Magical Express

[princessbee]

I love ME! It's just a great way to start the trip--as soon as you get off the plane, you know your vacation has begun. I don't even mind waiting in the bus, since they play music from various rides and it's fun trying to guess some of the more obscure ones. The drivers I've had both times I've used ME have been wonderful, as well. I also really love the little film that is shown during the ride--it makes me smile.

 

[Coach81]

ME= Da Bomb!

 

[Robin K]

We have used the ME all 3 times we have gone to WDW. We personally love it. We are directionally challenged people so we love having someone who knows where they are going to be the one driving.
We love not dealing with luggage, traffic, getting lost etc. It just feels like a "grand vacation" when you have someone to drive you around. They play a little dvd with characters to make you feel more at WDW! It's cute no matter how many times I see it, I get so excited.
Sometimes the waits to the resorts get long. It happened to us last year. It seems like all the airlines arrived at the same time and of course it seemed like they are all going to our resort!
Overall, we have always had a great experience.It's just another way the WDW makes you feel special.
Good luck and have a wonderful vacation.

 

[piperdown]

ME was great!!! We only had one small issue, and it was more an issue for my DD than DH or myself.

The bus we were assigned on arrival wasn't an "official" ME bus, meaning it didn't have the speciality "Disney Magical Express" paint job. DD was quite disappointed, but she recovered quickly. It had the welcome video, and the interior/configuration was similar to the other buses. It appeared to be a MEARS bus that was leased/borrowed by Disney, maybe because of the volume of arrivals. We were there at the end of July with high crowd volume.

The service itself was great and our bags arrived right on time. One bag was damaged, but I have no way of knowing if it was the airport baggage handlers or ME. The corner was significantly torn and the frame bent, but nothing was missing. Luckily we packed an empty duffel bag, and used that for the trip home. The torn bag had to be abandoned at Disney.

 

[ZoZo]

Used ME once and had no problems with it. It's great because it's free!

Previous trips, we always rented a towncar (because we stayed at Shades of Green, which is not an official WDW hotel and not eligible for ME). Town cars are great; they're quick, allow a free grocery store stop, and your luggage arrives when you do. You also don't have to worry about dealing with the hassles of a rental car. Of course, it does cost something, but we split the cost between us (three adult women traveling together) and it didn't end up costing us much per person.

 

[ttepsich]

Used ME for the first time last November. Had to wait 45 minutes for a bus. It seemed like we waited the longest for our bus compared to people waiting for the other resorts We usually rent a car but in these times the operative word is "free". We will be using ME this Friday and again in October.

 

[jennyf2]

I rec'd all my Disney paperwork a few weeks ago & I never thought about it until reading this but I didn't get any yellow luggage tags.. Should I call or do they have extra tags at the counter?

Thanks!

 

[susieQzee]

Only thing I would suggest is that they are now sending one yellow luggage tag per person. You may want to request additional tags.

Yes, please do this. We had no problems with the bus or the driver. In fact, every person associated with ME was very friendly and courteous. We did have a problem with our luggage upon arrival. We landed at MCO at 8:30 p.m. and had expected a 3 hour wait for our luggage (by 11:30 p.m.). No worries, I thought. I packed our swimsuits in my carry-on bag. My daughter and I checked into our room and were in the computer pool at POP by 10:00 p.m. We called it a night and left the pool at 12:15 a.m., only to find that our luggage still hadn't been delivered. Each of us showered and put our travel clothes back on. Around 1:30 a.m., I finally called Luggage Services. They told me they had our bags on a truck, headed for POP. Another hour later, there was a knock at the door. Two of our three bags were delivered - and surprise, surprise - the bag without the yellow tag was missing. Another phone call to LS and our missing bag was finally delivered just before 3 a.m. Needless to say, our first day, early morning plans were scrapped for the sake of catching up on sleep.

Definitely order extra yellow ME tags, even if you don't think you'll need them! Lesson learned!

 

[maxiesmom]

Yes, please do this. We had no problems with the bus or the driver. In fact, every person associated with ME was very friendly and courteous. We did have a problem with our luggage upon arrival. We landed at MCO at 8:30 p.m. and had expected a 3 hour wait for our luggage (by 11:30 p.m.).

The mistake you made was thinking your baggage would be delivered within 3 hours of your flight arriving. The 3 hour count down starts when you check in to your resort, not when your plane lands.

It is always a good idea to pack 1 days worth of clothing in your carry-on, just in case the airline misdirects your luggage, even if you are not using Magical Express. And when using ME that means you can change out of your travel clothes and into something fresh, and start enjoying your vacation.

 

[Mickey's Best Girl]

Another ME lover here! 5 times and no problems at all.

I rec'd all my Disney paperwork a few weeks ago & I never thought about it until reading this but I didn't get any yellow luggage tags.. Should I call or do they have extra tags at the counter?

Thanks!

You should receive 2 packages from Disney: One will contain you luggage tags and vouchers etc. if you booked a package and the 2nd will have your ME booklet/information and your yellow tags.
Since you need to place the tags on your luggage before you leave your home airport, you will need to have them before departure. If you plan to collect your own luggage, you won't need the tags. Just grab your goodies and they'll be stored under the coach.
You can call ME and they will priorty mail the tags out to you.... I'm not sure of the number, maybe someone will be along shortly who can help you with that aspect.
Good luck!

 

[susieQzee]

The mistake you made was thinking your baggage would be delivered within 3 hours of your flight arriving. The 3 hour count down starts when you check in to your resort, not when your plane lands.

Even with your time adjustment, we still waited 5 hours for luggage once we checked into our resort (10 p.m. until 3 a.m.). The point of my post was to let travelers know there may be delays with even the best-planned system, such as ME, and that they should be prepared to be flexible (items in carry-on bags, changes in first day schedule, etc.).

 

[maxiesmom]

Even with your time adjustment, we still waited 5 hours for luggage once we checked into our resort (10 p.m. until 3 a.m.). The point of my post was to let travelers know there may be delays with even the best-planned system, such as ME, and that they should be prepared to be flexible (items in carry-on bags, changes in first day schedule, etc.).

The Value resorts do not have the same luggage service as the Moderate or Deluxe resorts. Value resorts have luggage assistance, not bell services. And usually they will not guarantee that they will deliver bags that arrive after Midnight, as that is when their luggage service officially closes for the night.

It is a bit strange, but it is one of the things that make the Value resorts Value resorts.

I do agree that it is always best to be prepared for things to go a bit awry when it comes to getting your luggage.