ME Question

[fcanal]

Hi,
Can anyone tell me generally how long it takes to get from MCO to the resorts using Magical Express?
Thanks in advance for your help! Love this board!

Frances

[karenrarintogo]

Once you're on the bus and moving, the driver estimates about 30 minutes. A little longer perhaps, if you aren't on the first resort stop. The busses stop at 3 resorts in my experience. Lucky for us, we've always been the first stop. :mickey:

[karenrarintogo]

Just noticed! :welcome: to Intercot!

[BigRedDad]

The average around here is 75 minutes from disembarking from the plane to get to the resort. That is an estimate and can be longer or shorter.

[BugeyedMuggy]

Lucky for us, we've always been the first stop.

Karenrarintogo, what resort were you staying at?

[Piglet822]

The order of the stops is entirely up to the driver - what I always did was drop at the closest resort to the entrance of property and work my way in.
I usually had my passengers all dropped off within 45 minutes.

[teambricker04]

We have had several different types of experiences with ME. Most of which have been good or excellent. Only on one occasion had I wished we rented a car.

If you are coming in after 7pm or so the buses are not direct to your hotel because they double up (probably to save on fuel, makes sense). If you are staying at a AS, you will be the last stop. When we got in at about 9pm and straight down to ME with no line to wait in, we were at our hotel almost two hours after getting on the bus. We stopped at 4 or 5 other hotels before getting to the AS. That was the only time I wished we had not taken ME.

Usually we have gotten to our hotel in under an hour. We stayed at FW last November and wanted to rent a car but still have our luggage go ME. That meant that my DH and DS#2 went and got the car. DS#1 and I rode ME. (Your luggage can't go if you don't go!) We arrived via ME 5 minutes prior to my DH and we had two stops before our hotel while he had to put a carseat in the car. If you add in picking up your luggage, renting a car would take longer.

We really like ME, but you aren't always in control of the time it takes. I always figure Disney wants you at the parks spending money so it is generally quick.

[karenrarintogo]

Karenrarintogo, what resort were you staying at?

We've stayed at POP the last 3 times (Sept. 07, Feb. 08, Sept. 08) and dropped off 1st each time. AKL was also on our bus; can't remember the 3rd resort--maybe CB?:cloud9:

[karenrarintogo]

...on 2nd thought--the 3rd resort was probably Coronado Springs. Not sure which was the 2nd drop off--maybe someone else knows. :mickey:

[teambricker04]

We've stayed at POP the last 3 times (Sept. 07, Feb. 08, Sept. 08) and dropped off 1st each time. AKL was also on our bus; can't remember the 3rd resort--maybe CB?:cloud9:

This was the bus we were on when it took forever... POP, and then CB, CS, AKL, and then Sports (where we were staying, after that came Music and then Movies). This is when I decided our next value stay would be at POP!!!

[CleveRocks]

If you are coming in after 7pm or so the buses are not direct to your hotel because they double up (probably to save on fuel, makes sense). If you are staying at a AS, you will be the last stop.
I'm not quite sure what you mean. This may have been your experience one time, but it is not accurate to say that if someone lands at MCO after 7 p.m. that the bus will definitely not go directly to their resort, or that the All Stars resorts will definitely be the last resorts dropped off from that bus.

One resort or another has to be the first drop-off, and therefore someone HAS TO be first.

From its very first day, DME was never designed to provide direct, non-stop transportation to each and every resort. It was always intended that each bus will almost always have guests from more than one resort.

By policy, there's a maximum of 4 resorts per bus. That maximum drops to 3 if the resorts on the bus are in more than one DME zone. Certainly, there are times when CMs break the rules and put 5 resorts on one bus, and you were unfortunate to be a first-hand witness to that.

In terms of the All Stars resorts "always" being last ... as Piglet said, that's really up to each individual driver (she is a former DME driver). I'm sure most drivers do as she did, which is do a geographically-correct route, but a driver could decide to do whatever drop-off order he/she wants to do. In other words, Disney doesn't decide or have a rule that the All Stars resorts get dropped off last.

[Wickster1970]

Thanks for asking this question. We decided to fly as opposed to driving a few weeks ago and since we will be using ME I will be having lots of questions as we get closer to April.

BTW...WELCOME to INTERCOT! This place rocks! :thumbsup:

[thumperbug]

We've only had 1 unpleasant situation with ME in all the trips we have taken (we always us ME) and it was on a return trip to the airport.

We've had times where we walked from the ME counter right on to a bus and it left right away. Also had times where we sat on the bus a bit or had to wait for a bus.

But overall, you do get to your resort in a pretty quick manner and think of the lack of hassle of getting your bags or arranging transportation to the resort for that matter.

No system is perfect but like a previous poster said...Disney wants you in the parks...the sooner they get you to the resort..the sooner you are spending more money.

[Piglet822]

This was the bus we were on when it took forever... POP, and then CB, CS, AKL, and then Sports (where we were staying, after that came Music and then Movies). This is when I decided our next value stay would be at POP!!!

As a driver, I'd have refused this run and had them split it between two buses. Too many stops and as CleveRocks stated, a clear violation of Disney's very own ruling.
As previously mentioned, no system is foolproof and I have actually seen passengers removed from one bus and placed on another when it was brought to the CM's attention that there was (were? my grammer stinks sometimes) more than 4 stops on the bus.
I'm sorry you had a less than positive experience but I'd have to say it was the exception rather than the rule having that many resorts on one coach.

[teambricker04]

As a driver, I'd have refused this run and had them split it between two buses. Too many stops and as CleveRocks stated, a clear violation of Disney's very own ruling.
As previously mentioned, no system is foolproof and I have actually seen passengers removed from one bus and placed on another when it was brought to the CM's attention that there was (were? my grammer stinks sometimes) more than 4 stops on the bus.
I'm sorry you had a less than positive experience but I'd have to say it was the exception rather than the rule having that many resorts on one coach.

We have stayed on property many many times, and this was our only terrible experience. I would agree that it is the exception to the rule and that no system is foolproof.

Despite this, we will still take ME for future trips. We have had sooo many great ME trips that I recommend taking them vs. other services or renting a car.

[fcanal]

Thanks everyone for your responses. We are arriving at 10am on Friday, November 21. We are staying at the Poly. I was hoping we would get to the resort by noon, and it appears we will! That will give us time in the parks before our dinner ressies at Kona Cafe.
Thanks for the welcome. I have actually been reading this board for a year, but never needed to post. My questions have always been answered without having to! I feel sorry for people that go to WDW without all the information the get from this board!