Poll about Magical Express.....

[katecca]

I'd love to hear everyone's experience with DME. If you've used it, can you please answer these questions for me and add any other comments. DH is curious if we should try to arrange other transport if that is even possible at this late date. DH hates waiting. THANKS!!!!!

1) When did you receive your ME luggage tags

2) Approx. time you arrived at MCO

3) Approx time you left on DME

4) Name your resort and approx time it took to arrive at your resort

5) Did you have any problems with luggage?

6) Overall rate your experience with DME on a scale from 1 (worst) to 10
(best)


First Timer
Wilderness Lodge
June 8-14th

 

[JudicialTyranny]

1) When did you receive your ME luggage tags

The day before we were leaving for WDW.

2) Approx. time you arrived at MCO

3:00 PM

3) Approx time you left on DME

4:00 PM

4) Name your resort and approx time it took to arrive at your resort

Contemporary, arrived around 5:00 PM

5) Did you have any problems with luggage?

Received our luggage between 6:30 PM and 7:30 PM.

6) Overall rate your experience with DME on a scale from 1 (worst) to 10
(best)

8

Keep in mind, this was Day 1 of DME (May 5). My biggest concern was the luggage, and we held our breath until we saw it later that night.

 

[TwirlerGirl]

1) When did you receive your ME luggage tags
No tags


2) Approx. time you arrived at MCO
4:30 pm

3) Approx time you left on DME
5:20 pm

4) Name your resort and approx time it took to arrive at your resort
BCV approx. 6:00 pm

5) Did you have any problems with luggage?
No tags but arrived 8:30 pm

6) Overall rate your experience with DME on a scale from 1 (worst) to 10
(best)

8 - if I had gotten my tags, my luggage would have arrived sooner. It was easy enough and I would do it again with or without tags.

 

[manticore]

1) When did you receive your ME luggage tags

One week before we were leaving for WDW.

2) Approx. time you arrived at MCO

11:00 PM

3) Approx time you left on DME

11:20+/- PM

4) Name your resort and approx time it took to arrive at your resort

POR, about 1/2 hour (one stop at POFQ)

5) Did you have any problems with luggage?

We received our luggage between 5:30 AM and 6:00 AM.

6) Overall rate your experience with DME on a scale from 1 (worst) to 10
(best)

8

Coming back was just as easy. We checked luggage at around 9:00 am and got our boarding passes. (Song) Checked our carry ons with bell services and took off to Epcot for the day. (Our flight was at 6:55 pm) Got back to POR around 3:15 got a quick snack and caught our bus at 3:55pm to MCO. First stop was for Terminal A, our stop was Terminal B. We took off on time, got home a little early thanks to a good tail wind and our luggage was there with everyone elses. Overall not to bad.

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

I talked to some guests recently who actually were quite thrilled with DME. Thier arrival time to Disney was decent compared to what time they landed (I can't remember exact times off the top of my head). And, best of all, thier luggage was en route to thier room as they were checking in. (No line at the resort)

 

[barbnbrian]

1) When did you receive your ME luggage tags
No tags


2) Approx. time you arrived at MCO
2:05 pm on Friday 5/27/05

3) Approx time you left on DME
3:10 pm

4) Name your resort and approx time it took to arrive at your resort
Saratoga Springs, approx. 4:30 pm

5) Did you have any problems with luggage?
Didn't check bags, only carry-on bags.

6) Overall rate your experience with DME on a scale from 1 (worst) to 10
(best) - 7

Also I'll add another question/answer -

7) How early did you depart your resort for your return to the airport for your flight?

Approx. 3 hours before scheduled flight - Departed SSR at 1:45 p.m., arrived MCO at 2:20 p.m. (terminal B), arrived 2:30 p.m. at Terminal A, flight departed MCO at 4:40 p.m.

 

[Lewisc]

I talked to some guests recently who actually were quite thrilled with DME. Thier arrival time to Disney was decent compared to what time they landed (I can't remember exact times off the top of my head). And, best of all, thier luggage was en route to thier room as they were checking in. (No line at the resort)

Tyler are they still waiting for the guests to actually check in or are they going to start delivering luggage to pre-blocked rooms?

I think it would be a disaster to deliver luggage to pre-blocked rooms but I wonder if that's the next step in speeding up luggage delivery. I still think airport checkin makes the most sense. Guests who arrive early could go directly to a theme park.

 

[strmtroopr96]

1) When did you receive your ME luggage tags

We never did.

2) Approx. time you arrived at MCO

Off the plane by 10 am.

3) Approx time you left on DME

Not sure but very quickly.

4) Name your resort and approx time it took to arrive at your resort

Pop Century...We were check in and standing in our room by 11 am. So only an hour from plane to room!! WooHoo!!

5) Did you have any problems with luggage?

Nope!

6) Overall rate your experience with DME on a scale from 1 (worst) to 10
(best)

10

 

[horner5]

1) When did you receive your ME luggage tags
May 12th via FedEx for May 15 trip

2) Approx. time you arrived at MCO
5:53 pm 5/15

3) Approx time you left on DME
6:20 pm

4) Name your resort and approx time it took to arrive at your resort
Caribbean Beach....we were checked in and in our room before 7 and at MGM by 7:15 pm

5) Did you have any problems with luggage?
Not at all..the luggage was in our room before we got back at 9

6) Overall rate your experience with DME on a scale from 1 (worst) to 10
(best)
9 (I only wish that Northwest participated in the early check-in for departure, but that's not DME's fault)

 

[CleveRocks]

1) When did you receive your ME luggage tags?
The day before we left, from my TA's office by regular mail. The TA's office got them by FedEx about 3 days before we left. We left on May 8, the 4th day of DME operation.

2) Approx. time you arrived at MCO?
We arrived around 9:15 a.m., but my mother-in-law needed to sit during the walk, and there was a long bathroom stop, etc. We got into the DME line at exactly 9:37 a.m. (I took notes!).

3) Approx time you left on DME?
Exactly 10:02 a.m., 25 minutes after I first got in line at the DME counter.

4) Name your resort and approx time it took to arrive at your resort?
Caribbean Beach Resort, 10:30 a.m. (28 minutes after we left), it was the first stop of the route, which included All Star Sports and Animal Kingdom Lodge.

5) Did you have any problems with luggage?
Nope. Luggage arrived about 3.5 hours after we did. Whenever and wherever I travel I ALWAYS pack 24 hours' worth of supplies in my carry-on in case the airline loses or delays my luggage, so I had no problems. When my luggage "magically" arrived in my room, my wife and I were at the resort pool with our kids, enjoying the start of our vacation.

6) Overall rate your experience with DME on a scale from 1 (worst) to 10
(best)? 9

7) How early did you depart your resort for your return to the airport for your flight?
Exactly 2 hours and 45 minutes before our flight, 4:00 p.m. for a 6:45 p.m. departure on May 14. We were the only stop, but because the security lines and the food court lines were so long at the airport, we needed all of that extra time (we had no wait for checking-in, the skycap got us to the front of the line). By the time we finished dinner and went to our gate, they had already started the pre-boarding.

-- Eric

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

Tyler are they still waiting for the guests to actually check in or are they going to start delivering luggage to pre-blocked rooms?

I think it would be a disaster to deliver luggage to pre-blocked rooms but I wonder if that's the next step in speeding up luggage delivery. I still think airport checkin makes the most sense. Guests who arrive early could go directly to a theme park.

Surprisingly, they ARE delivering to pre-blocked rooms now. That's something we were never allowed to do previously... it was a MAJOR no-no. But, now it's okay! I'm sure it doesn't happen as often as we like though.

The ESSENTIAL KEY to it though, is that if the front desk cashier changes the pre-assigned room for any reason, they *MUST* notify the DME luggage CM ASAP.

 

[timandlesley]

So. . .if they are pre-blocking the rooms is there any way to find out what "block" you are in ahead of time?? Would they tell you if you called the resort? We leave in two days so I'm curious.

Lesley

 

[mckay15]

1) When did you receive your ME luggage tags
May 19 by Postal Priority Mail - We left May 21

2) Approx. time you arrived at MCO
6:00 pm
3) Approx time you left on DME
7:00 pm

4) Name your resort and approx time it took to arrive at your resort
All Star Music luggage arrived around 10:00 pm

5) Did you have any problems with luggage?
NONE

6) Overall rate your experience with DME on a scale from 1 (worst) to 10
(best)
9

For a group of 21, we had great service. Also, we loved the airline check in at the resort - only snag was, we checked out luggage and checked in for our flight at 7:30 that morning and then spent the time at Animal Kingdom prior to our departure home. When we got to the Dallas airport, our luggage wasn't there - we checked with baggage and our luggage had arrived in Dallas early that afternoon, prior to our arrival. It was actually waiting on us!!!!

Also the early airline check in helped our group, our flight was oversold, so we were the first ones checked in for the plane!!!

 

[cseca]

1) When did you receive your ME luggage tags
1 week prior to departure

2) Approx. time you arrived at MCO
11pm

3) Approx time you left on DME
?

4) Name your resort and approx time it took to arrive at your resort
Pop Century arrived in my hotel room at 1am

5) Did you have any problems with luggage?
We didn't bring any luggage which needs tagging

6) Overall rate your experience with DME on a scale from 1 (worst) to 10
(best)
8
The only reason we didn't give it a 10 is because we didn't receive the paperwork for the return trip to the airport like we were supposed to. I called front desk, they gave me an 800 number to call in the morning. When I called they gave me a confirmation number only.
Word of warning:
Even if you did what I've done (call the 800# the morning of your return flight). Make sure to talk to either the front desk or the ME/Luggage assistance people for a voucher. Apparently they're supposed to give us a voucher for the return trip.
We didn't have one and the driver was nice enough to just take the confirmation number and let us on the bus.
Remember: You need a voucher to get on the bus!!!

 

[GoingtoDisney]

1) When did you receive your ME luggage tags

We didn't, but it worked out fine. When we arrived

2) Approx. time you arrived at MCO
2:00 pm

3) Approx time you left on DME
2:45 pm (we had to wait on the bus for about 15 minutes as we were the first ones on)

4) Name your resort and approx time it took to arrive at your resort
POFQ, took about 50 minutes

5) Did you have any problems with luggage?
no problems. We arrived at resort around 3:40, left at 4:20 for PS at Chef Mickey's, bags were in our room when we returned around 8:00 pm.

6) Overall rate your experience with DME on a scale from 1 (worst) to 10
(best)
8

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

So. . .if they are pre-blocking the rooms is there any way to find out what "block" you are in ahead of time?? Would they tell you if you called the resort? We leave in two days so I'm curious.

Lesley

Rooms can be pre-blocked ahead of time, but for DME, they are usually pre-blocked when the resort recieves the message that you have boarded the DME motorcoach. At that point in time, they assign you a room that is either clean and ready, or if one is not available, they try and find one that will be available sooner rather than later. (One of the hidden perks of DME)

You cannot be told anything about your room until you have checked in, and the room is clean and ready.

 

[ksoehrlein]

1) When did you receive your ME luggage tags
Never did. No problem, though (see answer to #5 below). Still got our return voucher and coupon for the pin/lanyard when we checked in at DME desk at MCO.

2) Approx. time you arrived at MCO
11:45 PM, but we were supposed to land at 10:05 PM

3) Approx time you left on DME
12:15 PM, perhaps?

4) Name your resort and approx time it took to arrive at your resort
Pop Century, took about 1/2 hour drive time (no prior stops)

5) Did you have any problems with luggage?
N/A: DME desk at MCO advised we get it from the luggage carousel and bring it on the motor coach with us due to the late hour.

6) Overall rate your experience with DME on a scale from 1 (worst) to 10 (best)
8.5

 

[LindaB]

1) When did you receive your ME luggage tags

Did not receive tags.

2) Approx. time you arrived at MCO

11:10 a.m.

3) Approx time you left on DME

Not sure.

4) Name your resort and approx time it took to arrive at your resort

We arrived at POP about an hour and a half after we landed. We were the first of three stops. The other two were CSR and AKL. As were were departing MCO for our resort, the ME driver learned that there was an accident on route 417 that closed the road. He told us he that it would add about an extra 10 minutes to our trip, but he was going to turn around and take the North airport exit instead. I was glad we took ME. If we had rented a car, we probably would have been stuck in the traffic on route 417.

5) Did you have any problems with luggage?

Not at all. Since we didn't have ME tags, the ME desk took down our baggage claim numbers, asked us to identify what our luggage looked like from a card that had pictures of common luggage types, and asked the color of our luggage. We arrived at POP sometime between 1:30 and 2:00 p.m.. When we returned to our room around 6:00 p.m. our luggage was there.

We had a split reservation and changed resorts during our stay to ASMu. We had no problems with Disney transferring our luggage between the two resorts. The morning before we were to leave, a Magical Express letter was hanging on our door. It instructed us to call for our pick-up time. Our pick-up time was 3 hours ahead of our departure flight (8:30 a.m. for an 11:35 a.m. flight). The Magical Express bus arrived on time and we made no other stops on our way back to MCO.

6) Overall rate your experience with DME on a scale from 1 (worst) to 10
(best)

10

 

[mar2c1]

No Tags
Landed 10:26 Am 5/13/2005 Us Air
Checked In 12 Noon At Asm
Don't Know About Bag's We Went To Mk
Returned At 11 Pm Bags In Room
Left On 5/21/2005
Return Trip Worked Just As Good
We Liked Me Bus Service Better Than Disney Busses
Wished We Were Going Back

 

[brooke1]

the last update on this thread was in June, I would love to hear some updates, i will be traveling in OCT and would like to hear the latest news.

Thanks
Brooke