Magical Express question

Punzel

Earning My Ears
Joined
Jul 16, 2013
We are staying at Beach Club in September from a Saturday to a Saturday. I had booked the flight prior to booking the room, and our flight arrives at MCO shortly before midnight on Friday. Beach Club did not have any rooms available Friday night and I also think ME stops running after a certain hour?
Will we be able to fly in to MCO late Friday night, shuttle to an airport hotel, and then shuttle back to MCO in the morning to take the Magical Express to Beach Club? Before I configure the hotel, I figured I'd check here to see if Disney would even allow a situation like this.
 
Magical express runs all night. I would call and change your ride date to the morning you are going to use the service. I don't think it's 100% needed but for peace of mind.
 
Try calling 407-939-1936 and explaining the situation. I think they could probably program your ME reservations to suggest you arrived Saturday morning.
 
Magical express runs all night. I would call and change your ride date to the morning you are going to use the service. I don't think it's 100% needed but for peace of mind.

Thank you!
 


Check the Hyatt Regency at MCO. If they have availability you will be staying at the airport and then can just catch ME the next morning without a bunch of shuttle hassles.
 
You'll probably save at least an hour if you get your own transportation from an airport hotel to WDW. Uber,lyft or ask the hotel for a flat rate car.

Shuttle back to MCO is probably scheduled shuttle service, every 30 minutes. Then walk to DME and wait for a bus
 
DME runs 24/7. Luggage pick up stops at 10pm.
I would stay at the hotel inside the airport instead of messing with shuttles etc.
For DME purposes find a flight that lands Saturday morning and give them that info so they know about what time you'll be heading to DME.
 


Yes you can 100% do that, though as others have mentioned there are easier ways to work the logistics. Disney doesn't do any confirming of whether you are on a particular flight, you can book the DME for whatever time works for you. If you get a CM that asks for flight info, just look up a flight that lands around the time you want to grab DME - but it really shouldn't be necessary.
 
No problem taking Magical Express. But you may not reserve DME for "the night before" your check in; you must reserve it for the "day of" like after 4 AM.

Use the Magical Express number: toll free 866-599-0951 rather than the regular Disney number.

If your planned time to get from your airport hotel back to the airport morning of your Disney's resort check in and Magical Express ride is wrong by an hour or two, no problem, no need to call and correct it at the last minute.
 
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Try calling 407-939-1936 and explaining the situation. I think they could probably program your ME reservations to suggest you arrived Saturday morning.
For DME purposes find a flight that lands Saturday morning and give them that info so they know about what time you'll be heading to DME.
If you get a CM that asks for flight info, just look up a flight that lands around the time you want to grab DME - but it really shouldn't be necessary.
Absolute zero need for obfuscation, misdirection, misinformation.
Step 1: Call DME at the number provided.
Step 2: Reserve transportation for your entire party for the day and approximate time you wish to travel.
 
Absolute zero need for obfuscation, misdirection, misinformation.
Step 1: Call DME at the number provided.
Step 2: Reserve transportation for your entire party for the day and approximate time you wish to travel.

They have told me they NEED my flight info and I could not just give an approximate time of arrival.
Just saying. It may be worth while to just provide a flight number.
 
They have told me they NEED my flight info and I could not just give an approximate time of arrival.
Just saying. It may be worth while to just provide a flight number.

Then you were NOT Talking to DME, but were instead speaking with a Disney cast member. Despite the name, DME is a completely separate company from Disney and they absolutely do not need an arrival flight number. They don't care how you get to MCO. You can arrive by foot, car, transporter or yak - DME could not care less. All they care about is that you have a valid resort reservation for the day you want to travel.

When dealing with anything DME, always call them directly at 866 599-0951. Unlike the phone CMs you get when calling any WDW phone number, the DME folks actually all know what they're doing and how their system works.

Steve
 
Then you were NOT Talking to DME, but were instead speaking with a Disney cast member. Despite the name, DME is a completely separate company from Disney and they absolutely do not need an arrival flight number. They don't care how you get to MCO. You can arrive by foot, car, transporter or yak - DME could not care less. All they care about is that you have a valid resort reservation for the day you want to travel.

When dealing with anything DME, always call them directly at 866 599-0951. Unlike the phone CMs you get when calling any WDW phone number, the DME folks actually all know what they're doing and how their system works.

Steve

I understand the history of DME.
I do tend to speak to a CM to book it since the online form has failed me 3 times in the past and when you call the number it specirfically says that if you don't already have DME booked then you need to contact Disney or your TA to book it and only then can you call DME directly to change things. (call that number you provided and take a listen for yourself)
Just telling my experience.
 
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I understand the history of DME.
I do tend to speak to a CM to book it since the online form has failed me 3 times in the past and when you call the number it specirfically says that if you don't already have DME booked then you need to contact Disney or your TA to book it and only then can you call DME directly to change things. (call that number you provided and take a listen for yourself)
Just telling my experience.
I believe what the voicemail means when it says "if you don't have DME booked..." is that when you made your resort reservations if you did not indicate you wanted DME you need to have a cast member update your reservation that you would like to use their services. I have yet to book flights prior to making my resort reservations but have always indicated I would be using DME and then much later call ME with my flights. I even have that # saved as one of my phone contacts. They will still send you the yellow luggage tags as well instructions on what to do when you arrive and include the phone number to call when you have flight info.
as another example I booked four rooms for eight friends who will all be flying at different times and gave them the direct line to update when they had their flight info. each one has called individually with no issues to update their arrival information as they had already been 'booked' for DME. we will update departure information 48hrs prior (or less) since many will fly standby and in the past it has never been an issue using the same number.
 
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All you have to say is your flights are pending. That's what the CM inputs in the computer.

If you're arriving by Yak you should provide an exact time. I'm sure Disney will want to have photographers waiting.
 
Every WDW resort guest is entitled to one trip FROM the airport and one trip TO the airport during their dates. Disney does not care when you redeem these entitlements, or when you're actually arriving/leaving Orlando. If you use DME on the day after you arrive, it will not be an issue.

However, if it were me, I would stay at a value or moderate resort Friday night. You can take DME straight there, and then Disney will transfer your luggage the next day when your Beach Club reservation starts. It also would help you avoid losing park time Saturday morning. A lot of people will also stay at the Hyatt at the airport because then you would not need to shuttle back to the airport, but I have found that a value or moderate resort at WDW is often the same price or cheaper than the Hyatt, so it makes sense to go straight to WDW.
 
@Punzel I am curious what you ended up doing?

I am currently in the same boat of coming in on a late flight and deciding to stay around the airport the first night. I would love to drop my luggage with Magical Express in the morning and have them take it to the resort while I go straight to the park.
 

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