magical express bus route...new..

[leanne11]

There will be 4 zones with no more than 4 stops in each zone.
If more than four stops are needed due to guests from more than four resorts arriving, an additional bus will be dispatched


Red Zone
Magic Kingdom Area Resorts
Contemporary, Polyneisian, Grand Floridian, Wilderness Lodge & Villas, Fort Wilderness


Blue Zone
Epcot Area Resorts
Beach Club & Villas, Yacht Club, Boardwalk Inn & Villas, Caribbean,
Pop Century


Green Zone
Animal Kingdom Area
Animal Kingdom Lodge, All Star Sports, All Star Music, All Star Movies,
Coronado Springs


Black Zone
Downtown Disney Area
Port Orleans French Quarter, Port Orleans Riverside, Old Key West, Saratoga Springs

 

[*Fantasia*]

There will be 4 zones with no more than 4 stops in each zone.
If more than four stops are needed due to guests from more than four resorts arriving, an additional bus will be dispatched


Red Zone
Magic Kingdom Area Resorts
Contemporary, Polyneisian, Grand Floridian, Wilderness Lodge & Villas, Fort Wilderness


Blue Zone
Epcot Area Resorts
Beach Club & Villas, Yacht Club, Boardwalk Inn & Villas, Caribbean,
Pop Century


Green Zone
Animal Kingdom Area
Animal Kingdom Lodge, All Star Sports, All Star Music, All Star Movies,
Coronado Springs


Black Zone
Downtown Disney Area
Port Orleans French Quarter, Port Orleans Riverside, Old Key West, Saratoga Springs

It looks like they need more buses! The black zone is the only one that has the 4 stops. The rest has 5 resorts that they have to stop!

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

It looks like they need more buses! The black zone is the only one that has the 4 stops. The rest has 5 resorts that they have to stop!

They came out with that "Zone" information back when DME first came out. I don't think they're using it anymore however. I recently had the opportunity to shadow a DME driver, and so I rode the bus to/from the airport all day long. Some of our runs had multiple zones, but only 3 total resorts. The total time from the first resort to the last stop at the airport was around 55 minutes. It probably would have been less time, had we not encountered guests at 2 of our stops trying to get on an earlier bus than they were scheduled. (And we did not have the availability)

Regardless of how ever many resorts are bundled into a so-called "zone," there will only be a maximum of 4 stops per bus.

 

[Mears_Driver]

They came out with that "Zone" information back when DME first came out. I don't think they're using it anymore however. I recently had the opportunity to shadow a DME driver, and so I rode the bus to/from the airport all day long. Some of our runs had multiple zones, but only 3 total resorts. The total time from the first resort to the last stop at the airport was around 55 minutes. It probably would have been less time, had we not encountered guests at 2 of our stops trying to get on an earlier bus than they were scheduled. (And we did not have the availability)

Regardless of how ever many resorts are bundled into a so-called "zone," there will only be a maximum of 4 stops per bus.

When people come in from the airport, how they are sent out depends largely on how many come and how soon.

The general routes run like this:

--Contemporary, Wilderness Lodge, Poly, Grand Flo.
--Wilderness Campground, PO Riverside & French Quarter, Old Key West and Saratoga.
--Yacht Club, Beach Club, Boardwalk and Caribbean Beach Resort.
--Animal Kingdom Lodge, Coronado Springs and Pop Century.
--All Stars Sports, Music and Movies.

On very busy days you may have the routes split up with just 1 or 2 stops. Early in the morning and late at night they may mix them up a little according to the need. When we pick up we hardly ever mix up the routes but sometimes two buses will be used to cover one run of a certain route.

 

[LadyDulcinea1]

Just want to clarify: a few days ago we switched from ASM to Pop, called ME people and they told us to just write the new resort name on our luggage tags and they changed it in the computer....since the All Stars are considered to be AK zone and the Pop is Epcot, will this affect us if our luggage tags are AK tags? Hope that made sense

 

[helenk]

Interesting that they have Pop listed with the Epcot resorts, because when I took ME on 7/16 POP was included with the Allstar resorts. The bus went to the POP first and then to the Allstar resorts. Needless to say, since the buses were for all of the value resorts the lines were quite long.
I did not know if this is the norm, but my experience this past month.

 

[CleveRocks]

Don't you people listen to Tyler and Mears Driver (people who, after all, really do know what they're talking about)???!!! There's no such thing as set zones or set routes on DME. The OP posted outdated and actually never-used plans. There is no set routing system or zone system. You won't know what other resorts will be on your bus, or in what order you wil be dropped off.

-- Eric

 

[Lewisc]

Don't you people listen to Tyler and Mears Driver (people who, after all, really do know what they're talking about)???!!! There's no such thing as set zones or set routes on DME. The OP posted outdated and actually never-used plans. There is no set routing system or zone system. You won't know what other resorts will be on your bus, or in what order you wil be dropped off.

-- Eric

And you didn't bother reading the Mears_Driver post just a few posts above yours when he gave the general routes, slightly different from the original routes published.
http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=9400850&postcount=4

Routes are changed as needed but it makes sense that they start with some standard routes.

 

[LadyDulcinea1]

And you didn't bother reading the Mears_Driver post just a few posts above yours when he gave the general routes, slightly different from the original routes published.
http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=9400850&postcount=4

Routes are changed as needed but it makes sense that the start with some standard routes.

Sorry, I guess I missed or misread those.....

 

[taximomfor4]

Just want to clarify: a few days ago we switched from ASM to Pop, called ME people and they told us to just write the new resort name on our luggage tags and they changed it in the computer....since the All Stars are considered to be AK zone and the Pop is Epcot, will this affect us if our luggage tags are AK tags? Hope that made sense

Oh geez, they told us to NOT use our luggage tags which were incorrect. But they also said they cannot send new ones. Then the next day, I called to find out what I SHOULD do, the CM chaged the info in the computer, then told me what you posted above...to write the new info on the old tags. Then, someone ELSE called back the next day, apologized that Disney had made this mistake in the first place (we didnt change ressies, the tags just came WRONG)... and said do NOT use the old tags, now they say they WILL send new ones. Ack!

BEth

 

[localdriver]

There is no strict route. They are put together "on the fly" as guests check in for DME. They are doing a pretty good job at keeping routes segregated to hotels close to each other overall.

During slow periods and late evening is when zones are crossed/mixed for the most part, adding a few minutes to the last stop.

 

[Mears_Driver]

Look everyone, the bottom line is this. When you think of things you want to do and you put it on paper everything looks great and then when you try it in the real world, some things have to be changed.

That's the way Disney's Magical Express is working. Some things that they thought would work like "magic" aren't such as the routes and grouping of the resorts and all that stuff. I don't think there is really anything set in stone anywhere right now as far as DME is concerned. Don't forget that this program is only 2 months old. In 6 months things may be totally different than they are now. Everybody will have to go with the flow and some things will continue to change over time.