Magical Express Pitfalls?

[tomandrobin]

We have used the Magical Express five times. We love it and have not had any problems as of yet!

 

[DVC Grammy]

We've use it every time we come "home" (2-3 times/year) and love it! Since we schedule early morning flights in order to have a full day at WDW, it doesn't matter to us if it takes a few hours (we usually check in @9am and head for the parks or DTD). By the time we come back to the resort, we know that the bags'll be there in our room!
Leaving WDW, if we use a participating airline, it's absolutely carefree from the moment we do airline check-in at the resort until we arrive back at our own airport; if we use SW, we just take our luggage with us on the DME return trip (having our boarding passes printed at the resort 24 hours before flight time).
For us, DME is great!

 

[sheryl0521]

thanks for all the input on this thread! We (Mom & 2 sons) are using ME in December for the 1st time and I was starting to get a bit nervous, but now am feeling much better!

 

[paults]

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!!

thanks that clears it up but did you have the DME yellow bag tags on the bags? If so

WOW that's the first time I heard this happening. Usually if your bags have the yellow DME tags on them then they get taken off behind the scene and put on a seperate bus with all the others.
Looks like somebody messed up behind the scene and your bags made it to the baggage carousel.

 

[Chris and Pooh]

Hello,
Thank you for all your replies, it seems that we will have no worries.

Cheers from across the pond!!

 

[Machta]

You know, maybe we're the only ones that had an issue with it, but does anyone else think that the volume of the movie/music on ME was turned up really loud? We only took it from the airport to BCV, and not back, so I don't know what it's like on the way back. Anyone else think it's loud?

 

[corinnak]

It looks like you've gotten the answers you needed. I just wanted to chime in that the DME made solo travel with a 2 year old actually enjoyable. The fact that I didn't have to claim and haul my luggage with a squirrely boy in tow was worth a great deal to me.

We didn't use a participating airline, but the return wasn't so bad either - I just got a wheely cart for the bags. The one issue we had was that we were flying Air Tran and there is another airline with a similar name, "Air Transat" on the other side of the airport from Air Tran. So unfortunately, we were dropped off on the wrong side and had to navigate through with the boy and bags and all. It worked out, I guess. I enjoyed the extra time at the airport - SO nice not having to rush. I can see that if there were a big line at security, that extra time would be very useful.

Happy Travels!

 

[twinklebug]

May I add... pack a local map with the resorts highlighted. Cross your fingers and with a bit of luck you won't get Carlos as your DME driver.

 

[Scotch]

I dislike ME, having used it on three previous trips now. But DS is fine with it, DS (2) loves riding in a bus, and it is free, so we continue to use it. I dislike using it primarily because I hate feeling like I'm wasting time on vacation. Instead of that ~ 30 minutes trip after we pick up our bags (which has never taken us longer than 10 minutes to retrieve after we arrive at baggage claim) to get from MCO to our resort (because we are National Emerald Aisle members we just walk to the parking lot, pick our car, and go without stopping at a counter), it usually takes about two or three times longer because (1) we have to checkin at the registration desk (and our wait has ranged from 10 minutes to 25 minutes); (2) we have to wait in the bus departure line (and our wait has ranged from 15 minutes to 25 minutes; and (3) we have to wait as the bus stops at other resorts first (and we have never managed to get the first stop -- so each time our total drive time has ranged from 45 minutes to over an hour). On the return, I dislike leaving 3+ hours in advance of my departure time and having to stop at other resorts along the way is similarly annoying -- I want to savor every minute of vacation I can in WDW not sitting and waiting for a bus then on a bus. I'm happy to say that I only have to endure ME once on our upcoming trip this December -- just the WDW to MCO segment at the end of the trip. We're staying at a timeshare offsite FIRST, followed by 5 nights at BCV, so we're not eligible for ME for the arrival portion!!! We will plan to return the car to National's Dolphin location two days before we depart because the rental cost jumps by an outrageous amount after a week due to the holidays.

 

[buzz5985]

I have used ME 2x's in the last year. I will use it again. I never understood the 3 hour early return - until our last trip returning home 9/1. We were picked up at BCV at 12:45 pm. Our flight was 3:40 pm. We went to CB to pick up when a horrible thunder storm came through. The rain was awful. I was so thankful I wasn't driving. We didn't get to the airport until 2:15 it was so slow going. By the time we got through security it was 3:10 pm. All the flights were late leaving - but now I can see why the pick up is so early. Janis

 

[crusoemom]

OK, I'm interested. How do I get the paperwork for ME?
The last time we visited was a month before ME began. We're going again in February and have booked with points at BWV. Do I just call member services and ask for the ME ressies? Or someone else?
We're also probably staying the first night at a Disney hotel other than BWV. Should I wait until that is a certainty until I call, so they have the correct resort?
TIA!

 

[disneyobessed]

you have to book your departure with DVC but if you are staying on disney property at a different resort wait till you make that ressie b/c its different tags. We did this in aug. stayed at POFQ fri-sun. then sun-fri BWV the ressies had to made seperatly. One is through dvc and one is through disney.

 

[sheryl0521]

OK, I'm interested. How do I get the paperwork for ME?
The last time we visited was a month before ME began. We're going again in February and have booked with points at BWV. Do I just call member services and ask for the ME ressies? Or someone else?
We're also probably staying the first night at a Disney hotel other than BWV. Should I wait until that is a certainty until I call, so they have the correct resort?
TIA!

You can do it all online (dvc site or wdw site) - but you do need your confirmation numbers for your hotels, so wait until all is set in stone. Your luggage tags require that info.

I think the cut off is 21 days prior to departure, so you have time.

 

[Ms.Mouse]

Yes, the leaving 3 hours in advance is something I think is not necessary but I was thinking that there may be a possibility that DME would come to the resort again at some time between that 3 hour frame and when you do have to be at the airport. I know I'm going to ask when it comes closer to our trip in March... I was told the reason they ask you to leave 3 hours in advance is if something unforseen happens... like the bus breaking down...

Another thought I had was to take an evening flight out. You can check out, keep your luggage in with bell services, go into the parks for the day and enjoy yourself (your ticket and dining expires midnite at your checkout date), get your luggage and catch the bus with a full days enjoyment behind you.