What time was your magical express pickup / flight time ? I know it is generally 3-4hrs but I keep getting close to 4 hours for domestic travel

[Princess2R]

i had a 7:15 pickup for a 10:45 flight

I am flying within the us and I feel like the last few times I keep getting pickups closer to 4 hours

 

[Sandisw]

My last 3 trips..Aug, Oct and Dec, have been 3 hours, give or take 5 minutes.

 

[shoreward]

It is resort-specific. If you call DME at 866-599-0951, they can provide your scheduled pick-up time, based on your flight’s scheduled departure and the resort you are departing from.

 

[caitycaity]

My last few trips have been to BC, Pop, POR, and Coronado. All of them have been 3 hours almost exactly.

 

[Jeterdog2004]

Someone on Facebook gave me this genius tip, as long as you don’t mind having less time at the airport, give the magical express a later flight number. They don’t actually verify that you are on the flight you give them. So I always give a flight one hour later than mine, and that way I get picked up 2 hours prior to my actual flight. I have tsa pre check and don’t mind getting to the airport an hour or so before take off.

 

[shoreward]

Someone on Facebook gave me this genius tip, as long as you don’t mind having less time at the airport, give the magical express a later flight number. They don’t actually verify that you are on the flight you give them. So I always give a flight one hour later than mine, and that way I get picked up 2 hours prior to my actual flight. I have tsa pre check and don’t mind getting to the airport an hour or so before take off.

I did that one time, without issue. However, if doing so, DME will not have any responsibility, if there is a problem with your transportation to MCO and you miss your flight. It may be a greater issue if you need to check bags at the airport. I have TSA PreCheck, as well, and sometimes, during peak travel times, the lines at the bag scan can get backed up. Last time, there apparently was an equipment failure, and my line did not move for about 10-15 minutes.

 

[Jeterdog2004]

I did that one time, without issue. However, if doing so, DME will not have any responsibility, if there is a problem with your transportation to MCO and you miss your flight. It may be a greater issue if you need to check bags at the airport. I have TSA PreCheck, as well, and sometimes, during peak travel times, the lines at the bag scan can get backed up. Last time, there apparently was an equipment failure, and my line did not move for about 10-15 minutes.

Yea Orlando airport is definitely delay ridden. We tend to not check bags but I agree that that would require you to definitely be there an hour prior to take off. Thankfully we’ve never waited at security more than a few minutes, even with a baby and a stroller and a whole mess of bags and whatnot. The goal is just to minimize the length of that travel day ! Hate sitting on the plane with a toddler, so sitting in the airport waiting for the plane doesn’t help either! Our newark flights always tend to be delayed anyway

 

[nkereina]

We had a similar pickup time back in October. After we were picked up from our resort, we stopped at another one to pick up more guests. I assume our pick up time was earlier than typical because of this.

 

[zoo2tycoon]

Someone on Facebook gave me this genius tip, as long as you don’t mind having less time at the airport, give the magical express a later flight number. They don’t actually verify that you are on the flight you give them. So I always give a flight one hour later than mine, and that way I get picked up 2 hours prior to my actual flight. I have tsa pre check and don’t mind getting to the airport an hour or so before take off.

Bad advice. You don’t know if first or last resort to be picked up at. There could be traffic. Lines at airport to check in. TSA lines in Orlando can be horrendous. Families with no clue what to do can slow lines. If you missed your flight are you willing to pay the fee? Disney won’t care or do anything because you gave wrong information.

 

[nkereina]

Bad advice. You don’t know if first or last resort to be picked up at. There could be traffic. Lines at airport to check in. TSA lines in Orlando can be horrendous. Families with no clue what to do can slow lines. If you missed your flight are you willing to pay the fee? Disney won’t care or do anything because you gave wrong information.

Agree. If a person doesn't want to be picked up ~3 hours before their flight, they are better off taking an Uber/Lyft/taxi so they at least can eliminate the variable of having additional pickups.

 

[KPeterso]

Someone on Facebook gave me this genius tip, as long as you don’t mind having less time at the airport, give the magical express a later flight number. They don’t actually verify that you are on the flight you give them. So I always give a flight one hour later than mine, and that way I get picked up 2 hours prior to my actual flight. I have tsa pre check and don’t mind getting to the airport an hour or so before take off.

Another that thinks this is bad advice. I also have TSA Pre Check and I got it after a MCO experience that was more than an hour to get through security and only having maybe 10 minutes to grab food before boarding started for my flight. And I was picked up over 3 hours before my flight! You also never what stop you will be for DME. We had one trip that we were the first pick up at Wilderness Lodge and then stopped at one of the Port Orleans, OKW, and SSR. We did not leave Disney property for over an hour after we were picked up. I was sweating our flight but we did end up making it no problem. Leaving 2 hours before flight time and then having an hour driving around Disney property would have me freaking out about making my flight.

 

[holden]

DME pickup is generally 3hrs before your flight. However it can be more if your resrort is the first one picked up.

 

[Searc]

Someone on Facebook gave me this genius tip, as long as you don’t mind having less time at the airport, give the magical express a later flight number. They don’t actually verify that you are on the flight you give them. So I always give a flight one hour later than mine, and that way I get picked up 2 hours prior to my actual flight. I have tsa pre check and don’t mind getting to the airport an hour or so before take off.

Not genius at all, actually. Dangerous information which can result in barely making or missing your flight. If you want to fly by the seat of your pants, take Uber or Lyft.

 

[Searc]

Another that thinks this is bad advice. I also have TSA Pre Check and I got it after a MCO experience that was more than an hour to get through security and only having maybe 10 minutes to grab food before boarding started for my flight. And I was picked up over 3 hours before my flight! You also never what stop you will be for DME. We had one trip that we were the first pick up at Wilderness Lodge and then stopped at one of the Port Orleans, OKW, and SSR. We did not leave Disney property for over an hour after we were picked up. I was sweating our flight but we did end up making it no problem. Leaving 2 hours before flight time and then having an hour driving around Disney property would have me freaking out about making my flight.

I think some peope believe DME is a private service and they'll be the only ones picked up and driven directly to the airport.

 

[MadScouser]

So quick q - we are there at Easter and for the SW half marathon . We have an "internal" flight MCO to Charlotte, before International Flight back to UK. Flight is 15.38 - so is pick up around 12.30 ? (we will be in SSR)

Is there a way to find individual hotel pick up times ?

 

[Searc]

So quick q - we are there at Easter and for the SW half marathon . We have an "internal" flight MCO to Charlotte, before International Flight back to UK. Flight is 15.38 - so is pick up around 12.30 ? (we will be in SSR)

Is there a way to find individual hotel pick up times ?

You are on a domestic flight first, so your pick up time will be approximately three hours (give or take 15 minutes) before. There is no set time, it varies every single day depending on who needs to be picked up when.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I think some peope believe DME is a private service and they'll be the only ones picked up and driven directly to the airport.

Just to be clear, my laughing "like" for this post is at the idea, not at the post!

So quick q - we are there at Easter and for the SW half marathon . We have an "internal" flight MCO to Charlotte, before International Flight back to UK. Flight is 15.38 - so is pick up around 12.30 ? (we will be in SSR)

Is there a way to find individual hotel pick up times ?

Pickup times are entirely based on need. There is no schedule. If somebody claims, for example, that POFQ pickup is at :10 and :40 but nobody at that resort needs a ride to the airport at 1:10, there will be no bus.

 

[brockash]

Someone on Facebook gave me this genius tip, as long as you don’t mind having less time at the airport, give the magical express a later flight number. They don’t actually verify that you are on the flight you give them. So I always give a flight one hour later than mine, and that way I get picked up 2 hours prior to my actual flight. I have tsa pre check and don’t mind getting to the airport an hour or so before take off.

We do this every trip as we have no need to sit at the airport for so much longer than needed. We usually aim for a pick up time of about 2.5 hrs before are actual departure just to be safe, but always still have more than enough time to eat at the airport.

 

[brockash]

Not genius at all, actually. Dangerous information which can result in barely making or missing your flight. If you want to fly by the seat of your pants, take Uber or Lyft.

Oh please...totally fine if you don't want to do it, but please don't say it's "dangerous." What an overreaction lol. We travel with extended family. so multiple flights annually for over a decade (often times multiple trips a year) and have done this every time since learning the first time. We've never had a problem. Just as anything in life, things can always go wrong etc. (you could get in an accident on your scheduled ME) but generally speaking 99% of the time ppl. will be fine with this arrangement.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

I put in a fake flight number, because I was sick of being picked up 3.5hrs ahead and sitting at my gate for 2.5 hrs. We are precheck and in 8 trips the last 12 months I've not spent more than 10 minutes at security.