Which transportation from airport

[uwydisfan]

Our flight arrives at 9:22 pm on a Friday night in June. I am wondering if we should take Magic Express, a pay shuttle bus or a taxi (2 adults, 2 kids). I am a little worried about not getting our bags for a while if we take M.E. Can anyone give me some suggestions?

Thanks

1st trip to WDW, 3 trips to Disneyland - very excited!

 

[kaytieeldr]

Keeping in mind that it's your money and ultimately your decision, along with my theory that "free works for me":

1: Items you should ALWAYS have in your carry-on luggage - your travel documents, medications, valuables*, and whatever items you will need for the first 24 hours at your destination in case the airline misdirects your luggage.

2: Heeding step 1 generally means you can wait until morning for your checked luggage; if you choose this route, notify both the Front Desk and Bell Services that you'd like them to hold your luggage until morning, and put the "Privacy Please" card in your door's key slot. The message light on your phone will be blinking in the morning, and you can return the message and arrange for luggage delivery.

3: If you let Magical Express deliver your luggage, Disney pays the tip

4: Shuttle is never 'the way to go' when staying onsite. It costs, and it's likely to be crowded and stop at several hotels, and you can't reserve in advance due to the existence of Magical Express. A taxi will cost you about $50-$60 plus tip.

5: You could pick up your own luggage from the carousel and bring it to the Magical Express line/bus. You need to decide this before you leave your home airport. If you do opt for this, do NOT attach the ME luggage tags. This option means you need to detour to baggage pickup, then haul your checked luggage at least down one flight if not all the way across the airport (depending on which side of the airport your airline is located).

6: Disney does not cover any tip in this case, and it's customary to tip anyone who handles your luggage (except the counter agents when you check in for your flight), including any porter in the airport, the bus driver, and anyone from Bell Services. Normal tip is $1-$2 per bag but not less than $2

*Electronics, jewelry, etc.

 

[goofy4tink]

If it were me...I would use DME but not tag my bags. I've used many, many times since it's inception. I also like using a car service. But I do adhere to the 'if it's free it's for me' mentality as well.
You are arriving dangerously close to the cut off time for luggage delivery...10pm. After that time, all baggage delivery stops with DME and is held until the next morning. So...if something should happen to hold up your flight, you could face not having the bags until the next day. So...don't tag the bags, go to baggage claim and get them yourselves, then bring them to the DME checkin counter with you. They will go underneath the bus you are on. Yes, the driver will expect a tip for handling your bags...about $1 a bag.

It will add about 15 mins or so to your overall time, but you will have those bags with you, you will only pay that small addtl tip, and it will still only take about 75 mins to get to the resort. If you use a car service, it will take about an hour. So, spend the addtl 15 or so mins and not have to pay extra.

 

[Disneylovingmom]

We used ME last year and chose to retrieve our own bags from the baggage carousel, since we were arriving late at night. We walked straight from the flight to the carousel, and our bags were already there. We had a short walk from the carousel to ME. The bus was waiting on us. We gave them our bags, boarded the bus, and probably pulled out in about ten minutes. Great!

 

[kaytieeldr]

We had a short walk from the carousel to ME

The quoted poster apparently arrived on Side B of the terminal. While the walk from Side A isn't impossible (not even close), it IS a lot further - you'd need to first go down to baggage claim, then back up to level 3, then across the terminal and down to level 1, then to the end where the Welcome Center is.

 

[uwydisfan]

Thanks to everyone for their comments. We will be flying in on Frontier Airlines, does anyone know where they land?

 

[bleeps]

And now for a completely different perspective:

Our family's Disney World motto is: "Time is money!"

We have also found, after 6 trips to the World, that paying for some key services/experiences makes a HUGE difference in the smooth sailing and enjoyment of our trip.

We use Tiffany Town Car for service to and from the airport. The value of getting off the plane, going down to baggage claim, and seeing the neatly dressed driver holding up a sign with our family's name on it is beyond measure. ESPECIALLY with your nighttime arrival and with 2 children, this will be a very wonderful thing.

The driver retrieves your luggage, loads it in a big, comfortable town car, and whisks you to your resort. You don't have to find anything other than the baggage claim area, you don't have to wait for anyone or anything, no lines, no other stops along the way (unless you want a grocery stop, and that's your choice). You now have your luggage with you when you check in to your resort.

On the return trip, because one private driver is picking up your family and taking you directly to your airline, you don't have to queue up as early as you would if you were taking DME. Again, the driver handles your luggage (unless your airline participates in the program where you can check your luggage directly at the desk at your resort -- some do that). At the end of the trip, after you've spent however much time at WDW surrounded by other people, waiting in lines, waiting for buses, dealing with multiple stops before arriving at your destination, it is heavenly to be able to get to the airport in a relaxed, comfortable, quiet manner.

Given the overall cost of a WDW trip, our family believes that the benefits of private towncar service (and we LOVE Tiffany) totally outweighs the cost (about $100 r/t).

 

[DebbieB]

Thanks to everyone for their comments. We will be flying in on Frontier Airlines, does anyone know where they land?

Frontier is on side A.

http://www.orlandoairports.net/ops/airlines.htm

I would either pickup the luggage yourself and take it over to ME or get a towncar.

 

[Wendy5055]

OK...here is my 2cents...

Having flown SW which is in terminal A...had I known about that town car service that Bleeps mentioned for $100 round trip, I would have used that.

I am all for the free ME service and use it all the time. But it was definately a long walk all that way and then waiting in line.

If you are arriving that late with two kids...use the town car service! It would be worth the $100 to me.

 

[TheWog]

In April we arrived late (almost midnight) and use a car service. It was great. Driver waiting at baggage claim for us with a sign. Helped us with the bags and brought us down to the car. Movie playing, beverages in the bar and we were off. We were at the AKL in what seemed like no time. No waiting at all. It was a bit later than your arrival, but worth it. At the time you are suggesting, as others have mentioned, it is cutting it close to rely on DME baggage transfer. Plus you are not guaranteed to get the bags quickly. Could still be several hours. I would get the car service, but that is just us.

 

[goofy4tink]

IF I were to arrive at MCO after 9:30pm, I just wouldn't want to take the chance of not getting my bags until the next day. DME baggage handlers go off the job at 10pm..who knows what the system is like the 30 mins before that....So, I would most likely get my own bags. Now..if I were arriving on Side A of the airport, I would most likely then hire a car service. I hate the idea of arriving on level 3, heading down to level 2 of Side A, waiting for my bags, grabbing them, going back up to level 3, Side A, crossing the terminal (not a big deal ordinarily), going down to level 1 Side B. Just a hassle late at night.
And since I fly SW and JB a lot, that could feasibly happen to me.

But, if it's earlier in the day, and I can count on DME getting my bags, then I'll use DME to get to my resort. It's all about the time of arrival during the day/night.

 

[NHdisneylover]

Lots of opinions here. I love that.
For our family, if we were arriving at that time (late enough that we will jsut be heading to bed anyway so not loosing any park time) I would use ME. I would pack jammies and toothbrushes in the carry on as well as clothes for day one and a small bottle of sunscreen (less than 3.4 ounces )and do as the first respondant suggested and ask that luggage be held until the next morning. That way I could even head to the parks first thing if my bags were not there when I got up.