Magical Express Question

[Disney_Queen34]

We are staying at Old Key West in August and are flying in on Midwest Airlines. Can we still take the Magical Express transfer? I know that we can't get our bags sent by Disney that we would have to carry them ourselves (I'd feel better carrying it myself anyway).

 

[localdriver]

We are staying at Old Key West in August and are flying in on Midwest Airlines. Can we still take the Magical Express transfer? I know that we can't get our bags sent by Disney that we would have to carry them ourselves (I'd feel better carrying it myself anyway).

A bit confused on your question. All guests, regardless of airline can use ME, on arrivals, and take advantage of the luggage transfer IF you make the required reservations with DIS.

On your return, you will need to bring your luggage to the coach for loading, as Midwest is not, currently, a participating Airline for remote resort check in
for luggage.

 

[Disney_Queen34]

So I will need to call Disney to set this up right? And the only difference by taking a non-participating airline is that I have to lug my bags to the bus myself?

 

[cra-z-4-dizney]

So I will need to call Disney to set this up right?

Yes...

And the only difference by taking a non-participating airline is that I have to lug my bags to the bus myself?

Only on your return trip...on the way there, Disney will grab your luggage for you and it will be delivered to your room a couple hours later.

 

[seashoreCM]

If you want to, you can lug your bags yourself both ways. To do this going to Disney, just don't use the luggage tags they send you.

Reservations must be made 10 days in advance. Actually 21 days in advance is suggested otherwise you must lug your bags yourself if the tags don't arrive in the mail in time.

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

 

[CleveRocks]

If you want to, you can lug your bags yourself both ways. To do this going to Disney, just don't use the luggage tags they send you.

I'm not directing this at you, SeashoreCM ....

I'll be very, very annoyed if my trip to my resort is delayed because rude people decide they don't want anyone else handling their checked bags and take them to the DME bus themselves. This will be unnecessarily delaying EVERY OTHER PERSON ON THE BUS. It's not like your bags weren't just handled by strangers at your originating airport and at MCO! People who are going to slow things down by purposely deciding to haul their own checked luggage should just stay off DME and let the rest of us enjoy a very nice complimentary service.

-- Eric

 

[kkmauch]

I'm not directing this at you, SeashoreCM ....

I'll be very, very annoyed if my trip to my resort is delayed because rude people decide they don't want anyone else handling their checked bags and take them to the DME bus themselves. This will be unnecessarily delaying EVERY OTHER PERSON ON THE BUS. It's not like your bags weren't just handled by strangers at your originating airport and at MCO! People who are going to slow things down by purposely deciding to haul their own checked luggage should just stay off DME and let the rest of us enjoy a very nice complimentary service.

-- Eric

I can see your point...but I have to disagree with you in certain circumstances. For instance, my brother will be meeting me in WDW part way through my trip. He has a tee time about 3 hours after he lands. To be sure his clubs arrive in time for his tee time, he will be taking his clubs with him on the ME bus. I don't think this is unreasonable.

 

[CleveRocks]

I can see your point...but I have to disagree with you in certain circumstances. For instance, my brother will be meeting me in WDW part way through my trip. He has a tee time about 3 hours after he lands. To be sure his clubs arrive in time for his tee time, he will be taking his clubs with him on the ME bus. I don't think this is unreasonable.

Got me there.
HOWEVER, if the system works such that the buses are assigned specific individuals and the bus waits for those individuals, your brother would be purposely delaying everyone else for his own selfish purpose. Everyone else would be sitting on the bus waiting while he waits at baggage claim. That's clearly not cool. In such an example, he should arrange a later tee time, pay for a private ride that can accommodate his schedule, or meet up with his party at the 4th tee.

Of course, if the buses are not assigned specific people, then his waiting at baggage claim is on him, and he would just board the next available bus for his "zone." I wouldn't think it would be a tremendous delay for one guy to have one bag in the bottom of the bus.


I'm really not trying to be "snippy" with this, I'm just following ideas to their conclusions. I hope you and he have a magical time.

-- Eric

 

[DrTomorrow]

Hee hee hee. I always figured that the Transportation Board would be one of the few places that remained full of pixie dust. Wrong again.

As for the "selfishness" of handling your own baggage: if Disney permits it as an official part of the DME package, and all guests are allowed to do so, then there's no "selfishness" involved. There's nothing different between that and having to wait at 3 other resorts before you get to yours; people are just using the service as advertised. There's already going to be a lot of folks with carry-ons (just like on cruises, you never know when your luggage will arrive in your (state)room) - and anyone who's flying a non-participating airline will be schlepping their bags back to the airport. Plus, although this is "free" now, I suspect that, if it works as planned, there will be a charge once the HCOE is over; if so, then it will be even less appropriate to suggest that folks re-arrange their schedules based on others using DME.

However, if toting your own luggage is NOT a legal option, then I agree that someone who insists on it is in the wrong.

Be well!

 

[Lewisc]

I really think this is going to be a VERY SMALL problem. The vast majority of the guest look forward to NOT having to go through baggage claim. If your baggage claim in the the wrong side of the airport you'll have to lug it all the way across the airport.

The system will never work if Disney holds the buses for specific guests. A number of guests may stop at the food court, restaurant or airport shops before going to the Disney Welcome Center.

 

[CleveRocks]

As for the "selfishness" of handling your own baggage: if Disney permits it as an official part of the DME package, and all guests are allowed to do so, then there's no "selfishness" involved. There's nothing different between that and having to wait at 3 other resorts before you get to yours; people are just using the service as advertised.

RIGHT! The service as advertised is it's relatively fast because there's no waiting for luggage ("magical" because your luggage "appears" at your resort, "express" because it's by design faster and more efficient than waiting for luggage). I can't agree with your analogy between taking checked luggage and stopping at 3 other resorts as "selfish" because it is set up as a (luggage-less) shared ride system. Disney set up the system that buses stop at up to 4 resorts. A more proper analogy might be if there were a specific dedicated Caribbean Beach Resort bus (which there is not) and someone got on and asked "pretty please" if the bus could drop them off at a different resort first. THAT would be selfish. But if my resort is the 4th out of 4, oh well, luck of the draw, it wasn't because of choices made by the other people assigned to my bus. I know it's not perfect and personalized, and that I could pay someone else for that type of treatment. I just want the system to work optimally, "as advertised."

-- Eric

 

[CarnotaurDad]

Does anyone know how this would work if you spent the first night at an airport hotel? That is, would it be allowable if you:

* Arrive late the night before. Pick up your bags and stay at airport hotel.
* Go back to airport with bags the next morning.
* Get on ME.

Is this allowed?

Thanks in advance!

 

[CleveRocks]

CarnotaurDad, I have no idea about the answer to your question, but I'm just commenting on your description of your location. I lived on America's North Coast for three years, and I haven't even thought of that expression since I moved away 7 years ago.

I'll hazard a pure and total guess to your question. I think the whole genesis of DME was Disney trying to keep as much money as possible spent on Disney property. That is, if you don't spend money on a towncar service (or Mears), if you don't make a grcoery stop, if you don't have a rental car to easily go to outside restaurants and attractions, then they'll get more of your money. If you stay at the airport for a night, you're giving some money to someone else, and following this logic, Disney wouldn't want to support you spending money elsewhere.

-- Eric

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Does anyone know how this would work if you spent the first night at an airport hotel? That is, would it be allowable if you:

* Arrive late the night before. Pick up your bags and stay at airport hotel.
* Go back to airport with bags the next morning.
* Get on ME.

Is this allowed?

My guess is that you'd be fine. It shouldn't matter how you arrive at MCO. Instead of arriving by airplane, you'd be arriving on your airport hotel's shuttle (after flying into MCO the day before).

You would have to drag your luggage to the Disney Welcome Center, where they would check it onto a luggage truck to your WDW resort hotel. (Don't put your Magical Express luggage tags onto your luggage at your home airport.) In some ways, you would be similar to international guests who must first pass through U.S. Customs at MCO.

In any case, all Magical Express passengers need advance reservations. So call whomever handled your WDW resort reservations (your TA or CRO or DVC) and talk to them about it. If you don't like the answer that the agent gives to you (there are unfortunatley still plenty of Disney people who are misinformed about the details of Magical Express), ask to speak with a supervisor. For example, if an agent insists on linking your Magical Express reservation to your flight the previous day rather that to your expected walk-in time on the day you're headed to WDW, talk to someone else.

Of course, I could be mistaken about Magical Express and walk-in passengers.

But here's another idea...

I had a late flight arrival and one night at an airport hotel booked for a WDW vacation later this year. After Magical Express was announced, I cancelled the airport hotel reservation and moved my WDW resort hotel arrival to one day earlier. Now we'll wake up in WDW rather than having to spend the morning moving from the airport hotel to our WDW resort, and then not getting our room until as late as 4:00 p.m.