Magical Express from Different Resort?

[cassi06403]

Our flight on our departure day isn't until 3:52 pm. Does anyone know if we could arrange to take Magical Express to the airport from a different resort than the resort we're staying at? Ex: have lunch at Grand Floridian or Wilderness or somewhere and just get the ME bus from there to the airport instead of having to go back to CSR first?

Thanks!

 

[Kimberle]

No, currently ME is only to and from your resort. You will also be assigned a return time for your bus. You can't just take which ever one you wish.

 

[helenk]

You must return to the resort that you were registered in order to use the DME back to the airport

 

[kaytieeldr]

Also, your return time will be about three hours before your flight - in your case, that means about 12:45-1:00.

You need to be at the DME pickup location with all your luggage and your entire party, fifteen minutes before your assigned time.

If you left luggage with Bell Services, you need to allow at least fifteen minutes to reclaim it.

So you need to be back at CSR between 12:15 and 12:30.

You need to allow a good 45 minutes to get from one resort to another using Disney transportation. Longer is better, but you could probably manage that time frame from the GF to CSR, via monorail and bus.

So you'd need to be on the monorail platform by 11:30, maybe 11:45 if you're willing to push things a little.

Even if you'd change your plans to breakfast, you probably don't want a reservation that starts much later than 9 AM.

Remember, if you miss your assigned Magical Express bus, Disney is not obligated to find you room on a later bus. There will be other Guests assigned to the later-departing buses; or, if there aren't, there won't be a well-timed bus departing your resort, period.

Say your pickup time is 1 PM. You miss that and expect to get on the 1:30 bus - but there are no Guests whose flights required a 1:30 pickup at CSR, so, no bus - so no ride.

 

[seashoreCM]

It is a good idea to aim (target) your arrival back at your own resort an hour before Magical Express bus time, or a little more if you need to get back luggage.

Who knows, a monorail might stop between stations for 20 minutes or a bus in the 20 minute headway might simply be missing leaving you with an additional unexpected delay or having to grab a cab.

By the way, resort to resort transportation is billed as a 90 minute, not 45 minute, affair for planning to get to ADR's (Disney restaurant reservations).

So leaving resort no 2 at 10:30 seems like a good idea.

You suggested that lunch would be your last activity before you go home. Then it is better to do it at the airport. This way there are fewer variables (fewer problems) that may impact your Magical Express bus ride. You can choose to reserve (at least a day in advance) your Magical Express bus 3-1/2 or 4 hours before flight time if you want to be ensure being more leisurely about eating.

 

[goofy4tink]

As has already been stated...your DME reservation is tied to your resort reservation. You must depart from the resort you are staying at. The bus will pick you up about 3 hrs before your flight. I would plan on being back at your resort in plenty of time to get any bags you left with bell services and be at the bus stop at least 15 mins before the appointed time of departure. The time that you are given is the time the bus leaves, not the time you need to show up...so, as an example..
your flight is at 4:00pm, your DME bus reservation is at 1:15. You need to be at the resort DME bus stop by 12:55, no later than 1:00. It could take 15 mins or so to get any carryon bags out of bell services. They usually move pretty quickly but there are times that they seem to have a hard time finding particular bags or there could be a line of people ahead of you...so plan for spending 15+ mins there.
If you are trying to squeeze in a lunch at a different resort, I would suggest using a cab to get back to your resort...faster than the buses. But, again, don't try to cut it too close. There may not be another DME bus headed to your resort for an hour or two...depends on whether there are guests there with reservations. If no one has a reservation, the bus doesn't stop there.

 

[TDC Nala]

Say your pickup time is 1 PM. You miss that and expect to get on the 1:30 bus - but there are no Guests whose flights required a 1:30 pickup at CSR, so, no bus - so no ride.

Or...the bus is full of guests who are already registered for that bus, so they can't fit you in.

 

[cassi06403]

Thanks everyone! I knew most of all that (I should have been more specific to save all of your fingers all that typing!)

I had asked a CM at the Disney Reservation # about getting a ME bus from another resort and he said to ask at a Concierge desk, but that he didn't think it would be a big problem. I thought to ask here on the DIS - I'm glad I did.

 

[Brian Noble]

It might be worth it to you to book a towncar from wherever you think you might eat lunch---as long as you are either carrying any bags or have used RAC.

 

[goofy4tink]

Thanks everyone! I knew most of all that (I should have been more specific to save all of your fingers all that typing!)

I had asked a CM at the Disney Reservation # about getting a ME bus from another resort and he said to ask at a Concierge desk, but that he didn't think it would be a big problem. I thought to ask here on the DIS - I'm glad I did.

Ah, but here is the problem. I've found that when talking to just about any CM on the phone, especially ones at Disney Reservations, you will not get great info...especially about something completely outside their knowledge base. And believe me...DME is outside their knowledge base. The problem is that DME is tied to your resort reservation (I know, I already said that)....so to try to get them to change your pickup to a different resort is going to mean they have to go in and change info in their system..not sure they are going to do that. But, you may want to give it a shot when you get there. You could try asking when you get to the DME checkin desk at MCO. Then, call DME directly, from your resort, and ask them if it is at all possible to get picked up at a different resort. It's worth a shot. I just wouldn't trust what a reservations CM said.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Thanks everyone! I knew most of all that (I should have been more specific to save all of your fingers all that typing!)

Nothing to apologize for! This thread has nine (well, ten by the time you read this ) posts, but 161 views. At least some of those views are probably from Guests who have the same question - so now those DISers know the answer, too (and the various reasons behind it!)!

 

[yooperfan]

What happens if you check in at one resort and transfer to another half way through your vacation. They are both Disney resort. Can you still use ME on the way home? How is this handles?

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

What happens if you check in at one resort and transfer to another half way through your vacation. They are both Disney resort. Can you still use ME on the way home? How is this handles?

Yes, you can do this.

See the following thread for details: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1844263