Damnit, why did they send out Disney Magical Express info so late…
Grrrrrrr… Just got off the phone with Disney’s Magical Express and it wasn’t that magical. You see, DME is for Disney owned hotels. If you are staying in a Disney owned hotel (Y&B are, Swan and Dolphin are not) then Disney gives you a free shuttle to your hotel and delivery of your luggage to your room. You receive special tags to put on your bags, and Disney even grabs your bags for you and delivers them to your room for you.
This is great right? No hassle. You get to get off the plane, walk right to a shuttle and go to the hotel and your stuff magically appears in your room. Rock on.
Well I got the email from Disney to make my magical reservations on January 8th at 5:33PM. 10 days before my arrival.
I called today, and guess what? They got me all set up for the shuttle, but I have to grab my own bags. Why? Well, they had to know 10 days in advance. So let me get this right, I had to let you know 10 days in advance in order to get the bags checked but you didn’t email me until 10 days before my arrival? And in your email you make ZERO mention of having to contact you 10 days in advance? They did say “do not delay”, so hell, I guess they are off the hook…I don’t understand why this email didn’t come a month ago.
Just annoying as my baggage claim is downstairs in one area, I’ll have to grab bags and go back upstairs to go back downstairs to the other area. So anyway, if you stay in the Yacht & Beach or other Disney owned hotels, make sure you call way ahead NEXT year…because you’re too late for this one.
January 11, 2008 @ 2:44 pm
I didn’t get me e-mail notice until 1/9 at 3:12pm. I called as soon as I got the e-mail and they didn’t mention anything to me about having to get my own bags. Guess I’m lucky ( I hope
)
January 11, 2008 @ 3:04 pm
If you bags are tagged properly make sure you get them off the bus when you arrive at the hotel. I had this problem last year, may bags enjoyed their sightseeing adventure back to airport.
January 11, 2008 @ 3:09 pm
Well I hope you are lucky
Wouldn’t want to wish my misfortune on anyone else.
On my phone call, she said I was registered for the shuttle and I would have to pick up my bags and then come back.
When I said “Wait, I’m not getting tags?” She told me no, that I needed the 10 day notice. When I told her the email didn’t come until 10 days before, she just apologized.
She did offer to have them picked up based on southwest tags on the bag, but that made me nervous. I figured it would be really hard to track down the luggage that way.
Oh well, hopefully others were more successful than I.
-Grey
January 11, 2008 @ 3:25 pm
I got the mail and registered on their site and this is what i received in return:
Your Disney’s Magical Express reservation has been made; however, you
may not receive your Disney’s Magical Express booklet with luggage tags
prior to departure for Orlando. Please be assured that you will still be
able to utilize the service and receive the same seamless experience.
Once you arrive at Orlando International Airport, you have two options:
1) You may proceed directly to the Disney Welcome Center. You do not
need to claim your luggage. Disney will gather all of your information
and collect your luggage for you and then deliver it to your resort
room.
2) Or you can pick up your luggage at baggage claim and proceed directly
to the Disney Welcome Center. You will be responsible for taking your
luggage with you on the motor coach.
January 11, 2008 @ 4:21 pm
Grey – they told me what @4 said over the phone, that the tags are preferred but not required. You can go straight to the DME desk and give them your luggage tickets and they can still fix you up (for a Disney hotel that is). I haven’t done this before, but the one time I had to stop by the desk for something else, everyone in line was doing exactly that so, I remember making a mental note that it must be routine to do so.
I hope that helps!
Andrew
January 11, 2008 @ 4:23 pm
I got the mail and call them. They said everything was all set (I arrive the 19th, I called the 10th). I told them not to send me tags (I wouldn’t get them on time outside USA).
Anyway, I got the same options above, they told me it was completely safe for them to pick up the bags from my airline, so I plan to do that (unless someone warns me against!). They said if I pick them up, I’d need to carry them myself to my room.
January 11, 2008 @ 4:39 pm
I’ve used the shuttle… and it’s not all that magical. I had to wait in the queue for almost 45 minutes. One young girl in front of me was so excited about being at Disney that she got sick
Heck, I was going to Lotusphere and I managed to keep my lunch down
January 11, 2008 @ 7:14 pm
Well, I remember when they started that, I went down to pay to take the Mears shuttle and they wouldn’t let me. Since I was at the Y&B I had to take the magical express. I was annoyed with that too…
Oh well, at least I know my luggage won’t disappear this way.
-Grey
January 14, 2008 @ 4:03 pm
I used this service last year and it was great. { Link }
I did get the information at the last minute though (why do they wait so late?)
This year, I’m staying at the Dolphin so I’m planning to use Mears