magical express!!

[kaytieeldr]

HAHA...NO PROBLEM - Im sure I couldve found the 1000 posts you mention - although I did try. Just easier to ask I guess. Sorry to annoy you.

Nope, you did NOT annoy me and I'm sorry if I gave you that impression!!!!!

 

[rantnnravin]

That answered my question. Thanks.

Now all they need to do is either expand the service, once it's a paid-for service, to all Disney resorts, or allow it to be used by Disney resort guests in a way that would allow them to at least be dropped off within walking distance of their resorts, as in the Beach Club to Boardwalk example.

I can understand not delivering people to all the resorts just yet, since they are offering it free of charge as of now and can use it as an incentive to get people to stay at certain resorts they want to fill up, but once it's a paid-for service, I'd feel pretty strange about it if I paid the same amount for a "non-participating" Disney resort as I would at a "participating" Disney resort.

not sure what you mean here.
ALL DISNEY OWNED AND OPERATED resorts on Disney property are participating in DME. This also includes DVC villas.
there is no such thing as the above suggested scenario.

Also, to clarify for another poster (and i know it's been said over and over, but keeps coming back up) ALL INBOUND flights are PARTICIPATING.

(not yelling, BTW, just clarifying.
it's all good.

 

[Spoisal]

What are the MCO "outbound" participating airlines?

 

[dcgrumpy]

Here's another couple of questions. Do the vouchers come with the ME tags or do you pick them up at the ME desk? How much would be to buy a one way ticket from Mears?

I booked 3 rooms with my AP, I was told by Guest Relations to put my name on all 3 and keep off 1 of the adults in the other rooms and have it changed at check in. I specifically asked if the person whose name is not on the resrvation yet would be allowed to use ME. I was told it would not be a problem by 2 CM's. I am now being told by a moderator on the Resorts Board that they will absolutely not allow anyone on a ME bus whose name is not on the reservation and they will have to find another way to get to the resort.

The rest of my party is getting to the airport an hour before us. They are going to be a bit PO'd if they are stuck at the airport waiting for us.

 

[dialane]

THANK YOU - THANK YOU, CLEVEROCKS!!!!! That was emphatically clear and now, because of you, my luggage will magically appear in my hotel room and not be lost enroute or, worse yet, be left sitting at my home airport. You are doing a fantastic job of explaining all the details of this program - you're my hero for today!

 

[zurgswife]

I would once again like to say how easy and wonderful ME was...I'm doing it again in Oct...

 

[CleveRocks]

THANK YOU - THANK YOU, CLEVEROCKS!!!!! That was emphatically clear and now, because of you, my luggage will magically appear in my hotel room and not be lost enroute or, worse yet, be left sitting at my home airport. You are doing a fantastic job of explaining all the details of this program - you're my hero for today!

And you just made my day
I'm glad to know I was able to help. That's what these boards are all about.

Enjoy your trip!!!

-- Eric

 

[Kata]

I am sorry I am sure this has been asked before but I didn't see it on the threads I have read.Can I get ME just for my trip to WDW?I am staying at WDW for my 1st 8 days and then staying at Universal for 5 nights so I will then use a towncar from WDW to Universal and then back to MCO but if I could save the money from MCO to WDW that would be great.I would like to know if this is possible before I call and ask my AAA te to arrange it.
Thanks!!!

 

[tikkipoo]

Yes, you can use ME one way.

 

[Kata]

Thank you,I will call me AAA tomorrow and give her my flight information.
Thanks!!!!

 

[spotncleo]

I don't know if this has been asked before. We are staying at POR and will be checking our baggage in there for the return trip home. Can we then be picked up on the bus at a different location? I'm trying to book a breakfast at the Beach Club but I don't know if we have to make our way back to POR for the bus. Thanks!

Laura

 

[kaytieeldr]

Laura - you SHOULD be able to do this, assuming you're flying home on a participating airline, but call the toll-free number on your DME packet to confirm.

 

[wirki]

I just got a phone call from my cousin who is now at WDW. She use ME and said it worked out well. The only problem that they had was it was really hot. She said that they trun off the air while they are waiting for everyone, because of the gas prices. So it was hot for at least half of the trip to their resort. And she said HOT is HOT. Everyone was sweating.

Just wanted to let everyone know.

Debbie

 

[Steph H]

I think I explained it to someone else this way. Let's say you are flying to Tulsa to visit Aunt Becky. Aunt Becky arranges for her gardener Steve to go to the airport to pick up your checked suitcases so you don't have to bother with it, and he'll bring them to Aunt Becky's for you later that day. He'll know which bags are yours because you put a special lime green tag on them that you know Steve will recognize. When you check in for your departing flight from San Francisco, you don't have to tell them that you specially tagged your luggage so Steve will recognize your bags. The airline employees in San Francisco couldn't care less what arrangement you and Aunt Becky's gardener have; all they care about is getting you and your bags to Tulsa safely and on-time.

Eric! You are awesome! I not only understand Magical Express COMPLETELY because of your two long posts, I'm also laughing my rear end off! I just have one more question:

How do I get gardener Steve to come deal with my baggage when I get home from Disney??

Thanks a bunch for your thoroughness! You definitely get the star for the day.

 

[CleveRocks]

Eric! You are awesome! I not only understand Magical Express COMPLETELY because of your two long posts, I'm also laughing my rear end off! I just have one more question:

How do I get gardener Steve to come deal with my baggage when I get home from Disney??

Thanks a bunch for your thoroughness! You definitely get the star for the day.

I appreciate your kind comments, Steph, but you get an "F" for reading comprehension. Steve the Gardener lives in Tulsa, not Michigan!

Now, do you REALLY expect him to get all the way to Michigan just for you??? Nope! Especially not with all the tulip bulbs he has to get into Aunt Becky's flower bed before the first frost ....

-- Eric

 

[Sinclare]

I have a question that I haven't seen asked. I've just received my ME packet with the tags and the transportation voucher. Now all seems ok but I noticed that while I have vouchers for the arrival, I don't have them for the departure. I noticed it was mentioned that you get some information the day before you leave left in your room. Are your return vouchers in this?

Also we are just flying down for a couple days for MNSSHP (arriving on the 10th late and leaving on the 13th very early 6:50 flight). What time will we get on the bus leaving for the airport? According to what I've read it's 3 hours before departure. Does this mean we will have to be at the resort bus stop at 3:50 AM?

Thanks

 

[neffy_nurse]

I normally appreciate any free service but knowing the cost if Disney in the first place this is actually not a "free service"

#1 There are no signs in MCO directing you to Magical Express. I

#2 If you are flying one of the non-participating airlines and have to pick up your luggage, pray that you are in the right terminal or you will have to tote your luggage around the airport to get to ME.

#3 Get ready to be treated like cattle till you get into your Bus

#4 The busses are nice, I will give Disney that!

#5 it takes FOREVER to get to your hotel and FOREVER to get back to the airport.

#6 You need to leave three hours early to get the the airport.

#7 I like Mears better, they have been doing this for years and have it down pat

#8 ME was supposed to call each member of my crew for pick up times for our depatrure, they had four chances to make things right and never did.

 

[dcgrumpy]

#2 If you are flying one of the non-participating airlines and have to pick up your luggage, pray that you are in the right terminal or you will have to tote your luggage around the airport to get to ME.



#6 You need to leave three hours early to get the the airport.

#7 I like Mears better, they have been doing this for years and have it down pat

#2 is not true, "non-[participating airlines" only refers to luggage service from your resort to MCO. It doesn't matter which airline you arrive on, you don't have to get your own luggage, DME will deliver it to your resort.

#6 We rented a car in May, left 2 1/2 hours before our flight and still barely made it because of long lines at security. Three hours is not unreasonable.

#7 DME is Mears

 

[CleveRocks]

I normally appreciate any free service but knowing the cost if Disney in the first place this is actually not a "free service"

I went to WDW May 8 - 14. DME started May 5. I got price quotes for the week I went, and also for 2 weeks before, which was obviously before DME started. The prices were IDENTICAL. So at least when I booked, DME was truly free.

#1 There are no signs in MCO directing you to Magical Express.

Disney (and DISboards posters) NEVER said there were DME signs at MCO. Hence all the CMs with DME uniforms, clipboards, and those big ridiculous Mickey hands. The poster may as well have said "DME doesn't give out free newspapers and candy;" Disney never said they'd do that, either.

#2 If you are flying one of the non-participating airlines and have to pick up your luggage, pray that you are in the right terminal or you will have to tote your luggage around the airport to get to ME.

The poster either is not bright enough to read, or is purposely lying. Everyone who's read up on DME knows that "participating airlines" only matter for the outbound flight. And people like me who flew a "non-participating airline" know that we bring luggage to the airport when we fly anywhere else in the world, so it's not such a hardship to bring our luggage TO the airport.

#3 Get ready to be treated like cattle till you get into your Bus

Moo.

Briefly waiting in line doesn't scare or bother me. In fact, while we waited about 10 minutes in line before boarding our DME bus, I joked with the wife and kids, "WOW! LOOK! Our first Disney line." But seriously, if a short line bothers you, stay away from WDW in the first place.

#4 The busses are nice, I will give Disney that!

How nice of you.

#5 it takes FOREVER to get to your hotel and FOREVER to get back to the airport.

Now that's true ... in fact, I'm posting this from the DME bus that I boarded on May 8. But seriously, from the time I got into the DME desk line until I was dropped off at CBR was 53 minutes. If I took a town car, waited for my luggage, walked to the town car, and made a grocery stop, no way I make it to CBR in 53 minutes or less. No way.

For the return trip, I didn't time it, but I can report this. Our bus was scheduled to pick us up at 4:00 p.m. for a 6:45 p.m. flight. it showed up a minute or two early. The bus was empty, it left 3/4 full and made no other stops on the way to MCO. Hardly forever. And by the way, we needed every second of that 2 hours and 45 minutes -- check-in at the airline was long, security took ALMOST forever, as did the line at the food court past security (I know, I know, but due to the timing we needed to feed the kids a theoretically decent meal). We walked to our nearby gate and they had already begun the pre-boarding.

#6 You need to leave three hours early to get the the airport.

See above. If we took a cab or limo to MCO say 2 hours before our flight, we would have either missed our flight or missed feeding the kids. Neither sounds good to me.

#7 I like Mears better, they have been doing this for years and have it down pat

Mears is the Disney subcontractor for DME. They operate the buses. Duh.

#8 ME was supposed to call each member of my crew for pick up times for our depatrure, they had four chances to make things right and never did.

Either someone told you the wrong info, or you got it wrong (Hmm ... I WONDER which it is?????) You don't get a CALL from DME, you get printed info one day prior to your departure from the resort. And if you don't get that info by then, you should know to call and ask for the info. It's called personal responsibility.

Anyone wonder if the poster works for a transportation concern not affiliated with DME?

I do feel badly for the many entrepreneurs and employees who rely on transporting Disney guests for their livelihoods. No one "deserves" to lose their job or have their income reduced or their investment lose value. But business is business, and capitalism is a messy business. The market decides what's right. Disney certainly took my money away from Murray Hill. DME had not yet been announced when I first booked my trip (I booked in October of 2004), and I had planned on using Murray Hill rather than riding Mears. But FREE spoke to me. So did the luggage delivery service.

If we as a society supported businesses that, for one reason or another, no longer were viable in the market, our tax dollars would be supporting tens of thousands of candle makers and blacksmiths.

So I can understand the poster feeling bitter and betrayed. But lying is not an appropriate way to respond.

PEACE.

-- Eric

 

[2disneybabies]

Can I just add another question here??? We arrive in at MCO at 10pm and have a reservation for the ME. I see that they bring your luggage right to your room...What the heck time should I expect our bags to get to the room! I am sure we will all be tired and want to get to bed no too long after we finally arrive at OKW...we have tickets to MNSSHP the next day and I just don't want to be up until 4 waiting for bags. If we go to bed are they going to come right in while we are sleeping???