Magical Express *Notice*

[Azure]

The 'Magical Express' Service was only supposed to be available until the end of the 'Happiest Celebration on Earth' but it has been extended until 2011! But the location of the desk in the Orlando International Airport will be moving.

"Disney's per-passenger fee will increase from 50 cents to 75 cents beginning next year. The fee could reach $1.50 in 2010."

They changed it until 2011 because the shuttle carried 1.1 million people and Disney paied the airport $500,000.

For more information please visit: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news...,7101079.story?coll=orl-news-headlines-orange

 

[disneynutt1225]

Great news! Very interesting article. I'm curious to see what Disney will charge for it after the Happiest Celebration is over.

 

[byoung]

Have to wait and see if they charge next year? If they charge more then 1/2 the costs of a towncar, I'll go back to the towncar. The towncar saves you 3 to 4 hours time.

 

[spiceycat]

I don't know if Disney will charge for this. It has been very, very popular. So instead of charging for the service they will probably just put it is the price increase of the resorts...

 

[Experiment #626]

The towncar saves you 3 to 4 hours time.

I realize that the bus would be going to the various resorts to drop off guests but are you honestly losing that much time using the Magical Express. I was expecting it to take approx two hours at most.

 

[bicker]

I haven't read reports of losing "3 to 4 hours" of time. What's the real story?

 

[klineyqueen]

We waited at the airport for 20 min. loaded our bus sat about 10 more min while other people loaded then went directly to our resort. We had zero problems with it! I love it!

 

[byoung]

it been taking about 3/4 to 1 hour longer on the incoming trip. On the return you have to be there 3 hours before your flight. Usually 1 1/2 hours for the towncar. These are times that I have occured. I usually come in on early morning times and leave in late afternoon. usually on the low off peak times of the year. Anyone know on June or July in peak times.

 

[UrsulasShadow]

it been taking about 3/4 to 1 hour longer on the incoming trip. On the return you have to be there 3 hours before your flight. Usually 1 1/2 hours for the towncar. These are times that I have occured. I usually come in on early morning times and leave in late afternoon. usually on the low off peak times of the year. Anyone know on June or July in peak times.

I found that the waiting time for ME equalled the luggage pickup time, so that nullified that difference. With only one stop before ours, I'd say the actual drive time was about 20 minutes longer than our last towncar ride. So, in my experience, arrival time was 20-30 minutes longer than towncar, and you got your luggage delivered to your room as a bonus with ME.

It's true that ME schedules your pickup from your resort 2 1/2 - 3 hours before flight time, but your luggage is pre-checked at the resort, and boarding passes in hand. That's a nice perk, and worth the extra time. I've never been picked up by a towncar company earlier than 2 hours before a flight, so that makes the time difference, IME, only 1/2 - 1 hour between the two.

Total time difference, at most, was 1 1/2 hours. I'd probably be a little miffed if it were a 3-4 hour difference. Besides, in your quote, that adds up to 2 1/2 hours difference, not 3-4.

 

[MiaSRN62]

Another one here hoping it doesn't add 3-4 hours time. I'm thinking of using it this summer for the first time. I suspect another "plus" to using ME is that you get your room assignment earlier than someone not using it. I seem to be picking this up from reading experience on the DIS. We drove ourselves to OKW last summer and checked in around 12:30 pm. Didn't get our room until 5 pm. We were exhausted from the 17+ hour drive from Philly and felt rooms were given out to ME guests first. Just a suspicion, which I have read others feel as well. So this year we're thinking of flying and using ME---but not if it takes longer than 2 hours from touchdown to arrival at resort ? I guesstimate, that the time it takes if we fly, rent and car and drive to the hotel----would be at least 90 min (luggage pickup, rental pickup and drive time).

 

[disneynutt1225]

I've taken the ME three times now and it's never added 3-4 hours to the trip. The longest I had to wait for a bus at the airport was 20 minutes, and at the hotel for pickup back to the airport we're usually at the bus stop around 20-30 minutes prior to our boarding time. Sure, it extends the ride a little bit from the airport to the hotel, but it's really insignificant. We took it this past February, and had almost no lingering time between getting off the bus at the airport and getting on the plane; mainly because the lines at security were huge. I find it a HUGE convenience, and I can't wait until I take a "participating airline" so I can also use their flight check-in service.

 

[MiaSRN62]

May I ask those who have used ME....I guess the bus can stop at any disney resort depending on who is on the flight with you ? Or do they group guests together who are staying in a similar location on the property (i.e.Contemp/WL/Poly guests together or OKW/POR/POFQ etc). Is there any order in which they drop guests off at resorts ? Just trying to figure in about how many stops the ME bus on average will make ? Thanks.

 

[disneynutt1225]

Mia, they group the busses according to resort group - i.e MK resorts, Epcot resorts, DTD resorts, etc. Where are you staying?

 

[CinRell]

When I was there in sept, there were several buses and they told you which to go to, according to which resort you stayed. My bus was POFQ, POR, and one of the nicer "welcome home".. name escapes me.. resorts.

It was so fun... watching the movie... the sparkles on the floor.. and it took NO TIME AT ALL it was VERY fast... in fact IMHO it saved us a ton of time and hassle with luggage etc.

The only downside was having to leave SO EARLY to get on our flight home. I purposely booked a late flight but we had to leave on the latest bus which I believe was 3... oh well. It was still such a convenience and i will definitely be using it again!

 

[abk96]

It was absolutely the best service and I can't wait to use it again in April.

We used ME in July 05 without any problems. We landed at MCO at 9 AM and arrived at POR at @ 10 AM. And that counts time getting off the plane, waiting for a stroller, and walking through the airport to get to the ME counter. Not bad at all.

We did have some folks on our bus that were going to the GF so not sure if the grouping of resorts is something new they are doing.

I'm glad they are extending the service. We will continue to use it for as long as the buses are available.

 

[MiaSRN62]

Where are you staying?

Hi disneynutt !
We'll be at OKW. Do you happen to know the group I'd be in and maybe the order of drop off ? Thanks.

 

[disneynutt1225]

Mia, I *think* when we stayed at SSR in October the OKW people were on our bus. Granted, it was really late at night so they may have been combining busses to make it more efficient. In any event, there shouldn't be more than 1 or 2 other resorts on your bus, and you'll definitely be in the DTD resort group. Your loop might only include Port Orleans, SSR, and OKW - in no particular order.

 

[heaven2dc]

Adding my 2 cents - I am glad they decided to continue the service but wondered from those who use a limo service if they like the convenience of a grocery shopping stop if you stay in a villa and plan to cook a few meals or just want snacks. Or if it would be better to utilize a shopping service and bus service?

Any suggestions?

 

[MiaSRN62]

Thanks Chris ! I appreciate it.

 

[disneynutt1225]

No problem!