Has the Magical Express been the UnMagical Express for anyone else

Thumper1066 · Mar 4, 2015

Last September my DD and I went on a girls vacation. Right out of the gate we ran into a kink in our plans. We waited almost 2 hours to get on a bus. The line was all of the way back to the elevator bank. Was this just an isolated experience or have others had this long of a wait. Our wait in all the lines in all the parks didn't equal the amount of time it took us to get to the resort. If this is standard, I think we'll rent a car. I really don't need a car for any other reason except to get to WDW. What are your experiences using Magical Express. We are making plans for this fall and are looking for advice.

winthropf · Mar 4, 2015

I have never had more than 5 families ahead of me in over 15 trips. Your experience was an anomaly. What time of year was it? Maybe related to one of the youth sports competitions at WWOS.

ShayBells · Mar 4, 2015

I've been 5 times in the last 6 years 4 of them being in the fall. I don't ever remember waiting. Usually a few families in front of us never been more than that.

nkereina · Mar 4, 2015

We've had bad luck with DME on the last 2 of 3 trips we've taken.

The first time was when we arrived on a Saturday around 11am in late-September, and we quickly discovered it was a very busy arrival time. The lines were snaked through all the stansions, and we waited maybe 45 mins in line before getting on a bus.

Last trip, we arrived around 5pm on a Friday in mid-November and DME was a ghost town. We walked right up and were the first ones on a waiting empty bus. However, we then proceeded to sit on said bus for another 35-40 mins waiting for people to trickle in and fill the bus up. It was painful. We finally got the bus 3/4 full, and then had to stop at two other resorts before ours. Took us just under two hours to get to our resort from the time we got off the plane.

maxiesmom · Mar 4, 2015

It has been mostly magical, but the trips that were not really stand out. :sad2:

First there was the time our plane landed at 11 pm and we didn't get to our resort until 1:30 am. Another time we had an obnoxious driver who thought he was hysterically funny and wouldn't go through any gates until the bus said Abracadabra (and you could tell no one was in the mood). He also threatened to shut the air off if people didn't play along, and hummed Disney songs, hitting his breaks in time to the music.

My most recent bad trip was the final straw for me. We boarded the bus and then went and picked up at 3 more resorts. An hour later we were just about to get on the highway to head to the airport when the driver was radioed that a guest on an earlier bus had left their wheelchair behind. So off to that resort we went. Knowing the security lines at MCO I was about to have a panic attack. :faint:

After being picked up 3 hours prior to our flight we were not at our gate 20 minutes before boarding. That is too close for me! I may not mind waiting on DME going to the resort (unless it is late at night, and then I'm getting a towncar) but for the forseeable future, I am using a towncar to get back to the airport!

Disneylover99 · Mar 4, 2015

We've always had good experiences going to our resort and back to the airport. :thumbsup2

We've used the magical express eight times since 2010.

seashoreCM · Mar 4, 2015

I think that Magical Express becomes very magical if due to their schedule irregularity or even traffic and weather together (or separately), you follow all of the instructions but still miss your plane.

However, since there is no such thing as magic except within WDW, no eavesdropping bystander will ever learn exactly how that magic happens.

One time a coupl'a years ago a DME bus got into an accident en route back to the airport. According to news reports and the lack of reports to the contrary, we conclude that DME became very magical and no one, including those hospitalized, suffered any adverse consequences except for the obvious physical sensations from hospitalization and the extra time until the next plane could pick them up.

It appears that having to run for your plane is considered within the normal tolerances of DME performance. You can drastically reduce the chance of that happening by requesting a DME bus back to the airport 3-1/2 hours ahead of your flight instead of the usual 3. This request, when done at least 48 hours in advance, is always granted.

ILoveMyDVC · Mar 4, 2015

Yes! My son waited almost 2 hours this January. There were buses when he arrive; the CM told him that they weren't going to OKW. Eventually, *they* sent a Mears van to pick him up. Luggage was 4 hours.

maxiesmom · Mar 5, 2015

ILoveMyDVC said:
Yes! My son waited almost 2 hours this January. There were buses when he arrive; the CM told him that they weren't going to OKW. Eventually, *they* sent a Mears van to pick him up. Luggage was 4 hours.

Keep in mind that the 3 hour delivery window Disney gives for luggage deliver doesn't start until you have checked in to your resort.

But waiting 2 hours for a bus to even pick you up is unacceptable.

ancestry · Mar 5, 2015

We have used DME well over 10 times throughout the years. I think the longest we ever waiting was about 30 minutes and even then that was only once. Usually we are on the bus and going within 15 minutes or so.

We never really had a probably returning to the airport on our departure day.

hsmamato2 · Mar 5, 2015

we've used it a few times, it's always been just fine.... one time a few years back there were long lines, they moved along fairly fast- last time in January there were no lines, we sat on bus for about 15 mins before we finally took off.... no problems at all.

goofy4tink · Mar 5, 2015

Some wait times have been longer than others. The worst I have encountered was the Sat in Dec that my friend and I arrived at the same time a ton of families from Pop Warner arrived!!! Man, the line to get checked in was nuts. At that time, though, you had to go to the DME counter to be checked in. Now, you just go to a podium area that leads directly to the bus lines.
I've had wait times of 1 mins (walk through the bus line, right onto a bus!) and times of 25 mins. Once on the bus, times as short as 2 mins, or as long as 25 mins. Ride to my resort? As short as 25 mins, as long as 50 mins (first vs last stop). Thank heaven all the long times didn't happen on the same trip. I've had one time that was 55 mins from gate to resort, and one time that was close to 90 mins! Most times have been around 75 mins though.

Yes, there can be longer times...but they are seldom over 2 hrs!!! If you don't want to take that chance, then you are probably better off booking a car service or a rental car.

Tonka's Skipper · Mar 5, 2015

In all our trips using magical Express, we have never waited.more to 10 or 15 minutes and that was rare.

It sounds like there may have been a major traffic issue or something along those lines.

AKK

ILoveMyDVC · Mar 5, 2015

maxiesmom said:
Keep in mind that the 3 hour delivery window Disney gives for luggage deliver doesn't start until you have checked in to your resort.

But waiting 2 hours for a bus to even pick you up is unacceptable.

My son was checked in from the start of the reservation - I was there 2 days earlier.

mydisneykids · Mar 5, 2015

seashoreCM said:
One time a coupl'a years ago a DME bus got into an accident en route back to the airport. According to news reports and the lack of reports to the contrary, we conclude that DME became very magical and no one, including those hospitalized, suffered any adverse consequences except for the obvious physical sensations from hospitalization and the extra time until the next plane could pick them up.

It appears that having to run for your plane is considered within the normal tolerances of DME performance. You can drastically reduce the chance of that happening by requesting a DME bus back to the airport 3-1/2 hours ahead of your flight instead of the usual 3. This request, when done at least 48 hours in advance, is always granted.

We drove past that accident on the way back to MCO. I was amazed that when I looked it up the only info I could find was here. Nothing ever said that I could find by Disney.

I am going through the same trouble now. I am trying to decided if I want to take ME in 2 weeks. My DH booked me on Frontier on the only flight to that airport by them for that day. I have never flown them before because of the reviews and read that you have to be at the gate quite a long time before departure. 2 times now we have taken ME back to the airport and a number of people have been rushing to make their flights.

maxiesmom · Mar 5, 2015

ILoveMyDVC said:
My son was checked in from the start of the reservation - I was there 2 days earlier.

Still 4 hours from when his plane landed is well withing the normal range. On average it takes 90 minutes for a guest to get to their resort. Which would mean the normal range for getting your bags is with 4 1/2 hours of landing.

tjmw2727 · Mar 5, 2015

We have used DME 2 to 4x a year since it's inception and we have always has good experiences on the inbound, around the 90 minute average mark for arrival at the resort. We have never been in the room to see the luggage arrive so I can't comment on that but it has always been in the room when we returned from the pool/parks.

We have also had great experiences returning to the airport with one exception when a bus broke down and even then a new bus arrived within 10 minutes of the driving pulling over safely to the curb. The new bus arrived with 2 drivers to help the current driver transfer the bags and I think we were back underway within a total of 20 minutes. Still made our flight with time to spare and IMHO even with a breakdown I think they did a great job under the circumstances.

Using DME for our next trip with no hesitation.

I must also add that I love the luggage delivery feature of DME

helenk · Mar 5, 2015

I have used DME on numerous occasions since it started. When they had you check in at the counters the lines always looked long but always went fast. Now you generally go directly to the queues, but again the lines have moved quickly. I have read where people have sat on the bus until it is full, but fortunately that has never happened to me, I gone to the resort with a bus that was not full at all. The longest I have waited from getting in line to having the bus leave the airport is about 30 minutes. I have never had a bad experience getting to my resort, on average I have checked in at my resort within 70 minutes of landing. I had one bad experience getting to the airport, we had a newer driver that got lost, it was nerve racking, but we still got the airport without having to race to the gate.

Minnesota! · Mar 6, 2015

Never any issues with DME. We have used it, successfully, for every trip we have had since its inception (10+ trips). We absolutely love it.

It is part of the vacation for us, so standing/sitting waiting for/on the bus...just part of the vacation and it never has bothered us. If we are the first to board and we have to wait? Oh well - great people watching time. Last resort? Oh well - I got to see a bunch of other resorts.

Luggage will show up - whether it is within their window of 3 hours or outside of it. I know to pack enough in my carry on to last should it be a while.

We truly enjoy everything about DME.

jayhawk74 · Mar 6, 2015

This year was our worse with Magical Express. We landed at 4PM and got on the van at 4:45. However due to traffic, as well as going to 4 other resorts before ours we didn't get to FW until 7PM. Our luggage didn't show until Midnight. Both Magical Express and the Front desk said that the 3 hour window for luggage started when we landed.

Has the Magical Express been the UnMagical Express for anyone else

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