Magical Express a mess this morning!

[joelkfla]

I reported last week about our troubles with their regular buses. I think the biggest problem is that Disney has a major communication problem. The drivers are not always to blame. They do what they are told. If they bend the rules they can get in major trouble, or lose their jobs. The communication at Disney between the low man and the higher ups, I swear, does not exist. If they complain, it is their job on the line. We saw a lot of suits on our trip this last time, and they kept saying things to keep us happy, but none of what they said actually took place. It is the same with reservations, tickets, and meal plans. You can ask 5 CM's the same question and you will get 5 different answers. That is just crazy. I love Disney, and they do a pretty darn good job, with the amount of people they serve, but it could be so much better.

Thank you, O wise one!

 

[sam_gordon]

No it's not, you're tipping the fairness scales in your favor.

It's more like dinner is at 6.

We recommend you get there at 3 if the lines are long or your waiter is late your still going to eat at 6. They ate at 6. The rest is just complaining for the sake of complaining.

BTW I'd pay to see Mickey light someones luggage on fire

I disagree, at least as it pertains to the OP.

I'm glad some of you, knowing your bus is at least 15 minutes late, if someone from Disney says "no problem, your bus will be here soon" would just sit back and relax. Not so much for me (and others). I'll wait another 15 minutes and ask again. Then another 15 and tell them I'll take a cab if a bus isn't here by flight -2 hours.

We all know if you ask 5 different CMs a question, you'll get 5 different answers. So why would you trust this one person? And how far do you trust them?

Disney dropped the ball. They told a guest to be a certain place at a certain time to meet a bus. Then, they didn't send the bus! THAT'S a problem. It would be different if they sent the bus and it broke down or got caught in traffic, but that's not what happened. THEY DIDN'T SEND THE BUS. How is that OK in anyone's world? What if there wasn't another bus for 2 hours (remember, they're only dispatched when they have guests needing a ride)?

Now, what happens, once you wait 30+ minutes for the bus they didn't send, and there IS a problem on the road between Disney & MCO. I was under the impression the 3 hour time frame is to allow for unexpected delays (mechanical problems, traffic, etc). Not sending the bus shouldn't be UNEXPECTED.

Look at the new FP enforcement... a guest is told to be at a certain place at a certain time. If they show up too late, sorry, no FP for you. It doesn't matter whether the guest was stuck on a ride, waiting for a food check, or anything else beyond their control, they're still SOL.

Yes, the OP made their flight. We have a happy ending. That doesn't excuse Disney not doing what they said they would do. "We will have a bus meet you at 'x' time." This is worth pointing out to Disney (via email or phone call). This is worth posting on message boards to let others (who may not know how to handle ME delays) know what to do if the same thing happens. This is NOT "complaining for the sake of complaining".

 

[Ed J]

They ate at 6 that is what was promised, it was delivered. No one really knows if the bus was not really sent, you even say yourself ask 5 people and you'll get 5 different answers, they could have broken down or were stuck for some reason. Well never know, but what we do know is they made their flight on time.

Way too much whining, Dinesy should prohibit caffeinated beverages for DME passengers on departure day .

 

[sam_gordon]

They ate at 6 that is what was promised, it was delivered. No one really knows if the bus was not really sent, you even say yourself ask 5 people and you'll get 5 different answers, they could have broken down or were stuck for some reason. Well never know, but what we do know is they made their flight on time.

Way too much whining, Dinesy should prohibit caffeinated beverages for DME passengers on departure day .

So you are OK with being told to be somewhere at 6:15 (15 minutes before their scheduled pickup) and not being picked up until 7:40? Complaining about that is "whining"? Keep in mind you also don't know how many other stops that bus has.

When IS it ok to complain? If you're still at the resort when your plane leaves?

 

[Ed J]

When IS it ok to complain? If you're still at the resort when your plane leaves?

Now you get it .

As long as I don't have to run thought the AP I'm fine with a tight departure.

 

[seashoreCM]

Our last two December trips we had issues with our ME bus not showing. Luckily, the next bus that came both times still had room for us. However, we were easily an hour and a half off of what should have been our pick up time. My daughter and I both have a genetic condition called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. Sprinting through an airport is dangerous for our us. Yes, we made it in time. However, when Disney knows that guests need to be at MCO two hours ahead of time, we expect that Disney will get us there two hours ahead of time so that we don't have to rush. We're going to WDW again in October, and I'm honestly contemplating renting a car this time.

Has anyone besides me ever recommended asking for an earlier bus time (which request is always granted when made punctually)?

I suppose that the proper procedure if you did miss your plane is to call Magical Express! Can Disney CM's with white gloves otherwise standing around get you through the Orlando Int'l Airport security lines faster?

One suggestion I made some years ago was to, at T+20 and you were still at the resort, quietly demand that the concierge give you taxi money out of the till. The procedure was called A.P.L.

 

[homeschoolmomof4]

Has anyone besides me ever recommended asking for an earlier bus time (which request is always granted when made punctually)?

I suppose that the proper procedure if you did miss your plane is to call Magical Express! Can Disney CM's with white gloves otherwise standing around get you through the Orlando Int'l Airport security lines faster?

I didn't even know you could request an earlier time! Thanks for the suggestion! Do I need to do that before the trip or is that better accomplished while we're at our resort? What number would I call?

 

[fan1080]

So you are OK with being told to be somewhere at 6:15 (15 minutes before their scheduled pickup) and not being picked up until 7:40? Complaining about that is "whining"? Keep in mind you also don't know how many other stops that bus has.

When IS it ok to complain? If you're still at the resort when your plane leaves?

Scheduled pick up was 6:45, not 6:15.

Bus arrived at 7:35, 50 minutes late.

Yup, I'd be ok with that. Delays are the norm for travel.

 

[sam_gordon]

Scheduled pick up was 6:45, not 6:15.

Bus arrived at 7:35, 50 minutes late.

Yup, I'd be ok with that. Delays are the norm for travel.

I did read the times wrong. BUT, Disney told them to be at the stop at 6:30.

So how far before your plane's departure do you worry about not having transportation to the airport? As I mentioned, with 2 hours before my flight, I'd be demanding a cab. Presumably, they were pretty close to that time. (assuming the pickup was 3hours before the flight).

Best case scenario it's a 30 minute ride to the airport (not counting stopping at other resorts), plus check in and security at the airport.

By the way, the bus DIDN'T show up 50 minutes late. The bus DIDN'T show up! The bus that was there 50 minutes after the scheduled pickup was the 7:15 bus. What if there wasn't room on it? I guess if there wasn't room, you'd just say "oh well", and wait until a bus showed up?

Keep in mind, all the OP was being told was the bus would be there "soon".

 

[seashoreCM]

I didn't even know you could request an earlier time! Thanks for the suggestion! Do I need to do that before the trip or is that better accomplished while we're at our resort? What number would I call?

Best way to do this is at your resort down at the front desk. It can also be done at the DME welcoming area at the airport. The sooner the better with the deadline the morning of the day before your checkout day. Double check the confirmation sheet to be sure the requested change is there.

 

[goofy4tink]

Now you get it .

As long as I don't have to run thought the AP I'm fine with a tight departure.

And that's wonderful that you're okay with it. But, the vast majority are not. They could have been doing something else rather than getting to the bus stop, ontime, only to stand there waiting for an hour. All while stressing about the lack of bus.

Has anyone besides me ever recommended asking for an earlier bus time (which request is always granted when made punctually)?

I suppose that the proper procedure if you did miss your plane is to call Magical Express! Can Disney CM's with white gloves otherwise standing around get you through the Orlando Int'l Airport security lines faster?

One suggestion I made some years ago was to, at T+20 and you were still at the resort, quietly demand that the concierge give you taxi money out of the till. The procedure was called A.P.L.

Sure you can...but you shouldn't have to. Why in God's name do you want to leave 4 hrs prior to departure??? I don't want to spend 3+ hrs at the airport. 2 is bad enough. But you an request an earlier pickup if you choose to.

Scheduled pick up was 6:45, not 6:15.

Bus arrived at 7:35, 50 minutes late.

Yup, I'd be ok with that. Delays are the norm for travel.

Nope, not for me. The bus never arrived...it wasn't dispatched. What would have happened if the bus that did arrive, was full, and there was no room for this family???

Disney dropped the ball. Yes, stuff happens when traveling. I get it..most of us here do. But to not dispatch the bus to begin with??? Sorry, that's not a normal, acceptable action. The bus should have been dispatched.

I think the thing that many here, those that don't understand how DME works, is that these buses do not run on a set schedule. If my pickup time, at BW, is 6:30am for a 9:45am flight, then I have to be on that bus. There may very well be no other BW guests leaving BW until 10am...so no buses will be dispatched. They send buses out when they are needed. And no...if you miss that 6:30 bus, they aren't going to now send a bus for you. You are out of luck. These buses do not automatically arrive every 30 mins...so saying that you'll get on the next bus is silly. Not to mention the fact that the next bus (if one is scheduled) may be full...or will be full when they make their final stop. You shouldn't plan on displacing some other guests because you missed your bus.

So, with all this in mind, yes, Disney messed up. It happens.

 

[ppony]

Sure you can...but you shouldn't have to. Why in God's name do you want to leave 4 hrs prior to departure??? I don't want to spend 3+ hrs at the airport. 2 is bad enough. But you an request an earlier pickup if you choose to.

Obviuosly not everyone is making it to the airport w/ time to spare and sit around. My only time using DME back to the airport left is rushing like mad. And we had actually been able to get on the bus that came before ours! NOT now I like to travel. I have enough anxiety. If I could be guaranteed of at least an hour and a half of airport time, then I'd be comfortable. I'm just not using it to travel back to MCO again. I want to be under my own power so to speak.

 

[Ed J]

Originally Posted by Ed J View Post
Now you get it .

As long as I don't have to run thought the AP I'm fine with a tight departure.

And that's wonderful that you're okay with it. But, the vast majority are not. They could have been doing something else rather than getting to the bus stop, ontime, only to stand there waiting for an hour. All while stressing about the lack of bus.

What else could they have been doing? My understanding of how ME works is you have to be there 3 hours before your flight, each time I've used it that was the protocol, has it changed? Am I missing something?

 

[homeschoolmomof4]

What else could they have been doing? My understanding of how ME works is you have to be there 3 hours before your flight, each time I've used it that was the protocol, has it changed? Am I missing something?

But if the bus isn't there when it's supposed to be, then we could have been doing something else. Standing around for an hour and a half with kids and nothing to do is a recipe for misery. Plus, since I was the only adult with my kids, I was uncomfortable leaving them/taking them to even go visit the restroom(Pop's restroom is quite a distance away from the ME bus stop) for fear the bus would come and we would miss it. If there had been ANY form of communication letting us at least have an inkling of an idea when the bus would be there, we would have been a much happier campers. We could have gone back into the resort and gotten snacks, drinks and had bathroom breaks. But instead we sat outside just waiting, waiting and waiting some more. It just stunk. I can't imagine trying to time potty breaks like that with a child who was just being potty trained. Disney/Mears needs to communicate with ME passengers if they are running late or are having issues with its buses. End of story.

 

[goofy4tink]

Obviuosly not everyone is making it to the airport w/ time to spare and sit around. My only time using DME back to the airport left is rushing like mad. And we had actually been able to get on the bus that came before ours! NOT now I like to travel. I have enough anxiety. If I could be guaranteed of at least an hour and a half of airport time, then I'd be comfortable. I'm just not using it to travel back to MCO again. I want to be under my own power so to speak.

So....if you got on the bus prior to your assigned bus, you left your resort 3.5 hrs prior to your flight. It's only 30 mins to MCO, after the last stop. Even if you were the first stop, and then stopped at 4 other resorts (which doesn't happen very often, 3 seems to be the norm), you still should have arrived at MCO with over 2 hrs to spare...which is exactly when MCO recommends you arrive. I usually arrive 2 hrs prior to my flight, sometimes a bit earlier, depending on the stop I am along the route.

What else could they have been doing? My understanding of how ME works is you have to be there 3 hours before your flight, each time I've used it that was the protocol, has it changed? Am I missing something?

If Disney had done what they were supposed to do, and got a bus there, then all would have been fine. But, if the OP had known that there would be no bus coming, they could have gone to the food court and had a bite to eat. They could have hit the gift shop, or even slept an addtl 30 mins.
What you are 'missing' is that this family was told a time to be there, waiting for the bus...and they were. BUT...DME neglected to send a bus out for them...so, they were left standing for about an hour, waiting for DME to send a bus that they would be allowed to board...since the bus that arrived 30 mins after their allotted time wouldn't let them on board!!! So, they basically wasted over an hour of their vacation time. Sure, that time would have had them at MCO if they had been picked up...but, they could have gotten something to eat at the airport and relaxed a bit, rather than standing there, worrying about whether or not a bus was coming. Let's remember...they had been told that the next bus would combine passengers from the two time slots...but they were denied boarding by the driver. So, more angst. Now, you have at least one family, and probably more, worrying about whether or not they are going to make it to their gates on time. And that shouldn't happen. That is not how DME was designed!! It's supposed to let you finish your WDW stay as stressfree as possible.

 

[Brit_Jude]

So....if you got on the bus prior to your assigned bus, you left your resort 3.5 hrs prior to your flight. It's only 30 mins to MCO, after the last stop. Even if you were the first stop, and then stopped at 4 other resorts (which doesn't happen very often, 3 seems to be the norm), you still should have arrived at MCO with over 2 hrs to spare...which is exactly when MCO recommends you arrive. I usually arrive 2 hrs prior to my flight, sometimes a bit earlier, depending on the stop I am along the route.


If Disney had done what they were supposed to do, and got a bus there, then all would have been fine. But, if the OP had known that there would be no bus coming, they could have gone to the food court and had a bite to eat. They could have hit the gift shop, or even slept an addtl 30 mins.
What you are 'missing' is that this family was told a time to be there, waiting for the bus...and they were. BUT...DME neglected to send a bus out for them...so, they were left standing for about an hour, waiting for DME to send a bus that they would be allowed to board...since the bus that arrived 30 mins after their allotted time wouldn't let them on board!!! So, they basically wasted over an hour of their vacation time. Sure, that time would have had them at MCO if they had been picked up...but, they could have gotten something to eat at the airport and relaxed a bit, rather than standing there, worrying about whether or not a bus was coming. Let's remember...they had been told that the next bus would combine passengers from the two time slots...but they were denied boarding by the driver. So, more angst. Now, you have at least one family, and probably more, worrying about whether or not they are going to make it to their gates on time. And that shouldn't happen. That is not how DME was designed!! It's supposed to let you finish your WDW stay as stressfree as possible.

Exactly (OP here). We were not the only worried travelers.

 

[seashoreCM]

Somehow back on day one of Magical Express I had doubts that three hours was enough time to reliably get guests to the airport 90 minutes before their flights.

Even a few towncar users have related stories about late pickups and having to worry about possible alternate means of travel. ("Everyone" says that 2-1/2 hours before flight time is proper for towncars back to the airport.)

Now let's imagine that communication was better. Say, the previous night the guest gets a call, "Mr. Doe, your DME bus will be an hour late. You may sleep a little longer or you may spend more time at the food court." That is of no help. I want the transportation to the airport in timely fashion.

Who saw the DME thread where someone related the story of a family forcing their way onto a bus and offering to stand? While that actually makes sense if I was punctual, "my" bus did not show and the next bus that did show was at T+30 or so, such an act would not accomplish anything useful because the bus would be delayed and I would still miss my flight.

 

[sam_gordon]

Somehow back on day one of Magical Express I had doubts that three hours was enough time to reliably get guests to the airport 90 minutes before their flights.

I think if you look at the number guests who are at the airport at least 2 hours before the flight, you're probably looking at 80%. If you change the time to 1 1/2 hours, I bet you it goes up to 90-95%.

I would call that "reliable". Are there improvements that could be made? Absolutely. But I wouldn't consider ME "unreliable".

 

[Alexander]

We used DME exactly once. We arrived at the airport about 45 minutes prior to our flight. It was the most stressful time I've ever had at WDW. We were at the BWV and were picked up right on time. We then drove the Caribbean Beach and loaded more passengers. Then we were dispatched to Coronado Springs (this was major back-tracking if you are familiar with WDW roads) to load a wheelchair that the bus there was not equipped to handle. It took 30 minutes to load that chair. Finally we were on our way after having been onboard the bus for over an hour and still on WDW property.

We arrive at the airport and went to the either the A or B side I can't remember but it wasn't ours. The driver would not let anyone off the bus until he unloaded the luggage for that stop. Then he let passengers off to claim their bags. This took another 30+ minutes of driving and 20 minutes of unloading. Okay, we are now approaching an hour until our flight leaves and we are still on the bus.

We finally arrive at our side of the airport and again, he won't let anyone off the bus until he unloads the luggage of which we had none, so we had to sit while he unloaded everyone else's bags. It took him another painstaking 15 minutes to unload.

I completely swore off DME after that trip. It was so infuriating and stressful. We were on that bus for over 2 hours and had to run through the airport to make our flight.

 

[seashoreCM]

The driver would not let anyone off the bus until he unloaded the luggage for that stop. Then he let passengers off to claim their bags. This took another 30+ minutes of driving and 20 minutes of unloading. Okay, we are now approaching an hour until our flight leaves and we are still on the bus.

We finally arrive at our side of the airport and again, he won't let anyone off the bus until he unloads the luggage of which we had none, so we had to sit while he unloaded everyone else's bags. It took him another painstaking 15 minutes to unload..

This one is quite egregious and therefore deserves a complaint in writing, using snail mail, after you get back home.

I think this one is also worthy of being a glutton for punishment and using Magical Express again and if the problem recurs then writing another complaint letter.