Magical Express questions

[shocker]

Are you allowed to eat on the bus? We've never used the service and our plane lands at 5:15pm. Ideally I would grab food at the airport and claim my bus seat then casually eat dinner while we wait for others to board, drive time, and stops at other locations, then when we arrive we'll be fueled up and ready for fun. Will this work?

My departing plane leaves at 8:15am. What time will they ask me to board the bus to return to the airport? Is that a different time than my luggage will have to be ready by or will my luggage and me be on the same bus (unlike when we arrived)?

Any other suggestions for a first time user of the program is appreciated.

 

[justplaingoofy]

Sorry, I don't have the answer about the food... That sounds like a great idea We are arriving around 11:30a, and might consider grabbing some lunch to take with us.

but, which airline are you flying on?

if you are flying on a "participating" airline on your departure day you can go down to the resort airline check in counter and check in for your flight, they will give you your boarding passes, and they will check your luggage. That way you just jump on the Magical Express bus (usually about 3hrs prior to your flight departure). Then, when you get to MCO you bypass the ticket counter and go directly to security. Since you are going to have extra time at the airport I would probably grab a bite to eat there.

If you are not flying on a participating airline the bus will still pick you up about 3hrs prior to flight departure, and you will bring your bags to the bus. They will be on the bottom of the bus. Once the bus arrives at MCO you will retreive your bags and bring them to the ticket counter where they will give you a bag tag and print your boarding passes.

 

[Vijoge]

No food allowed on the DME bus.

 

[justplaingoofy]

No food allowed on the DME bus.

bummer

 

[goofy4tink]

You are not allowed to eat on the DME buses. You can either stop and grab a bite to eat at the airport or wait until you get to your resort.
If your flight departs from MCO at 8:15 am, you will be picked up around 5:15ish. Even if you are flying on one of the participating airlines (Airtran,Alaska, American, Continental, Delta, Jetblue, Northwest, United) you have to be done with your baggage checking process no later than 3 hrs before flight departure. And because the RAC desk doesn't open until 5, you could have an issue. You may want to check with the RAC desk the day before you leave the resort to see what they advise.
If you aren't able to check your luggage at the resort, then just take your luggage with you to the DME bus stop. Be at the bus stop about 15 mins before your appointed time..you don't want to miss the bus. There may not be another one for awhile. Your luggage will go underneath the bus you are on and handed off to you when you reach the airport.

 

[seashoreCM]

I often get lunch in the airport first thing upon arrival (flight arriving around noon) and eat it before going to the ME welcoming area or rental car area.

You can always ask for and get an earlier time back to the airport (ask at least a day before checkout). Then get your food at the airport inside security.

Being in the RAC baggage check line does not count as being punctual for your Magical Express bus home. If T-15 and counting comes and you are still in the baggage line, then abort RAC and bring your baggage tot he bus.

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

 

[aubriee]

No food allowed on the DME bus.

Definitely no food is allowed on the DME bus. I was just down there (May 3rd-10th). When I was getting on the bus May 3rd there was a family ahead of me that had Burger King sacks and sodas. The driver told them they had to dump the sodas and were not to eat their hamburgers while on the bus. Once he got on the bus and we took off, he made the announcement to everyone, "No eating or dinking please".