NEW Changes to Disney's Magical Express

[JPVonDrake]

As of November 1st:

To take advantage of this free service, you must add a reservation for the Magical Express on your room / package reservation PRIOR to your arrival to Florida. The Disney Welcome Center at the Orlando International Airport will no longer be able to provide this service to guest who have not made an advance reservation. It is recommended that you book at the same time you book your room, and provide your flight information at least 30 days (or more) prior to your arrival to ensure the timely arrival of your Travel Documents. Remember you must add Disney's Magical Express through your original booking location only; meaning if you book your room with a travel agency you must contact them to add or change your DME.

Disney will no longer have Magical Express Greeters on the third level of the airport (the level you enter the Main Terminal from your plane.) Our DME Welcome Center is located on level 1, Side A in the main terminal. We will have some Greeters on level 2 on both A and B sides of the airport to help lost Guests.

If you arrive at the airport after 11 PM or before 6 AM (due to a flight delay or it's your originally scheduled arrival time) you will be asked to claim your own luggage and it will travel with you to your Resort to ensure timely delivery. Otherwise the delivery of your luggage to your room is estimated to arrive within 2 hours from your arrival at the airport. You are always advised to pack a day bag with medications and maybe a change of clothes to start your reservation, as you will not have immediate access to your bags.

Hope this helps! :sohappy:

 

[Marijil]

Thanks for the info...very helpful

 

[wannabeBelle]

As Always the best JP Thanks!!!! Belle

 

[Kingdom Konsultant]

Thank you JP for being on top of things as usual! :sohappy:

Pam :wave: :animwink:

 

[Laura]

If you arrive at the airport after 11 PM or before 6 AM (due to a flight delay or it's your originally scheduled arrival time) you will be asked to claim your own luggage and it will travel with you to your Resort to ensure timely delivery.

Aww man. Our flight doesn't get in till 11:30 p.m. Oh well.

 

[MickeyTigg]

Well...Okay

Disney will no longer have Magical Express Greeters on the third level of the airport (the level you enter the Main Terminal from your plane.) Our DME Welcome Center is located on level 1, Side A in the main terminal. We will have some Greeters on level 2 on both A and B sides of the airport to help lost Guests.

Let's remember that this is because DME has been told by MCO they can't do this, not because of some magnanimous action by Disney.

This is the way it should have been from the start. A lot of the problems DME has had with service has been caused by non-reserved use or add-ons. The recruitment of riders at the airport was just unethical.

Now, if DME would just make sure that the resorts' Bell Services staff and the drivers actually get the tips they need.

 

[JPVonDrake]

Let's remember that this is because DME has been told by MCO they can't do this, not because of some magnanimous action by Disney.

This is the way it should have been from the start. A lot of the problems DME has had with service has been caused by non-reserved use or add-ons. The recruitment of riders at the airport was just unethical.

Now, if DME would just make sure that the resorts' Bell Services staff and the drivers actually get the tips they need.

Do keep in mind that Disney did not "recruit" riders as this is a FREE service only availiable to Guests staying at Disney owned and operated Resorts at Walt Disney World. The greeters were on level 3 to aid in directing Disney's Guests to our Welcome Center.

Also a gratuity IS included for our Bell Service Cast on a per bag bases for delivery of your luggage from the DME transport to your room. The Mear's drivers are not paid a tip wage, and infact most make well over minimum wage. Any request for gratuities by the drivers are a DIRECT violation of Disney's contract with Mears, and should be reported to Disney.

 

[Raven66]

Great info as always, JP. Thank you! :wave:

 

[DME]

My family and I used DME earlier this month and were very pleased with it. With that in mind, I have two comments

1 - Our driver had little handwritten pieces of paper that said 'gratuities accepted' and he advertised his 'on the side' business of being an entertainer/voice over guy. I should have reported him to Disney.

2 - I didn't know gratuity is included for cast members delivering the bags. We were in the room and gave the guy a tip. I guess he surely appreciated that! He was sweating profusely at the time and said they were really busy. It was about 7pm on September 24 and he told us the bags took awhile because the entire Pop Century resort was completely booked.

 

[shoppingnut]

Every DME bus I have been on has had a sign that gratuities are appreciated. That does not mean they are expected and if someone is bringing their luggage on the bus and the driver has to load it, I think it is only proper that one does give him a tip, that is my opinion. Don't waste your time reporting someone for something insiginficant, worry about the big things that go wrong.

As far as the greeters moving to the second level, well they should have been their in the first place. Since all taxi/limo drivers, even cruise line representatives are on the second level that is the place I would and was looking for them on my first trip using DME. Having them on the third level made no sense whatsoever.

 

[peter11435]

The recruitment of riders at the airport was just unethical.

Umm, Why?

 

[shoppingnut]

Umm, Why?

For the same reason limo driver's can't recruit, you have to make a pre-existing reservation.

 

[wannab@dis]

For the same reason limo driver's can't recruit, you have to make a pre-existing reservation.

BIG difference... DME was ONLY for Disney resort guests and IS INCLUDED with resort stays. It's a shame that Disney has caved to the whiners and changed their policy to only allow those with reservations to utilize DME. Seems to me they are the going out of their way to placate the livery groups when they really shouldn't.... especially since the losers are their guests.

 

[mkt]

Do keep in mind that Disney did not "recruit" riders as this is a FREE service only availiable to Guests staying at Disney owned and operated Resorts at Walt Disney World. The greeters were on level 3 to aid in directing Disney's Guests to our Welcome Center.

The CM's at level 3 when I returned from a quickie trip to Atlanta said different. But I won't even start this debate.

Also a gratuity IS included for our Bell Service Cast on a per bag bases for delivery of your luggage from the DME transport to your room. The Mear's drivers are not paid a tip wage, and infact most make well over minimum wage. Any request for gratuities by the drivers are a DIRECT violation of Disney's contract with Mears, and should be reported to Disney.

that's right gang, Disney. wdw.guest.communications@disney.com

but rather, if you'd like to speak to a human being... eventually, contact Mears as well... at 407-423-5566

 

[bgraham34]

So if I booked it online VIA Best rate how do i now add it on.

 

[wannab@dis]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]DME Guest Services Phone #: (866) 599-0951

Give them a call and they should be able to help you out.

[/font]

 

[lewisc]

Thanks for the updated information. If I was coming in at 6:00a I wouldn't mind letting DME handle my luggage. There is a good chance my room won't be ready so it really wouldn't matter if it got to the resort later in the morning.

Not to nit pick but the Mears bus drivers all have a signs that says gratuities appreciated. Disney has to be aware of those signs. My driver thought he was being clever by saying his name is on the gratuity sign. Didn't directly ask for a tip but not very subtle. It is customary to tip a courtesy shuttle driver who assists passengers with luggage. Sounds like Disney is trying to have it both ways, imply that tipping is not appropriate without paying the drivers the extra money (that they pay DCL drivers) for handling luggage.

The two parties next to me in line paid to ride the DME bus. One was a local resident. Her son was working and she paid to take the DME bus to AKL. She said by the time she got to AKL her son would be off work and this was cheaper than a cab. I don't know if the third floor greeter sent her to the Mears desk. Another party was staying at CSR but returned to MCO to return a rental car. DME told him he couldn't get a free ride but sent him to the Mears desk to buy a voucher. Sorry but that was two passengers that otherwise would have taken a cab.

Do keep in mind that Disney did not "recruit" riders as this is a FREE service only availiable to Guests staying at Disney owned and operated Resorts at Walt Disney World. The greeters were on level 3 to aid in directing Disney's Guests to our Welcome Center.

Also a gratuity IS included for our Bell Service Cast on a per bag bases for delivery of your luggage from the DME transport to your room. The Mear's drivers are not paid a tip wage, and infact most make well over minimum wage. Any request for gratuities by the drivers are a DIRECT violation of Disney's contract with Mears, and should be reported to Disney.

 

[wannabeBelle]

Maybe JPVonDrake can clarfy this one but I am almost 100% positive that you cannot purchase a ride via DME. Via Mears is something completely different even though Mears is the bus service contracted to provide the bus drivers etc to DME. I know Mears is still running shuttles the way they always did for offsite hotels/ other resorts besides Disney so I Am sure that you could buy a ticket for a Mears shuttle to a destination, but not for DME specifically. Belle

 

[lewisc]

DME employees/CM send guests to the Mears desk to buy a voucher. The passengers then wait in the same ques as the regular DME passengers and ride the DME buses.

I don't care what JP or anyone else says is allowed. I'm posting what I've observed.

From the viewpoint of the transportation industry it doesn't really matter if DME sells the vouchers or sends the passengers to Mears and they sell the voucher. The impact is the same.

Maybe JPVonDrake can clarfy this one but I am almost 100% positive that you cannot purchase a ride via DME. Via Mears is something completely different even though Mears is the bus service contracted to provide the bus drivers etc to DME. I know Mears is still running shuttles the way they always did for offsite hotels/ other resorts besides Disney so I Am sure that you could buy a ticket for a Mears shuttle to a destination, but not for DME specifically. Belle

 

[KilleriMac17]

Do keep in mind that Disney did not "recruit" riders as this is a FREE service only availiable to Guests staying at Disney owned and operated Resorts at Walt Disney World. The greeters were on level 3 to aid in directing Disney's Guests to our Welcome Center.

Also a gratuity IS included for our Bell Service Cast on a per bag bases for delivery of your luggage from the DME transport to your room. The Mear's drivers are not paid a tip wage, and infact most make well over minimum wage. Any request for gratuities by the drivers are a DIRECT violation of Disney's contract with Mears, and should be reported to Disney.

Yep, I just came back, they were not recruiting, we say 2 people with white gloves, and they told us we had to have a reservation(we did), they told us how to get to the magical express area, they needed our booklet,ect and bag tags, then we went to the bus lines.. BOTH busses had signs on them, one say 'gratuities allowed' and the one coming back said 'gratuities permitted;