Magical Express pickup for departure day

[sunshinejk]

If our flight leaves Orlando at 1:45pm and we are using Magical Express out of Port Orleans French Quarter, what time do we need to be at the front to check out? I am wondering if we will have time for some morning park activity.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

The DME picks up 3 hours before your flight so Your bus will pick you up at 10:45 and you need to be at the bus stop by 10:30

 

[Brit_Jude]

You can check your bags and complete airline check in as soon as the Airline Check-in desk opens at 5am (I believe) or a little later. You can also store any bags you don't want to carry around with Bell Services and collect them prior to boarding DME. Hotel check-out is usually automated and you don't need to stop by the front desk.

If your flight is at 1.45pm, typically you will be scheduled on DME 3 hours prior. So assume it will be 10.45am. This probably doesn't leave you much time for a park, as you would need to leave an hour prior to your DME pickup to get back from the park to your hotel in time. Maybe an early breakfast ressie somewhere nice

 

[DebbieB]

Is there an EMH park that morning?

 

[seashoreCM]

Early in the morning, buses from parks back to resorts is on a request basis. Seek out a bus supervisor.

To meet a Magical Express bus leaving at 10:45 you should be at the park bus platform no later than 9:15.

 

[goofy4tink]

Early in the morning, buses from parks back to resorts is on a request basis. Seek out a bus supervisor.

To meet a Magical Express bus leaving at 10:45 you should be at the park bus platform no later than 9:15.

I have to say that being at the DME bus stop 30 mins prior to stated pickup time is needless. That only serves to confuse guests. Why?? Because the buses tend to run twice an hour. So, if you're standing out there at 9:15ish, you are going to have to sit and watch as others get on their bus. 15 mins prior to pickup time is plenty of time...at least the 10+ times I've used DME it has been.

 

[Polydweller]

I have to say that being at the DME bus stop 30 mins prior to stated pickup time is needless. That only serves to confuse guests. Why?? Because the buses tend to run twice an hour. So, if you're standing out there at 9:15ish, you are going to have to sit and watch as others get on their bus. 15 mins prior to pickup time is plenty of time...at least the 10+ times I've used DME it has been.

They were talking about the bus at MK to get back in time for the ME bus at PODQ. The 9:15 at MK bus for return is good advice if as the OP says they are thinking of doing a park that AM.

 

[goofy4tink]

They were talking about the bus at MK to get back in time for the ME bus at PODQ. The 9:15 at MK bus for return is good advice if as the OP says they are thinking of doing a park that AM.

Duh...sorry. Didn't read slowly enough. Hitting myself in the head now!!!!

 

[Geoff_M]

Quite frankly, with a 10:30 "Be-at-the-resort-ready-to-be-picked-up" time, I wouldn't do a park that morning. You'll only be able to spend a very short time in the park given the time you need to allow to catch a bus back to the resort. I'd just relax for a couple of hours in the resort. We've done a "dash" to the park before DME and we had a close call making back to the resort in order to catch the airport bus. We had to bail on the resort bus that never came and hail a cab and only made it back about 10 minutes before our DME bus pulled up. Spending 60 minutes in MK isn't worth a potential panic attack when you're afraid you'll miss the bus to the airport!

However, we did go to MK this month for a couple of hours before our DME bus. But, we were at VWL and had a much later 3:30 PM DME bus. We packed, checked out at 11 AM, checked our bags, and then went to MK. I set a "be at the WL boat dock" time of 2:00 PM and it worked out fine. We had 30 minutes extra time at the resort to enjoy the lobby after we ate a late lunch at the snack bar and collected out carry-ons from the Valet before we had to move out to the DME bus stop.