Re: Disney's Magical Express

**bety** · 08-23-2009, 04:52 PM

Southwest does participate. I flew Southwest last year and had no problems with the Magical Express. One thing to note is that you cannot check in for your flight home from the hotel. You have to wait until you get to the airport.

**CleveRocks** · 08-23-2009, 06:24 PM

Originally Posted by bmcintyre

Are there certain airlines that don't participate in this? I'm wondering particularly about Southwest Airlines.

EVERYONE landing at orlando International Airport can use Disney's Magical Express, regardless of airline. If you are named on the reservation at a Disney owned-and-operated resort, if it is on or after your resort check-in day, and if you specifically made a reservation for Disney's Magical Express, then you can use it.

On your arrival day, DME does two things for EVERYONE on EVERY AIRLINE: motorcoach (bus) from airport to your resort; automatic handling of your checked bags ... they "magically" appear inside your resort room (whether YOU are in there or not) within about 3 hours of the time you check-in at your resort.

On your departure day, DME provides a motorcoach ride from your resort back to the airport.

For your departure day, there is a separate service called Resort Airline Check-in, which serves the same function as curbside check-in, only it's in your resort lobby rather than at the airport. It's just like curbside in that you check-in for your flight and receive your boarding passes, AND you check your luggage through to your final destination.

It is with Resort Airline Check-in that your airline matters. Only certain airlines participate in RAC; if you're not flying on eof those airlines then you can't use RAC, and Southwest is one of those airlines that DOES NOT participate.

All that means is that on your final day, you bring your luggage to the DME bus, the driver loads it under the bus for you, when you get to the airpoirt the driver unloads it for you, and you take your luggage to your airline's ticket counter or curbside check-in, just like any other time you go to an airport.

So to review ...

On arrival day, EVERYONE can use the full extent of DME (both bus ride and luggage transfer). On departure day, everyone gets the bus ride, but only people on certain airlines get the luggage check-in at the resort.

**04CP_ Nolan** · 09-04-2009, 01:27 PM

My sister and I are using DME for the first time in February. Our flight gets in at about 2:30 with an ADR at Boma for 6:30 or a bit after. We're staying at All-Star Movies and we figured after landing it might be about 4:30 when we get to our resort, hopefully sooner. The day we leave is an early flight, like 10:35 am, so I'm wondering about what time the bus will pick us up. We're using Air Tran, so I don't know if they do the early check-in at the resorts when we leave. For those about to go down to The World, have a magical time.

**lizdarren41** · 09-07-2009, 09:33 AM

Hi,
Can you please help out a confused Brit regarding the DME?
We are flying with Virgin Atlantic and staying at POFQ. Do we qualify to use the DME?
If so, I read above that DME take care of your baggage. How does this work or is this just for U.S residents?
Thanks!

**vikstar** · 07-24-2010, 06:22 AM

Originally Posted by lizdarren41

Hi,
Can you please help out a confused Brit regarding the DME?
We are flying with Virgin Atlantic and staying at POFQ. Do we qualify to use the DME?
If so, I read above that DME take care of your baggage. How does this work or is this just for U.S residents?
Thanks!

Another confused Brit here

We are also flying with Virgin Atlantic from the UK and I read on another website that disney do not post the DME luggage tags to guests in the UK prior to travel. If this is correct are we still able to use the baggage service that DME provides? If we don't have the luggage tags before we leave it seems we would have to collect the bags ourselves before heading to the DME bus?

Any help would be appreciated

vic

**CleveRocks** · 07-24-2010, 07:51 AM

Originally Posted by vikstar

Another confused Brit here

We are also flying with Virgin Atlantic from the UK and I read on another website that disney do not post the DME luggage tags to guests in the UK prior to travel. If this is correct are we still able to use the baggage service that DME provides? If we don't have the luggage tags before we leave it seems we would have to collect the bags ourselves before heading to the DME bus?

Any help would be appreciated

vic

You're sort of in an in-between situation.

Don't let the lack of luggage tags stand in your way. Since Day One, Disney has had a procedure in place to identify and deliver bags that do not have the special DME tags on them. It involves your giving the folks at the DME counter your baggage claim ticket numbers as well as a physical description of each bag.

You're in a unqiue situation in that you will need to go through Customs in Orlando, correct? If so, you'll have to be with your bags to go through Customs. At that point, there is a bag drop where you can send your bags through to DME. But if it were me, if I already had to wait for my bags to go through Customs anyway, at that point I wouldn't part with them, I'd just bring them to the DME bus area and have the driver stow them under the bus for me.

To me, the whole advantage of the DME baggage handling/delivery is the time savings involved with skipping Baggage Claim. But if I already have to stop and collect my bags anyway (as you will have to for Customs), I just don't see the substantial advantage to giving them to DME at that point. I'd just take them and keep them with me.

**vikstar** · 07-25-2010, 10:57 AM

Thanks cleveRocks,

I figured that would be the case. The real plus is the free ride to the resort and with wdw being only a short bus ride away I'll be skipping to baggage claim and happily carrying my own bags

Vic

**3N1GM4** · 07-25-2010, 05:24 PM

Originally Posted by vikstar

Thanks cleveRocks,

I figured that would be the case. The real plus is the free ride to the resort and with wdw being only a short bus ride away I'll be skipping to baggage claim and happily carrying my own bags

Vic

I think I know who'll be carrying the bags!

**GoofyRulez** · 07-30-2010, 12:21 AM

My wife and I used the Magical Express back in 1998 (or the predesesor to the Magical Express). We loved it. We are going to WDW again and we wouldn't think about taking any other form of transportation to our resort. You just can't beat the price.

**CleveRocks** · 11-27-2010, 09:30 AM

Originally Posted by GoofyRulez

My wife and I used the Magical Express back in 1998 (or the predesesor to the Magical Express). We loved it. We are going to WDW again and we wouldn't think about taking any other form of transportation to our resort. You just can't beat the price.

While I'm a big fan of Disney's Magical Express, I have to be fair and say that you've never used it, you've never experienced it. It had no predecessor. it's not like Disney offered it before annd just called it something different. DME launched on May 5, 2005 ... whatever transportation you took and enjoyed in 1998, it had absolutely nothing to do with DME. Disney simply didn't offer ANY airport transportation back then. It's possible you booked and paid for a transfer through Disney, but it was booked with a third party carrier and Disney just offered the booking of it to you as a convenience and of course I'm sure they kept a portion of the fare as well.

**Monica Santos** · 07-23-2011, 12:35 AM

Hello all!
My flight will be arriving at the Orlando Airport at 11:30Pm, if there aren't any delays. I know that I won't be able to skip baggage claim, but will I still be able to take the ME bus that late in the evening? My estimate is that I will be ready to go to the resort past midnight only and I don't know if the buses are still running at that late hour.

**eeyore79** · 07-23-2011, 12:47 AM

we will be down in wdw in less than 24 days...i am not sure if we are checking our luggage or going to just carry on, but either way i am loving the free transportation to the resort! but i will let you guys know how my experience goes!! im so excited!!

**CleveRocks** · 07-23-2011, 05:41 AM

Originally Posted by Monica Santos

Hello all!
My flight will be arriving at the Orlando Airport at 11:30Pm, if there aren't any delays. I know that I won't be able to skip baggage claim, but will I still be able to take the ME bus that late in the evening? My estimate is that I will be ready to go to the resort past midnight only and I don't know if the buses are still running at that late hour.

Disney's Magical Express is a 24/7 operation. There is no such thing as a flight that is too early or too late for the buses. As long as you made a DME reservation, then DME will give you a ride. They will be waiting for you and expecting you.

**Monica Santos** · 07-23-2011, 11:57 PM

That's really good news! Thanks for your quick reply.

**supernova** · 07-24-2011, 09:23 AM

Originally Posted by Monica Santos

That's really good news! Thanks for your quick reply.

Took a late-evening flight into Orlando one time and was able to use ME. They wound up taking me in on a Disney Cruiseline bus, which was just fine. I almost expected a regular Martz bus, since they operate the ME for Disney, but at least it was a Disney bus. I was the only person on there and he asked if I wanted to see the video. NOOOOOOO. So we rode to the parks talking the whole way.

I was also the only person on a bus that I had to switch heading back to the airport. The dispatcher gladly rescheduled my time, but when the driver arrived he said that he was shocked to find me there. Usually when it's only a single-passenger bus to MCO, they usually arrive to find no one there. Again, he asked if I would like the video, I said no, and he left on the 24-hr Christmas station, which was just fine for us both.