Magical Express Question

[lovinmesomedisney]

Does anyone know the actual hours for the Magical Express. I know they don't pick up at night after a certain time, and I am able to get a really low airfare but it is departing at 7:30 a.m. I'm wondering if I want to do it, but not so much if I can't use the Magical Express. Anyone know?

[wdwaggie]

According to Disney's website, the hours of operation are 5am-10pm for luggage service and after 10pm you have to collect your luggage yourself and carry it to the busses, but apparently the buses run later than 10pm, and I am sure this depends on the flights that they know have made previous reservations for Magic Express.

[cajunprincess]

We arrived shortly before midnight a few weeks ago and we were able to use Magical Express. We had to go collect our own luggage and bring it along with us on the bus. It went smoothly!

[AmandaChan]

We used airtran a couple weeks ago and they picked us up at 4:30 AM. Our flight left at 7:20 AM. That leaves for plenty of time to pick up other people and get you to security. And don't be fooled.... we always leave that early and it is BUSY BUSY BUSY even at 6 AM. It took us almost 45 min to get thru security last time.

Also just in case I misread your question... our incoming flight we always take the 7-9 am flight into Orlando. By the time your flight leaves and gets to the airport and you get your luggage (if you're not having them pick it up for you) then they will be open plenty early.

[lovinmesomedisney]

Yeah, we always fly in early with no problem. This fare is departing Orlando, sorry I didn't explain that. I usually like a little later flight, but this one is half price of the others. After 7 full days, I really wouldn't mind leaving early on our departure date. I'm thinking for a 7:30 a.m. flight, the Magical Express pickup would be about 4:30, which is not a problem for me, as long as they are running at that time.

[lovinmesomedisney]

We used airtran a couple weeks ago and they picked us up at 4:30 AM. Our flight left at 7:20 AM. That leaves for plenty of time to pick up other people and get you to security. And don't be fooled.... we always leave that early and it is BUSY BUSY BUSY even at 6 AM. It took us almost 45 min to get thru security last time.

Also just in case I misread your question... our incoming flight we always take the 7-9 am flight into Orlando. By the time your flight leaves and gets to the airport and you get your luggage (if you're not having them pick it up for you) then they will be open plenty early.

Were you able to check your luggage ahead of time at your resort?

[AmandaChan]

Were you able to check your luggage ahead of time at your resort?

I'm sure you could, and I think they've given us the option but we just took it on the bus* and checked it at the airport when we got there.... only took us like 5 min. I'm sure you could though?

[AmandaChan]

Yeah, we always fly in early with no problem. This fare is departing Orlando, sorry I didn't explain that. I usually like a little later flight, but this one is half price of the others. After 7 full days, I really wouldn't mind leaving early on our departure date. I'm thinking for a 7:30 a.m. flight, the Magical Express pickup would be about 4:30, which is not a problem for me, as long as they are running at that time.

DH and I have always done it this way but it was a whole other story with our whole family this time esp a 1 year old. Next time I think we'll leave later...

[lovinmesomedisney]

DH and I have always done it this way but it was a whole other story with our whole family this time esp a 1 year old. Next time I think we'll leave later...

Ha ha....I'm thinking that might be a little rough with the family. This trip is just going to be me and my DD 18. It really wouldn't be a problem.

[faline]

Were you able to check your luggage ahead of time at your resort?

If you have a 4:30 a.m. pickup, you will not be able to use the resort baggage check system. You'll need to bring it on the bus with you and check it once you arrive at the airport.

[BrerGnat]

The Resort Airline Check In desks open at 5am, so if your DME pickup is before about 5:30, you'll have to bring your luggage on the bus and check in at the airport.

[CleveRocks]

Does anyone know the actual hours for the Magical Express. I know they don't pick up at night after a certain time,

I don't mean this to sound rude ...
What you think you "know" isn't accurate. DME is a 24-hour-a-day operation. No matter how early or late your flight arrives at the airport, DME will give you a timely ride to your resort. And no matter how early or late your home-bound flight departs, DME will give you a timely ride from your resort to the airport.

What stops after 10 p.m. is the automatic luggage delivery (for flights arriving after 10 p.m.), but the transportation has no start or end time.

Now, in terms of Resort Airline Check-in (the service at each resort where you can check-in for your home-bound flight and check your luggage through to your home airport) ... the RAC desk is open at each resort from 5 a.m. through 1 p.m. Think of RAC as curbside check-in, only it's in your resort lobby rather than at the airport, but except for location it's exactly the same thing (down to tipping the staff). HOWEVER, one important rule you gotta pay attention to is that the entire RAC transaction must be completed by no later than 3 hours before your flight time. The computer system will not allow the transaction to complete if it's even a few seconds less than 3 hours before flight time.

So, since RAC doesn't open 'til 5 a.m., and because of the 3 hour rule, anyone with a scheduled flight time earlier than about 8:05 a.m. is ineligible to use RAC.

Also, please keep in mind that there can occasionally be a line at RAC, and if it's a long line and you're trying to cut it close, it's possible you could still be in line when that 3-hour window closes. And in such cases, there's nothing Disney or RAC can do about it, you'd have no choice but to take your luggage to the airport and check it in there with your airline.

RAC is separate from DME. The RAC folks aren't even Disney cast members, but beyond that, they have no connection whatsoever to DME and the DME buses.

Your scheduled DME pick-up time at your resort will be anywhere between 2 hours 40 minutes and 3 hours 20 minutes before your scheduled flight departure time.

[lovinmesomedisney]

I don't mean this to sound rude ...
What you think you "know" isn't accurate. DME is a 24-hour-a-day operation. No matter how early or late your flight arrives at the airport, DME will give you a timely ride to your resort. And no matter how early or late your home-bound flight departs, DME will give you a timely ride from your resort to the airport.

What stops after 10 p.m. is the automatic luggage delivery (for flights arriving after 10 p.m.), but the transportation has no start or end time.

Now, in terms of Resort Airline Check-in (the service at each resort where you can check-in for your home-bound flight and check your luggage through to your home airport) ... the RAC desk is open at each resort from 5 a.m. through 1 p.m. Think of RAC as curbside check-in, only it's in your resort lobby rather than at the airport, but except for location it's exactly the same thing (down to tipping the staff). HOWEVER, one important rule you gotta pay attention to is that the entire RAC transaction must be completed by no later than 3 hours before your flight time. The computer system will not allow the transaction to complete if it's even a few seconds less than 3 hours before flight time.

So, since RAC doesn't open 'til 5 a.m., and because of the 3 hour rule, anyone with a scheduled flight time earlier than about 8:05 a.m. is ineligible to use RAC.

Also, please keep in mind that there can occasionally be a line at RAC, and if it's a long line and you're trying to cut it close, it's possible you could still be in line when that 3-hour window closes. And in such cases, there's nothing Disney or RAC can do about it, you'd have no choice but to take your luggage to the airport and check it in there with your airline.

RAC is separate from DME. The RAC folks aren't even Disney cast members, but beyond that, they have no connection whatsoever to DME and the DME buses.

Your scheduled DME pick-up time at your resort will be anywhere between 2 hours 40 minutes and 3 hours 20 minutes before your scheduled flight departure time.

No offense, but if you didn't mean for this to sound rude, maybe you should have tried a different approach. It appears rude to me. I'm ever so sorry for using the word KNOW. I guess I misunderstood some of the things I saw on here about the Magical Express not picking up after midnight. I realize now it is just the luggage that is the problem, and I realized it actually before your response. I have used the Magical Express from way back when it started for our yearly and twice yearly trips, and as recently as February of this year. I just never traveled so early in the a.m. Thanks, but no thanks!

[lovinmesomedisney]

Thanks to those for the short, but to the point answers. I appreciate it! Taking my luggage with me is well worth the money I will save. I can put that towards my next Disney trip!

[AmandaChan]

have a great trip!

[CleveRocks]

No offense, but if you didn't mean for this to sound rude, maybe you should have tried a different approach. It appears rude to me. I'm ever so sorry for using the word KNOW. I guess I misunderstood some of the things I saw on here about the Magical Express not picking up after midnight. I realize now it is just the luggage that is the problem, and I realized it actually before your response. I have used the Magical Express from way back when it started for our yearly and twice yearly trips, and as recently as February of this year. I just never traveled so early in the a.m. Thanks, but no thanks!

I was really coming from a place of genuinely trying to help. It's too bad you felt so offended. And I'm sorry I tried to provide complete info.

Seriously, I was trying to help, and I'm offended at being put down for trying to provide complete info. I won't make that mistake again, in your case.