Disney's Magical Express and DVC

[FLYNZ4]

We used Magical Express on the way here... and we will use it for the return trip Sunday. We did rent a car at the Dolphin and that will be returned tomorrow morning.

I certainly would not call DME "Magical"... and while we had reasonably rapid service... it was not exactly "Express" either. My brother and SiL, who arrived several hours prior to us waited in very long lines for DME.

I am torn if I will use it again... and if we do... whether we rent a car or not. The nicest advantage was to not get our luggage... but realistically, that doesn't save a lot of time.

/Jim (undecided on DME)

 

[byoung]

ME saves you money.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

We have traded into DVC using II. Are we allowed to use the Magical Express Service that other disney resorts can use? Have any of you used it? Would we be better off renting a car?

Yes. When you confirmed your reservation for your II exchange to an on-site DVC resort, you should have been given an toll-free number for DVC Member Services. Call that number to pay your $95 fee, to make any requests (such as nonsmoking), and to reserve Disney's Magical Express.

I've used DME twice — once with for a DVC points reservation and once for an II exchange.

 

[ncyorks]

Our last trip the WDW was April 05. I understand that in May 05, WDW began free transportation from MCO to Disney properties, similar to that they use for DCL.

Has anyone tried this? Is it still complementary? Do you recommend?

Wondering.

 

[gppnj]

It is currently complimentary. However, the general concensus is that Disney will begin charging for it at some point. It's called Magical Express.

What's nice about it is that it isn't just airport transportation; it's also luggage handling. If you've got a Magical Express reservation (and are flying on a participating airline), you can check your bags at your home airport and not have to touch them again. They will be delivered directly to your room. Pretty neat, huh?

Most people (myslef included) would be willing to pay for Magical Express as long as the cost is comparable to other airport transportation options.

 

[carolina_yankee]

I think ME is supposed to be free through 2006. We used it this past January and had absolutely no problems. The luggage handling was great - they send you tags to put on your checked luggage (max of 2 per person) so once you check your luggage at departure you don't see them again until they appear in your room.

Our bags appeard within 4 hours, but I can't be more precise since we were out of the room that long. Others have had very prompt service, and some have had very long service (even next day). I think Disney tries for a 3 hour window. The moral is, if you can't bear to be without it, take it with you. Snafus happen.

If you don't want Disney handling your luggage, but want to take ME anyway, just don't put the tags on, collect your luggage at MCO as usual, and then check infor ME. Your bags will arrive at the resort with you, but you will have to collect them yourself.

 

[bounceliketigger]

Have you used ME without letting Disney handle your luggage? I just had this discussion with MS, who did not offer that as an option. I told MS that I had used ME before and had taken my luggage with me. She said she "never heard of anyone doing that". I'm concerned because we arrive at MCO @ 9:30 am & would possibly want access to belongings prior the 4p check -in time. Do you know if the 3-hr window is from your arrival time or from check -in? Can some members of the party hold their own luggage & some let Disney handle it? This may be a mute point because ours is a last minute ressie for 3-19 & I just made the ME ressie today. Thanks for any help you can provide!

 

[carolina_yankee]

Short answer, carry with you anything you might want before your bags are delivered.

MS probably wouldn't talk about the "handle your own luggage" angle because that's not the way ME is deisgned. However, you can definitely do it yourself. Basically, you won't see any bag you put the ME tag onto prior to departure until it arrives in your room. It won't arrive into your room until the room is ready, or until it arrives at the resort - whichever comes last. In other words, if you arrive at 9:30 am, and your room isn't ready until 4:00, your bags will stay with guest services once they arrive until they can deliver to your room. The bags are retrieved and go to the resorts in separate vans from the busses, so they're on a different schedule than you.

If you will want anything before then, you should carry it with you (such as in a carry-on, or by claiming your own bag at the carousel at MCO). The ME driver will store whatever baggage you do have with you in the compartments under the bus, and then retrieve them when you get to your resort, so it's not that much of a hassle.

Just remember that whatever is tagged with the ME tag, they'll handle. Whatever isn't, you have to pick up and bring with you - just as you did with Mears, or a Towncar service, or renting your own car. No questions or funny looks are likely - they're set up to accommodate this.

I hope this is clear - it may be too long-winded!!

 

[bdb7607]

We too had a great experience with ME, bags arrived in our room within 2 hours of arrival! Were expecting 4 hours, pleasantly surprised..

 

[trvlr4301r]

Magical Express is running free until the end of December 2006. We used it last September and had one of the experiences that was not so good. We had a late flight in and arrived at the resort around 11:00 p.m. We had packed a few things in our carry on...but not stuff to sleep in...and we did not get our luggage until after 12:00 the next day. Luckily we had our bathing suits packed in our carry on so we sat at the pool for the morning until our luggage arrived. We could not leave and go to the park as we didn't have shorts with us as we wore jeans, coming from Maine, and it was really hot at Disney. Also we wore sandals and couldn't walk around the parks all day without sneakers. So in other words we would have had to have packed a lot of stuff in our carry on in order to have gone to the parks that first day. Disney did make it right with us as it changed our plans for the day....we missed half a day of parks! They gave us each $50.00 on our room card to spend how we wished. When we go in Nov. we will use the magical express again but I am thinking of not letting them take our bags and we will collect them ourselves at the airport so there won't be any problem of not having our clothes with us. Does anyone know what the price of the Magical Express will be when the free promotion ends?

 

[abner1776]

We used ME this past January to WL and our daughter used it in early Feb to AKL. Checked our bags in Boston and didn't see them until we opened the door of our room. I have no idea how long it took to get to our room, cause the DW and I took off for DTD for shopping and dinner. Our only glitch was leaving when we could not check our bags at WL for the trip home...found out at the airport that our flight had been cancelled due to weather problems in Boston...not WDW problem...such is life living in the snowbelt. I give the ME service a "thumps up."

 

[bounceliketigger]

Not at all too long-winded. Appreciate the total picture!

 

[disneyobessed]

If I was to rent points from a DVC member would i still be able to use Magical Express?????

 

[TDC Nala]

Yes, if you give the member your flight information so that they can book it when they call Member Services.

 

[browniemtb]

If I was to rent points from a DVC member would i still be able to use Magical Express?????

You betcha......Magical Express can be added to your stay

 

[wordzylady]

We use ME last July and just last week on a trip home to SS. It worked great both times. In July we didn't use the Disney tags on the trip to Orlando and just collected our luggage at MCO and brought it with us on the bus from MCO to BWV. Last week we did use the luggage tags and let Disney handle our bags on arrival to Orlando. We had our bags at SS within 3 hours. It's so far been a great service for us.

 

[dutchwind]

Our family made use of Magical Express in December,2005. We stayed at
Wilderness Lodge Resort. The Magical Express was not very Magical for us.
The Luggage arrived at our hotel 4 hours after landing at Orlando Airport.
We sat on a bus and waited for at least one-half hour for it to leave toward
Disney. I was back at Disney in February, rented a car and handled my own
luggage. No more Magical Express.

 

[Patricia721]

Does anyone know if ME can be used one way only? I'm traveling with my son & his family to WDW this May. We've reserved a towncar to take us from MCO to WDW (my son doesn't want to use ME since we need two car seats). I'll be traveling by myself on the return trip back to MCO and wanted to use ME for that part - can I do it?

Thanks for the help!

 

[byoung]

Yes you can I have done it.

 

[hawkeye]

American Airlines just changed our return flight for spring break. Instead of leaving at 11:18, the flight now leaves at 9:27 a.m. (They also split us up into different rows which really ticked me off since I made my reservations 8 months ago). Anyway, We are staying at BCV, our first trip as owners. Does anyone know how early the magical express starts picking up and leaving for the airport. Thanks.