Magical express question

[Sam914]

Okay our party is arriving in three groups and 9 of us want to be able to take the shuttle together... is this possible? The hitch is db and i arrive at noon and the rest of my party doesnt arrive until 2:30. Db and i have no problem waiting around until everyone else gets there but my question is does Disney need to know that we are hanging out and waiting for them or will they just have a van large enough for everyone? Also they have all of our flight information to get our luggage so does that mean db and i's luggage will get picked up earlier then everyone else's (therefor making it possible that by the time we get to the parks our luggage might already be in the rooms?)

 

[ciera321]

I think you're fine. Magical Express uses huge buses, no vans, so there should be plenty of room. Your luggage will be taken to the resort and could possibly beat you there if you wait for the others, but it has taken ours 4 - 5 hours to arrive. As far as telling Disney you'll be waiting for the rest of the group, I don't think I'd bother. Other's may have a different view on that, though...

 

[Kimberle]

You can take any shuttle you want (from the airport). Coming back, you must take your assigned shuttle.

If you luggage beats you, they will hold it until you check in.

 

[Mickiethepooh]

for the trip to the resort you will be boarding full size buses. And you are not assigned to any particular one, you just show up check in and get on a bus.Your luggage will be going by truck and IF it gets there before you they will be holding it at the baggage section of the hotel.
Luggage will not be waiting in your room since until you check in you don't have an assigned room and even after you check in you may not get the room number right away.

 

[CleveRocks]

Okay our party is arriving in three groups and 9 of us want to be able to take the shuttle together... is this possible? The hitch is db and i arrive at noon and the rest of my party doesnt arrive until 2:30. Db and i have no problem waiting around until everyone else gets there but my question is does Disney need to know that we are hanging out and waiting for them or will they just have a van large enough for everyone? Also they have all of our flight information to get our luggage so does that mean db and i's luggage will get picked up earlier then everyone else's (therefor making it possible that by the time we get to the parks our luggage might already be in the rooms?)

You've received good advice and information from everyone above ... I'll just flesh it out a bit for you.

As long as you place one of the supplied DME luggage tags on each of your checked bags, those bags will be transported to your resort. This is done by truck, and has nothing to do with buses. If your luggage beats you to your resort, it'll just be stored for you.

You are not assigned to a specific bus at the airport ... well, you're not IMMEDIATELY assigned to a bus. What I mean is, if you hang around for 2.5 hours, it's not like you will be delaying anyone but yourself, and it's not like there's going to be a bus driver or DME CM searching for you.

The key is to NOT check in at the Disney Welcome Center (the DME counter) until you are with the rest of your party. Once you check in there, you will be escorted to your bus queue. SO as long as you don't check in there, you won't be assigned to a bus yet. You can linger over a meal upstairs, but if you feel like meeting your party near the DME counter you can ... they have lots of comfy chairs all grouped together in that general area. WHen everyone is together, then one person from each reservation number can get in line at the DME counter, and if you are all staying at the same resort you'll all be getting in the same bus queue a minute later.