Magical Express - Bad Experience

[Dopey19]

I appreciate everyones input but just to clarify, before starting the survey we told the survey taker and my husband told the bellman we were getting on the ME. Having never used this service before and them telling us we were fine, we believed we were. We also never asked for any special treatment, the bellman went and got the manager - we never asked for her. And the manager offered the cab, we never asked for it. Had she suggested we wait for the next bus we would have. We really are not the type of people to arrive late and then complain for no reason.

My problem with this situation has nothing to do with Disney, I think they handled the problem wonderfully. It is with the fact that the cab driver lied to the manager and to us and I just wanted people to be more aware and check in the future. Basically do a better job than we did.

 

[OntFamily]

Actually, there are set pick-up times for Disney's Magical Express service from the Disney-operated WDW resort hotels to Orlando International Airport.

Typically, a DME motorcoach picks up twice per hour at a given resort, such as at :00 and :30 after the hour or :10 and :40 after the hour. DME quests are mapped to a pickup time approximately 3 hours before their scheduled flight departure for domestic flights and 4 hours for international flights.

The alternative would be to completely "reinvent" airport-bound DME routes and schedules every day.

.

This was not how DME worked on our stay at AKV last month. DME incorrectly had us leaving on a Saturday (picking us up at 8:10am, Saturday). When we reminded DME we were actually leaving on Sunday, they advised us of a new pickup time of 8:15am, Sunday. The bus left @ 8:15am exactly.

 

[localdriver]

This was not how DME worked on our stay at AKV last month. DME incorrectly had us leaving on a Saturday (picking us up at 8:10am, Saturday). When we reminded DME we were actually leaving on Sunday, they advised us of a new pickup time of 8:15am, Sunday. The bus left @ 8:15am exactly.

There are SET departure times for each resort. The AKL time is :05 & :35.

If the bus left at :15 it's because it was running late by a few, which is much preferred to running early as in the situation mentioned about the BC. The BC is :10 & :40. I personally do not leave until at least 2 min after the scheduled departure.

Drivers leaving early because they think they have everyone is something that occurs too often IMHO.

I would like to stress the importance of being there "ready with all belongings and family members" 15 min prior.

Catching the next bus is not always possible because they stop only if there are reservations at a resort for the scheduled time.

CM's are generally uninformed about the DME process and schedules. You would think after 3 years, every bell stand would have a DME schedule available so pickup times are not misquoted, and other wrong info is not given to the guests.

 

[stepdisney]

Was the bad experience with DME? It sounds more like a bad experience and a bad call on the part of the staff at the BC and not the bus driver. In all honesty I think that 15 minutes before the bus is scheduled to leave is too close to plan anything at all. I always think that if they schedule the bus 2-3 hours before your actual flight, they expect everyone there for check-in at least 15 minutes before the bus leaves. Having said that, because it was your first time, I would have expected the staff at the resort to know better than to stop you that close to the departure of the bus. JMHO.

 

[seashoreCM]

, I would have expected the staff at the resort to know better than to stop you that close to the departure of the bus. JMHO.

That's probably why they quickly hired the taxi for you.

Since tha manager said the bus you missed was the 7:45, had you taken him up on that and waited for "the 8:15" and that bus driver said it was full without you, then the manager is again justified in paying for the taxi.

 

[stepdisney]

That's probably why they quickly hired the taxi for you.

Since tha manager said the bus you missed was the 7:45, had you taken him up on that and waited for "the 8:15" and that bus driver said it was full without you, then the manager is again justified in paying for the taxi.

Agreed. I think that they did everything they could to make sure that you made your flight on time. I agree with the poster that said that the bus has passengers from other resorts and the schedule is designed so that everyone around that time frame gets to catch their flights on time. In other words, 10 minutes late could mean missed flight for someone whose flight is a little earlier than yours and runs into a snag at the airport.

I usually tend to run a little late but my DH warned me the morning of our departure that we would leave MK early enough that we would not be the family holding the bus up. We were there 25 minutes before the bus was scheduled to come, ready to board thanks to him.

 

[IlovePiglet]

There are SET departure times for each resort. The AKL time is :05 & :35.

If the bus left at :15 it's because it was running late by a few, which is much preferred to running early as in the situation mentioned about the BC. The BC is :10 & :40. I personally do not leave until at least 2 min after the scheduled departure.

Drivers leaving early because they think they have everyone is something that occurs too often IMHO.

I would like to stress the importance of being there "ready with all belongings and family members" 15 min prior.

Catching the next bus is not always possible because they stop only if there are reservations at a resort for the scheduled time.

CM's are generally uninformed about the DME process and schedules. You would think after 3 years, every bell stand would have a DME schedule available so pickup times are not misquoted, and other wrong info is not given to the guests.

localdriver and I work together and I totally back him on this - rather the bus leave a few minutes later than earlier (which the drivers are not supposed to do anyway).

 

[OntFamily]

There are SET departure times for each resort. The AKL time is :05 & :35.

If the bus left at :15 it's because it was running late by a few, which is much preferred to running early as in the situation mentioned about the BC. The BC is :10 & :40. I personally do not leave until at least 2 min after the scheduled departure.

Why did our pickup letter from DME say 8:10am for Saturday, and we were told the Sunday pickup was 8:15am (and it arrived at 8:10am and left at 8:15am)?

 

[localdriver]

Why did our pickup letter from DME say 8:10am for Saturday, and we were told the Sunday pickup was 8:15am (and it arrived at 8:10am and left at 8:15am)?

I don't know. I'm assuming you were are AKL from your previous post.

The time is :05 and :35 and has been for as long as I can remember.

I've seen alot of those letters from AKL, never saw one with :10. I have seen hand written vouchers with incorrect times.

Do you receive a the letter the night prior with your airline, flight times, and pickup time printed on it? Or was it a 3 x5 voucher hand written by staff at the resort? Was your entire stay at AKL?

If the time in either was 8:10, that is incorrect for AKL. You will have to ask whoever prints them or writes them why that would have happened. As far as the bus getting there 5 min late, could be a variety of reasons too numerous to list, but it's preferred to be a few late than leave early.

 

[OntFamily]

I don't know. I'm assuming you were are AKL from your previous post.

The time is :05 and :35 and has been for as long as I can remember.

I've seen alot of those letters from AKL, never saw one with :10. I have seen hand written vouchers with incorrect times.

Do you receive a the letter the night prior with your airline, flight times, and pickup time printed on it? Or was it a 3 x5 voucher hand written by staff at the resort? Was your entire stay at AKL?

If the time in either was 8:10, that is incorrect for AKL. You will have to ask whoever prints them or writes them why that would have happened. As far as the bus getting there 5 min late, could be a variety of reasons too numerous to list, but it's preferred to be a few late than leave early.

It was the normal printed letter from DME (that included flight #'s, etc).

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

I would have tipped the driver, regardless. True, it was money you weren't expecting to pay out but that's not the driver's fault. Sometimes in life there are a few unexpected expenses. When the immediacy of the situation requires a prompt resolution, the cannons of gracious living should prevail and a tip should have been provided.

 

[localdriver]

It was the normal printed letter from DME (that included flight #'s, etc).

Well, I certainly don't know the answer. I do know the scheduled times for every resort in Disney. I have never seen a letter misprinted with incorrect times.

What I post on this board is the correct information and are the times we go by.

So I can't really answer your question.