Magical express routes

[goofy5]

Hi!
we will be staying at All Star Music, does anyone know how long it takes to get from orlando intl airport? does the bus stop at other resorts before Music?
thanks!

 

[Polydweller]

Generally the advice is to plan on 70-90 minutes from landing to your resort. It can be shorter or longer depending on many factors but you should be safe planning on those times.

DME is not route based, it's demand based meaning it goes where the passengers on the bus are going. If you were lucky and everyone is going to Music then you'd go directly to Music. However, it's likely that some passengers will be going elsewhere so expect the bus to go to other resorts. But, those other resorts will be in roughly the same geographical area, in this case the southern part of WDW.

 

[NeverEnufDisney]

The time varies most based on how long it takes to leave the terminal. Once you leave the terminal I've never had more than an hour and often 30-45 minutes.

 

[goofy5]

thank you!

 

[slappy magoo]

DME is not route based, it's demand based meaning it goes where the passengers on the bus are going. If you were lucky and everyone is going to Music then you'd go directly to Music. However, it's likely that some passengers will be going elsewhere so expect the bus to go to other resorts. But, those other resorts will be in roughly the same geographical area, in this case the southern part of WDW.

I would assume timing means quite a bit. If you're arriving late at night when there are fewer people coming into the airport, DME might not be able to coordinate optimal bus routes and your bus would have to make several stops, in which case who knows if your resort will be first or last or somewhere in the middle. I'd wonder if they prioritize the buses to drop off in order of location (in which case do they hit the first resort they pass and then work their way along a path or do they go to the last resort first, and work their way backwards before heading back out to the airport? Or furthest from the MDE center to closest if a bus driver's shift is ending?), or if they give priority to deluxe resort guests, followed by mods and values? My guess would be there could be many variables and it will always be a crap shoot.

 

[Rob562]

I would assume timing means quite a bit. If you're arriving late at night when there are fewer people coming into the airport, DME might not be able to coordinate optimal bus routes and your bus would have to make several stops, in which case who knows if your resort will be first or last or somewhere in the middle. I'd wonder if they prioritize the buses to drop off in order of location (in which case do they hit the first resort they pass and then work their way along a path or do they go to the last resort first, and work their way backwards before heading back out to the airport? Or furthest from the MDE center to closest if a bus driver's shift is ending?), or if they give priority to deluxe resort guests, followed by mods and values? My guess would be there could be many variables and it will always be a crap shoot.

From what I've read, there are a few rules in what stops a DME bus makes (though as you point out, the end of the night is another thing entirely):

-A bus will make a maximum of 4 stops, as long as they're in the same DME "zone".
-If going to hotels in two different zones, it's a 3-stop max.
-Drivers have discretion to visit stops in whatever order they choose.
-Except Grand Floridian is always first if there are guests going there.
-*Except* if there are also Polynesian guests, the bus will stop at Poly before GF for safety reasons because of the turns the bus would have to make if it went GF-then-Poly.


-Rob