magical express return flight

[Jim&AngieMarriner]

If this isnt in the right tab, please move it.

Anyhow, We are planning our first trip staying on property. It isnt going to be a long trip just 3 days 2 nights but hey, its a start. I know Magical express gets you from the airport to the hotel. What I dont know is how do you get back to the airport. Is there a bus that will pick you up from the park and take you to the airport or do you have to go back to the hotel and catch the shuttle from there? This is going to impact when we leave the park on our last day so we would love to know how things work.

Thanks

[BrerGnat]

The Magical Express bus will pick you up from your HOTEL. You will have a "reservation" for your return to the airport. Magical Express will ask for your return flight information, and they will schedule a bus to come pick you up approximately 3 hours prior to the return flight. You will get this information (exact pickup time) in a note slipped under your room door the night before the day you leave (for such a short stay, they will give you this information on your first morning in your room).

The notice will have a barcode on it, and you need to provide this notice to the driver who will scan the barcode when he/she comes to pick you up.

You must be at the hotel, ready to go, 15 minutes PRIOR to the scheduled bus pickup time. Sometimes, the buses arrive a few minutes early, and if you miss it, there may not be another one scheduled to come back for awhile. The bus may be coming to pick up JUST YOU, so you have to be there when it arrives. The bus may then stop at a few other hotels to pick up more guests en route to the airport.

[Jim&AngieMarriner]

Thanks!! That does make a big difference. And its nice to know how things work for future refference.

[Davy Crockett]

We used Magical Express on our last visit and both the pick up at the airport as well as the return from the resort went without a hitch. If you go to the Disney site you will be able to research and see if the airline you are using is part of the Magical Express partners that allow you to check your bags at your resort. You will be given return flight luggage tags to affix and you can prepay for example the $25 check bag fee and when you go to the Magical Express Kiosk at the resort you literally check in like you do at the airport and once at the airport you go straight to your gate. It is a great service especially if you have kids or just hate the hassel of airports.

[Jim&AngieMarriner]

We booked everything through Disney itself so we should be fine. Only thing I dont know as of right now is when we should leave the park to make it back to the resort so we can catch the shuttle to the airport. And thats something we wont know until we are there really. And knowing me, we will probably leave even earlier than we have to just to make sure we dont miss the shuttle.

[Polynesian Dweller]

We booked everything through Disney itself so we should be fine. Only thing I dont know as of right now is when we should leave the park to make it back to the resort so we can catch the shuttle to the airport. And thats something we wont know until we are there really. And knowing me, we will probably leave even earlier than we have to just to make sure we dont miss the shuttle.

For national flights your ME bus will be 2 hrs before flight time and then the 15 minutes you have to be there before that. So depending on your resort, you will have to be on the bus (presuming you are using Disney transportation) about 30 min in advance of that. So calculate a minimum of 2hrs 45 min ahead of flight time to be leaving the park and better to be 3hrs at least if not earlier. And yes my times mean actually on the bus leaving the park not starting to leave the park.

[faline]

For national flights your ME bus will be 2 hrs before flight time

In my experience, your pickup time is typically at least 3 hours before your scheduled flight time.

[Polynesian Dweller]

In my experience, your pickup time is typically at least 3 hours before your scheduled flight time.

Shoot, right. Brain cramp at my end. Two hours is the time I have to be at the airport to GO to Disney. Just add 1 hr to my calculations.

[BrerGnat]

Allow one hour of transit time from a park back to a resort on the bus.

If you need to be at the resort at 2pm, be walking out the gate of the park by 1pm at the latest.