Magical Express Question

[pbrim]

I will be arriving at MCO at midnight and I am still debating whether to book an extra day at POFQ or stay close to the airport that night and catch ME in the morning. Can I book ME at a time other than when my flight comes in? What if I say that I am coming in at 8 and for some reason don't get in until 9:00?

Or do I need to book in advance at all -- Can I just show up with my POFQ reservation and get on the next bus? I will not have checked luggage and obviously I would not do the "just show up" at midnight, but I figured in the morning there would be a number of buses comming and going.

 

[seashoreCM]

You must make an advance reservation for Magical Express.

You make your DME travel date for your resort check in date. (Some family members can arrive later).

You do not have to have just flown in.

Going to Disney, your time does not have to be accurate.

So you could book a hotel at/near the airport for arrival and go to Disney the next day.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

I will be arriving at MCO at midnight and I am still debating whether to book an extra day at POFQ or stay close to the airport that night and catch ME in the morning. Can I book ME at a time other than when my flight comes in? What if I say that I am coming in at 8 and for some reason don't get in until 9:00?

Or do I need to book in advance at all -- Can I just show up with my POFQ reservation and get on the next bus? I will not have checked luggage and obviously I would not do the "just show up" at midnight, but I figured in the morning there would be a number of buses comming and going.

Disney's contract with the Orlando International Airport requires all guests using Disney's Magical Express (DME) to WDW to have a DME reservation. If you just show up with a WDW resort reservation, they are not allowed to take you. So, by all means, set up a DME reservation for your WDW resort check-in date.

DME is a function of your WDW resort reservation, not a function of your flight. It doesn't matter when or how you get to the airport.

The night that your flight arrives at midnight, you could spend the night at the Hyatt in the airport, or at another airport area hotel, or at your Disney resort. The advantage of pushing through to your WDW resort is that you'll wake up at WDW. But unless you're a night person, it could make for an overly long, unpleasant travel day.

If you make a DME reservation for 8:00 a.m. and show up later, it's not a problem. DME guests often show up later than their scheduled flight arrival times. An inbound DME reservation is not a reservation for a specific DME motorcoach departure time.