Using the Magical Express the day after arrival?

[tweak77]

Our Disney vacation begins 4/26 where we have reservations at a Disney resort. However, we will be coming in the day before and were thinking about staying at a cheaper hotel outside of Disney the night before. Our idea is to stay at a hotel with an airport shuttle, take the airport shuttle to the hotel and back to the airport the next morning where we would catch the Magic Express to our resort. Would this work? Can we register for the Magic Express upon arrival at the airport or do we have to be preregistered to take it the day of our arrival?

 

[Alesia]

Our Disney vacation begins 4/26 where we have reservations at a Disney resort. However, we will be coming in the day before and were thinking about staying at a cheaper hotel outside of Disney the night before. Our idea is to stay at a hotel with an airport shuttle, take the airport shuttle to the hotel and back to the airport the next morning where we would catch the Magic Express to our resort. Would this work? Can we register for the Magic Express upon arrival at the airport or do we have to be preregistered to take it the day of our arrival?

You can do that, but you need to make reservations in advance. You don't have to give them a flight number when you make the reservation.

 

[goofy4tink]

Many people do exactly what you want to do. But yes, you do have to register for DME before you leave home. Just call whomever you made your resort reservations with and have DME added. You don't need to give them flight info.

 

[Jimsig]

You will also have to retrieve your own luggage at baggage claim and bring it with you the next morning if you take it the next day.

Depending on which resort you are staying, look at spending that night at one of the Value Resort hotels such as the All Star resorts etc. It may not be much more then what you pay outside, especially if you factor in your time, having to get to the off site hotel and back to the airport the next day with luggage, etc. Disney will transfer you luggage from resort to resort to the next day. That way you can get up and hit the ground running and not be running back to the airport and then off to WDW.

 

[Mousemom234]

Works just fine.
We've often donr this if coming in late, so as to not 'waste' a DisneyDay. We've shuttled off-airport and come back to pick up a rental, too - sometimes that overnight stay will nearly pay for itself in the rental price difference.

Just remember to book your ME for the day you want to go to the World, not your arrival date; and don't tag your bags with the transfer tags until you get *back* to the airport.

 

[goofy4tink]

Works just fine.
We've often donr this if coming in late, so as to not 'waste' a DisneyDay. We've shuttled off-airport and come back to pick up a rental, too - sometimes that overnight stay will nearly pay for itself in the rental price difference.

Just remember to book your ME for the day you want to go to the World, not your arrival date; and don't tag your bags with the transfer tags until you get *back* to the airport.

Not sure why you would tag the bags at all, at this point. I believe if you are staying at the hotel that is part of MCO (Hilton I think?), they will come get tagged bags and get them to DME luggage people. But other than that? Nope, no need to tag the bags.
The bags are going to be with you when you get off the plane, then with you when you go to a hotel for the night. Still with you in the morning. They will go to the DME area with you...then be stowed beneath the bus you are riding on and handed to you when you arrive at your WDW resort.