Magical Express Issues!?

[zoenaveau]

Before the question.....
I have never had an unhelpful cast member to speak with over the phone UNTIL I had to speak with Elizabeth! I don't know if it was my accent putting her off (I'm Australian), or the fact that I was calling her at 3:30am in the morning their time, but she was VERY confused with what I was asking! She even said 'why would you want to do that' to me. What!?

The question I have for you all (and the question I had for Elizabeth that confused the hell out of her) is this:

I am driving from Miami to Orlando where we will be dropping the rental car off at Orlando airport (we decided it wasn't necessary for us to have a car while staying at Disney). So, since we have no car we will need transportation to Disneyworld, which is where magical express comes in. But since I have no flight details I was not able to make a reservation (hence my phone call to Elizabeth).
After 10 min of trying to explain this to her, she finally says 'sorry, magical express is for passengers with a valid flight only and disney is very strict on this'.

My question to you all is.....is this true? Or was this just a way for her to get me off the phone? haha
If it is true, is there a way around it? I'd prefer not to pay for transport to and from Disneyworld :/

 

[Anotherfaceinthecrowd]

I believe this is true, could you not drop the car off closer to Disney world as I know there is a few locations close by mainly close to DTD or disney springs as it will be

 

[olinecoach61]

I believe it's true also

 

[Monty]

Do a little research and find a flight that arrives at MCO within an hour or so before you plan to drop off your rental. Tell DME that's the flight you'll be arriving on. Show up with your luggage and get on the bus.

 

[zoenaveau]

Do a little research and find a flight that arrives at MCO within an hour or so before you plan to drop off your rental. Tell DME that's the flight you'll be arriving on. Show up with your luggage and get on the bus.

Do they have any way of checking the validity of your flight info? I don't want a big X to my name before I arrive haha

 

[Tuvalu]

Do a little research and find a flight that arrives at MCO within an hour or so before you plan to drop off your rental. Tell DME that's the flight you'll be arriving on. Show up with your luggage and get on the bus.

Do they have any way of checking the validity of your flight info? I don't want a big X to my name before I arrive haha

MagicBands are scanned when you arrive at DME. Don't know if not having arrived via a confirmed flight will make Mickey's head turn blue (which we all know means trouble!)

 

[TheMouseFan]

Do they have any way of checking the validity of your flight info? I don't want a big X to my name before I arrive haha

I don't think they do. They just need an idea of what time you need transportation so they can plan accordingly. I'm not even sure you need to be on a flight. All of their stuff says it is a complimentary service for on property resort guests. I would do as @Monty suggested and find a flight close to when you want to arrive at the airport and give them that number, it is just easier to set it up that way!

 

[TheMouseFan]

MagicBands are scanned when you arrive at DME. Don't know if not having arrived via a confirmed flight will make Mickey's head turn blue (which we all know means trouble!)

I would think it just tells them whether you have a resort stay booked and have access to the bus.

 

[Tuvalu]

I would think it just tells them whether you have a resort stay booked and have access to the bus.

Me too, but I just wanted the OP to be aware.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Before the question.....
I have never had an unhelpful cast member to speak with over the phone UNTIL I had to speak with Elizabeth! I don't know if it was my accent putting her off (I'm Australian), or the fact that I was calling her at 3:30am in the morning their time, but she was VERY confused with what I was asking! She even said 'why would you want to do that' to me. What!?

The question I have for you all (and the question I had for Elizabeth that confused the hell out of her) is this:

I am driving from Miami to Orlando where we will be dropping the rental car off at Orlando airport (we decided it wasn't necessary for us to have a car while staying at Disney). So, since we have no car we will need transportation to Disneyworld, which is where magical express comes in. But since I have no flight details I was not able to make a reservation (hence my phone call to Elizabeth).
After 10 min of trying to explain this to her, she finally says 'sorry, magical express is for passengers with a valid flight only and disney is very strict on this'.

My question to you all is.....is this true? Or was this just a way for her to get me off the phone? haha
If it is true, is there a way around it? I'd prefer not to pay for transport to and from Disneyworld :/

Just rent your car through Alamo and return it at the Walt Disney World car care center.

Elizabeth at DME is absolutely correct. I'm not sure why you felt the need to phrase this as "Magical Express issues" and "unhelpful cast member" when she was 100% correct, and this was not an "issue" but simply "the way it works."

 

[Rob562]

Elizabeth at DME is absolutely correct. I'm not sure why you felt the need to phrase this as "Magical Express issues" and "unhelpful cast member" when she was 100% correct, and this was not an "issue" but simply "the way it works."

I'm sorry, but unless something has changed in the *very* recent past, that is not true.

DME is transportation from MCO to your WDW resort and back. That's it. There is no requirement to be arriving at MCO on a plane, and there are many situations where someone would be at MCO without having arrived on a flight: Some people are staying a night in a nearby hotel. Some are on a non-Disney cruise and their cruise transfer will only get them back to MCO. And some, like the OP, are dropping their rental car off at the airport because it's cheaper.

In all of those situations, if you call Magical Express directly at 866-599-0951, explain the situation and tell them approximately what time you'll want to take the bus from the airport to your hotel, they'll schedule you into the system without associated flight numbers. They've done so many, many times. In fact, I usually suggest to people that they call DME direct at the above number rather than try to get a Disney CM at the reservations center to try and schedule it since the DME people are used to the out-of-the-ordinary situations.

Since they were calling at 3am Eastern, my guess is that the OP got the overnight person who's on duty primarily to handle immediate same-day issues like delayed planes, cancelled flights, lost luggage, etc.

So, I'd suggest you try calling back during the regular 9am-5pm Eastern Time workday to get someone who isn't the overnight coverage person. Or you can do as others have said, find a flight arriving close to the proper time, give that flight info and be done with it.

-Rob

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I'm sorry, but unless something has changed in the *very* recent past, that is not true.

DME is transportation from MCO to your WDW resort and back. That's it. There is no requirement to be arriving at MCO on a plane, and there are many situations where someone would be at MCO without having arrived on a flight: Some people are staying a night in a nearby hotel. Some are on a non-Disney cruise and their cruise transfer will only get them back to MCO. And some, like the OP, are dropping their rental car off at the airport because it's cheaper.

In all of those situations, if you call Magical Express directly at 866-599-0951, explain the situation and tell them approximately what time you'll want to take the bus from the airport to your hotel, they'll schedule you into the system without associated flight numbers. They've done so many, many times. In fact, I usually suggest to people that they call DME direct at the above number rather than try to get a Disney CM at the reservations center to try and schedule it since the DME people are used to the out-of-the-ordinary situations.

Since they were calling at 3am Eastern, my guess is that the OP got the overnight person who's on duty primarily to handle immediate same-day issues like delayed planes, cancelled flights, lost luggage, etc.

So, I'd suggest you try calling back during the regular 9am-5pm Eastern Time workday to get someone who isn't the overnight coverage person. Or you can do as others have said, find a flight arriving close to the proper time, give that flight info and be done with it.

-Rob

I don't care what you can get away with, I'm talking about how the service is supposed to be structured. If the DME phone number is granting those requests, they're doing so without any authority. There's a reason Disney wants you going through the DRC agents. I'm not sure which, but using the system the way you describe is in violation of Disney's agreement with Mears, Bags, or both.

 

[Monty]

I don't care what you can get away with, I'm talking about how the service is supposed to be structured. If the DME phone number is granting those requests, they're doing so without any authority. There's a reason Disney wants you going through the DRC agents. I'm not sure which, but using the system the way you describe is in violation of Disney's agreement with Mears, Bags, or both.

I'm quite comfortable that @Rob562 knows of what he speaks.

 

[JasonDeyoung]

The service is meant for those guest arriving by plane into Orlando International Airport. But as stated above, people are finding every way around the rules to use it.

 

[Rob562]

I don't care what you can get away with, I'm talking about how the service is supposed to be structured. If the DME phone number is granting those requests, they're doing so without any authority. There's a reason Disney wants you going through the DRC agents. I'm not sure which, but using the system the way you describe is in violation of Disney's agreement with Mears, Bags, or both.

The service is meant for those guest arriving by plane into Orlando International Airport. But as stated above, people are finding every way around the rules to use it.

(sigh)
I wrote to Disney Guest Services last night and laid out the specific hypothetical situation where a) I am at MCO but not arriving on a flight, and b) I have a Disney resort reservation starting that day and I want to take Magical Express to my resort.

Here is the reply I got today from Disney Guest Services this morning:
"If you will be at the Orlando International Airport (MCO) on your check in date and staying at a Disney owned and operated resort, [you] may take advantage of our complimentary transportation on Disney’s Magical Express (DME). All Guests must be registered for DME prior to their arrival."


So if *Disney* is saying that it can be done, and *Mears* (via the DME-specific phone number) is saying it can be done, I'm pretty sure it's safe to say that it can be done and isn't "getting away" with anything. Is it a situation that only affects like 1% or less of Guests arriving at MCO and using DME? Yes. Is it against the rules? No.

The *only* requirement is, and ever has been, that you have a Disney resort reservation and that you're already booked for DME before arriving at MCO. That was the concession that Disney made to MCO and the local taxi and shuttle services.

-Rob

 

[JasonDeyoung]

(sigh)
I wrote to Disney Guest Services last night and laid out the specific hypothetical situation where a) I am at MCO but not arriving on a flight, and b) I have a Disney resort reservation starting that day and I want to take Magical Express to my resort.

Here is the reply I got today from Disney Guest Services this morning:
"If you will be at the Orlando International Airport (MCO) on your check in date and staying at a Disney owned and operated resort, [you] may take advantage of our complimentary transportation on Disney’s Magical Express (DME). All Guests must be registered for DME prior to their arrival."


So if *Disney* is saying that it can be done, and *Mears* (via the DME-specific phone number) is saying it can be done, I'm pretty sure it's safe to say that it can be done and isn't "getting away" with anything. Is it a situation that only affects like 1% or less of Guests arriving at MCO and using DME? Yes. Is it against the rules? No.

The *only* requirement is, and ever has been, that you have a Disney resort reservation and that you're already booked for DME before arriving at MCO. That was the concession that Disney made to MCO and the local taxi and shuttle services.

-Rob

Interesting

 

[Pluto15]

Do a little research and find a flight that arrives at MCO within an hour or so before you plan to drop off your rental. Tell DME that's the flight you'll be arriving on. Show up with your luggage and get on the bus.

So you basically mean lie?

 

[englanddg]

(sigh)
I wrote to Disney Guest Services last night and laid out the specific hypothetical situation where a) I am at MCO but not arriving on a flight, and b) I have a Disney resort reservation starting that day and I want to take Magical Express to my resort.

Here is the reply I got today from Disney Guest Services this morning:
"If you will be at the Orlando International Airport (MCO) on your check in date and staying at a Disney owned and operated resort, [you] may take advantage of our complimentary transportation on Disney’s Magical Express (DME). All Guests must be registered for DME prior to their arrival."


So if *Disney* is saying that it can be done, and *Mears* (via the DME-specific phone number) is saying it can be done, I'm pretty sure it's safe to say that it can be done and isn't "getting away" with anything. Is it a situation that only affects like 1% or less of Guests arriving at MCO and using DME? Yes. Is it against the rules? No.

The *only* requirement is, and ever has been, that you have a Disney resort reservation and that you're already booked for DME before arriving at MCO. That was the concession that Disney made to MCO and the local taxi and shuttle services.

-Rob

Right. This exactly.

I, actually, have done DME without having an attached flight.

I did it in 2012. We did 3 days at Uni before 11 at Disney. I took the Uni shuttle to Uni and back, and then boarded DME without issue.

I just never informed Disney of my flight number. If you don't, you won't lose it. It only matters if you plan to use the DME checked luggage delivery feature.

 

[unkadug]

So much for indignant righteousness.

...or is that righteous indignation?