What cawn I expect from Magical Express?

[KevanC]

We make several trips to WDW and stay at SSR. Usually we use Tiffany Towncar Service to get from the airport to the resort. We've been very pleased with them. But, I see the Magical Express. What exactly is the process you follow when you use DME? How long does it take to get to your resort from the time you get off the plane? Does it stop at all resorts and you have to wait for your stop?

We like the convenience of the towncar service because they pick you up at baggage claim and take you straight to the resort without delay. In fact, we use the 30 minute grocery stop. But, we don't always need the grocery stop. I'm just weary of getting on a bus and waiting 3 hours to get to my resort. We have a small child that gets impatient. Thanks.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

I'm just weary of getting on a bus and waiting 3 hours to get to my resort. We have a small child that gets impatient.

What makes you think it will take 3 hours?

The typical experience that's been reported on this board is that it takes an average of 70 minutes to get from your arrival gate to your resort hotel lobby.

That's about the same as a towncar (60-70 minutes). That's because towncar users must first wait for their bags at baggage claim. Then they wait at the curb for the towncar driver to retrieve the car from parking.

Magical Express guests bypass baggage claim and go straight to the Welcome Center. Typically, guests are on a motorcoach headed to their resort in less than 20 minutes (sometimes much less) — often while others on their flight are still waiting for their bags.

Please search for "Magical Express" or DME on this board. There are tons of posts.

 

[goofy4tink]

We have used towncars, including Tiffany, in the past. But, we are huge DME fans now. I can still see times when we might want to use a towncar but the last 3 trips to WDW have used DME. You reserve your DME ride in advance...they ask for a month ahead in order to get your special luggage tags and info packet before you travel. You will give them your flight info. Then, about 3-4 weeks before you are due to leave, you will get you info packet.This will also include two yellow luggage tags per person on the reservation, and directions for when you get to the airport. These tags are put on all luggage that is to be checked, which will alert the baggage people to pull them out, behind the scenes, and put them on special WDW bound trucks. You will go directly to DME checkin, get your vouchers stamped, told which bus line you are in, by resort. Then, onto the bus, and off to the resorts. Each bus may make up to four stops, but my experience has shown me it's more likely to be three stops. I have had average times of about 70 minutes from deplaning to resort checkin. Once at the resort, I usually head right out to a park, and when I return to my room, my luggage has been it. Since I do it this way, I can't tell you how long it took for my bags to get to my room....people seem to feel it's between 2-4 hrs.

The only time I have had a quicker trip to my resort using a towncar service was the one time I had only carryon luggage with me. That time it took about 45 minutes to get from the gate to my resort. Otherwise, my towncar times have been pretty close to my DME times....with no stops at the grocery store.

 

[KevanC]

Thanks for the info... The only time I've used any kind of bus was for a cruise. And, I've had terrible luck. We had to carry our own baggage to the bus a few times for cruises. I didn't want to have all that hassle, then wait on a bus with a crying toddler for a long time. The 3 hours was just a random number. I might give it a try. It's probably too late to catch our trip for October 22nd. But, I can try for our December trip. That was a very informative and helpful response.

 

[goofy4tink]

You can still do it for Oct 22. If you call and make your reservations asap, you may even still have time to get the luggage tags. If you don't get them in time, you can do one of several things. You can always go to baggage claim and grab your bags youself and take them with you to the bus you'll be on. They will then put the bags underneath the bus and your bags will arrive with you. Or you can give your baggage claim slips to the DME people when you check in, and they will send someone to pull your bags off the baggage carousel and put them on the WDW bound truck.

There are options if you feel that you want to give it a shot for Oct...hey, you arrive the day after I do. Hope you have a terrific trip!!!

 

[Edd]

If October 22nd is as bad as Sept. 24th you will have a long wait in line. It might be better when they are in the B side of the terminal, but today was a failure to communicate. There were no busses and than one or two rolled up and filled up. The Disney desk had at the most 4 employees working with passengers. The Disney reception desk was six rows of lines waiting to get up to the desk. I know someone will post those lines go fast. The bus lines were all filled up to the brim. How do I know? I was there for about 20 minutes this morning about 1210 to 1230. I really think some of the more biased posters on these boards paint a beautiful picture of something that is more imagined than is real.

I will bet those people were happy about reading all the lines of 70 minutes to Disney. I am sure they are going to find out that many times it takes longer. You can talk it up all you want about how sweet it is to ride a bus free to Disney, but a bus, is a bus, is a bus.

It is so much nicer to have a driver and a car service waiting for you, to get your baggage and than loading into a nice clean vehicle, having a local talk to you about many things, stopping by the Publix for some groceries and finishing a quiet comfortable, 30 minute ride to Disney, knowing you will be returning to the airport in the same manner; away from the hustle and bustle of kids, other than your own, screaming, hollering or crying about Disney. The fighting for a seat on the big bus or the driving around while you are picking up everyone else to take to the airport.

I am a member of the transportation industry, but I post unbiased on these boards.

 

[debster812]

I really think some of the more biased posters on these boards paint a beautiful picture of something that is more imagined than is real.

I am a member of the transportation industry, but I post unbiased on these boards.

This is pretty funny Edd. You are decidedly UNBIASED with ANYTHING concerning DME.

OP--we've used DME once, the line was huge, but went super fast. We waited about 10 minutes to get on the bus, and about 5 minutes for the bus to leave. We were at our resort exactly 65 minutes after our flight landed.

We were out when our luggage was delivered, but it was within 3 hours.

 

[Edd]

I am glad you thought it was so funny Debbie. You used DME once, it has been running a year and a half now. I don't place a judgement on something I have only done once. I am glad you had a good time. I probably have seen the crowds and lines ten times more than the number of days you have visited Disney World.

I think my statement was more factual than it was funny.

 

[tmt martins]

I've used ME several times and the longest Last week of June into July2nd (buzy time of year) DW,DM & DD arrived at 65 mins from walking off airplane to walking into SSR's lobby. DsF and myself walked right into a an empty Dollar rental line right to the van and we got there about the same time as the rest on ME.


I just changed my resort and flights for my Oct trip today.

I called ME and they made the changes and said they would get a new set of Docs to me as I have the ones already with now the wrong info.

Call or E-mail MS and get the ressie started from there they can still take care of you even if you don't get your docs in time.


Sorry Edd but you say your not biased but you only report on the bad from ME you never report when no lines while your waiting for your passenger to pick-up.You are at the same area many times during the day yet only post about the one time things are backed up because of the switch thats taking place.

 

[Edd]

If the airport is slow there is no lines. I have seen that many times also. Many times late in the evening there are no passengers down at the DME. I have seen it when one Disney employee is there and no passengers. No one says anything when you wait for a while in those lines and maybe that might happen serveral times on different days. The average reported wait is 70 minutes. Is that the average between 50 minutes and 90 minutes and includes the days when you can walk in and walk out or does that include those days that I have spotted many times and wrote about today. Disney is backed up a lot more times than is ever reported on these boards.

Think about it. The bus is ordinary transportation from the airport to the Disney hotel that everybody thinks comes as no charge. The DME is a great asset to Orlando International Airport because it helps out our transportation scheme. However, I don't believe it should be painted more than what it really is. As a passenger I am sure you would not considered the DME if there was a reasonable charge placed on it. There would be many who would not consider the DME if there was a charge on it.

 

[Edd]

The last week of June into July 2 was fairly slow with the DME: 6/26 - 6557 passengers, 6/27 - 4391 passengers, 6/28 - 5277 passengers, 6/29 - 4986 passengers, 6/30 - 5632 passengers. I don't have the July figures yet. Actually April is the busiest month this year, up to June. 6000 to 8000 passengers seems to be the busiest days. That happened 12 days in June. April had 17 days between 6000 to 8000 passengers with two of those days over 9000 passengers. April loaded over 6000 more passengers than June in 2006.

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

Is that the average between 50 minutes and 90 minutes and includes the days when you can walk in and walk out or does that include those days that I have spotted many times and wrote about today. Disney is backed up a lot more times than is ever reported on these boards.

The 70 minutes from plane to Disney is the most common. As someone who has been very closely involved with more aspects than you think in regards to DME, 70 minutes is the average for ALL times of the day, including the busy times. I know this, because part of my job was to time guests. That's not to say there aren't exceptions to the rule... there's always going to be a glitch, DME or Towncar.


Now... for a towncar type service, the time will only be quicker if the destination would have been a 2nd, 3rd/4th stop on the DME motorcoach. And even then, we're only talking by 10 minutes. In the grand scheme of things, that's not a lot.

When you think about it, the time it takes to get your bags from baggage claim, and get into the towncar is about the same time as it would take to check in at the Welcome Center and board the DME motorcoach, give or take a minute or two. By the way, I went to pick up some friends at the airport the other day. Due to weather conditions (It was just raining) their luggage was delayed for about a half hour. With DME, they wouldn't have to worry about that.

The ride to Disney should take EXACTLY the same amount of time. The only exception to that are the masses of taxi/towncar drivers who exceed the speed limit. Thankfully, not all taxi/towncar drivers exceed the speed limit, but many taxi and towncar drivers do. (BTW, DME motorcoaches are governed at 65mph, the speed limit on the Greeneway)

 

[Edd]

First off Tyler, the ME busses have passed me many times and I travel between 65 and 70 miles an hour on 417. Take speed out of the equation. Sorry, they are not governed. If they are, come up with specs and not speculation because they have passed me on the way to Disney and to the Port quite a few times. I don't think I was driving less than 65 mph. I think the transportation industry should note the number of the bus that passes them and calls Mears safety reporting them. I will start doing that.

For 70 to be the average than there has to be more times when the time out was 90 or 100 minutes than once in a while or a glitch might happen. More than half the circumstances are over 70 minutes. Am I right or wrong. Is my math failing me, I am getting old that is for sure.

You are right. The rain delays give it to the magical express. This year I don't think the airport was closed more than 15 times for weather delays. That is unusual for summer.

Now, how many people really care about time. That really seems to be what ME is trying to market and really they can only tie the other forms of transportation. Convenience is what we want to provide the passenger. ME can't give the passenger what others can if they choose to do so and there are many companies out there that choose to do so contrary to what some posters over 3000 posts try to say. Clean vehicles with smooth rides and no other passengers aboard is a good point. Grocery shopping is a great point and the fact a passenger can return directly to the airport check floor in a shorter period of time than ME. Car Service drops you off on the third floor, 20 feet from flight check in. ME on the first floor and than the passenger gets to find out it may be 15 to 20 minutes to walk over to the appropriate airlines. Talking and conversation is another great point. Ever tried to talk to a bus driver or those magic screens on the bus to pick up a few more hints. Most drivers don't seem to speak English very good. Course, that is in other parts of the transportation industry too.

Sorry, the only big advantage the ME has is, Disney says its free. If Disney let people know the price they are paying the ridership would go down. Free is the big reason people are riding the DME.

 

[DVC Grammy]

What time do you arrive in Orlando? We always book the earliest flights and get into MCO around 9-9:30 am. There aren't many people using DME at that time, so it's always been a short trip to the resort (sometimes we're the only ones going to a particular resort and wind up with a "personal bus" ).
For those that arrive later in the day, there might be many more people using DME and I could see it taking a bit longer, but never 3 hours.
I'd suggesst you try it and see if it's the right thing for you. Good luck.

 

[Lewisc]

The times I've taken DME the bus didn't pass a single vehicle and many cars passed us. My experience is DME drivers are more concerned with following the speed limit than other drivers, including guests who rent a car.

DME is convenient. We bypass baggage claim, don't have to worry about storing our luggage if our room isn't ready and we don't even have to be in the room when our luggage is delivered. The time from landing to arrival at our resort is about the same as a towncar.

The grocery stop is a towncar advantage, although we can have groceries delivered, or even just pay WDW prices, with the money we're saving.

I understand from a good source that more and more towncar drivers only speak English as a second language.

A townncar will pick us up from a different resort and will give us a little more time at WDW, I guess 30-60 minutes.

First off Tyler, the ME busses have passed me many times and I travel between 65 and 70 miles an hour on 417. Take speed out of the equation. Sorry, they are not governed. If they are, come up with specs and not speculation because they have passed me on the way to Disney and to the Port quite a few times. I don't think I was driving less than 65 mph. I think the transportation industry should note the number of the bus that passes them and calls Mears safety reporting them. I will start doing that.

For 70 to be the average than there has to be more times when the time out was 90 or 100 minutes than once in a while or a glitch might happen. More than half the circumstances are over 70 minutes. Am I right or wrong. Is my math failing me, I am getting old that is for sure.

You are right. The rain delays give it to the magical express. This year I don't think the airport was closed more than 15 times for weather delays. That is unusual for summer.

Now, how many people really care about time. That really seems to be what ME is trying to market and really they can only tie the other forms of transportation. Convenience is what we want to provide the passenger. ME can't give the passenger what others can if they choose to do so and there are many companies out there that choose to do so contrary to what some posters over 3000 posts try to say. Clean vehicles with smooth rides and no other passengers aboard is a good point. Grocery shopping is a great point and the fact a passenger can return directly to the airport check floor in a shorter period of time than ME. Car Service drops you off on the third floor, 20 feet from flight check in. ME on the first floor and than the passenger gets to find out it may be 15 to 20 minutes to walk over to the appropriate airlines. Talking and conversation is another great point. Ever tried to talk to a bus driver or those magic screens on the bus to pick up a few more hints. Most drivers don't seem to speak English very good. Course, that is in other parts of the transportation industry too.

Sorry, the only big advantage the ME has is, Disney says its free. If Disney let people know the price they are paying the ridership would go down. Free is the big reason people are riding the DME.

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

Sorry, they are not governed. If they are, come up with specs and not speculation

Yes, they are. I'm not giving you speculation. I'm giving you cold, hard, facts. How do I know this? I've driven them, and I have the DOT logbooks to prove it. Pedal to the metal, I might be able to squeeze 66 or 67, if I'm going downhill. Of course, at that point, the electronic throttle disengages, and the retarder kicks in, bumping me back down to 65.

That's not to say that there isn't one out there that a mechanic turned off the governer for maintenance reasons, and then forgot to turn it back on... but in my time, I think I drove most of those DME coaches, and yes, they are governed.

Regardless, Mears has thier own patrol cars that monitor thier fleet for speed violations in places where a governer wouldn't come into play. I've seen them run radar many times.

For 70 to be the average than there has to be more times when the time out was 90 or 100 minutes than once in a while or a glitch might happen. More than half the circumstances are over 70 minutes. Am I right or wrong. Is my math failing me, I am getting old that is for sure.

Not neccessarily wrong... just not neccessarily right, either. 70 minutes just happens to be the most common number. Perhaps the mathematical term, "Mode" describes it better than an average.

In one of my previous roles at Disney (yes, I work all over the place, hence my heavy involvement with DME, in more ways than one) part of my job was to time, measure, and consequently estimate when DME guests would arrive at a particular resort. We had flight numbers, flight data, and even a computer that would notify us when a guest landed. We were usually accurate within 5-10 minutes. Although, there were MANY times when a guest surprised us, and arrived 15-20 minutes sooner than we expected. And yes, there were times when we waited a few extra minutes for someone.

Ever tried to talk to a bus driver or those magic screens on the bus to pick up a few more hints. Most drivers don't seem to speak English very good. Course, that is in other parts of the transportation industry too.

Well, personally I really don't want to talk to the driver... I'd rather let them concentrate on driving. After all, how many times have you started a conversation with a driver, and then they spend more time looking in the mirror to look at you and hold that conversation, than worrying about that SUV that just cut two lanes of traffic, and is now 3 feet from your bumper.

And those "magic screens" actually provide quite a bit of detailed information. They let the guest know about:

Check-in proceedures, and what they'll need to bring to the desk

• Room charging
• Express check out
• Things to do if your room isn't ready
• DCL Land/Sea proceedures
• New attractions that they can see at the parks
• Thier return trip to OIA
• And so much more...

Remember, not everyone has the luxury of the DISboards. Not everyone knows what we think are basic things about checking into a Disney hotel. The DME video covers all that, and so much more. And it does it in true Disney style.

On the return trip, it tells them about Orlando International Airport, and all the vendors and concessions they have inside the airport. From what I hear, the concessionaires really benefit from that.

 

[kaytieeldr]

was there for about 20 minutes this morning about 1210 to 1230. I really think some of the more biased posters on these boards paint a beautiful picture of something that is more imagined than is real.

On the other hand, a twenty minute observation of a 24-hour, 365 day a year service is really NOT representative of how the service works.

It is so much nicer to have a driver and a car service waiting for you, to get your baggage and than loading into a nice clean vehicle, having a local talk to you about many things

And I will once again iterate that having that local spend 95% of the ride talking on his cell phone while driving to the client's destination is NOT "so much nicer". Yes, that's my experience the last time I used Tiffany. I have no objection to town car services - I later used Cartier and had a great experience.

and than loading into a nice clean vehicle,

This portion of the statement gives the erroneous impression that DME buses are other than nice clean vehicles. They are nice, they are clean, they are plush touring motorcoaches.

The fighting for a seat on the big bus or the driving around while you are picking up everyone else to take to the airport

DME bus passengers do not 'fight' for seats. Only the number of passengers (or fewer) for which there are seats are permitted to board a given bus. Now, yes, DME buses MAY pick up passengers at more than one resort before heading to the airport. Then again, they may NOT - no point if the previously-reserved number of returnees at a given time from a given resort fill, or approach capacity, of the given bus.

I am glad you thought it was so funny Debbie. You used DME once, it has been running a year and a half now. I don't place a judgement on something I have only done once.

However, in post number 6 in this thread, you make judgements based on a twenty minute observation of a service you've NEVER used.

Now... for a towncar type service, the time will only be quicker if the destination would have been a 2nd, 3rd/4th stop on the DME motorcoach. And even then, we're only talking by 10 minutes. In the grand scheme of things, that's not a lot.

Paying $120 to save ten minutes works out to $720 an hour. I can get an entire Disney vacation for that same amount of money (and get a MUCH better value per minute/hour)

For 70 to be the average than there has to be more times when the time out was 90 or 100 minutes than once in a while or a glitch might happen. More than half the circumstances are over 70 minutes. Am I right or wrong. Is my math failing me, I am getting old that is for sure

The average trip is 70 minutes. On average:
For every trip that takes 100 minutes, there would have to be a trip that takes 40 minutes.
For every trip that takes 90 minutes, there would be a trip that takes 50 minutes.
For every trip that takes 80 minutes, there would be a trip that takes 60 minutes.
For every trip that takes 70 minutes, there would be another trip that takes 70 minutes.
100 + 40 + 90 + 50 + 80 + 60 + 70 + 70 = 560 / 8 =... seventy minutes.

Now, how many people really care about time. That really seems to be what ME is trying to market and really they can only tie the other forms of transportation.

What DME seems to be - no, wait, IS - marketing (successfully) is free transportation between the airport and your resort along with carefree luggage transport.

Clean vehicles with smooth rides and no other passengers aboard is a good point.

In the immortal words of Meat Loaf, "Two out of three ain't bad":
DME = clean vehicles; livery service = clean vehicles.
DME = smooth ride; livery service = smooth ride;
DME = sharing transportation with other Disney Resort Guests, livery service = no other passengers aboard. I'm flexible.

For the $120 savings, I'll ride with other people with the same destination (Disney hotels) and the same goals (Disney vacation. I've already BEEN with them on the plane; I'll be with them at the hotel; and I'll see 'em again in the parks. Why NOT ride to the hotel with them????

ME on the first floor and than the passenger gets to find out it may be 15 to 20 minutes to walk over to the appropriate airlines.

Huh? I knew MCO is expanding, but fifteen or twenty minutes large???????? My home airport has five separate terminals connected by hallways - not two 'sides' of the same building - and it may take twenty minutes to walk from A to E.

Sorry, the only big advantage the ME has is, Disney says its free. If Disney let people know the price they are paying the ridership would go down. Free is the big reason people are riding the DME.

Oh, please - DO share. WHAT price are DME users paying?

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

Oh, please - DO share. WHAT price are DME users paying?

I think a better question for Edd would be, What prices are the DME users paying that the folks taking the towncar service aren't?

 

[CleveRocks]

Now, how many people really care about time.

Well, an unscientific survey of my own memory reveals that MANY if not MOST of the questions about DME posted by people who've never used DME are questions about time, how long DME will take to get them to their resort.

I'm glad that you've finally taken my long-standing suggestion to tout the benefits of car services rather than simply put down DME. I couldn't be prouder.

 

[Edd]

So Tyler,

You have worked for Mears transportation.