Magical Express FIRST TIME!

[Shelby Schroepfer]

Hi there! We are flying for the first time this December to WDW and staying at All Star Movies. We really really wanna take advantage of the Magical Express but are not sure it it's "for us". The thing is we are only bringing ONE checked bag. We will have 3 carry ons and 2 personal items, but only 1 bag being checked. I guess the way I see it is we will have more than we need in our carry ons and personal items for a day at the parks, so it's ok if our luggage takes a bit. But does it make getting to our resort take longer? I would appreciate ANY tips.

 

[PollyannaMom]

We love Magical Express because it makes our vacation begin the moment we land. - It's not about avoiding baggage claim for us, it's about already being in "the Disney bubble" instead of renting a car and fighting traffic!

And congrats on your first trip!

 

[JustCallMeMommy]

ME isn't necessarily longer or shorter - depends on what is going on that day and what your alternative is. I guess if you had a car waiting at the airport, the drive would be faster than ME (no line, cars can usually travel faster, only one resort drop-off), but you'd have to wait on the luggage at the carousel. If you are renting a car, you'd have to wait on luggage and deal with the car rental. But then, if you arrive at a popular time, there could be a line for the bus going to your resort.

For me, it is just easy to let someone else claim my luggage and get me there.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

DME is not a bad route to take. It takes 90 minutes from the time you land to the time you arrive at the resort. If you rented a car you would have to get your luggage, get the car, drive 35 minutes to disney.

 

[Shanti]

We like ME because it's so easy, it's comfortable, it's complimentary, and the Disney entertainment on it puts you right in the bubble.

 

[McMonsters]

We have rented cars, used a service and taken DME. This upcoming trip we will be using DME. Our flight lands at 7:30am giving us ample time to use MDE for our non park arrival day. On past trips I chose not to use DME when time is important, last trip it was Halloween and we arrived at MCO at 3pm which made it important to hightail it to Fort Wilderness to get set up for Trick or Treating. I use DME when I don't have any plans the first day and I am so looking forward to taking it easy!

 

[alliecat523]

It’s almost a wash time wise. You could save a little time (possibly) by taking a taxi or Uber. I’ve taken DME and arrived at the hotel in 45 minutes. I’ve also had it take a little over an hour. Lots of factors to consider. If time is of the essence, use a different form of transport.

 

[AngiTN]

Hi there! We are flying for the first time this December to WDW and staying at All Star Movies. We really really wanna take advantage of the Magical Express but are not sure it it's "for us". The thing is we are only bringing ONE checked bag. We will have 3 carry ons and 2 personal items, but only 1 bag being checked. I guess the way I see it is we will have more than we need in our carry ons and personal items for a day at the parks, so it's ok if our luggage takes a bit. But does it make getting to our resort take longer? I would appreciate ANY tips.

If you don't use ME, what will you use?
That's the only way to answer the question in bold

 

[StageTek]

Hi there! We are flying for the first time this December to WDW and staying at All Star Movies. We really really wanna take advantage of the Magical Express but are not sure it it's "for us". The thing is we are only bringing ONE checked bag. We will have 3 carry ons and 2 personal items, but only 1 bag being checked. I guess the way I see it is we will have more than we need in our carry ons and personal items for a day at the parks, so it's ok if our luggage takes a bit. But does it make getting to our resort take longer? I would appreciate ANY tips.

I get the impression you are asking about the time difference getting your checked bag vs. using the bag delivery service.

If I'm reading that correctly then, yes, it does make getting to your resort take longer. Rather then going directly from your plane to Magical Express you go from your plane to baggage claim then to Magical Express. Typically it takes about 15 to 20 minutes for your checked bag to arrive.

However, if I'm misreading this then I agree with everyone else. I've taken DME, hired a car service and rented a car. All times are within 15/25 minutes from the time we leave the plane to walking through the lobby door; car service fastest by about 20 minutes, we always get into MCO very early so have never faced much traffic so car rental is slightly faster then DME by about 10/15 minutes. And since we always take the "red eye" and arrive at MCO close to 7AM DME has always been fast.

There are mitigating factors on all possibilities. But in my experience the difference in travel time has never been a deal breaker. So we usually opt for DME for the reasons others have said; we LOVE being in Disney from the moment we leave the plane. No other thoughts or concerns but vacation fun! To us, worth the (maybe) 30 minutes difference.

 

[Shelby Schroepfer]

I guess the time is not really an issue for us. We arrive fairly early in the day and when deciding if we wanted park tickets on arrival or departure day, we decided on arrival, so we do have plans to go to MK that night but our plane lands before noon so I 'm not worried. I guess what I was asking is should I check my own bag, and ride ME, or have them handle it, and still ride ME. I've heard some people having not got their luggage for quite a while and I'm just worried about that. We do have a layover on the flight down so it would be kind of annoying if I had to get our bag myself and switch planes.

 

[StageTek]

I guess what I was asking is should I check my own bag, and ride ME, or have them handle it, and still ride ME. I've heard some people having not got their luggage for quite a while and I'm just worried about that.

That's what I thought.

We have never had an issues getting our checked bag. A typical arrival day is; get in early before the room is ready, check carry-on with Bell Services, go to registration desk to double check everything, eat breakfast then head to MK. Never has our bags not been in the room when we get back to the resort. However, since that is something you are worried about I suggest you got to baggage claim and take your checked bag with you in DME. The peace of mind might be worth the extra 15/20 minutes.

BTW: people are more likely to post here when they have a checked bag issue than when they don't. I know it's true that some people get their back later than they are expecting or would like but I suspect that is a rare thing.

 

[bumbershoot]

I guess the time is not really an issue for us. We arrive fairly early in the day and when deciding if we wanted park tickets on arrival or departure day, we decided on arrival, so we do have plans to go to MK that night but our plane lands before noon so I 'm not worried. I guess what I was asking is should I check my own bag, and ride ME, or have them handle it, and still ride ME. I've heard some people having not got their luggage for quite a while and I'm just worried about that.

We do have a layover on the flight down so it would be kind of annoying if I had to get our bag myself and switch planes.

You can't expect to get your checked luggage for a matter of hours after you get to the resort. Just put your luggage out of your head. If you're going to a park, there's no reason to worry about it, since you're planning on packing essentials in carryon anyway. Get to the resort, get what you need out of carryons, give carryons to bell services (unless you magically have a room ready for you), go have fun and your checked bags will almost certainly be in your room when you return.

The last quoted sentence confuses me. Did you book your flights at the same time? Like you went to the airline website and searched for a booking for "home to MCO", and it gave you a flight from home to somewhere, layoever, and somewhere to MCO? If you did that and it's domestic (and most of the time even internationally), you won't have to retrieve your bag at the layover airport.

If you booked a flight from home to somewhere, then separately booked a separate flight from somewhere to MCO (not sure why you would do that, but one could), then you'll have to have a long enough layover to get out of the secure area, get your bag, check your bag, go back through security, and to your gate.

But even that second scenario has NOTHING to do with DME.

 

[drwadadli]

Hi there! We are flying for the first time this December to WDW and staying at All Star Movies. We really really wanna take advantage of the Magical Express but are not sure it it's "for us". The thing is we are only bringing ONE checked bag. We will have 3 carry ons and 2 personal items, but only 1 bag being checked. I guess the way I see it is we will have more than we need in our carry ons and personal items for a day at the parks, so it's ok if our luggage takes a bit. But does it make getting to our resort take longer? I would appreciate ANY tips.

With the carry-ons, you will still have to check your bags at the bell service of your resort before heading to the park.

I have a curious question though....how many people make up the "we"??

 

[Shelby Schroepfer]

You can't expect to get your checked luggage for a matter of hours after you get to the resort. Just put your luggage out of your head. If you're going to a park, there's no reason to worry about it, since you're planning on packing essentials in carryon anyway. Get to the resort, get what you need out of carryons, give carryons to bell services (unless you magically have a room ready for you), go have fun and your checked bags will almost certainly be in your room when you return.

The last quoted sentence confuses me. Did you book your flights at the same time? Like you went to the airline website and searched for a booking for "home to MCO", and it gave you a flight from home to somewhere, layoever, and somewhere to MCO? If you did that and it's domestic (and most of the time even internationally), you won't have to retrieve your bag at the layover airport.

If you booked a flight from home to somewhere, then separately booked a separate flight from somewhere to MCO (not sure why you would do that, but one could), then you'll have to have a long enough layover to get out of the secure area, get your bag, check your bag, go back through security, and to your gate.

But even that second scenario has NOTHING to do with DME.

We booked as a complete package. Our first leg has a 45 min layover at JFK then to Orlando. Home is just MCO to MSP. I have NEVER flown before so I am a little lost sorry!

 

[Shelby Schroepfer]

With the carry-ons, you will still have to check your bags at the bell service of your resort before heading to the park.

I have a curious question though....how many people make up the "we"??

It's just me, my husband, and our 4 year old. And I was prepared to check at bell hop! We are planning on only bringing a backpack and our stroller into the park so everything else will be ok to leave at bell hop?

 

[drwadadli]

It's just me, my husband, and our 4 year old. And I was prepared to check at bell hop! We are planning on only bringing a backpack and our stroller into the park so everything else will be ok to leave at bell hop?

Okay....I was asking because 3 carry-ons would be a bit much if it was just you and your husband; in which case, I would recommend checking another bag.

Yes, you can check everything else at the bell hop. My wife and I take the DME every time no matter if we have carry-ons or checked bags and have never regretted it!

 

[AngiTN]

I guess the time is not really an issue for us. We arrive fairly early in the day and when deciding if we wanted park tickets on arrival or departure day, we decided on arrival, so we do have plans to go to MK that night but our plane lands before noon so I 'm not worried. I guess what I was asking is should I check my own bag, and ride ME, or have them handle it, and still ride ME. I've heard some people having not got their luggage for quite a while and I'm just worried about that. We do have a layover on the flight down so it would be kind of annoying if I had to get our bag myself and switch planes.

Oh, totally different question than your original post implied.
Bags take approx 3 hours from the time you arrive at your resort to make it to your room.
If you have what you need in your carry ons and are off in the parks then it likely doesn't matter how long the bags take to get there. You'll be gone and won't need them anyway, right?

 

[sam_gordon]

I guess the time is not really an issue for us. We arrive fairly early in the day and when deciding if we wanted park tickets on arrival or departure day, we decided on arrival, so we do have plans to go to MK that night but our plane lands before noon so I 'm not worried. I guess what I was asking is should I check my own bag, and ride ME, or have them handle it, and still ride ME. I've heard some people having not got their luggage for quite a while and I'm just worried about that. We do have a layover on the flight down so it would be kind of annoying if I had to get our bag myself and switch planes.

Ok, you're a first time flyer. Let's clarify how airlines commonly work (take DME out for a moment).
24 hours before your flight, you "check in". This is commonly done via an app or a webpage. If you're flying SW and didn't purchase EBCI, this will determine your position in the boarding line. Depending on the airline and what type of ticket you booked, this is when you'll find out what seat you're assigned. You'll need to determine how you're going to do your boarding passes. You can handle these through an airline app, emailed/texted to your phone, or printed.

Then you head to the airport. When you get to the airport, you park and you and your party go to the ticket counter for your airline (if you've already checked in and don't have any checked luggage, you skip this step). You'll present your ID and checked luggage, they'll weigh it (make sure you know what your airline limitations are), tag it, and put it on a belt to go to the plane. If you don't have a boarding pass yet, they can print one for you (could be an added fee depending on airline).

You then make your way to security/TSA. Whether you have TSA precheck and what your and your traveling companion ages are will determine how much you need to take out of bags, whether you need to remove shoes, and which scanner you need to go through.

After TSA, you go to your gate (look at the monitors to tell you which gate to go to... look at "Departures", then what city you're going to (note: might be an intermediate city) and match with your airline and flight #. Monitors will be throughout the airport). When it's time to board the plane, do so. The plane leaves. If you have a layover, you'll need to know if you have to change planes. If so, exit the plane with everyone else, look for the monitors for your next flight. Go to your next gate. Rinse & repeat until you get to your final destination. You do NOT get your luggage at your layover location (with RARE exceptions).

At your final destination, get off the plane, follow signs for "Baggage Claim". You may need to look at monitors to find out which baggage claim (match where the last plane you are on came from, which may be different from where you originally left from). Find your bags, then go to your transportation (rental car, own car, private car service, etc).

The only thing DME really changes about the above is you put yellow tags (provided by DME) on your bags before you hand them over at the ticket counter at your original airport and you'll eventually get your bags in your hotel room.

As far as why to choose DME (my opinion):
* Cost savings
* "In the bubble"
* Don't need to handle checked luggage

If you already knew all this, I apologize. But if you were under the impression you'd have to collect your checked bags during a layover, there may be other issues you don't understand/know.

 

[Shelby Schroepfer]

Ok, you're a first time flyer. Let's clarify how airlines commonly work (take DME out for a moment).
24 hours before your flight, you "check in". This is commonly done via an app or a webpage. If you're flying SW and didn't purchase EBCI, this will determine your position in the boarding line. Depending on the airline and what type of ticket you booked, this is when you'll find out what seat you're assigned. You'll need to determine how you're going to do your boarding passes. You can handle these through an airline app, emailed/texted to your phone, or printed.

Then you head to the airport. When you get to the airport, you park and you and your party go to the ticket counter for your airline (if you've already checked in and don't have any checked luggage, you skip this step). You'll present your ID and checked luggage, they'll weigh it (make sure you know what your airline limitations are), tag it, and put it on a belt to go to the plane. If you don't have a boarding pass yet, they can print one for you (could be an added fee depending on airline).

You then make your way to security/TSA. Whether you have TSA precheck and what your and your traveling companion ages are will determine how much you need to take out of bags, whether you need to remove shoes, and which scanner you need to go through.

After TSA, you go to your gate (look at the monitors to tell you which gate to go to... look at "Departures", then what city you're going to (note: might be an intermediate city) and match with your airline and flight #. Monitors will be throughout the airport). When it's time to board the plane, do so. The plane leaves. If you have a layover, you'll need to know if you have to change planes. If so, exit the plane with everyone else, look for the monitors for your next flight. Go to your next gate. Rinse & repeat until you get to your final destination. You do NOT get your luggage at your layover location (with RARE exceptions).

At your final destination, get off the plane, follow signs for "Baggage Claim". You may need to look at monitors to find out which baggage claim (match where the last plane you are on came from, which may be different from where you originally left from). Find your bags, then go to your transportation (rental car, own car, private car service, etc).

The only thing DME really changes about the above is you put yellow tags (provided by DME) on your bags before you hand them over at the ticket counter at your original airport and you'll eventually get your bags in your hotel room.

As far as why to choose DME (my opinion):
* Cost savings
* "In the bubble"
* Don't need to handle checked luggage

If you already knew all this, I apologize. But if you were under the impression you'd have to collect your checked bags during a layover, there may be other issues you don't understand/know.

that was extremely helpful. hubby has flown before but it's been 15 years so he's not much help. I think ME is definitely for us even if we have just the 1 checked back. another question I thought of, how long does it take to get OFF of ME? I assume most buses are full, and each person has baggage of some sort, so once the bus stops, do we just wait inside until our bags are pulled? then head to check in?

 

[sam_gordon]

that was extremely helpful. hubby has flown before but it's been 15 years so he's not much help. I think ME is definitely for us even if we have just the 1 checked back. another question I thought of, how long does it take to get OFF of ME? I assume most buses are full, and each person has baggage of some sort, so once the bus stops, do we just wait inside until our bags are pulled? then head to check in?

Just to clarify... if you put the yellow tags on the bags, you won't collect them when you get to your resort, they'll "magically" show up on their own.

If you're talking about your carry on bags placed under the bus, when you get to your resort, step off the bus and wait by the side of the bus for the driver to get the bags from underneath. If one of you stays and the other goes inside to get in line to register, that's fine. Also know that it's common to tip the bus driver $1-2/bag for each one he has to touch.