Magical Express Comments Here Please

[HockeyMomR]

For our past many trips to Disney we have used a Town Car Service. This year, for our June trip to the Beach Club, we are going to try Magical Express. We are planning to get our own luggage from baggage claim and have them put it on the bus, so, we can have it as soon as we check in. If you have used Magical Express to an Epcot Resort tell me about your experience, time to the hotel, etc. Any and all comments welcome!

 

[goofy4tink]

I've used DME to both BWV and BCV. The bus stopped at YC first, then BC, then on to BW...at least it did when I rode it those two times. We didn't have luggage with us. At BCV, we were able to get into our room at 4:15, our luggage was delivered at 4:30. At BWV, we got our luggage while we were out of the room.
The time from deplaning to the resort checkin desk was about 65 minutes. You should add a bit more time to that if you will be stopping at baggage claim to grab your bags...probably about 20 mins or so.
I love DME..in fact when I was at the Swan 2 weeks ago, I sadly watched the DME buses leaving the airport as I walked to our towncar. I like the towncars, but not having to pay an addtl $100+ makes me very happy, especially when I can get to my resort in almost the same time.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

We are planning to get our own luggage from baggage claim and have them put it on the bus, so, we can have it as soon as we check in.

The whole point of Magical Express luggage delivery is that you don't have to wait in your room for your luggage.

Pack a carry-on with things you'll need the first day. Check everything else at your home airport. Bypass baggage claim at Orlando Airport. Get onto a Magical Express motorcoach while others on your flight are still waiting for their luggage at baggage claim. Check in at your resort without having to drag luggage to your room (or without waiting for a bellman to assist you). Go have fun!

The luggage is delivered to your room a few hours later. Disney takes care of the inbound bellman gratuity, so you don't have to wait in the room.

Checking in before your room is ready? No problem. You can go have fun. Your luggage will be delivered after your room is ready.

Late night arrival? No problem. Bring overnight items in your carry-on, and arrange to have your checked luggage delivered the next morning.

The inbound luggage transfers are the best part of Magical Express.

 

[DVC Grammy]

The only thing I'll add is that on the way back from the BW, we went directly to MCO (I don't know where the previous stops were....maybe S/D or YC/BC).
We've been using ME from its beginning and have always been happy with it.
Hope you have a good experience, too.

 

[Desnik]

We use DME for the transportation, not because of the option to handle our luggage. I like to have my luggage with me(I know I'm paranoid! ) We have carryons and have the driver load them on the DME bus. We like having our luggage when we check in. Which 9 out of 10 times our room has always been ready upon check in. We loved using DME and found the buses to be nice and comfortable and the drivers very friendly and helpful. We also tip the driver because he has to handle our bags. The time it has taken us from airport to BWV was aprox. an hour and a half. That was for a flight we had in the morning.

 

[Poohbear123]

And I had a great experience again. I also carry on my own luggage, as its just one roller, and I arrived at AKL after a drop off at POP Century. By the way, I was the ONLY Passenger of 4 for AKL!

 

[CleveRocks]

The average time from airplane to resort drop-off is reported to be 70 minutes. Your time will likely be longer because of your choice to get your own luggage.

There are no pre-set routes, although as long as there are enough people going everywhere at the same time, resorts near each other will tend to be grouped together. What I'm trying to say is that not everyone who has stayed at Epcot-area resorts had identical DME experiences.

To each's own ... for me, the DME luggage delivery system was a perfect fit. No matter where I fly, I ALWAYS pack a carry-on with supplies for my first 24 hours, just in case the AIRLINE delays my luggage. So because I pack that way anyway, I have no need to wait around for my luggage since I'm fully prepared to operate without it for more than just a few hours.

ENJOY YOUR TRIP!

 

[HockeyMomR]

Thanks to all for your responses, I am definitely feeling better about our decision to try DME! Will have to put more thought into the luggage situation.....we still have time

 

[kaytieeldr]

Yes, please rethink the luggage thing.

New reports are in that airlines mishandled more bags than the last report - an average of 6.7 pieces per thousand (4.1 per thousand on JetBlue up to 11.8 per thousand on ComAir).

If you claim your own luggage and one or more bags is mishandled, you get to first wait at the baggage carousel until it stops, then troop over to the airlne's Lost Luggage office, wait in line, fill out forms, finally drag whatever did show up to Magical Express, tip the driver for stowing and unstowing it,,,,

If, on the other hand, you let DME take care of your luggage, they do! They'll ask how many pieces you checked. If fewer bags than that show up, DME will take responsibility for tracing and delivering it.

Because airlines are so good at mishandling (gotta love euphemisms ) luggage, it is ALWAYS advisable to pack a carry-on with travel documents, valuables, medications - and whatever items you'd need for your first 24 hours at your destination, including, but not limited to: change of clothes, change of undergarments, swimsuit, pjs...

 

[bnorm27]

We used ME on our trip last September. We opted to let ME handle our bags, as we had our hands full with the kids. We did pack our essentials in a carry on. We went swimming while they sorted through the bags. When we got back from the pool, the bags had appeared. It is a great service, even greater when you think that it doesn't cost anything extra.

 

[CleveRocks]

Thanks to all for your responses, I am definitely feeling better about our decision to try DME! Will have to put more thought into the luggage situation.....we still have time

Only because you said you'd put more thought into the luggage situation, I'll chime in with more info for you to think about ....

DME luggage tags have barcodes on them, and the barcodes give them access to your reservation information. Each piece of luggage is scanned 5 times between airplane and the inside of your resort room. And the trucks the luggage is transported on (between airport and resort) are tracked by GPS. Disney knows where the luggage is at all times.

Can mistakes happen? Have they happened? Of course. But there are no wholesale, rampant problems. I just like the idea of not wasting any more time in the airport and not at WDW than is absolutely necessary. And call me a geek (many of you have, and you know who you are! ), but I kinda felt like a VIP in not having to stop at baggage claim.

 

[HockeyMomR]

I really love these boards! Great Info .....now I just will convince DH that our luggage will be safe and we can pack enough in our carry ons to get us through the day (our plane lands at 10:30 A.M.). Ready for June!

 

[UConnJack]

Used it last month for the first time. Plane arrived at 10:00PM, let DME get our checked luggage, and was on the bus by 10:30PM. Thought we were doing great and would be in bed by 11:30-12AM. Nope. We were the 3rd stop on the bus route that first stopped at POP and CB, and it took us nearly 1-1/4 hour to get to the AKL. Just walked into our room at midnight. Then to boot, the room we got hadn't been cleaned so we had to wait longer for them to assign us to a new room (I know not DME's fault, just a gripe). By the time we got the kids settled in, it was 1AM before we got into bed.

We had told the bell services at AKL to hold our bags until morning rather than deliver in the middle of the night. We packed a carry on with toiletries for bed and 1 days worth of stuff to tide us over just in case. Woke up at 6AM and called for our bags, which were brought up by 6:30AM.

Our departing flight was 7:30PM (on SW, so no luggage check in), so they gave us a time of 4:30PM for pickup. We were in AK that day and got soaked from a rainstorm, so we were rushing to pull out luggage from bell services, get changed, and repack before the pickup. Just made it, but it was close and stressful.

Pickup was promptly at 4:30, but we waited at AKL until nearly 5:00 until we started moving. We then proceeded to take the slowest and most meandering route to BC for the next pickup that took at least 1/2 hour! No kidding! I'm pretty sure he was just killing time until the next scheduled pickup at BC. Picked up BC, then drove over and picked up BW too. By the time we we on the road, it was almost 6:00, and got to MCO just before 6:30. Plenty of time for our flight, but a complete waste of 2 hours.

IMHO, DME is great for a free service. I won't complain because it is free. However, I would likely not use it again for personal preference reasons. The luggage delivery worked out fine for us, and were happy with that aspect, but the excessive time spent on the bus was a complete waste for us. It would have taken less time to get our bags, pick up a rental car, and drive directly to the resort than it did on DME. Not to mention I like having a car for occasional off-site trips, groceries, other resort dining, etc. The nearly 2 hours we spent on the bus back to the airport was totally wasted for us, especially since we we strapped for time getting ready. Bottom line, although a great free service, I am too much of a control freak to really make DME a benefit to me.

 

[Poohbear123]

ME has let me down in the Airport-Hotel excursions too, by going to 2 other resorts before mine. This is why I carry on my luggage on SW and carry it on the bus. I have wasted 30-40 min at the Carousel for my luggage, when I have checked my bag, which put me way behind in the pick-up time for ME. I also arrive at 8 am at MCO and notice its not too busy and I breeze thru security and plane is empty. As it gets later, plane and ME fills up! SO...arrive EARLY in the AM and it should be OK!