way you are a registered guest The extra adult fee for one night is 25.00, Mears one way is 24.00 - (if they even go to the WDW resorts these days) so for me it would be an easy decision.

While on the phone with WDW just make the one way DME reservation for yourself. Then you can make another one way DME reservation for yourself and your wife for the return trip as well (if your using DME on the return).

 

[kaytieeldr]

Mears one way is 24.00 - (if they even go to the WDW resorts these days)

they do, but it has to be booked in person at the airport. No advance reservation. Anyone doing this will most likely be put on a DME bus .

Can you do Mears 24 hours/day? Does it work the same as ME?

Yup.

We're working on figuring that out--we realized the ME situation after the fact. $25 pp isn't bad though, and would be worth it. Thanks for the help.

You're not complaining about cost but don't forget - the room charge is taxed at 13%. So $28.25 vs. $24

 

[tjmw2727]

they do, but it has to be booked in person at the airport. No advance reservation. Anyone doing this will most likely be put on a DME bus .

Yup.

You're not complaining about cost but don't forget - the room charge is taxed at 13%. So $28.25 vs. $24

Agree - however in my mind that $4.25 extra is well worth it to be a registered guest vs "crashing" in someone else's room!

 

[kaytieeldr]

Oh, absolutely!!!

 

[bumbershoot]

Wait!

It's possible that because I'm arriving at MCO at 11:30 pm I may end up rolling over into Friday (just by the sheer fact that it could be midnight by the time I get to the ME check in).

If you're landing at 11:30pm on Thursday, unless you are at the front of the plane and RUN through the airport, you WILL be getting onto a bus after midnight Friday. If it freaks you out to tell the DME people that you're arriving THAT early, just tell them a flight that lands at 5 or so. Then head on over.

If you arrive after midnight, I know the resort computers don't rollover to recognize it as the next day until about 6am. I can't say whether DME operates the same way.

I've landed at MCO early enough that it's still dark outside, and have gotten on DME just fine. DME operates 24/7. They don't operate in the middle of the night just for people who book the day before to hold the room.

I just used the DME form to request DME with a flight arriving at 1am the day my reservation starts. If they write back and reject I'm happy to update here, but I doubt I'll have to. Since DME doesn't actually care if you fly to/from the airport at all, just use a later-landing flight to get DME. And this isn't about breaking rules; if I can land at 1am the day I check in and take DME, you can land a few minutes before midnight and take DME in at not-that-long before 1am the day before you check in. (and maybe there are flights arriving at MCO closer to your landing time anyway. I was only checking for connecting flights from Seattle)

tl;dr...DME days are not the same as hotel days.

 

[nkereina]

I've landed at MCO early enough that it's still dark outside, and have gotten on DME just fine. DME operates 24/7. They don't operate in the middle of the night just for people who book the day before to hold the room.

What I meant was that since computers at the resorts rollover at 6am on your check-in day, its quite possible DME computers also don't recognize it as the next day until that time since its likely a connected system. In OP's case, they would not be a registered guest until the next day. I don't know this to be fact about the computers, but it seems logical that the DME system which pulls up your WDW reservation is somehow aligned with the WDW reservation system (which starts the next day at 6am). If you're saying this is incorrect, that's fine and good to know.

Since DME doesn't actually care if you fly to/from the airport at all, just use a later-landing flight to get DME.

That's true, but if the computers do align with WDW's reservation information, it won't recognize him as a registered guest. OP's flight time isn't the problem.

I have to believe it somehow aligns with WDW's system since people are using their MBs to check into DME. I can't imagine DME is sophisticated enough to have a separate operating platform. But, its entirely possible CMs are advised to allow people through if its after midnight on their check-in day. This is why I mention to OP that its still worth a try.

Honestly I would ask her to call and add you to the room - this way you are a registered guest

OP mentioned his MIL is staying a few nights before he arrives and a few nights after OP and his wife move to a different room. If OP's MIL calls now and adds him to the room, she will incur the $25 extra person charge for each night of the reservation. Plus, if MIL has a package booked, I believe he'd need to have the same package elements as well. However, since MIL is arriving early, she can simply add him to the room in person for just the night he is staying there.