Question about Magical Express

[FierceAXboi]

Was wondering are there any down sides to using the Magical Express? For example having to wait a long period of time at the airport for either your transportation to arrive or for the bus to get full? Do you go directly to your resort or stop at others first? Also when you depart of its a domestic flight does Disney make you take a bus that will leave you at the airport more then two hours prior to your flight? Last thing I want is to end my vacation waiting for a flight for over 4 hours.........
THANKS

 

[AdventureGuru]

I'd like to know this stuff too..thanks

 

[zurgswife]

I've used ME 3 times in the past year. I've never had more then 10 people on a bus and I've never had to wait more then 15mins to leave. There have been other people that have waited longer but I never have.

They pick you up 3hrs prior to your flight. Remember that they also pick up a number of other hotels, you don't know if you are at the beginning or end. MCO has had horrid security lines over the years. Also, checkin prior to security has been awful for some airlines. All and all I've never been to my gate with more then 2hrs left by the time I've done all the lines.

 

[Donald is #1]

First of all, I will admit that I have not used ME yet. But I am booked on it in October. Now that the disclaimer is out of the way ....

Here is some info on it:
http://allearsnet.com/acc/mexpress.htm

From the many posts that I have read:
- No one in the posts that I have read have complained about having to wait at the airport for the bus to leave. Has anyone had this problem?
- Depending upon your point of view, one downside is that your luggage does not arrive at the hotel the same time as you do. Most people seem to say that their luggage arrives in 2-3 hours.
- The bus may stop at multiple resorts.
- Yes, you get to the airport for your return flight early. Most of the posts that I have seen say that they pick you up about 3 hours prior to your flight.

Now, the reasons why I am using it in October (another disclaimer -- I have never used a private limo service from MCO to WDW; just Mears)
1) I don't have to pay for a rental car that I am only going to use to/from the airport.
2) When I have used Mears, I have had to wait while they gather more people and they also stop at multiple resorts.
3)To me, it seems to much less hassle.
4) Most of the posts that I have read have been positive.

The above is just my point of view, good luck in making your decision.

 

[DisneyChristmas]

The best thing about Magical Express is that it's free. The buses have viewing screens to keep you entertained with bits of WDW news as your travel from the airport. If you have many people in your group and lots of luggage, it's worth the hassle (see below) to get to the hotel for free.

Here's the downside. You will have to wait in line to make/claim your trip to the hotel. Then you will stand in the line for your specific hotel. You will wait for that hotel's bus. Magical Express will claim your luggage for you and deliver it to you room, but it will be brought out to WDW on a SEPARATE bus. At the hotel, you can wait for your luggage (no stated delivery time other than same-day of arrival) or just go on to one of the parks. If you want to change into warm weather clothes, you'll have to bring the clothes in your carry-on. If you're traveling with kids, you may want to have a carry-on just for Florida clothes, fanny packs, etc, that you'll need right away.

We saw other people who'd claimed their luggage and then hauled it with them to the ME bus waiting lines. They had to do the work, but they had their bags. I don't know if the guest passenger buses have a limit on how many guest-carried bags can be accomodated in the luggage bin.

Going back to the airport, we did have to go early. Our leave-time was built around the flight times of other guests from our hotel who were flying out that day, too.

DH and I did Magical Express once. For just the two of us, we prefer to pay the fee for Mears shuttle which is quicker and brings our luggage with us.

Beth

 

[FierceAXboi]

What happens if I am traveling with just my carry on? Does my Carry on have to go in a seperate bus? Is not big but is not small either.....I am able to carry it on the plane.
Thanks

 

[jeck4]

Magical Express all in all wasn't bad. However, we didn't have enough info from our Travel Agent about it. Also signs at the airport are not great. Your travel agent should supply you with a booklet for use with Magical Express as well as a coupon type page. After you get to the airport, you will go down to ground level and have to go to a desk to have your coupon transfer and booklet stamped....be careful, ONLY ONE PERSON goes in the line and the employees are pretty rough when informing you of this. After you get through that line, you can then get into line with your group for the bus. We had no wait at all once we got through the first line. I was not impressed with the personnel and if I already have the transfer and booklet, I don't really understand why I have to go stand in another line.

The bus does stop at other hotels. In our case, it wasn't a big deal since check-in time isn't until 3 pm and we landed before 11 am so we had time. Fortunately though, our rooms were ready. Our luggage arrived in about 2 hours. (It doesn't even go on the same bus with you.)

Going back home, our bus picked us up just under 3 hours earlier than our flight. Again, we stopped at other hotels but we had plenty of time. We checked our luggage in (some airlines work with Disney and check your luggage for you), got through security and had about a half hour before boarding our flight.

 

[tmt martins]

What happens if I am traveling with just my carry on? Does my Carry on have to go in a seperate bus? Is not big but is not small either.....I am able to carry it on the plane.
Thanks

Nothing really HAS to go by truck . If you choose just don't use the me tags for checked baggage ( you have to get them and take them to the bus ) and you will already have your carry-on so you just take that to the Me bus with you.

We've used it 3 times with no problem this last trip just to the resort 3 took ME 2 took the rental down and we arrived within minutes of each other.

Yes some times thing are a bit longer but thats wit any service the majority are problem free.

 

[sameyeyam]

We arrived at MCO at midnight & used ME. It was wonderful, a CM near the baggage claim area recommended we grab our luggage off the carousel and have the driver load it on the bus. That way we didn't get woke up in our room at 3-4am when our luggage arrived! It worked wonderfully, no lines, the CM came out to greet us, took our luggage from us, driver loaded it onto the bus. We sat on bus for about 5 minutes, one other gentlemen boarded. Bus took off, we had one stop at CBR to drop him off and then went straight to POP. I thought it was great, absolutely no problems!

 

[jmskinner]

We just got back from our first trip and used the Magic Express. I so enjoyed riding the bus and not having to worry about finding our hotel. It was a little confusing figuring out where you meet the bus, but I thought the CM's were nice. There was the one that tells you "just one person needs to check in". We stayed at POR Riverside, so the bus only went to it and French Quarter. Going home, we did the airline check in at the hotel, so we only had to go through security once at the airport. Our flight left at 10:15am, we met the bus at 8:00am. We did get a little scared when they stopped at several other hotels, but there was no line at security and we still had 30 minutes to wait before our flight. I would not do it any other way.

 

[mishasmom]

We used it last September. It was just OK. We had to wait about 20 minutes before we boarded the bus and then sat on the bus for another 20 minutes before we left. We were staying at AKL and were the last to be dropped off. They dropped off at CSR and POP before us. One thing I should mention is if you are on the bus with a bunch of other people staying at the same resort as you all of you will get to the registration desks at the same time. You may want to sit at the front of the bus so you can be one of the first in line to check in. You can take any of your personal or carryon items on the bus with you or give them to the driver and he'll stow them in the luggage bins under the bus.

 

[a*lil*bit*goofy]

what about strollers?

 

[jeck4]

If you take a stroller, take an umbrella stroller....but make sure it has a basket underneath and a bag on the handles for water bottles, etc. Strollers can be used as a carry-on on planes and can be stored underneath on the buses.

 

[a*lil*bit*goofy]

awesome, thanks. I just bought a maclaren volo due to high recommendations from this site. it is so light and folds up nice and small, just wanted to make sure it can go with us to the hotel (whether in bus or in cargo under it) as long as it can come with us i am a happy camper. :O)

 

[RockyMtnMaria]

It took us over 3 hours to get to the Yacht Club with ME last fall, but all the other lines and resorts were moving quite quickly. And then on the way back we were picked up 3 1/2 hours before our flight. We only had 5 days including travel time, so it ate up too much for our taste.

That said, we are using it again on our next trip. I think that our case was petty extreme and completely livable. I was very impressed with the CM's running the program and all they did to calm the VERY upset people in our line.

 

[kaytieeldr]

There's PLENTY of information about Magical Express on the Transportation board, but to respond to a few specific points:

Here's the downside. You will have to wait in line to make/claim your trip to the hotel. Then you will stand in the line for your specific hotel. You will wait for that hotel's bus. Magical Express will claim your luggage for you and deliver it to you room, but it will be brought out to WDW on a SEPARATE bus. At the hotel, you can wait for your luggage (no stated delivery time other than same-day of arrival) or just go on to one of the parks. If you want to change into warm weather clothes, you'll have to bring the clothes in your carry-on. If you're traveling with kids, you may want to have a carry-on just for Florida clothes, fanny packs, etc, that you'll need right away.

The registration line moves quickly; it can look long and daunting, but that's due to entire parties getting (past the CMs and) into line. Really, as stated below, only one person needs to check in.
Checked luggage that was tagged by the Magical Express users before they left their respective home airports will be pulled by the subcontractor before any luggage is put on the carousel and transported to Walt Disney World by truck.
It is ALWAYS advisable to bring a carry on bag that contains items you will need for the first 24 hours in case the airline misdirects your luggage (which they did with over three MILLION pieces in 2005, and permanently lost over 250,000 of those).
There's most likely no limit on how many bags can be stowed under the bus - especially given that most Guests will use the service as designed. Keep in mind that while those Guests are waiting for and hauling their own luggage to the counter and then the bus line, Guests from those same flights who let DME handle the luggage may well already be on their way to their resorts. Also, DME handles the gratuity for the latter; Guests who bring their own luggage to the bus would need to tip everybody who handles the bags - driver, Bell Services, whoever.

As part of Disney's agreement with Orlando International Airport, and because Mears is the subcontractor providing the bus service, Guests who choose to take Mears to a Walt Disney hotel would be paying to ride the DME bus - since Mears no longer services Disney hotels separately.

What happens if I am traveling with just my carry on? Does my Carry on have to go in a seperate bus? Is not big but is not small either.....I am able to carry it on the plane.
Thanks

No. Luggage you bring to your bus goes on your bus. If a carry on is too big to fit under your seat, you may need to stow it under the bus.

I was not impressed with the personnel and if I already have the transfer and booklet, I don't really understand why I have to go stand in another line.

You need to register so Disney knows you're there, how many people are in your party and where you're going. They assign the buses based on this information. They will NOT place more passengers on a DME bus than there are seats - this would NEVER work if the Guests boarded themselves.

 

[AdventureGuru]

what airlines do check in at the resorts?
I dout Jet Blue does...but does the Contemporary have online access? I can get my tickets that way.
Thanks!

 

[Donald is #1]

what airlines do check in at the resorts?
I dout Jet Blue does...but does the Contemporary have online access? I can get my tickets that way.
Thanks!

Jet Blue is one of the airlines that allows you to check in at your WDW resort. There are more details in this sticky:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=944813

 

[mla2177]

I just got back on Sun and used ME. I agree w/ the previous poster about it being a little confusing trying to find the check-in desk. You have to go to the ground floor and go all the way to the end of the isle, then you will see the sign for them.

Only one person from your party goes up, there is a small waiting area for the rest of the family, but it can be a little crowded.

You then proceed to another line which is divided by resorts. We did have to wait for about 15 min, but it was 4th of July, which is supposed to be one of the busiest times to be there.

We did stop at one other resort, but they do play a video w/footage from the parks, so it kept us occupied and the ride went by pretty fast. They did put our carry-ons and stroller in a compartment under the bus we were in, so we got them when we arrived. The rest of our checked luggage took 4 hours to get to the resort, but we packed a carry-on w/ everything we needed for the whole family for at least one day.

The night before we were leaving, they sent an envelope to the door, our flight left at 10:35 am, so ME picked us up at the Custom House at 7:30am. They actually got there at 7:20am, put all our luggage on the bus we were on, got us there in about an hour. We checked our bags, ate breakfast and went through security, and only had about an hour wait at the terminal, so I thought it was just perfect timing.

All in all, I thought it was a very nice service for being free!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I rode Mears three years prior, and I thought it was much better this time!!!!! Plus, you had a video to watch to get you excited for the parks!!!! Just remember to put the luggage tags they send you on all you luggage!!!!!!!! Hope this helps!!!!!

 

[pugdog]

Going back to the airport, we did have to go early. Our leave-time was built around the flight times of other guests from our hotel who were flying out that day, too. Beth

Actually your leave time is NOT built around others. There is a bus that leaves each resort about every half hour, more if need be. And depending on what time the bus will be at the resort and your departure time depends on which bus they put you on.
Last December we were put on the bus 3 hours early and glad we were. By the time we went through security and checked the bags and all. We barely got to the gate in time.