Originally Posted By thebacklot5 My girlfriend and I are staying at the Pop Century Resort, flying in from Nashville (May 20-25). We noticed this: With Disney's Magical Express Service, your vacation starts the moment you land at Orlando International Airport: • Don't bother picking up your luggage when you arrive; Disney takes you from the airport to check-in, while your bags go straight from the plane to your room. • Save on transportation costs, tolls, parking, and more - the service is complimentary. • Enjoy comfortable transportation to and from the airport in deluxe air-conditioned motor coaches. • When your vacation's over, you and your bags are whisked back from your Disney Resort to the airport. • Book at least 10 days in advance. Pet carriers are not included. The Question: Reliable? Should we be worried about our luggage being lost? Do we even have the option of getting it ourselves (since it notes it goes from the plane to the hotel)? Your help is appreciated.
Originally Posted By GrumpysWife We used this service two weeks ago and I thought it worked out great! We were experimenting with it, since the people we were traveling with rented a car. We decided to see who got to the resort first, and they were in line at registration when we walked in, so it was about the same. The difference was we didn't have to pay all the tolls on the roads from the airport to WDW. On the other side, they had their luggage with them, and ours didn't arrive at our room for a little while. We got half our luggage within about 15 minutes of getting to our room, and they apologized and said the rest was on the next bus from the airport and would be about 20-30 more minutes. We left and it was in our room when we got back. I don't know about you being able to get your luggage yourselves. You could call and ask them -- The best part, IMO, was that at the end of our vacation, since we were on a participating airline, we could check our luggage at the hotel when we were ready to leave, and they can print your boarding pass and everything. Then we just rode the bus to the airport and went straight to security. Obvious down side - you don't have a vehicle and are at the mercy of the bus system your entire visit.
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom I used this service and it went flawlessly. My self and my party all retrieved our own luggage as we had carry-ons. I really don't feel comfortable having someone else pick up my luggage. There is plenty of room under the bus for luggage. On the return trip I actually had my luggage with me instead of in the baggage compartment as I had a lot of glassware that I was taking home. Check in was fine. On the day you check out of the resort make sure ALL arrangement are in place with the conseirge for the trip back to the airport.
Originally Posted By sherrytodd We used it in October and it worked perfectly. Just make sure if you are the type that hits your hotel and heads straight for the parks, that you have a carry on bag with anything you need for the parks since it takes a few hours for your luggage to get to your room. I'm sure you have the option of getting your own luggage. Just don't put the tags on it and then head for the luggage carrousel before you go to the busses. So far I haven't seen anyone on these boards loosing their luggage if that is what you are worried about.
Originally Posted By FenwayGirl We used this service in January. We checked our bags in Boston and didn't worry about them until we got to the resort. We had the bags within an hour of check-in. I would definately do this again..
Originally Posted By pbjshakelover Best service WDW has ever offered...and it's free. We used it last October & we loved it! Hakuna Matata!
Originally Posted By cape cod joe We ALWAYS get our own luggage Sherry as I like to learn from history and our first time with ME we were told they gurarantee the luggage in 4 hours! NOT good as we like to unpack before we hit the parks and come back at 11 or so and NOT have to unpack then when we are exhausted. Don't put the tags on is correct and good advice.
Originally Posted By newmouse I thought it was just the luggage they had picked up and delivered. So, they actually have a bus that picks you up at the airport? Cool. I guess we dont have to pay any transfers then and its a direct trip from the airport to our Pop Century. Wow - that is something Im looking forward to.
Originally Posted By mrichmondj I always thought it odd that WDW didn't provide free shuttle service to its hotels until Magical Express. I don't usually fly into MCO -- I am guess that other area hotels have free shuttle services? Or is Orlando different from other big cities? Anyway, I'm using ME in May for my next trip! 38 more days!
Originally Posted By thebacklot5 Awesome, thank you so much for the feedback! From what everyone has said, I'll definitely give it a try. Thanks again!
Originally Posted By SimbaOne I have a question regarding ME, which I've never used before: I'm taking a trip with my friends in May & we're spending a majority of the time staying at Coronado Springs but, unbeknownst to the other two, I sprang for Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge for our 1st two nights at WDW. I'm basically just wondering how long I can keep up the charade. Are the ME buses loaded up by flight or resort destination? Do you verify where you're going to the Greeter, or does the bus stop at each resort? I'm trying to make this as big a surprise as I can, & if I could manage to keep them in the dark until we pull up to the grandeur that is AKL, that would be fantastic! Any feedback on this would be greatly appreciated!
Originally Posted By GrumpysWife The greeter asks you which resort, and shows you to the line - you line up by which resort you are staying at, so you'll be standing by a big sign that says "Animal Kingdom Lodge." Different busses go to different resorts. When we went our bus went to Pop Century, and then to Coronado Springs. I don't think it went anywhere else after we got off at CS..
Originally Posted By cape cod joe mrich--5 years NO WDW-if I remember your post? Enjoy as you deserve a break and NO READING on plane except disney guides
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom There are various buses which go to "groups" of resorts. For example I was staying at POR and we carried quests for OKW, Saratoga Springs, POFQ and POR. The bests are very comfortable. Have a bathroom in each. And they show you a movie about the ME service while you are traveling to WDW. There is a different movie trying to entice you to return on the way back to MCO. Because the buses go to several "grouped" resorts its important that you MAKE sure that when checking out you make arrangement for ME to pick you up at your resort at the alotted time.
Originally Posted By NJFIREGUY WOW I guess Im the only one that Hated this. LOL I used ME In august....I was staying at pop. You get off the plane, you stand in line this line is to get to the counter where you can tell the greeter what resort your at so he/she can send you to....ANOTHER LINE. This is the line you stand in to get on your bus. So now your on your bus but dont worry you wont be going anywhere just yet. The busses go to several resorts I was staying at POP and we were first (fortuantely) my cousins were staying at a different resort and were on the bus another 45 minutes. Now Im always a bit irritable because I dont care to fly (and Im a big baby) but an 1 hr and 45 min. (over 2hrs for my cousins) didnt seem very "Express" to me. I can't Comment on the luggage because we just had carry-on's. And I will say it was much easier going back to the airport. but next trip Im taking a cab
Originally Posted By cape cod joe NJ--We've done ME maybe 5 times and even with huge lines during New Year's Eve prime time, it took less than 20 in the lines, we hopped on the bus, and it left to PC in 5 minutes. I can't emphasize enough though, take your luggage with you as that is a nightmare, i.e. waiting the "4 hour guarantee." NJ--I just think you had bad luck
Originally Posted By newmouse So the bus always goes to Pop Century first? That would would be good for us as we are staying there. So, Cape Cod, We will take your recommendation to TAKE our luggage with us on the ME. Does the airport have free carts to ferry your luggage around the airport? When you get to WDW do they have carts to transport lugagge from the bus to the lobby of Pop Century and then to your room. I was just wondering if we had too much luggage, then the 2 adults wouldnt be able to carry all the luggage themself.
Originally Posted By Mickey4President Has anyone used the Magical Express that stayed at the Wilderness Lodge? We will be staying at the WL in October and I was wondering how the service was to it.
Originally Posted By GrumpysWife NJFIREGUY-sorry to hear your experience wasn't "magical". You do have two lines to stand in, but ours went so fast, I didn't think about it too much, just laughed and said to my husband "and the lines begin..." You pretty much spend a great portion of your vacation at WDW in lines of some sort or another..
