Magical Express - One Bus per Resort?

[karpy111]

We are staying at the AKL and was wondering how the magical Express works. Will we be going to other resorts or just straight to AKL?

 

[DisCatGirl]

Last time I stayed at AKL (July 2015) we stopped at AoA first. About 2/3 of the bus got off there. Same with pick-up in reverse.

 

[roydavid7771]

Highly doubtful you'll have a bus solely dedicated to AKL, or any other resort for that matter.

 

[tinka-belle]

The bus routes are grouped by clusters of resorts that are close to each other. IIRC on the AKL/AKV bus you often get Pop, A of A, and CSR too. Really depends on who is on your bus, no set route on which resort is the first stop either. Might have no people for CSR on one bus for example, where the next bus has many for CSR.

 

[Sue M]

The DME usually shares 3-4 resorts. As mentioned, that are in the same area. At Poly, The DME went to all the MK resorts, Poly, GF,CR & WL. I can't remember which the stops were on AKL. But it would be with the resorts closest.
We only take DME on the way back to MCO as we fly into Lauderdale first and stay there a week or so before driving up to WDW.

 

[scrapquitler]

The ME will make stops at several resorts.

 

[NOLA_Tink]

I've always been on a bus that's shared by a few resorts. Usually takes me 2-3 hours from the time the plane touches down until I'm finished with check-out. I've also never been lucky enough to be the first stop, regardless of which resort we're at.

 

[tinkerbella16]

We have been using DME since it started and always had multiple stops. We've stayed at POR many times and each time we took DME, our bus shared with Old Key West, Saratoga, POFQ and Riverside.. and the stops were always on that order.

 

[sndral]

We have taken DME to AKL several times and have been the last resort every time. Others report being first off at AKL, but we haven't been lucky. DME going to the airport has always been hop on the bus and off to the airport for us at AKL.
One nightmare of a DME ride stopped at AOA, Pop, each of the 3 Allstars, CBR and CSR. It was around 9 pm, so maybe that's why they threw people going to all those resorts onto the same DME bus.
Most of our DME rides to AKL have stopped at some combination of the value resorts and then on to AKL. They always have stopped at Jambo before Kidani.
I've been first off at the Poly and at the GF.

 

[AngiTN]

Pretty sure no resort has a dedicated ME bus
Unless there is such a large group coming in at once they fill an entire bus

 

[JaimeK]

On our last trip we were going to POR and I remember stopping at Wilderness Lodge, Old Key West, and there were people on the bus for the Contemporary too. We were at MCO at 8am I think, it was very empty in the ME area.

 

[Grand Admiral]

I've always been on a bus that's shared by a few resorts. Usually takes me 2-3 hours from the time the plane touches down until I'm finished with check-out. I've also never been lucky enough to be the first stop, regardless of which resort we're at.

This is why we are paying for a town car. It's so worth it to walk off the plane and get into a car that goes directly to your resort. I think of it as buying ourselves more time at WDW.

 

[Hopefully]

This is why we are paying for a town car. It's so worth it to walk off the plane and get into a car that goes directly to your resort. I think of it as buying ourselves more time at WDW.

2 - 3 hours is not the average DME transport time. Sure it can happen, but not usually. The general wisdom is about 70 - 90 minutes from disembarking the plane to reaching your resort.
If you get a Town Car you still need to go to baggage claim to collect your luggage. That can take 30 - 45 minutes and then it is at least a 30 minute ride to WDW, depending on traffic. There definitely can be a time savings, but it is not generally huge.
You may want to post this question on the Transportation Board where there are lots of experts to help with this question.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

One DME bus can be shared by up to 5 resorts. Usually it's about 3-4 unless, as noted, there is a large group aboard all going to the same resort. Late at night, they will sometimes run one bus to a larger number of resorts, including resorts that are not near each other, but in the daytime hours they will generally group close-by resorts together.

It can take 2-3 hours and that's happened, but rarely. the average time is about 70 - 90 minutes.

I see guests at DME who can't handle the waiting. A woman was freaking out because she had to wait 10-15 minutes in line to be assigned to a bus. And then she found out it might not go directly to her resort. Felt sorry for the cast members at the airport because she laid into them. If you can't deal with waiting, you may wish to arrange private transportation.

 

[GeorgiaHoo]

We have taken DME to AKL several times and have been the last resort every time. Others report being first off at AKL, but we haven't been lucky. DME going to the airport has always been hop on the bus and off to the airport for us at AKL.
One nightmare of a DME ride stopped at AOA, Pop, each of the 3 Allstars, CBR and CSR. It was around 9 pm, so maybe that's why they threw people going to all those resorts onto the same DME bus.
Most of our DME rides to AKL have stopped at some combination of the value resorts and then on to AKL. They always have stopped at Jambo before Kidani.
I've been first off at the Poly and at the GF.

That one trip sounds AWFUL. I thought it was bad when we were the third of four stops last fall when staying at Yacht Club.

 

[goofy4tink]

AKL will, most likely, be grouped with AoA, Pop, and CSR. I have been the first stop (at AoA/Pop) but also the last . AKL/Kidani can, more often than not, be the first stop.
Those getting off at the first stop usually gave a time of about 70 mins from gate to resort, while the last stop is usually 15 mins later.

 

[Grand Admiral]

2 - 3 hours is not the average DME transport time. Sure it can happen, but not usually.

I understand that, but I'm comfortable paying for transportation to avoid that risk. Others like DME just fine, and that's cool too. I'm not trying to talk anyone out of anything, only speaking for myself.

 

[NOLA_Tink]

Last time, we waited in line at the airport for about 20 minutes before even being loaded onto a bus. Then, we waited another 20-30 before leaving the airport because they wanted the bus to be full. After stops at POR, POFQ, & one other resort (maybe Saratoga Springs?), we were finally driven to AS Sports. It's nice to hear that others have had better experiences, but we've ridden MDE several times and it's never been less than 2 hours for us. I guess we're just "lucky" like that, lol. In 2006, the driver forgot that I was on the bus and he skipped my resort completely. When I was the only one left, I walked to the front because I knew something wasn't right. That wasn't fun.

 

[AngiTN]

One DME bus can be shared by up to 5 resorts. Usually it's about 3-4 unless, as noted, there is a large group aboard all going to the same resort. Late at night, they will sometimes run one bus to a larger number of resorts, including resorts that are not near each other, but in the daytime hours they will generally group close-by resorts together.

It can take 2-3 hours and that's happened, but rarely. the average time is about 70 - 90 minutes.

I see guests at DME who can't handle the waiting. A woman was freaking out because she had to wait 10-15 minutes in line to be assigned to a bus. And then she found out it might not go directly to her resort. Felt sorry for the cast members at the airport because she laid into them. If you can't deal with waiting, you may wish to arrange private transportation.

Or maybe Disney isn't the best vacation spot for you at all
If there is one thing everyone has at Disney, it's waiting

 

[Aliceacc]

Actually, I get kind of kick out of seeing the other resorts. We've never had what I considered to be an overly long wait, to board the bus, for it to leave MCO, or at the resorts on the route.