ME - which airlines?

[mjh8955]

I have never used Magical Express before; is Airtran a participating airline, no matter where you are flying from? (Bloomington, IL or Indianapolis, IN, for example) What about Southwest flying from Indianapolis?

 

[xnascar2x]

How Disney's Magical Express ARRIVAL service works:

* Disney's Magical Express must be booked at least 10 days prior to arrival through disneyworld.com, Disney Reservation Center by calling 407-W-DISNEY or a travel agent. Be sure to have your Arriving Flight Number and time into the Orlando International Airport as well as your Departing Flight Number and time out of the Orlando International Airport as well as the name of the airlines you are flying. We HIGHLY recommend booking this service a minimum of 6 weeks in advance!

* Approximately 21 days before you arrive, you will receive in the mail an Airport Transportation Booklet containing general information and special Disney's Magical Express luggage tags for your bags.

* Check your specially tagged luggage at your departure airport.

* Upon arrival in Orlando, bypass airport baggage claim and go directly to the Disney Airport Welcome Center (Level 1, "B" Side).

* Car seats are not permitted on the motorcoaches and must be stowed underneath the motorcoach.

* You will board state-of-the-art motor coaches that will take you to your Disney hotel. A video is shown during the ride. Your motor coach may make up to FOUR different stops at various Disney resorts.

* A team of Disney representatives at the airport will pick up your luggage and transport it to your Disney hotel room.

* International Visitors - If the Orlando International Airport is your first point of entry into the United States, you will follow the U.S. Customs & Border Protection process and claim your luggage upon disembarking the airplane. Once you have completed this process you will proceed to the main Terminal building where you will be met by a Disney Representative. Your luggage will be transferred to the Baggage Claim area, where Disney will collect it if tagged with Disney's Magical Express luggage tags. If you have already completed the US Customs & Border Protection process in another US city or before entering the US, you will proceed directly to the main Terminal building; and Disney will claim your luggage.

How Disney's Magical Express DEPARTURE service works (from your Disney hotel):

* You will be notified of your motorcoach pick-up time and location the day prior to checkout.

* Motorcoach pickup time is approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes prior to your flight departure.

* The motorcoach has 4 drop-off locations in all four quadrants of the airport (Gates 1-29, 30-59, 60-99, and 100-129).

* The service also assists you when it's time to depart. If you are flying one of the participating airlines, you can avoid airport check-in lines by checking your luggage and receiving your boarding pass before you leave your Disney hotel as described in the Resort Airline Check-In Service section below.

Resort Airline Check-In Service

* Resort Airline Check-In Service at your Disney resort is only available if you are flying domestically (includes Puerto Rico) on the following airlines: AirTran (as of May 2007), Alaska Airlines, American, Continental, Delta, JetBlue, Northwest, and United (including TED). It is a complimentary (free) service.


* This service allows you to check your luggage and receive your airline boarding passes right at your resort on the day of your departure.

* This service is separate from Magical Express. You do not have to participate in Magical Express to utilize the Resort Airline Check-in Service.

* Each Disney resort has a dedicated Check-In Desk located in or near the Lobby or near the outside entrance to the resort. If you can't locate the Resort Airline Check-in Desk, ask at the Front Desk. Some examples:

The Polynesian's check-in desk is outside just pass the valet stand on the right as you exit the hotel.

The Port Orleans Riverside check-in desk.

The Port Orleans French Quarter check-in desk.

* The desks are open every day from 5 a.m. to 1 p.m. You can check in no more than 12 hours and no less than 3 hours prior to your scheduled flight departure time.

* To check in, your entire party must be present with your government issued photo I.D. (e.g., driver's license, passport, Military ID) and your Key to the World card to verify that you are a guest of a Disney hotel

* The Resort Airline Check-In desks can provide some of the same services and information as the airline ticket counters at the airport, including checking seat assignments, and verifying flight information and status. The Resort Airline Check-In Desks cannot make any changes to flight arrangements or make new flight reservations.

* This service is not provided by Disney. A third-party company approved by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) operates the Resort Airline Check-In on behalf of the participating airlines.

* Some persons have reported a wait of over 30 minutes at the Resort Airline check-in desk during peak times. If you are within 3 hours of your departure time, you should bypass this service and get your boarding passes at the airport.

Exceptions:

* This service is also not offered for the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin, Shades of Green, or Downtown Disney Area resorts.

* It is not valid for Disney's Vero Beach Resort and Disney's Hilton Head Island Resort.

 

[mjh8955]

Let me make sure I have this right. The actual ME buses are for any resort guests, if I choose to keep my luggage with me and not use the third party check in system, then that is o.k. too? Do I need to make arrangements beforeheand through the Disney resort system? Or do I just show up at the ME bus center at the Orlando airport and show my reservation information? I care more about transportation from the airport than having someone else deal with my luggage.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I have never used Magical Express before; is Airtran a participating airline, no matter where you are flying from? (Bloomington, IL or Indianapolis, IN, for example) What about Southwest flying from Indianapolis?

All all ALL airlines are Magical Express-participating on flights TO Orlando. Look here for tons of information http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=944813

 

[kaytieeldr]

All your questions, and more, can be answered by the stickies at the top of the list of threads on this board
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=944813 (Participating definition)
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1201122 (Welcome center)
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=936566 (Reservations required)
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1144360 (Luggage tags)

 

[goofy4tink]

Let me make sure I have this right. The actual ME buses are for any resort guests, if I choose to keep my luggage with me and not use the third party check in system, then that is o.k. too? Do I need to make arrangements beforeheand through the Disney resort system? Or do I just show up at the ME bus center at the Orlando airport and show my reservation information? I care more about transportation from the airport than having someone else deal with my luggage.

Okay....anyone arriving at MCO, and staying at a Disney owned resort, is entitled to a ride to their resort, and a ride back to the airport. You do have to make reservations ahead of time. You will not be allowed to ride the bus unless you have made those reservations...no walk-ups are allowed.
When you make your reservations, they will send you an info packet about a month before your trip. In it will be yellow luggage tags for all your checked luggage. The bags with these tags on them will be pulled out, behind the scenes so to speak, at MCO, and put on special trucks bound for the different resorts, where they will be off-loaded and sorted out and delivered to the guests' rooms several hours later.
If you choose not to use the yellow tags, you will head to baggage claim to grab your checked bags, then head to the DME counter to be checked in. Your bags will then go underneath the same bus you are riding on.

The day before you check out, they will leave a notification in your room of what time you need to be at the bus the next day. If you are flying on one of the 'participating' airlines, you will be able to check your bags through to your home airport right at the resort, and get your boarding passes issued. Then hop on the bus and when you get to MCO head right to security.
If you can not use this service due to the airline you are on, you will just take your bags with you to the DME bus. Then, you will checkin at the airport the way you normally would.

 

[mjh8955]

Thanks! That is exactly what I wanted to know. You explained it perfectly