Some questions about Magical Express

[minnie2000]

DH and I are sort of thinking about planning a trip to WDW in December - Virgin have a special offer, and we might be able to fit in a week from 10th - 17th December.

We are trying to keep costs down, although we really want to stay on property. We are wondering about not having a rental car, we would save the cost of petrol and the insurance, which is the most expensive part.

Other options are a towncar, with a grocery stop or magical express and a grocery delivery.

I don't really know much about ME, and this is what I want to find out about. Is there likely to be a huge queue for ME? We normally arrive at MCO at about 4.00pm and do not want a really long wait after an 8 hour flight, and a long wait at immigration! Also, do the busses go around all the resorts, and in which order? Or, does each resort or resort area have its own bus?

I don't think we can use the ME luggage tags from the UK, but that's OK, we would prefer to pick up our own luggage and take it on the bus with us anyway.

Also, we check in at DTD on the day we leave, and virgin keeps our luggage for the day. We would have to take a cab from our hotel to DTD (I wouldn't wait for a bus because we want to be early) but I don't suppose that would cost too much.

Last time we flew with virgin, we did not check in online on our return flight, and were right at the back of the plane, and were told we were lucky to be sitting together. As there is no internet cafe as such on WDW property (as far as I know) would they check in for us online at reception? We were in New York in January and they did this at the hotel for us there.

 

[Monty]

OK I'll try to answer:

You can use the DME tags, but you would retrieve your luggage, clear immigration and then drop them off again. It's probably just as easy to take them with you to the bus.

Queues at DME move fairly quickly even when they're long. I have personally never been more than an hour and fifteen minutes from plane to resort [immigration may add to that].

DME buses only go to a maximum of four resorts on any trip. The order and which resorts you stop at depends on expected passenger loads and routings.

You can ask the Concierge Desk at any resort to check you in on-line for your flight home.

A taxi shouldn't cost more than $20 including a generous tip to get anywhere on property.

 

[minnie2000]

Wow thanks Monty - what a quick reply!

Great, that answers all my questions I think.

You can ask the Concierge Desk at any resort to check you in on-line for your flight home. - I didn't know that!

Queues at DME move fairly quickly even when they're long. I have personally never been more than an hour and fifteen minutes from plane to resort [immigration may add to that]. - I read this quickly, and first thought you meant an hour and fifteen minutes in the line!!! Then I re-read it :lol: That's pretty good, if it is that time from checking in to ME to arriving at the hotel, I'll be happy!

 

[TURKEY]

OK I'll try to answer:

You can use the DME tags, but you would retrieve your luggage, clear immigration and then drop them off again. It's probably just as easy to take them with you to the bus.

Queues at DME move fairly quickly even when they're long. I have personally never been more than an hour and fifteen minutes from plane to resort [immigration may add to that].

DME buses only go to a maximum of four resorts on any trip. The order and which resorts you stop at depends on expected passenger loads and routings.

You can ask the Concierge Desk at any resort to check you in on-line for your flight home.

A taxi shouldn't cost more than $20 including a generous tip to get anywhere on property.

Monty,

As far as I know only the US and Canada are getting the DME tags shipped to them. UK are no longer being mailed (or soon stopping).

 

[Rob562]

Queues at DME move fairly quickly even when they're long. I have personally never been more than an hour and fifteen minutes from plane to resort [immigration may add to that]. - I read this quickly, and first thought you meant an hour and fifteen minutes in the line!!! Then I re-read it :lol: That's pretty good, if it is that time from checking in to ME to arriving at the hotel, I'll be happy!

Actually, I believe Monty meant 1:15 as the total amount of time from stepping off the plane to walking into the hotel lobby. (Which includes walking through the terminal, checking into DME, waiting for the DME bus and riding the DME bus to the hotel).

Also, I don't know what the future may hold for the Virgin check-in at Downtown Disney. There has been news recently that the Virgin Megastore will be closing. I don't know what that would mean for the airline check-in.

But even so, you can check in online through the front desk/lobby concierge at your hotel, and then check your bags when you get to the airport.

-Rob

 

[minnie2000]

Actually, I believe Monty meant 1:15 as the total amount of time from stepping off the plane to walking into the hotel lobby. (Which includes walking through the terminal, checking into DME, waiting for the DME bus and riding the DME bus to the hotel).

Also, I don't know what the future may hold for the Virgin check-in at Downtown Disney. There has been news recently that the Virgin Megastore will be closing. I don't know what that would mean for the airline check-in.

But even so, you can check in online through the front desk/lobby concierge at your hotel, and then check your bags when you get to the airport.

-Rob

I was allowing extra time to get through immigration! (That can be an hour itself!)

Actually, we don't check in at the Virgin Megastore, there is an outside check-in area set up behind La Nouba. Although, it might be just as easy to check-in at the concierge and leave the luggage in the hotel until we leave.

 

[Rob562]

Actually, we don't check in at the Virgin Megastore, there is an outside check-in area set up behind La Nouba. Although, it might be just as easy to check-in at the concierge and leave the luggage in the hotel until we leave.

Ooohhhh.... See, I'd always read about people checking in for Virgin Airlines at "Downtown Disney" or "West Side" and I'd always presumed it was somehow connected to the Virgin Megastore. Never realized it was something separate. (Dopey me!)

Learn something new every day.

-Rob