Magical Express reviews please

[fizz13]

Hi everyone,
I had originally booked a towncar for our trip in August but starting to think thats $120 I would rather spend elsewhere. So would like to get a uk perspective on what you thought of ME if you have used it. How did you find check-in procedure at MCO? did you have to wait ages on the bus? let me know it all, good and bad.
Basically, did it take so long you were totally frustrated or was it better than you expected? many thanks

 

[wifey]

Our experience of it back in '07 was very good it was efficient and friendly and even dropping of guests at a couple of other hotels doesn't take long.
They work out which driver will go where and on what routes before you even land. It was fairly seedy compared to other shuttle buses we've used from Sanford which can be much longer journeys and some of them didn't seem organised which is why ME was a pleasure to use from MCO.
All of the cases fitted neatly underneath the bus and there was plenty of room for folding wheelchairs and strollers and everything was secured with special cargo strapping to stop it moving in transit.
The driver played DVDs of old Mickey and Donald and Chip and Dale cartoons for the kids who didn't moan once about when was the bus getting to the hotel
Although the whole procedure for getting your cases and crossing the airport from one side to the other has since changed from when we were last there I think it's a good service, The only advantage I can think of for using a town car is some of them include a grocery stop so you can pick up essentials for your stay but the Hess station at DTD (behind PH) also has groceries so it's really up to you

 

[comingtodisney]

we used me last year with no problems, on the way to the hotel it was just a mears coach but no problems dropped off at our resort first. on our return to the airport it was the me coach, driver showed some clips on the tv's, but also did a quiz about wdw. from us.

 

[gemmybear83]

Leaving the airport was very good, there were no queues and we were the first to be dropped of at Pop. We enjoyed watching the video on the bus and our bus driver was really friendly. We took the our cases on the bus with us so I have no experience with the luggage service.

On the way home we had some confusion as we had extended our holiday by an extra the day the week before we left and they didnt seem to be able to move us onto a bus the next day. I phoned the call centre, and ended up getting the hotel concierge to sort it out. We were meant to have the pick up time put through our hotel door and it wasnt so we were told to meet at the ME pick up point 4 hours before our flight and get the next bus. When the next bus turned up the driver refused to let us on without paperwork - but we filled it in on the spot and were allowed on. The bus was a Mears bus with no video and a rude bus driver.

Both times the buses were only half filled.

Although we had a stressful journey on the way home, we are using ME again, and I think we only had this complication because we booked an extra night hotel accomodation at short notice.

 

[bod diddy]

It's a free bus straight to your resort, why wouldn't you use it?

 

[Lizzy Lemon]

We used it in 2007, check in at MCO was quick and we boarded the bus straight away, left after about 15 minutes and were last to be dropped off the bus. We had our luggage tranported separately and it arrived about 3 hours after us, return journey we had to leave hotel at 2pm, waited at another hotel about 20 minutes for passengers and then a very quick journey to airport. Too early a pick up for my liking really. We are using a taxi next week as we are stopping at US 1st before moving to Disney so have paid a little extra to have the return journey included so we can spend a little longer in WDW on departure day.

 

[Cinderella2006]

We have saved a lot of money by deciding to do ME in august. Originally we would of needed a 7 seater van, there are 5 of us but we also have a stroller and cases so there is no way we would all fit in a standard car! This would of cost £350 for the fortnight.

We have now booked ourself on ME and have an intermediate car for 10 nights in between our stay from Disney's Car Center at the cost of £170. Money saved will go towards tickets to Universal

Is it signposted where to catch the ME?

 

[fizz13]

Thankyou for your answers, it all sounds quite positive and i am definitely swaying that way now.

It's a free bus straight to your resort, why wouldn't you use it?

I will do my best to explain. and this is purely a personal response. When I land at MCO I am absolutely desperate to get to WDW. I have been on a plane for maybe 9 hours, gone through security, I just want to get there. And especially when i am doing an adult only trip i am in a hurry to get to a park on my arrival day, yes really! i love the convenience of my driver being right there by baggage claim, he will lift the cases off for me, the car is right outside, I can have a grocery stop if I want it, which can save me money in comparision to disney prices, think 10 bottled waters at disney prices compared to Walmart and i know that basically I will be in disney 30 minutes from baggage to check in.
With magical express I am reliant on the length of check in line at the counter, waiting for a bus to show, waiting for that bus to fill, possibly 3 other hotel stops and the possibility of my bag not showing up (agreed with an international flight you have your bag with you on the coach, but i am flying via chicago so will be domestic and i can use the luggage tags). I will also be arriving at my hotel with sevral other guests all wanting to check in at the same time, hence a longer process overall, all delaying me getting to the magic.
This trip I am particularly aware i am pushing for time as I arrive on my birthday. i land at 5:43pm. I am only eligable to pick up my birthday gift card on the actual day and it has to be at a theme park. The latest opening park that night is MK, until 10pm. Magical Express estimates that i should arrive from landing to door in about 70 to 90 minutes. That would put me at Pop for 7:15pm, I then have to wait my turn to check in, get bus to MK, find guest relations. I reckon i will get to MK about 8:30pm, and that is if everything goes as it should. With a towncar I reckon i could shave a half hour off that, and i wont be arriving with the masses at Pop. It would be nice to not only get to MK but to see Spectro and Wishes that night too. which are at 9pm and 10pm. And its my birthday so I want to soak up as much magic as I have time for that night.

I totally agree that all that sounds slightly crazy, over the top, OCD, and yes i probably ambut you did ask, thats why it is important to me this trip and thats why i asked for reviews. And thats why i would be willing to part with $120, if it means I get more magic on my birthday then it is possibly worth it.

 

[Nubbedy]

IMHO Claire, you are in effect then paying $120 for your birthday gift card, by booking the towncar to get you there earlier. Not used ME myself before, but are doing so in Aug, and have saved £150 by only hiring car for end of holiday. I'm sure 90 mins MCO to Pop on ME is a worst case scenario, and it wont really be that bad. Still it's your birthday, your holiday, your choice - hope you have a fab time.

 

[fizz13]

IMHO Claire, you are in effect then paying $120 for your birthday gift card, by booking the towncar to get you there earlier. Not used ME myself before, but are doing so in Aug, and have saved £150 by only hiring car for end of holiday. I'm sure 90 mins MCO to Pop on ME is a worst case scenario, and it wont really be that bad. Still it's your birthday, your holiday, your choice - hope you have a fab time.

I hear you Sara, I agree, I am paying for my own birthday gift card Thats why i have been swaying about the whole thing, is it really worth the $120? its not just about the gift card, I have used towncars my last 4 trips, i love the reliability and speed of them, I like beating the bus and the check in line. But my gut is telling me to just go with ME and get over myself
I knew i would come off sounding a bit nutty, it is nutty to tell ya the truth, just thought I would try and explain it

 

[Stitch's Greatest Fa]

Hello we used ME last year and wished we had used it before, thought it was great! No waiting around at baggage reclaim or at the car rental. We got straight on the bus, 2 hours later our cases joined us in our room and the next day we had a rental car waiting for us at the Alamo depot in the Dolphin - brilliant!

 

[DisneyJo]

Claire I've used ME several times and it's always been a quick service. The longest I've waited at check in was just a few families so maybe 3-4 minutes and once we waited 10 minutes on the bus. Personally I would use it but then I'm tight and hate spending money

 

[paulh]

Claire if your late arivieng any way ME or not you can still get your gift card from DTD guest relations before pumpkin time sounds
Paulh

 

[fizz13]

Claire if your late arivieng any way ME or not you can still get your gift card from DTD guest relations before pumpkin time sounds
Paulh

Really?? Are you sure?? Did they change the rules then? if then did then that is good news as a backup. It was just my understanding that the gift card was offered as an alternative to a 1 day admission to the theme park on that day only, and was only offered if you already had park tickets in place, therefore you had to get it from a theme park, there was a big debate about this one a while ago, and while they softened the rules of the gift card to allow you to use it beyond that actual birthday and then into DTD, i thought it could only be got at one of the parks.
I could well be wrong, they did seem to keep moving the goal posts around on this one but thankyou for letting me know

 

[bod diddy]

What is the world coming to?

 

[jockey]

If I were you I would use ME, use the $120 to buy yourself something nice along with your giftcard! We have used ME twice this year and it's been great, very speedy from airport to hotel in less than 1 hr. It has taken the bags up to 3 hrs to arrive but this has never been as issue!

 

[Cinderella2006]

If I were you I would use ME, use the $120 to buy yourself something nice along with your giftcard! We have used ME twice this year and it's been great, very speedy from airport to hotel in less than 1 hr. It has taken the bags up to 3 hrs to arrive but this has never been as issue!

Is it sign posted well? I have not got a clue what to do when we get off the plane! I am a ME virgin ... that is until next month

 

[amystevekai&bump]

Claire - I don't think your nuts (but then I have been known to be a little crazy myself!!)

In fact, I had planned to use Magical Express for the first time next year (we normally hire a car) - now that you have mentioned the town car idea with the grocery shop - I actually might change my mind to that now!!

 

[starrysky]

Is it sign posted well? I have not got a clue what to do when we get off the plane! I am a ME virgin ... that is until next month

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2221814&highlight=magical+express

Ok look at post 5 and it gives you a pretty good idea of where to go. Ignore the suff about yellow tags as we in the UK do not get those. Hope that gives you a better Idea. We are ME virgins as well until Aug but I think having read that I feel a little bit better.

 

[wideeyes]

We did it last september - we went to All Stars Music, no queues when checking in, waited about 15minuts for a bus and went straight to the resort. didn't seem like along time at all.

I will use it again as its free!!