questions about Magical Express

[lgruender]

Just wondering how everyone felt after using ME? Has anyone had any problems, if so what? Also, in what order are you dropped off at your resort? And how many hours before your flight did you have to leave your resort?

 

[lgruender]

Someone out there had to use ME before.

 

[CleveRocks]

Just wondering how everyone felt after using ME? Has anyone had any problems, if so what? Also, in what order are you dropped off at your resort? And how many hours before your flight did you have to leave your resort?

There are a few "sticky" threads at the top of the Transportation forum that address all kinds of DME issues. Overall, DME has been a smashing success both for us and for Disney. It was scheduled to end in late-2006, but was so popular and doing so well that it's going to continue FREE through at least 2011. So that fact says a lot right there about how well DME is going.

Reported problems with DME have been quite rare. There are problems with any and every system, even the best systems, but DME seems to be running very smoothly. Almost all of the negative threads I've read about DME fall into 2 categories: people who haven't used DME yet but are nervous about it and fear the worst (but based on ZERO evidence or experience); and people who used DME and were dissatisfied but only because they didn't know what to expect. For example, your luggage gets delivered to your room about 1-3 hours after you get there (you don't need to be present), but I've read people with so-called "horror stories" that their luggage wasn't at their room before them and they had all the diapers in the luggage or some life-sustaining medication in the luggage or they had ADRs for a fancy dinner 30 minutes after arrival and their nice clothes were in their luggage. Sure, all this can be upsetting, BUT if you know that you won't have your luggage immediately you then know to plan for it by packing wisely in your carry-on (which is always a smart idea, just in case the AIRLINE delays your luggage!). I've given the example that if your kids are ravenously hungry and you go into a waitress-service restaurant, it isn;t a "horror story" when your food comes to your table 20 minutes after you order rather than immediately after you order. You go in there knowing there is a delay in getting your food, so you plan ahead by bringing crackers or something for the kids to snack on at the table, or making an earlier reservation so they're not SOOOO starving, etc. It's the same thing with DME and the luggage delivery -- if you go in knowing there is that time lag, then you plan for it and everything will be just dandy.

There are no pre-set groupings of resorts on buses, no pre-set routes, no pre-set order of drop-offs. Buses are planned and dispatched based on reservations and need, which makes for a more efficient system, I suppose.

DME pick-ups from resorts are usually scheduled about 2.75 to 3 hours prior to scheduled flight departure. That may sound like a lot, but my family really needed every minute of that last May. Our resort was the ONLY stop the bus made on the way to the airport, but checking in with the airline and then SECURITY were pretty long waits. We also had to stop in the airport to give our kids dinner (no other options!), so by the time we got to our gate they were already boarding! If we had taken a towncar service that picked us up a half-hour later, hmmm ....

I strongly encourage you to read the various sticky threads at the top of the forum in their entireties. They'll tell you everything you want to know about DME, plus a lot of stuff you don't need to know.

HAVE FUN!

 

[lovesdumbo]

I've used DME 3 times. The first time in Aug of 2005 I did have a few problems. First I went to the wrong side of the terminal. That was MY fault. We didn't pay attention to what is clearly written in the paper work you're sent. We also arrived on a cruise arrival day and the DME check in area was mobbed. Very confusing for someone who's never been there. The bus driver was also a bit of a crank. Never showed the movie and didn't announce the resorts we were arriving at. We had a fine experience on the way back.

The next 2 times I used them in May of 2006 were great. I followed the directions for where to go and the check in lines were very short. The first time I waited about 15 minutes for a bus but the next time the bus was already there. Both trips my rooms were ready when I got to the resorts (POFQ & POP) so I dropped my carry on bags and hit the parks. My checked luggage was in the room when I got back from the parks.

On all 3 trips I was picked up 3 hours before flight departure.