Magical Express - A Picture Guide

[dpmfloyd]

Hello! Like many of you, I have been assisted by so many on this site. I'd like to "feed the beast" a little, by providing a photo guide to the start of your trip. For those of you that are looking forward to your next trip, or those of you looking to remember that great moment you walk off the plane and prepare to board the ME! Enjoy ! (side note, if you click on any of the photos, it will take you to my flickr disney page for my trip this past may, feel free to poke around!)

Once you get off the plane, you'll enter the main hallway of the terminal. You'll follow the crowd to the tram, which will transport you to the hub of the airport.


Here, you'll see the view from the tram...once you're on the tram, now would be a good time to get the Magical Express Booklet out, and keep it handy!


The Hub of MCO! (sorry for the blurry shot, I wasn't slowing down - I had vacation on the mind!)


Take the first set of stairs down...then another, until you're on the ground floor...


Look for the signs! and follow them ALLLLL the way down the hall...


You're getting closer....


You've made it, the entry way to the Magical Express check in! Have your Magical Express Booklet handy, you're about to need it! If not, check in at the ME Counter just before entering this portion of the line.


Once you've checked in, they'll direct you to one of the first ques you'll experience while on your Disney trip...


Follow the rope barriers to the front of the line, you'll be stopped by Cast Members who will confirm your resort. Once they're ready, they'll usher you outisde...keep that Magical Express booklet handy! ...They'll scan it just before you board!


You've made it!! Wait for the bus to pull away and enjoy the ride. Soon, it will be time to put all that planning to work - so relax now, while you can!


Hope you've enjoyed it!

 

[1tufgt]

Great walk through, which side were you on? A or B?

 

[dpmfloyd]

Great walk through, which side were you on? A or B?

B - how could I forget that tidbit?!

 

[seashoreCM]

In the third picture (Hub of MCO Level 3) there is a neon "A" in the distance. You want to face the other way (there a neon "B" just overhead on a similar balcony) and then head for the stairs or elevator going down.

The vantage point is near the neon "B". Security for gates 60 and above is under the balconies to the right more or less in the middle where the fat column is (with elevator shafts not going down to Magical Express). The main terminal food court* is down corridors between groups of stores to the left. Off the upper level balconies are the rooms of the Hyatt hotel.

Security for gates 1-59 is at the other end, past the food court. There is a similar open area outside security there, lined with stores but with a lower ceiling.

* You also passed a food court at a mini-hub for the gate corridors (picture #1) just prior to boarding the tram.

 

[Christine9125]

I really liked it, wish I would have seen this before our trip last month. Thank you!

 

[Dan Murphy]

That was great!!! Thanks. I always rent a car, but if I don't some day, that will be helpful.

 

[wed100105]

Thank you so much for posting this. It is great for me (never having been a ME passenger before) but it is extremely valuable for my nephew who has sensory issues. His mom can show him these pictures and he'll have a better idea what to expect.

 

[dpmfloyd]

Thank you so much for posting this. It is great for me (never having been a ME passenger before) but it is extremely valuable for my nephew who has sensory issues. His mom can show him these pictures and he'll have a better idea what to expect.

Thank you for sharing that, I'm very happy to have helped!!

 

[ssawka]

Ok, now I'm siting back waiting for the ME video to start!

 

[NYMomof2]

Thanks for the great pictures. This would have been very helpful for my husband this past summer when he joined us a few days after we arrived. He strolled through the airport for a while looking for the ME.

 

[Uptoit21]

Thanks for the pictures, this will make navigation the terminal on Saturday.

 

[dpmfloyd]

Thanks for the pictures, this will make navigation the terminal on Saturday.

have a great trip, i'm kinda jealous ! ...great time of year to go too!

 

[Kathymford]

I didn't think it was possible for me to get any MORE excited for my upcoming trip. Thanks!

 

[Amy]

Thank you for posting this! We've never use Magical Express, and this will be our first trip using it. You'd think after 9 trips to WDW I wouldn't be nervous, but I am!

Just got our WDW packet in the mail yesterday, and there was nothing about Magical Express. Will that be sent closer to our departure date? I assume that's the case, since the airlines seem to tweak their schedules so often.

 

[dpmfloyd]

Thank you for posting this! We've never use Magical Express, and this will be our first trip using it. You'd think after 9 trips to WDW I wouldn't be nervous, but I am!

Just got our WDW packet in the mail yesterday, and there was nothing about Magical Express. Will that be sent closer to our departure date? I assume that's the case, since the airlines seem to tweak their schedules so often.

Happy to Help! In the past, I've actually had my ME packet 2 weeks before my resort packet, at the 40-45 day mark. Did you book yourself or use a TA? If you used a TA, you may want to follow up with them... if you booked yourself you may want to call the 1-800 number for disney reservations so they can look into it.

When you do get your ME packet, make sure your departing flight and returning flight match your current reservations with the airline. beyond that, dont stress ME is a fantastic program! I love leaving my luggage at my home airport, and seeing it later in my room!! have a great trip, if you have any other questions, please dont hesitate to ask!

 

[dpmfloyd]

self bumping incase anyone else wants to dust off some good memories...

 

[Mom2OandElle]

How different is it if you pick up your own luggage before making your way to the busses? Is it much more complicated? I'm leaving in a few hours and I'm getting nervous!

 

[goofy4tink]

How different is it if you pick up your own luggage before making your way to the busses? Is it much more complicated? I'm leaving in a few hours and I'm getting nervous!

It depends on which side you arrive on. If your airline arrives on Side B, then fine. You just cross through the main area, heading to the big neon overhead B. Take the escalator down to level 2, baggage claim, get your bags, and continue on down to level 1, ground transportation, and go to the end of that area where you will see DME. Your bags will be stowed beneath your bus...and the driver will expect a gratuity.
But, if you arrive on Side A, all bets are off. All passengers arrive on level 3..doesn't matter which side you arrive on. If you arrive on Side A, you have to go down to level 2, get your bags, then trek back up to level 3, cross the main area, over to Side B, and then go down past level 2 and finally to level 1, ground transportation. It adds significantly to your time if you get bags on Side A and use DME.

 

[Missytara]

I think the wonderful part of ME is that you feel immersed in the experience from the moment you arrive at the airport.

I think the bad part of ME is that horrible long walk to the bus to leave to go back to the airport; we refer to it as the walk of shame.

 

[dpmfloyd]

I think the wonderful part of ME is that you feel immersed in the experience from the moment you arrive at the airport.

I think the bad part of ME is that horrible long walk to the bus to leave to go back to the airport; we refer to it as the walk of shame.

i agree, the moment that plane lands, i'm ready to go! power walking to the ME area at the airport.

...but then there's the last day of the trip. things are much, much slower. i usually plan for a late flight home, which gives us a full morning and afternoon in a park ( last trip we hit 3 of 4 parks before 2pm -- now that was fun ) ...then its back to POP where we totally do the walk of shame. its never fun. sitting on those benches, feeling glum - thoughts of work coming back to me... sigh.