Magical express questions

[mickeys friend]

What do people do that use the magical express and when its time for them to depart the resort and their airline company isn't one of the ones that Disney had listed?Do they have to find their own way back to the airport to go home or will they take guest that fly on any airline?I will be using US Airways and the last time I read anything about what airlines Disney were using,US Airways was not one of them.I know that they said they were going to add more airlines,but just wondering because we will be traveling with 6 adults and 1 child and like to have everything arranged before we leave.

 

[airjoe]

You can still use DME. However you cannot check your luggage at the resort.

 

[aubriee]

When I was there in May, my bus back to the airport left around 3:00pm. It wasn't even 1/3 full. I was one of the few people on it that was using one of the listed airlines (American). Most of them were using one that wasn't on the list. It was no problem. Whereas I had dropped my bags off early that morning and got a boarding pass and didn't ever see my bags again until I landed in Dallas that night, the people on the bus that were not using a listed carrier had stored their luggage for the day and had to get them from luggage services prior to getting on the bus. They then had to give them to the bus driver and the CM helping him, to put under the bus. At the airport whereas I just got off the bus and walked straight in, the other people had to wait a few moments for the bus driver to unlock and get their luggage. They then had to carry their own bags inside inside and check them.

 

[judydvc]

Our airline was US Air and we used ME. Everything went ok. The day before check out we received letters with our pick up time and information. Actually, yesterday at this time we were on the ME bus!

 

[chanty]

Where can we find the list?

Chantal

 

[LisaS]

The only place I've been able to find the list is at a website for people attending business meetings at a Disney resort. I don't know why they don't have this info on the main Disney web site... Anyway here is the link and I've also cut and pasted the relevant info from that link.

http://disneymeetings.disney.go.com/dwm/services/detail?name=DMEPlannerFAQDetailPage#C4Q1


Q: What is the Resort Airline Check-in Service?

A: This service allows Guests to check luggage and receive airline boarding passes at their Disney Resort. At this time, remote check-in service is only available for guests flying domestically on the following airlines: American, Continental, Delta (including Song), and United (including Ted). Additional airlines may be added at a later date.

 

[clkelley]

Just another note. Even if your flight is on one of these airlines, if your flight is before 10am, you can't use the service. The desk is only open from 6am till 2pm. You have to get your boarding pass and board Magical Express about 3 hours before your flight, AND the maximum is 12 hours before your flight, so even if you went to the desk at 2pm the day before with your luggage, you can't use the service.

Also, just to repeat, ANY Disney resort guest can use the Bus Service if they handle their own luggage.

Carol

 

[cabowser]

We were on USAIR and we had to get to the airport and print out our boarding passes too and check our bags. But ME got us there in plenty of time. I think that the system is working pretty well for such a high volume of people and luggage being put through it.

Jan

 

[CleveRocks]

Disney has to do something to clear up all the confusion that's out there. The term "participating airline" makes it sound like you can't use DME if you're airline isn't on that list. Nothing could be further from the truth.

DME has 2 parts in each direction: bus ride, and luggage handling.

ARRIVAL:
Bus ride: EVERYONE gets a ride to their WDW resorts
Luggage handling: EVERYONE has their luggage handled for them (magically appears in their hotel rooms).

DEPARTURE:
Bus ride: EVERYONE gets a ride from their WDW resorts to the airport
Luggage handling: Most people have to take their own luggage on the bus with them and then check-in at the airport like for any normal flight. People on participating airlines get to check their luggage at the hotel and then don't see it again until they arrive at their home airport; those same people also get to actually check-in for their flight at the hotel rather than at the airport.

-- Eric

 

[goofy4tink]

Maybe they should reword it something like this...."and are you flying one of these airlines...a, b, c, d airlines,...you can get your boarding pass right at your resort and check your baggage from there, rather than at the airport, then join other guests as they board the DME bus back to the airport. Not using one of those airlines? No problem. Just take your luggage on the bus with you for your return trip to the airport!' Perhaps that would help. That whole 'participating airline' phrase seems to be a huge stumbling block for people!!

 

[cmm]

The only thing I didn't like was leaving so early to go back to the airport. We left POFQ at 6:30 am and picked up some other passengers at Key West. We got to the airport at 7:10 am and our flight was not until 9:40 am. I think they were way too cautious about the amount of time it takes to get to the airport. I could have used that extra 1/2 hour of sleep!

 

[Tamar]

Anyone know how they can pick up your luggage for you (on arrival) when you're not on a "participating airline"? I think this is wonderful, but we're on Sun Country this fall, which is a pretty small carrier, and the last thing I want is to spend the first few days of my vacation without my luggage....so just need some assurance.

Thanks!

 

[localdriver]

The only place I've been able to find the list is at a website for people attending business meetings at a Disney resort. I don't know why they don't have this info on the main Disney web site... Anyway here is the link and I've also cut and pasted the relevant info from that link.

http://disneymeetings.disney.go.com/dwm/services/detail?name=DMEPlannerFAQDetailPage#C4Q1


Q: What is the Resort Airline Check-in Service?

A: This service allows Guests to check luggage and receive airline boarding passes at their Disney Resort. At this time, remote check-in service is only available for guests flying domestically on the following airlines: American, Continental, Delta (including Song), and United (including Ted). Additional airlines may be added at a later date.

According to the latest video shown on DME coaches the airline list includes Northwest and JetBlue. (added to the above listed airlines available to you for resort check-in, lugagge handling, and obtaining boarding passes for your return trip.)

 

[LisaS]

Anyone know how they can pick up your luggage for you (on arrival) when you're not on a "participating airline"? I think this is wonderful, but we're on Sun Country this fall, which is a pretty small carrier, and the last thing I want is to spend the first few days of my vacation without my luggage....so just need some assurance.

Thanks!

When arriving into MCO, the luggage handling works the same for every airline. Disney will mail you special yellow Magical Express luggage tag strips that you will attach around the handle of your luggage. Those tags are preprinted with your name, the name of the resort where you are staying, and a bar code. There are luggage handlers working behind the scenes at MCO watching out for those special yellow tags. When a Magical Express-tagged bag is unloaded from a flight, rather than send the bag to the baggage claim carousel it is set aside to be loaded onto a truck heading to the Disney resorts.

There have been some problems in these first weeks of the Magical Express service with people not getting those special tags in time for their trip. In this case, their bags are not recognizable as ME-destined bags so they end up on the baggage claim carousels. People can either retrieve their bags themselves in this case and take them to the ME bus, or they can describe their bags and give their baggage claim tickets to the CMs at the ME check-in desk and the ME CMs will get your bags from the baggage claim carousel and see that the bags are sent to the baggage delivery trucks.

So again, when you are inbound to MCO/WDW, it doesn't matter what airline you are using -- everything works the same for everyone. It's only on your return to MCO at the end of your stay that there is any difference. People flying a participating airline can check their bags at their resort and check in for the flight and get their boarding passes at their resort. Their bags will be taken by truck to the airport and all the passengers need to do when arriving at the airport is head straight to security and then to the gate. If you are flying a non-participating airline, you will take your bags with you on the ME bus to the airport and you will check your bags and check in for your flight as you normally would.