Magical Express resort pick up now FOUR hours before flights? Alternatives?

Just experienced the 4 hour magic express pick-up yesterday. Man it’s awful. We sat in the airport at the gate for almost 3 hours. Security line was about 20 mins and it was busy. Traffic to MCO wasn’t bad. I don’t like the 4 hour change. Would rather spend the additional hour by the pool, etc.
 
Just experienced the 4 hour magic express pick-up yesterday. Man it’s awful. We sat in the airport at the gate for almost 3 hours. Security line was about 20 mins and it was busy. Traffic to MCO wasn’t bad. I don’t like the 4 hour change. Would rather spend the additional hour by the pool, etc.

Ugh. My nightmare.
 
I just don't understand how ill-prepared some people are for security and flying in general, it is astounding!!!
This. Inefficient slow pokes drive me crazy. Get prepared and get moving. Same goes with boarding.

While I’m at it, it’s stand right, walk left on escalators, and if you’re going 60 in the left lane of the highway, move to the right lane please.
 
Worth noting.... this 4 hour window has NOTHING to do with construction in the MCO Airport Area.
It is the result of severely increased TSA screening. Our ME ride to the airport was totally devoid of any "construction" delays. "Construction Delay" is a fake excuse.

Data: - wife and I now hold paid TSA PRE. We returned through MCO Nov 17 - through the TSA PRE line. Our delay was very close to 15 minutes, and was very minor.
The frustration in the non TSA PRE lines was obvious. Fortunately, we avoided this.

All personal opinion - I'm not necessarily right, no one else is necessarily wrong - please consider buying into TSA PRE, in some form, if going to WDW through MCO.
This will only get worse.
 


Our ME ride to the airport was totally devoid of any "construction" delays. "Construction Delay" is a fake excuse.
That preseason actually applies to tram construction inside the airport. JetBlue started advising passengers a couple of months ago that only one tram would be operating for several months, and to arrive three hours early.

Road construction would likely be a non-issue, since there's the I4/528 alternative.
 
We have TSA pre-check, we'd be sitting at the airport for 3 hours.

IF they have the lines open. Sometimes, for some unknown reason, they do not or they are not well staffed. It seems totally random.

I agree this may just be to have less buses to pay for but I am still good with it.

Nothing to do with Disney wanting to save money by having fewer buses. It's the TSA - there are warnings all over that you need to allot more time now that some new procedures have come into play. We went through TSA Precheck in the Honolulu airport last week taking an inter-island flight between Oahu and the Big Island and they were swabbing about every 3-4 carryons and doing a more thorough body search on a larger number of people than I've seen before.
 
All personal opinion - I'm not necessarily right, no one else is necessarily wrong - please consider buying into TSA PRE, in some form, if going to WDW through MCO.
This will only get worse.

+1 to that. My work comped me for it for travel, and upon returning from the first trip I used it for, I immediately took DW and her handicapped son and paid for them both to get enrolled. I resisted, myself, due to the $85 cost, but it makes a MASSIVE difference. I understand some are on a very strict budget, but if you can swing it, I highly recommend just biting the bullet and getting enrolled. Children 12 and under traveling with you can go through for free. $85 is for 5 years.


Nothing to do with Disney wanting to save money by having fewer buses

On the contrary, it hurts Disney. The longer you're on property, the more you spend on property. I can absolutely assure everyone that they're no happier about this than any of us.
 


While I’m at it, it’s stand right, walk left on escalators

This!!! Especially on the moving walkway after Space Mountain when it’s clogged with standers. I had enough one day and announced “Ladies and gentlemen, please stay to the right if you’re standing on the moving walkway, move to the left if you’re walking!” It was so funny to see them part the way and move right! I now use this every time and it works! I think people think I’m a CM until they turn around lol.
 
This!!! Especially on the moving walkway after Space Mountain when it’s clogged with standers. I had enough one day and announced “Ladies and gentlemen, please stay to the right if you’re standing on the moving walkway, move to the left if you’re walking!” It was so funny to see them part the way and move right! I now use this every time and it works! I think people think I’m a CM until they turn around lol.

Same for those moving sidewalks at airports. You'd think the large signs (walk left, stand right) would make a difference, but of course not.

Funny they thought you were a CM. As long as you sound official, how would they know unless they turn around? I bet it's an interesting reaction discovering you don't work there after complying with your instructions. Once, years ago, I was given a 20% discount at Target and didn't understand why until later I realized that I was wearing a red shirt that looked very similar to Target employee shirts. Crazy. I guess that cashier just assumed and hit the button. (unlike disney where you have to produce the discount card, ID, blood sample, SAT scores, and your elementary school GPA to get that 10% you're entitled to.)
 
Same for those moving sidewalks at airports. You'd think the large signs (walk left, stand right) would make a difference, but of course not.

Funny they thought you were a CM. As long as you sound official, how would they know unless they turn around? I bet it's an interesting reaction discovering you don't work there after complying with your instructions. Once, years ago, I was given a 20% discount at Target and didn't understand why until later I realized that I was wearing a red shirt that looked very similar to Target employee shirts. Crazy. I guess that cashier just assumed and hit the button. (unlike disney where you have to produce the discount card, ID, blood sample, SAT scores, and your elementary school GPA to get that 10% you're entitled to.)

I have no idea if they think I’m a CM but I just wonder if they do since they’re so quick to comply. Lol.
 
I have no idea if they think I’m a CM but I just wonder if they do since they’re so quick to comply. Lol.

I guess from the time you leave your home for vacation to the time you're at the space mountain exit moving walkway, you've been given so many instructions that it's just habit.
 
What happens if you miss the ME assigned bus? Can you catch the next one? Or are you out of luck and have to arrange for your own?
Can we send the bags via ME/pre-check bags and then take a later shuttle or uber?

I'm throwback from old AA non-rev days of arriving 4-hours before flight, wear a dress (never know when bumped to first class), must wear hose, etc. But that was a LONG LONG time ago. Now just heading to the airport 4 hours before seems overkill.
 
What happens if you miss the ME assigned bus? Can you catch the next one? Or are you out of luck and have to arrange for your own?
Can we send the bags via ME/pre-check bags and then take a later shuttle or uber?

I'm throwback from old AA non-rev days of arriving 4-hours before flight, wear a dress (never know when bumped to first class), must wear hose, etc. But that was a LONG LONG time ago. Now just heading to the airport 4 hours before seems overkill.
 
We missed our magic express one time and they told us to just take the next one. We got to the airport with time to spare with no problems.
 
We missed our magic express one time and they told us to just take the next one. We got to the airport with time to spare with no problems.

Glad you were able to do that. However, for anyone else reading this, that is not the norm. Usually, if you miss your ME bus you are on your own to MCO. The ME buses don't usually have empty seats to accommodate guests from another bus.
 
we came back yesterday (Nov. 19th - Sunday) for a 2:59pm Jetblue flight.

MDE was scheduled for 10:30am so we elected to go with Uber instead. $35 for an uber XL - we left around 11:30am.

It is true there are signs that say MCO security line is only accepting people with flights w/i 2 hours of departure but we had no problem. Would be very interested to see what happens if this is enforced.

Whole family had precheck so we were through security w/i 15 min. I don't even blame security, I see a lot of inexperienced flyers come through MCO. Even in the precheck line, a couple got pulled aside for packing 6 full sized FILLED water bottles in their carry-on.....................................................
 
Glad you were able to do that. However, for anyone else reading this, that is not the norm. Usually, if you miss your ME bus you are on your own to MCO. The ME buses don't usually have empty seats to accommodate guests from another bus.

That's a very important point. Most of the MDEs I've been on (both directions) were filled to capacity. I would not operate under the assumption that you can just grab the next one if you miss your time.

Whole family had precheck so we were through security w/i 15 min. I don't even blame security, I see a lot of inexperienced flyers come through MCO. Even in the precheck line, a couple got pulled aside for packing 6 full sized FILLED water bottles in their carry-on.....................................................

I've seen that as well, but it's still a higher percentage of experienced travelers. And even if everyone did that, it'd STILL be faster without having to empty bags and take off shoes.

Hopefully they'll get the new bin & conveyor system installed at MCO someday to speed things up. They've had it a while now in Atlanta and it's definitely an improvement. Basically, instead of everyone going one-at-a-time, there's about 6 "stations" where you put your stuff into a large plastic bin and then you push it out onto the belt when you're ready. That way the faster people can free up a station while others are still loading. Then, after being scanned, the bin comes to a junction and moves down a different belt to a separate area if it needs to be manually screened. My guess is MCO will have this in the new southern terminal when it opens (as of now scheduled for 2019).
 
Just throw MCO away and get a new one. that airport is a mess!

lol. Spend an afternoon at LGA (I think it's the B terminal that's the most fun). I give it an hour before you're dreaming of being at MCO. :)

It's not a "mess".. it's just too busy. Once the new terminal is up and running it'll be better.
 
lol. Spend an afternoon at LGA (I think it's the B terminal that's the most fun). I give it an hour before you're dreaming of being at MCO. :)

It's not a "mess".. it's just too busy. Once the new terminal is up and running it'll be better.


for me it's the TSA agents. they are rude and have no shame. a TSA agent told a lady in front of me to use her brain and go to a shorter line while the other TSA agents started laughing. who talks like that?! I was so embarrassed for the lady, I told he that she needed to call and speak to a higher up. it's not professional.
 

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