Magical Express Pick up ??

[Reesa Roo]

I have never used Magical Express before but will be using it in November for a girls - only trip (no kids and no husbands) for a long weekend. My question is this - can Magical Express pick you up at a different resort than the one you are staying at? I would like to finish the trip with a breakfast at the Grand Floridian but won't have time to get back to our All-Stars Hotel. Can we chose to be picked up at the Grand Floridian?
Thanks for your help!
188 days...

[iceicebritney]

That is a very good question, I'd also like to know the answer!

[CleveRocks]

I'm sorry to be the bad news guy, but no, you can't do it that way.

DME usage is a function of resort reservations. You can only ride between the airport and the resort where you have or had reservations. They simply won't schedule a pick up for you at a resort you do not have a reservation at.

Now, you may be thinking, what's stopping you from just trying to board a DME bus at GF, anyway? Plenty. First, your voucher's barcode is coded for pick-up at whichever All Stars you're staying at, so the driver will know you aren't supposed to be there. Also, since the runs from the resorts to the airport have reservations, if you somehow get on a bus you don't belong on, if the bus makes other stops you may be taking the seats of people who legitimately belong on that bus, and they might possibly miss their flights, or at least will definitely be very very distressed if they can't get on the bus they're supposed to get onto.

But let's just pretend you don't care about causing problems for others, and let's also just pretend that all you ladies figure you can sweet-talk the driver into letting you board the bus ("What happens in Disney stays in Disney"???) ... the biggest problem is that DME buses don't just show up at resorts. DME buses do pick-ups only when there are reservations for pick-ups. Theoretically, there might be 2 or 3 hours that go by with no DME bus pick-up, if no one at GF is taking DME and has a departure flight around when you do. Know what I mean?

Your other option, although an expensive one, is take a taxi from GF to the airport.

[Reesa Roo]

Wow - Thanks for the info. I'll have to look at the times as we get closer and if we really want to make the breakfast, we can take a cab back.
Thanks again,
Lisa

[GrumpyFan]

Cleverocks, that was a great explanation. I might just add that they plan the seats on the busses for specific times and the number of people that are scheduled to be picked up. So, as Cleverocks pointed out, trying to jump on a bus somewhere other than where you're scheduled could cause some problems.

Two suggestions you might consider.
1) Call and see if they will change your DME pickup location on your vouchers before you arrive.
2) At check-in, ask if they can change it.

If they can change it, I have to wonder how you will handle the luggage. The way DME works for the return is they pick up your luggage when they pick you up at your resort. If you weren't there with your luggage, how would it get to the airport?

[Piglet822]

1) Call and see if they will change your DME pickup location on your vouchers before you arrive.

This is what I was going to suggest as well. The very worst case scenario is that the DME CM tells you no and then you go back to Plan B (take the cab back to the All Stars).
As far as the barcodes on the tickets that Cleverocks mentioned on the trip back it's not a big deal. We pick up people all the time that have changed resorts but their return vouchers have their original resort listed. The bus drivers do not scan the vouchers on the return trip. It takes us long enough to collect tickets and load luggage, add scanning to that and it's a major to do.
My 2nd question also pertains to your luggage. If you're not able to check it at the resort airline checkin in the morning you'll have to tote it with you to breakfast.

[CleveRocks]

My 2nd question also pertains to your luggage. If you're not able to check it at the resort airline checkin in the morning you'll have to tote it with you to breakfast.
And there is a practical problem there, as well. Disney Transport buses are not permitted to have luggage on them. A carry-on (like a backpack or large tote bag), yes ... but the driver would stop you from boarding if you had a regular suitcase.

If the OP can't use Resort Airline Check-in for any large bags, then she can't use Disney Transport to get to GF with those bags.

[Piglet822]

If the OP can't use Resort Airline Check-in for any large bags, then she can't use Disney Transport to get to GF with those bags.

Yes, that's where I was going with that (I was a little tired when I posted :blush: ). If you are unable to check your luggage but you still want to do breakfast at the Grand a taxi would be your only option in getting there.

[joelkfla]

And there is a practical problem there, as well. Disney Transport buses are not permitted to have luggage on them. A carry-on (like a backpack or large tote bag), yes ... but the driver would stop you from boarding if you had a regular suitcase.
Actually, we recently received a clarification on this. Guests are permitted to bring baggage on Disney Transport buses, as long as the baggage is under the guest's personal control at all times, and does not block the aisle. It would be up to the driver to interpret this (assuming that that particular driver had read the message), but I would allow a guest to place a bag in the seat directly in front of him, for example, if there were room on the bus. Or to sit in a side-facing seat and hold the bag in front of him, if there were still room for other guests to pass by.