Magical Express Pitfalls?

[Chris and Pooh]

Hello,

We are due to use the Magical Express service when we arrive in Olando in November.
Has anyone encountered any problems or pitfalls associated with the service, or any benefits?

 

[sean-1966]

The one thing I've heard is collect your own bags and carry them to the bus. It'll be a few hours before you see your bags.

 

[TAKitty]

We have used ME 5 times this past year and have had no problems. If you arrive late, I would get my own luggage. Otherwise, we have not had a problem with our bags arriving really late. Often it is within two hours. They will tell you it can take as long as three.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Someone else said that during Thanksgiving last year, people had to wait for ME many hours before their plane left because of the large number of people heading out.

 

[ont/ohana]

Hi we used ME last Nov. We loved it. We arrived at 11am registered at ME desk(just follow the people with the big Mickey Hands) and our bus was waiting for us. When we got to our resort our luggage came on the same bus and we went straight to check in. My Brother used ME and arrived at 11pm and chose to claim his own bags and had no problem. They arrived in thier room at 12:30am. Hope this helps!

 

[CraftyMouse]

The one thing I've heard is collect your own bags and carry them to the bus. It'll be a few hours before you see your bags.

Not having to lug our bags was one of the biggest benefits of Magical Express in my opinion. They tell you up front that your bags will arrive at your resort within 3 or 4 hours of your arrival. We checked in, headed to the parks and our bags were in our room when we got back. It was terrific.

If you want to swim within a few hours of your arrival just remember to pack your bathing suits in your carry on.

We absolutely loved the Magical Express service. We will be using it every time we fly.

 

[Doug7856]

Our only problem was that we had waitlisted for a different resort. The waitlist came through months prior to our trip. When we received our DME documents, I did not even think about the waitlist . . . so at 11 pm the night before our trip I found out the wrong resort was on the luggage tags. I just used a marker to put the correct resort on the tag and we had no problem. So if you had a waitlist, make sure DME is updated also!

 

[Lynne M]

The one thing I've heard is collect your own bags and carry them to the bus. It'll be a few hours before you see your bags.

Whenever I fly anywhere, I always put whatever I can't live without for the first day of my trip into my carry-on bag. I've had my luggage delayed due to airline screwups many, many times.

I think that's worth doing whether you're using ME or not. If you do use ME and it takes 3 hours to get your bags, you won't care.

I've used ME twice now, without a single problem. I'm using it again on Sunday. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone. In fact, the first time I used it, I dropped my carry-on at my room and went to Epcot. When I got back a few hours later, my suitcase wasn't there yet. I called the bell services desk, and they were able to immediately tell me where my bag was and that it was delayed because US Air had put it on a later flight. The suitcase arrived about 20 minutes later. The beautiful thing is, if I'd been handling my own luggage, I would have stood forever at the baggage belt waiting for it to appear, then stood in line at the US Air counter waiting to find out where it was and giving them my hotel info, etc. Instead, ME dealt with all of that while I happily wandered around Epcot!

 

[byoung]

We have used it the last 4 trips with no problems.

 

[2Princes2Princesses]

We used ME for our trip 9/16-9/21.

We loved it. We landed 25 minutes early (about 9:40) at MCO, went down, waited in what looked like a LOOOOOONG ME line for about 4 minutes, checked in, got on the bus, and were checked in and standing in our BWV studio by 10:45 a.m.

We headed to Epcot, then went back to the room at 2 to put JOhnnie in for a nap before dinner, and our bags were already there.

It was great all the way around.

Only problem we encountered with flying was a rather nasty skycap at Buffalo Airport, and the kid behind me who kept lowering and snapping up the footrest on the back of my seat on the ME bus.

 

[Moonmom]

Shortly after Disney started offering the Magical Express we had a trip where I ended up flying down alone and DH joined me a few days later. Our luggage tags hadn't yet so after getting up at 3am then getting lost trying find the ME desk lugging around my stuff I wasn't calling "magical" at time. Specially after I tripped over my bag and some jerk told me to "watch where I was going" ..but some cute little boy about 4 said, "lady? I'll help you." Nice driver on the ME bus..and sat next to a castmember that worked for the cruise line so I got my pixie dust restored.
The day DH was to arrive I came out of TOT to find I had three messages on my cell phone from him.. his connecting flight was delayed in Cincinnati. He ended up arriving 4 hours later than scheduled... and HE couldn't find the Magical Express either... wandered the airport mumbling along with is golf bag; carryon, (with laptop) and suitcase..not a happy camper. Finally found someone that got him headed in the right direction.
If we didn't have the luggage problems..it would've been great... but getting off that plane and trying to find our luggage (especially alone) then dragging it around and trying to find the ME desk was a real pain.. but it was still nice to then get delivered right to our resort. And then going home,, it was great to be able to check in our luggage early that morning on the day of departure and then be free to go do some last minute things knowing all we had to do was show up and wait for the Magical Express Bus to come whisk us back to the airport for our flight.... Except...
We were there.... even there about 15 minutes before we needed to be... no bus... we waited... and waited... We were only ones waiting for the ME bus.. DH has spoken to the guy at the Valet desk and he's been on the phone with someone... they ask to speak with DH.. who's now getting more than impatient... Valet service guy meanwhile calls someone else.. it's now a little more 2.5 hrs to flight time. The Boardwalk manager comes out...asks for our villa #..showed him my resort card..he says he'll be right back.. and he's back in a couple of minutes...Just as he's coming back an ME bus pulls up to discharge passengers..my DH went over and said, "are picking up, we were supposed to be picked up by 12:30." The driver was kinda, "well,, I have a bunch of other stops to make and drop off.. maybe I can come back later." Meanwhile the BW manager is apologizing to me.. he's so sorry..so very sorry.. would we accept the offer of the cab as he's waving to a cab to pull up and taking my carry on." SO..we took the cab..(and the cash that paid for it and the tip)..thanked him.. (and the valet guy)..and made it to the airport in time for our flight.
The next three times we flew into Sanford airport that doesn't offer Magical Express.
In three weeks we're flying into MCO.. .and using Magical Express. Will it Magical???? I have luggage tags!!! So...we don't have to drag our own luggage all over the airport.. thats one good thing. And this time we're both flying down the same time.. so there's two pair of eyes looking for the ME desk at the same time.... so that's another plus.... And if the ME bus doesn't show up again.. well.. at least I'll go find the manager straight off again! It can't happen twice, can't it?

 

[Nikki_Mouse]

We have used ME twice and both times it was wonderful. The first time was magical. The children's first time to disney. Arrived at night and were on the bus- just us!!!! When we loked out the window and saw firewords from one of the parks. My children were absolutely loving the Disney magic. I would recommend ME to anyone traveling to MK! Enjoy your vacation!

 

[paults]

Hi we used ME last Nov. We loved it. We arrived at 11am registered at ME desk(just follow the people with the big Mickey Hands) and our bus was waiting for us. When we got to our resort our luggage came on the same bus and we went straight to check in. My Brother used ME and arrived at 11pm and chose to claim his own bags and had no problem. They arrived in thier room at 12:30am. Hope this helps!

maybe I'm reading this wrong but you say your brother got his own bags which I understand but you also say you went to ME desk and when you got to resort your bags were on that same bus. Who put them there? You didn't say you got own bags and they just showed up on your bus.

 

[drakethib]

We have used it a couple of times and have not had a problem. (knocking on wood)

 

[helenabear]

The biggest pitfall for me was leaving 3+ hours prior to my flight time. I don't see the need for that at all, and I wasted hours at the airport shopping.

Otherwise I have had no problems at all with it! Granted I used to do carry on only, but can't any more due to the flight restrictions.

 

[WDWorld2003]

We used it last March and our bags were in the room at SSR when we got there - we were amazed! We were at our resort, with our bags within 1 hours and 15 minutes of landing (and we had lunch in that time!).

We transferred to BCV and again bell services were flawless - had our bags within 30 minutes of entering the room.

We did have to take them to the ME bus at BCV on our return trip and take them to the airline for check in when we arrived at MCO which was a pain. However, we would use this service again in a heartbeat.

 

[Coloradomom]

We've used ME twice times now and will again. The only issue we had was that on our return trips both times the bus did not show at the correct time. Made us a little nervous even though they allow plenty of time. (we did not have a participating airline so were not able to precheck our bags)

This time I will call the night before, and then if the bus is not there exactly at the appointed time, will go to bell services. Last time it turned out the bus had been full so did not stop at our resort.(new driver). They sent another bus but it was a little stressful.

 

[disneybride96]

In my last 4 trips to Orlando, the Airlines have lost my luggage twice. At least it was on the way home. ME has never failed to deliver.

 

[ont/ohana]

maybe I'm reading this wrong but you say your brother got his own bags which I understand but you also say you went to ME desk and when you got to resort your bags were on that same bus. Who put them there? You didn't say you got own bags and they just showed up on your bus.

Hi My brother arrived at 11pm and we arrived at 11am the same day. I don't know who got our bags but they were on the same bus as were we on. So when we arrived at the resort our bags arrived with us. I hope that clears that up!! What can I say.. I am a mom,wife and full time worker as well as a new college student...sometimes my mind gets a little mixed up!!

 

[dsneygirl]

We've used it twice with no problems and are again next week. I don't find the pick up time too early because the line ups at Orlando security are notoriously slow.