Magical express - talk me through the process please!!

[Danauk]

OK, I've tried reading other ME threads and I still don't understand exactly what we have to do! We usually hire a car on Disney trips but this time we decided not to as we don't plan to go off site.

So when we collect our cases on the 1st luggage claim do we put them on the 2nd belt to go to the other terminal and then do we have to claim them from the 2nd belt? If we don't get ME tags how do the Disney guys know which cases are ours to be taken to our resort? Or is it best to collect our cases and then go to the ME place and keep the cases with us?

Also where abouts is the ME place located in relation to the place where you collect your luggage for a 2nd time?

Sorry for what is maybe a silly question and thanks for your help!!

 

[epcot1stfave]

If you want them to pick up your bags you will have to put your bags on the 2nd conveyer with the labels Disney will send you. If you dont get the labels before you go you can still put them on the 2nd belt and give Disney your bag claim ticket you got when you checked in at your UK airport, they will then find them for you and transport them as usual
Depending on what time you arrive it can be best to take them with you anyway as it can take 3 hours + to get them to your room.
The ME desk is on the same level as the hire car desks, leve1 B side. It is well sign posted.
We went to AKL last year on ME and we went direct from MCO, not surprizing as we had a 6 hour delay and it was nearly midnight when we checked in but at least they were still running buses. . I think they wont accept bags after 10 PM now.

 

[PaulaSB12]

If you want them to pick up your bags you will have to put your bags on the 2nd conveyer with the labels Disney will send you. If you dont get the labels before you go you can still put them on the 2nd belt and give Disney your bag claim ticket you got when you checked in at your UK airport, they will then find them for you and transport them as usual
Depending on what time you arrive it can be best to take them with you anyway as it can take 3 hours + to get them to your room.
The ME desk is on the same level as the hire car desks, leve1 B side. It is well sign posted.
We went to AKL last year on ME and we went direct from MCO, not surprizing as we had a 6 hour delay and it was nearly midnight when we checked in but at least they were still running buses. . I think they wont accept bags after 10 PM now.

It been mentioned on this board a couple of times that we in the UK will not be getting the luggage tags anymore!!!!!!!!! I have sent an email to find out but I believe if you give them your luggage sticker things they can find them from them, I also intend to get luggage straps with my name on them to help.

 

[wilma-bride]

I was told by Member Services the other day that people from the UK have to actually take their bags with them on Magical express now - not sure how tru/accurate that info was though

 

[gemmybear83]

When you fill in the ME form online it tells you in you confirmation that if you will not get tickets - and if you want to use the luggage transfer service to give your ticket stubs to the cm at the ME desk who will arrange for your luggage to be collected.

 

[Danauk]

Thanks guys, I booked ours over the phone and the CM said we would not get tags (I asked her if we would.) Since I booked over the phone I don't have any confirmation which makes me a bit nervous, but our flight numbers were taken so I guess we are booked on OK.

 

[PaulaSB12]

Got an email back from disney here it is

Dear Paula,

Thank you for contacting the Walt Disney World Resort.

Guests who do not receive their Disney's Magical Express transportation
booklet and luggage tags prior to arrival will still be able to utilize
this service. When you arrive at the Orlando International Airport,
proceed to the Disney Welcome Center located on Level One on the B side
of main terminal. You will not need to claim your luggage. At the
Welcome Center, the Disney representative will ask you for the claim
checks provided to you by the airline when you checked in at your home
airport. Your luggage will be claimed on your behalf and delivered to
your resort room.

So I can still leave disney to get my luggage, I am so looking forward to getting to the GF and staying there.

 

[MrsJobba1]

Got an email back from disney here it is

Dear Paula,

Thank you for contacting the Walt Disney World Resort.

Guests who do not receive their Disney's Magical Express transportation
booklet and luggage tags prior to arrival will still be able to utilize
this service. When you arrive at the Orlando International Airport,
proceed to the Disney Welcome Center located on Level One on the B side
of main terminal. You will not need to claim your luggage. At the
Welcome Center, the Disney representative will ask you for the claim
checks provided to you by the airline when you checked in at your home
airport. Your luggage will be claimed on your behalf and delivered to
your resort room.

So I can still leave disney to get my luggage, I am so looking forward to getting to the GF and staying there.

Im a bit confused - what happens with customs?

 

[Danauk]

You still need to claim your case from the 1st baggage claim after you have gone through immigration and customs. The Disney people will collect your cases from the 2nd baggage claim. At least this is what I am understanding now!!

 

[poppie123]

I'm still confused by it all.

I think i need an idiots step by step guide on getting the Magical Express, i am not looking forward to that part of my trip at all. Well that and filling in them green forms that i have been told i will need to do on the plane.

 

[Tillybud]

omg, this looks complicated

 

[Danauk]

Right I think I understand it now!!
1) Get off plane, go through immigration.
2) Collect bags from 1st baggage claim and proceed through customs.
3) Place bags on 2nd carousel and you go up the escalator and onto the monorail across to the main terminal.
4) Get off the monorail in the main terminal and go to Disney Welcome Centre which is on floor 1 of the B side of the main terminal (follow the signs)
5) When you get there give the ME people the luggage receipt tags that you will have been given in when you checked in at your UK airport (the things they usually staple to the wallet thing they give you with your boarding passes in.)
6) ME people go and claim your bags whilst you get on the ME bus and go to your resort.
7) A few hours later your bags will appear in your hotel room.

If you have been to Orlando airport before I guess it will make more sense. If you haven't you need to know that when you land at Orlando you land at the international terminal where you have to claim your cases. Then as you have landed in the international part of the terminal you have to catch a monorail over to the main airport building. To save you having to drag all your cases/bags etc onto the monorail there is a carousel to put your luggage on which then transports the luggage over to the main terminal. Which is why you need the claim your bags for a 2nd time (or you don't if you are using ME) You can, if you choose to not put your luggage on the 2nd carousel and take your luggage onto the monorail with you which illiminates the 2nd baggage claim. If you choose to do this ME will just load your cases onto the bus you get on to and you will claim them when you get off the bus and take them to your room when you check in.

 

[scarletlancer]

You can, if you choose to not put your luggage on the 2nd carousel and take your luggage onto the monorail with you which illiminates the 2nd baggage claim. If you choose to do this ME will just load your cases onto the bus you get on to and you will claim them when you get off the bus and take them to your room when you check in.

Is this correct? While it may be a bit of a pain to lug the cases onto the monorail, weighed against the waiting around for the second pickup, I think it could be the lesser of two evils. I always thought that the second carousel was obligatory.

 

[Danauk]

Is this correct? While it may be a bit of a pain to lug the cases onto the monorail, weighed against the waiting around for the second pickup, I think it could be the lesser of two evils. I always thought that the second carousel was obligatory.

Recently there have been many reports on the UK boards about people being able to take their luggage onto the monorail with them and not having to use the 2nd carousel any more. You just need to be able to get all your cases/bags up the escalator with you.

 

[PaulaSB12]

I'm still confused by it all.

I think i need an idiots step by step guide on getting the Magical Express, i am not looking forward to that part of my trip at all. Well that and filling in them green forms that i have been told i will need to do on the plane.

If you think that is bad try going through immigration at Moscow when you don't speak Russian!! Got sent back because got the form right then marched to the front of the row to go through!

 

[scarletlancer]

Recently there have been many reports on the UK boards about people being able to take their luggage onto the monorail with them and not having to use the 2nd carousel any more. You just need to be able to get all your cases/bags up the escalator with you.

Thanks for the reply, I wasn't doubting you by the way, I have just never known that this was possible

 

[Elise79]

If you are flying with Virgin they have their own baggage belt on Level 1 side A right by the car hire desks.

We dropped our luggage on the second carosel this time as we couldn't manage it with having DD. It worked really well as we went and got our hire car sorted and by the time we had done the paperwork with Dollar our bags were going round! Made life a lot easier as we hadn't had to lug it on the monorail and didn't have to wait for it before sorting the car

 

[jockey]

Do we get nothing in the post now, not even a voucher?

 

[marbella_chris]

i would hold onto your luggage if i was you.

our last visit we used magical express, and they lost our bags, we had tagged them before with the magical express luggag cards, gave them to the guys at the second belt, and was told we'll see them in our room at beach club villas.

6 hours later, they had not arrived, and got concerned as we had a 5 month old baby with us and lots of his stuff was in those bags.

to say that disney were clueless about the process for international travellers would be an understatement. the shift manager at beach club and bell services manager had not idea about what the uk clients have to do, (claim bag, go thru immigration, hand it back at 2nd belt) until we took the magical express ticket booklet to show them that explained the process they were meant to understand.

they panicked and sent staff off to local supermarkets to get hold of baby milk formula, nappies for his size, etc (which was superb of them to do this i admit)

they eventually found the bags at the airport which had gone to the wrong belt, and had been going round for hours (how they lost them i dont know)

so we got our bags at 11.30pm after an arrival and 4pm.

my advice is keep the bags with you.

 

[BingsingsWaltDisney]

Can someone please post the link to magical express reservations...ta...