Magical Express question

[Rustysmom]

We booked our trip, but I still have to book the airfare. We're trying to decide what time to make the flights for.

Is Magical Express only available for certain hours of the day? We were thinking of catching a very early flight coming in, arriving in orland at about 9:00 am. Going home, the cheaper flights are at night. Is Magical Express available if our flight going home isn't until 7-8 at night?

Since we have to check out by 11 on the last day but our flight probably won't be until much later, what do we do with our luggage if we want to hit one last park?

 

[offtheice]

We booked our trip, but I still have to book the airfare. We're trying to decide what time to make the flights for.

Is Magical Express only available for certain hours of the day? We were thinking of catching a very early flight coming in, arriving in orland at about 9:00 am. Going home, the cheaper flights are at night. Is Magical Express available if our flight going home isn't until 7-8 at night?

Since we have to check out by 11 on the last day but our flight probably won't be until much later, what do we do with our luggage if we want to hit one last park?

I have used ME twice. There is no time limit on using it that I know .I 've flown home both times with late flights.

 

[SomePixiedust]

Since we have to check out by 11 on the last day but our flight probably won't be until much later, what do we do with our luggage if we want to hit one last park?

If you are using a participating airline, you will check your bags at the hotel when you check out and you won't see them until you arrive at your home airport. They will also hold onto your carryons until you come back to catch your ME bus to the airport. If you are not using a participating airline, they will hold all of your bags for you until it is time for your ME bus (which will be about 3 hours before your flight), then you will collect them and take them on the bus (they will be stored under the bus for the ride) then check them in at the airport yourself. HTH

 

[Rustysmom]

Thanks! So the ME bus runs at all times too?

 

[goofy4tink]

DME is a 24/7 operation. It doesn't make any difference what time you arrive,or leave.
For your departure day, you can do one of two things...
If you are flying out on one of the 'participating airlines', you can checkin with them in the morning, they will tag your checked bags, and print your boarding passes. Then, leave any carryon stuff with bell services at the resort. Head off for the day, returning about an hour before your DME bus pickup time. Go to Bell Services to retrieve your carryon stuff and hop on the bus and head right to security. Or......
If your are flying on one of the 'non-participating' airlines, then just give bell services all your bags first thing in the morning, and head off to the parks. Again, return to the resort about an hour before departure time and retrieve your bags and then head to the DME bus stop. Your bags will all go underneath the bus. When you get to the airport, just check your bags and fly home.

 

[Rustysmom]

Thank you. I'm almost 100% positive we'll be flying on a participating airline so I guess we'll be all set. Good, now I'll book a late flight so we can spend more time at one of the parks before we have to go home.

 

[seashoreCM]

Magical Express will meet your plane coming and going any hour of the day or night, or you don't even have to arrive at or leave MCO by air.

No airlines participate before about 5 AM with respect to baggage going home since that is when the Resort Airline (baggage) Check-in stand opens. Everyone would bring all baggage to the bus.

It is a good idea to aim to be back at your resort an hour before ME back to the airport. It may take some time to get back baggage. At the All Stars and perhaps some other resorts, some guest baggage is stored in U-Haul trailers about the parking lot and has to be retrieved.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/magicx.htm

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Just to clarify...

Magical Express will meet your plane coming and going any hour of the day or night, or you don't even have to arrive at or leave MCO by air.

That doesn't mean that Magical Express sends people to meet your plane at your arrival gate. It means that Magical Express dispatches motorcoaches to and from Orlando International 24 hours a day, based on actual guest needs.

No airlines participate before about 5 AM with respect to baggage going home since that is when the Resort Airline (baggage) Check-in stand opens.

That means that you can't use the Resort Airline Check-in (RAC) remote skycap service in your resort to check your bags and obtain boarding passes (for RAC-participating airlines) if you're departing from Orlando International before 8:00 a.m. (or probably more like 8:10 a.m.) because RAC can't help you if it's less than 3 hours before (or more than 12 hours before) your departure, and RAC doesn't open until 5:00 a.m.

 

[Rustysmom]

That's good to know. Thanks. We'll probably get to Orlando at about 9 or 10 am when we arrive and when we go home, we'll probably get a 7ish pm flight or maybe a 10 pm one if it's cheaper. I was just worried about the one going home thinking that maybe everything would be closed so late if we go with the 10 pm flight.

 

[raidermatt]

From the Disney website:

Q. What are the hours of operation and location of the Disney Welcome Center?

A. The Disney Welcome Center is in the Main Terminal Building of Orlando International Airport on the B side on Level 1. The hours are 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., but we will be happy to extend those hours if you have booked Disney's Magical Express Service and your flight is scheduled to arrive after 11:00 p.m.

Q. What are the hours of operation for Resort Airline Check-In Service?

A. Resort Airline Check-In Service operates seven days a week, from 5:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. If you cannot check-in during these operating hours, you will need to check in directly with your airline upon arrival at Orlando International Airport.

 

[clkelley]

That's good to know. Thanks. We'll probably get to Orlando at about 9 or 10 am when we arrive and when we go home, we'll probably get a 7ish pm flight or maybe a 10 pm one if it's cheaper. I was just worried about the one going home thinking that maybe everything would be closed so late if we go with the 10 pm flight.

However, if you went with the 10pm flight, you would have to wait until 10am to use the Resort Airline Checkin desk, so that would kill your morning. (Unless your idea of early is not the same as mine).

If you still want the 10pm flight and still want to leave the resort early, then just store your bags with bell services and check them once you get to the airport.