Magical Express - How Late?

[*NikkiBell*]

I am arriving into Orlando at 11:51 PM. Will ME be running?

 

[simonkodousek]

I'm not sure it will be running that late, however I'd just rent a car. ME service was ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE when we were there. We had to wait 3 hours for it.

~Simon

 

[ConcKahuna]

DME runs 24/7. At least that late at night you won't likely have many stop on the way in hehe.

EDIT: I have also NEVER heard of someone waiting for 3 hours for a bus for DME. Were you on the right side of the airport?

 

[shondad]

We used the ME in 2005, after our unplanned 1130pm arrival (original, earlier flight was cancelled). We had been told initially that they would not handle our baggage (we did get it from baggage claims though), but upon check in at the counter they said it was our choice. I know it was after MN when we checked in for the ME, and there were quite a few people checking in then, but we had no wait for the buses. There were 2 -3 buses waiting, all going to different places of course. Also there were only a few families on the bus we were on, it was a great experience.

Also, our return was just as uneventful.

 

[BethA]

Because of a delay with our flight we arrived after 2am and had to wait over 45 minutes--there were buses there, but not for our hotel.

Check the transportation board for more ME threads.

 

[Kae]

From what I understand it does run but you will not get your lugagge until the next day so I would carry on PJ's & what you will need for the next day. So you can have an early start for the parks.

Kae

 

[DumboDash2006]

Due to an engine problem with our scheduled flight and another problem, we ended up not landing in Orlando until around 11 pm (we were supposed to get there at 9:30 am!). I don't think we had to wait at all. When we checked in we were told we might not get our baggage until the AM, but it ended up being delivered to our room about a half hour after we got settled in. AND the airline had somehow lost the strollers we had gate checked and was not being very helpful about the problem. Since us and our young children had been up since about 4:30 am, we were at the end of our rope. We spoke to the the very nice ME lady at the airport and she told us Disney would take care of the problem. Not sure what they did, but our strollers were delivered to our room by the hotel staff early the next morning. In our experience, ME rocked!

 

[simonkodousek]

EDIT: I have also NEVER heard of someone waiting for 3 hours for a bus for DME. Were you on the right side of the airport?

Yes, I was on the right side of the airport, etc.

~Simon

 

[disneynutt1225]

I'm not sure it will be running that late, however I'd just rent a car. ME service was ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE when we were there. We had to wait 3 hours for it.

~Simon

That's terrible! I will say that's probably the exception not the norm. We've arrived after 11pm and not had to wait more than 40 minutes for a bus -- and only because we had just missed the one for our resort.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

I'm not sure it will be running that late, however I'd just rent a car. ME service was ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE when we were there. We had to wait 3 hours for it.

simonkodousek, please explain the 3-hour wait. When did it happen? What were the circumstances? Did you wait three hours to board a motorcoach? Or did you wait in your room for three hours for your luggage to be delivered?

Normally, motorcoaches are dispatched on an on-demand basis, so that guests don't have to wait more than 20 minutes or so after they check in at the Magical Express Welcome Center. Motorcoaches can stop at zero, one, two, or sometimes three other resorts first.

Disney tells people to bring a carry-on because luggage delivery can take three hours or so after check-in at the resort. Because Disney pays the inbound bellman gratuity, there's no reason to wait in the room for the bags to be delivered. Most people go out and have fun, and their bags are waiting for them when they return to the room.

Disney's Magical Express runs around the clock. Guests who arrive very late at night probably won't have their bags delivered until the next morning -- and they probably wouldn't want to have their bags delivered until the next morning because they would want to sleep through the night. Of course, this means packing a carry-on overnight bag.

 

[*NikkiBell*]

I am so not concerned about a 3 hour wait. I have used ME three times already, all during peak seasons, and never had a problem. Thanks for the info, all!

 

[Edd]

I would like to hear what the 3 hour wait was about! I personally don't think you waited 3 hours at the airport. Mears would have APL'ed a taxi or put you in a shuttle for free. I am sure if you were at the airport for 3 hours, after the first hour, you would be hard to live with and that would have probably been a great reason to get you on your way to Disney.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I'm not sure it will be running that late, however I'd just rent a car. ME service was ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE when we were there. We had to wait 3 hours for it.

~Simon

It appears this poster's last trip was in August 2004. Disney's Magical Express has only been in existence since May 5, 2005. Therefore, any extraordinary delay in 2004 CANNOT be attributed to Magical Express.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

It appears this poster's last trip was in August 2004. Disney's Magical Express has only been in existence since May 5, 2005. Therefore, any extraordinary delay in 2004 CANNOT be attributed to Magical Express.

Excellent observation!

simonkodousek's signature shows:

August 2004 -- Wilderness Lodge
July 2007 -- Wilderness Lodge
January 2009 -- New Year's Eve @ WDW!!!​

That makes me wonder why simonkodousekm -- who wrote "I'm not sure it will be running that late, however I'd just rent a car. ME service was ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE when we were there. We had to wait 3 hours for it." -- is disparaging Disney's Magical Express.

 

[Edd]

Good observation Ronda. Now why would someone lie about that. I suppose we will hear about a supplemental trip that is not posted on the signature.

 

[CanadianGuy]

Given that it wasn't operating in July of 2004 ... a guest might have waited a LOT more than 3 hours for the Magical Express bus at that time.

I'm wondering if perhaps he meant the Mears transportation that was available at extra cost at that time.

Knox

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Given that it wasn't operating in July of 2004 ... a guest might have waited a LOT more than 3 hours for the Magical Express bus at that time.

That made me laugh.

I'm wondering if perhaps he meant the Mears transportation that was available at extra cost at that time.

Good point. The old Mears Transportation service and the current Disney's Magical Express service are entirely different (expect that Mears operates the DME motorcoaches under a contract with Disney).

A service run by Disney, not run by Mears. A new fleet of deluxe motorcoaches with video. A different scheduling and dispatch process. No need to go to baggage claim. Luggage transfers to your resort room. No stops at off-site hotels. A far larger fleet of motorcoaches serving a far large number of guests with far more frequent service and fewer stops. Free.

The free DME service usually gets great reviews on this board and elsewhere on the Web. The old, paid Mears service, often got reviews such as, "never again; next time, I'll take a towncar service instead."

 

[mrsnj91]

We just booked for Disney and this is our 1st trip so I have a few questions.....How does this work??? I am just supposed to get on a plane and ASSUME they will get my luggage and MAYBE deliver it by morning?? We are supposed to get in around 6:30pm. I want to know 100% that we have all our luggage. Can we not get it all ourselves and take it to the bus?? I don't understand all the...go off and do something while you wait for luggage comments. Why can't we put the luggage on the bus and get it off at our hotel? At that hour we won't be running for any parks. Same on the way back to the airport. We have an early flight and will be going straight from the hotel to the airport and home.

 

[mrsnj91]

To the OP....

I found this on the Disney site.

Q. What are the hours of operation and location of the Disney Welcome Center?

A. The Disney Welcome Center is in the Main Terminal Building of Orlando International Airport on the B side on Level 1. The hours are 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., but we will be happy to extend those hours if you have booked Disney's Magical Express Service and your flight is scheduled to arrive after 11:00 p.m.

 

[Edd]

Why don't you worry about everything else, you have three kids, and not your luggage. Luggage can be one thing off your mind. It's your vacation. Just prepare to not have any luggage until later in the evening after you get back from dinner. Think positive. Get on the plane at home, get off at Orlando, walk to the DME, get off at your resort in Disney, get your room and go to dinner. When you get back about 10:00 your luggage will be sitting in your room. If it isn't than just raise "you know what". If it is sitting there you saved all that worry thereby giving yourself another year before a set of ulcers sets in.