Magical Express

[Disneytwinz]

My husband and I will be flying for the first time to Orlando this May. We'll be using Magical Express to and from the resort. I'm curious how much time will we need to leave Disney World to get back to the airport?

 

[tjmw2727]

You will be scheduled for pick up by DME - a note will arrive the day prior with your scheduled motor coach time. It will be approx 3 hours before your flight leaves.

TJ

 

[jordancej]

You will leave on the ME 3 hours before your flight time. Have a Great trip!!

 

[judykay53]

You are suppose to get your pick up time in an envelope hanging on your door (I hate to see those cause it means your leaving I don't know at what time of the day you should receive it. On our last two trips, when I returned to the room the night before departure I had not received anything. I just called ME and they gave my exact pick up time over the phone. When I got up the next morning, my envelope had "magically" appeared. I think it had something to do with the fact that we had departed from a different resort than we had arrived to. When we did not change resorts, it was there.

 

[Brenle]

You can also opt to leave on an earlier or later bus than the one arranged 3 hours before your flight. We found this out during our last stay at SSR.

 

[CleveRocks]

You can also opt to leave on an earlier or later bus than the one arranged 3 hours before your flight. We found this out during our last stay at SSR.

You can try to change your reservation, but if you just choose to get on a different bus you can inadvertantly cause big problems for other people.

If the bus is slated to be full, and you unilaterally choose to get on that bus, you are taking the place of others assigned to that bus. They will be stressed and upset that they can't get on their bus and get to the airport on time.

Not your intentions, but a possible result nonetheless.

One of the weaknesses of the DME is that there are no DME representatives at the resorts. There is no one there in charge and in-the-know regarding DME. And the Bell Services and front desk CMs are notorious for their incorrect DME information. The CM at SSR who told you you can catch any MCO-bound bus you want is a great example.

 

[tjmw2727]

You can also opt to leave on an earlier or later bus than the one arranged 3 hours before your flight. We found this out during our last stay at SSR.

This isn't completely correct, although I don't doubt you could have been told this by bell services. (Who have nothing to do with DME).

DME will assign you to a specific bus approximately three hours before your flight and that is the only bus you have a reservation for. You could give DME a different flight time and "fudge" your departure time but you are taking a big risk arriving less than 2 hours prior to your flight in Orlando.

You can't just "hop" on a DME bus back to the airport as that could cause others to loose the seats they were assigned to. In addition the DME buses don't come every 1/2 hour - they only stop at a particular resort if a guest has a reservation for that bus. So if you miss your bus there may not be another for an hour or more.

On our last trip a family was trying to board an earlier bus and the driver could not accomodate them as his bus was full. Imagine if they were trying to board a later bus, they would risk missing the flight.

TJ

 

[seashoreCM]

You can opt for an earlier Magical Express bus back to the airport provided you make any needed adjustment at least a day in advance. You will get a new confirmation and need to be ready to board 15 minutes before that bus, same as the case with your original reservation. (You can choose your bus time back upon original arrival into Orlando since this scheduling is also done at the welcoming area.)

You may never choose a later ME bus back to the airport than what you are assigned based on the flight information you gave. You willl still be accommodated, as a stand by.

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

 

[CleveRocks]

the DME buses don't come every 1/2 hour - they only stop at a particular resort if a guest has a reservation for that bus. So if you miss your bus there may not be another for an hour or more.

Excellent point to get across to Brenle and others.

DME buses are scheduled for pick-ups at 30 minute intervals, but only if there are reservations! For example, let's say your resorts DME pick-ups occur at :10 and :40 after the hour. Let's say your assigned pick-up time is 1:10 p.m. for a 4:00 p.m. flight. Let's say you figure you can make it back to the airport on-time if you try to catch the 2:10 p.m. bus. The problem is that there might not be a 2:10 p.m. bus. If no one at your resort using DME has a flight departing MCO between 4:55 p.m. and 5:25 p.m., then guess what -- no bus will be chugging in to pick you up!

The next chance at a DME bus pick-up would then be at 2:40 p.m. Let's say you're "lucky" and there is a 2:40 p.m. bus and there's room for you. At the very very best, if the bus leaves exactly at 2:40 p.m. and you're lucky because it makes no other resort stops, the very soonest you'd arrive at MCO would be 3:10 p.m. If you have to check luggage, you are only 5 minutes from most airlines' baggage acceptance deadline. And then you'd have to make it through security, etc. But like I said, if the bus leaves a few minutes late or stops at other resorts, you're in deep doo-doo.

Just trying to show why you don't want to mess with trying to take a later DME bus, even if not wanting to mess other people up doesn't matter to you.

 

[Brenle]

Excellent point to get across to Brenle and others.


Just trying to show why you don't want to mess with trying to take a later DME bus, even if not wanting to mess other people up doesn't matter to you.

The last thing I would want to do is "mess other people up" becuase that does matter to me. And I certainly didn't mean to imply great for me, so sorry for you. Also, apparently you can't take the word of every CM you speak to.

 

[localdriver]

Also, apparently you can't take the word of every CM you speak to.

This is true, the Bell staff at most resorts have NO IDEA how DME really works.

 

[CleveRocks]

The last thing I would want to do is "mess other people up" becuase that does matter to me. And I certainly didn't mean to imply great for me, so sorry for you.

I didn't mean to imply that about you at all. Actually, in the post where I mentioned your name, I was trying to help people realize that they might mess THEMSELVES up by assuming there will definitely be a later bus that culd get them back to the airport on time.

 

[goofy4tink]

Bell services, and front desk, will routinely give incorrect DME info. Just call DME directly. Now, it can still be hard to get a different time assigned to you. I've done it and I had to practically promise them my first born child in order to get on a later bus!!! If It had been my second born, I would have taken the offer though!!!

 

[A's Princess]

Be sure to be at the DME bus stop a few minutes before your scheduled pick-up time. We were slated for a 1:50 pick-up and the bus came at 1:40! Luckily the valet had just brought out our luggage. We were at the airport in plenty of time to stand in line at security

 

[kaytieeldr]

Good advice! Actually, Magical Express "recommends" that passengers should be waiting for their assigned bus fifteen minutes before its scheduled time.