Magical Express question

[matt_taylor1985]

My wife and I have just returned from the world, and we're looking into booking a disney hotel next year (we stayed a night at Riverside this year) and I just wondered:

Do you have to book your flights through the disney website to qualify for the magical express? Or is it purely based on staying in site?

Also is there a registration process for the Magical Express?

Any help would be great.

 

[dove_]

No registration process, and you get magical express for being onsite. I don't know how else to book a disney hotel other than by actually contacting disney, so if you do that it will get added if you need it. If you go through a travel agent, I'm sure they can do it too, but any other way, I'd at least call disney and tell them.

 

[Bug715]

My wife and I have just returned from the world, and we're looking into booking a disney hotel next year (we stayed a night at Riverside this year) and I just wondered:

Do you have to book your flights through the disney website to qualify for the magical express? Or is it purely based on staying in site?

Also is there a registration process for the Magical Express?

Any help would be great.

Its based with staying onsite. Once you make your hotel reservation you just call and tell them that you need to add Magical Express onto your reservation. If you have your flight when you book your hotel i believe that you can add it on then.

There isn't a registration process. You just need your inbound and outbound flight numbers, airline, and everyone in your party's name. If you have connecting flights they just need the one you will be on into orlando and out of orlando.

I love Magical Express. I stay at a value resort and am at my resort an hour after my plane lands. This trip it took 4 hours for my luggage to get to my room but the two times before then it was in my room within 2 hours.

 

[totben]

This trip it took 4 hours for my luggage to get to my room but the two times before then it was in my room within 2 hours.

i usually play the "mid-day game" where my flight lands around lunch time, i get to my resort, check in and go to lunch somewhere, usually by the time i get back my luggage is there.

i do know some people who sit there and wait for their luggage to arrive, i find they get very angry usually...

 

[Phonedave]

Technicaly you do not even need a flight.

Booking an on-site room gets you a MCO-WDW trip and a WDW-MCO trip back on the DME.

They ask for flight information so they can plan accordingly.

Some people arrive at the airport and stay overnight, and catch the DME the next day.

I have driven to WDW and take only the return leg of the DME.

Just let the agents know what you are doing and the times you want to do it.

-dave

 

[Bug715]

i usually play the "mid-day game" where my flight lands around lunch time, i get to my resort, check in and go to lunch somewhere, usually by the time i get back my luggage is there.

i do know some people who sit there and wait for their luggage to arrive, i find they get very angry usually...

I totally didn't wait around to get my luggage. The 2 times that it took 2 hours my friend and I were trying to take a quick nap before we hit the park since we'd had an early morning and the other time I went to the park for a few hours to visit friends then came back to meet my friend's ME bus. It wasn't a big deal that it took longer this time since I had my phone charger and change of clothes in my carry on. After a few hours at the park I got to just lay around while I waited for my luggage and my friend to get there. The only reason I noticed it took longer was because I was worried it wouldn't get to the right room since I'd changed buildings when I checked in.

I love using ME because I don't have to worry about anything.

 

[LenYJr]

On my last visit it was explained to me that the goal is to get your bag to the room within 3 hours of your check in. I had always assumed that it was from our landing time, but the very helpful staff at Pop explained it to me.

 

[blackthidot]

Yeah I bring everything I need that day on the plane, check in go to the room leave what I dont need in the room and go enjoy my day and get back at night!

 

[CleveRocks]

To say there is no "registration process" for DME is inaccurate. DME is free for on-site guests, but you MUST make a reservation for DME or you won't be able to use DME.

Many people feel they never made a reservation because maybe a CM on the phone asked if you want it and you simply said "Yes," or you clicked a button on the website. But there must be something like this ... it is NOT a totaly automatic thing.

The other thing is that they need your flight information. You can reserve DME even before you book your flights, but eventually they need the info.

You are eligible for DME if you're named on the reservation at a Disney owned-and-operated resort. It makes no difference how you book the room or how you book your air. DME is tied into your RESORT reservation. So if you used a travel agent for your Disney room but you booked your airfare yourself, then you must have that travel agent reserve DME for you.