Magical Express Reader Comments

We want to hear about YOUR Experiences with Magical Express!

Chiffone Mckeller – June 26, 2005

The magical express services was great for my family. We all packed extra in the care on bags so the time wasn't a problem. Our bags came to the room right on time. I think that the service is great and that Disney needs to keep up the good work.

*****

Joan – June 23, 2005

We had an excellent experience with this service…I was expecting potential problems when I read other readers reports. Our tags did not arrive until the day before we left. Once in Orlando…the line progressed well and from touch down of the airplane, we were in our hotel in 1 1/4 hours. Coming back the service was even speedier as we were given a pickup time…and the bus came exactly ontime. It was a pleasure…and a money saver if you do not require a car!

*****

Susan – June 23, 2005

We just came back from our Disney trip and we, too, used the Magical Express service. We were told by Disney people before we left that we would go right by baggage claim to the Magical Express desk so we probably should get our own bags and take them on the bus with us. Kudos to the Disney person who gave us this tip. It was a little out of our way to do this, but at least our luggage arrived at our hotel along with us and not 3 hours later. Only drawback, don't have an early flight back home because you have to board the bus at least 3 hours before your flight leaves. Ours left at 7:30 a.m., so we had to be outside waiting for the bus at 4 a.m. Other than the so-called Magical Express service, our trip truly was a magical Disney experience.

*****

Christina Stewart – June 22, 2005

We just got back from 8 days at the Coronado Springs Resort. After reading the reviews for Magical Express, we came
prepared with our swimsuits and any other necessities in our carry on bags. From the time we first checked our bags, everything went smooth. We checked in, dropped our carry ons in our room and went to grab something to eat. When we came back, all of our luggage was in our room. It was just as easy and reliable going back. I guess it took them a while to work out the kinks, but it was a wonderful experience for us!

*****

Leighann – June 22, 2005

Just returned from my first trip to Walt Disney World since I was a little girl. We used the Magical Express since it was free. I was a little nervous based on the other readers reviews, but I had no need to be. After arriving at the Orlando airport, we quickly found the Disney cast members who directed us the the bus loading area. I had not received my luggage tags before leaving, but was assured that everything would be fine. I spoke to a cast member who recorded what each piece of our luggage looked like and gave me my Magical Express vouchers. My family and I stood in the Wilderness Lodge bus line, with one other family and waited about 5 minutes before loading our empty bus. We waited for another 5 minutes, giving time for other guests to arrive before heading to WDW. (There was a total of three families on our bus, including us!) We arrived at The World after about a 20 minute pleasant bus ride (we did not have a movie which I had read about because our bus was not an official Disney World Magical Express bus, but must have been on loan from one of the other companies).

After we arrived at our beautiful hotel, we took our carry on bags to our room and headed to the Disney Studios for the Fantasmic dinner package. When we returned after Fantasmic that night, our checked bags were in our room as promised. I think Magical Express was designed for a family like ours who arrive mid-day and head to the parks. If you are arriving later in the evening and planning to go to bed as soon as you get to the world, you might want to pick up your own bags before getting on the bus. Overall, I thought the experience was perfect for our needs and I will definitely use the service again, especially if it stays free!

*****

John Farley – June 22, 2005

Magical Express was perfect. Our plan was to check in and hit the parks. We anticipated not seeing our luggage until late in the evening and packed accordingly (it says your luggage may be a couple of hours behind you in the pamphlet they send with the luggage tags). When we opened our door at Midnight, our luggage was there. This made the whole process of getting to Disney worry free. I hope they continue this service beyond the "Celebration".

*****

Marie – June 21, 2005

We just returned from Disney and used the Magical Express. The bus service to and from the airport is great and easy. HOWEVER, I would suggest picking up your luggage yourself and putting it on your bus. We had to wait 4 hours after checkin to receive our bags…and several phone calls. If you have it with you then the Magical Express service is great.

*****

Alana Gresh – June 19. 2005

My husband and I just returned from our trip on June 19th. We had booked our vacation through AAA and were flying for the first time (we usually drive down from PA). At first, we were so excited about the new Magical Express – but soon, after reading the many reviews on this website and others, we were getting nervous about using the service. To make things worse, our luggage tags never arrived before we left for our trip. We had decided that we would just claim our own luggage before checking in for the shuttle service. Upon arriving in Orlando, however, we ran into the Magical Express reps and before we knew it, were registering for the ride. The reps claimed that even though we had no luggage tags, if we gave them our claim info, they could pick them up no problem. My husband and I were so nervous but for some reason we went along with it. You can only imagine our excitement when our bags arrived in our room a mere two hours after our plane LANDED at Orlando. Apparently Disney got the message about the "bugs" in the system and worked them out in time for the busy season. We would DEFINITELY use this service again!

*****

Gina – June 19. 2005

We just got back from our annual Disney Vacation and had our first experience with Disney's Magical Express and I have to say it was wonderful! Traveling with two children one 4 years old and the other 6 months old is tough, having to lug all those bags and strollers around is even harder. This service made our life and our trip a LOT easier. The only minor issue we had was when I received my itinerary from the WD Travel Co. it stated we would get some luggage tags about a week before our departure but didn't. I called them and was told they were behind on getting those out but that all would
be ok. The lady on the phone suggested that in my carry-on I should take any essentials we would need upon arrival. Traveling with a 4 year old and a 6 month old and knowing that airlines are sometimes prone to lose luggage that was a given! In our carryon we had a change of clothes, baby essentials and out toiletry bag.

Upon arrival at MCO we were greeted by a CM with a Mickey glove who directed us to the Magical Express Check in. I noticed that there were quite a few of them in the arrivals area so they would be hard to miss. I made my way downstairs to the check-in and gave them a description of our luggage (to be extra safe I put on our address tag
that we were staying at the Boardwalk Inn and I also put a blue ribbon on the suitcase, since everyone now has a black suitcase with wheels). We were on the bus within 15 minutes.

We got to the hotel and ran off to the Magic Kingdom for our PS at Cinderella's Royal Table. My wife went back after lunch and called me and told me the luggage was in the room when she got there. Can't beat that!

The return trip was even better! Our flight left at 11:30 AM so we were told our bus would pick us up at 8:20. We went to the lobby and used the airline check in dropped off our suitcases and were at the airport within the hour. No checking in at the airport, No carrying in suitcases, strollers, diaper bag etc. Al we had to do was get off the bus, unfold the strollers and go straight to our gate! If you are traveling with little ones this is definitely a lifesaver, now if I could only get them to deliver the suitcases to my home I would be all set!

*****

Makel – June 19, 2005

Disney's magical express, very NON-stressful for us at the beginning. We came to OIA and quickly got aboard, with our luggage beneath us. In about 5-10 minutes we were on our way, with a cute little video to watch. (Not to mention, if you have to go to the bathroom, you can do that in the back as well.

Getting to the hotel was peaceful, we had a great ride and the bus driver was very nice. The only problem here is it seemed everyone was using this service. Being at the All Star Movies, their was going to be many families at any time if you chose to stay at a value. We arrived about 8:00-10:00 am and the line for baggage was very long. One good thing on this behalf is we got our luggage put right in our room, and you can go to the park to have your luggage in your room
when you return.

Now, hitching the ride back to the airport was a DISASTER. It took three buses until we could leave All star movies, and ended up arriving only one hour early, just enough time to go through the areas needed before needing to hop on our flight. Also, yet another cute movie was shown on the way to OIA.

Not a waste of time, I recommend in for people flying in to Disney, especially with little ones.

*****

Lisa West – June 18, 2005

Just returned from Disney -would like to comment on the magical express. Once again I was petrified because I watch
your reader comment sections. However, guess what, I followed all the directions to a tee and asked questions when unsure and everything went off without a hitch. We arrived at the Polynesian and checked-in. went to downtown Disney for awhile and got back two hours later and the luggage was in the room. On the day we left we did have to carry our luggage with us to the bus because we did not have one of the airlines the hotel will precheck, but that was ok. The buses ran on time and no one was late for their plane going home. I hope that you print this letter in your reader section, so that people can see that not all experiences are awful. Our's was great! Thanks!

*****

DonnaG – June 17, 2005

We also had issues with the "Magical" "Express" which was neither. Finally got our luggage tags Fed EX'ed 3 days before our trip only after several calls – at which time we were told that there were issues. Got to the airport and waited in a very long line to be sent to another line. Got on a beautiful bus but was the 4th stop (Grand Floridian) and had to circle around the Wilderness Lodge due to a race. Arrived before our room was ready, checked in and had the Concierge hold our carryon luggage and went to MK. Got back at 5 PM, went to room and no luggage. The Concierge warned us that there were ongoing problems with the service. Luckily, our luggage arrive about 20 minutes later. But it would not have been ready if we were able to check in early. On the way home, we had to leave the hotel 4 hours before our flight. While we did not have a bad experience, we would not use it again.

*****

Deb Alvord – June 16, 2005

When we checked in at the airport in Raleigh for our flight to Orlando, our Magical Express yellow tags were already falling off the luggage. That worried us, and we wondered if we would see our bags again. At MCO, we were very pleased at how quickly we were out of the airport and on a bus to the Polynesian. The bus was new and painted specifically for Magical Express, and the videos onboard helped the kids on the 45 minute ride. That part was wonderful! However, our bags arrived at the resort at three different times during the next 8 hours. Some of our luggage arrived about 4pm, 2
hours after we arrived at the Polynesian. We advised the front desk that we were missing some. We filled out a "delayed bag" form at the front desk, which is very similar to the airline lost bag forms, and you have to describe the bag, its contents, etc. The next bags arrived around 7:45pm, and the last around 10pm that night. Not to our surprise, 3 of the 6 bags had lost their Magical Express yellow tags in transit. I haven't heard anyone else mention whether or not their tags fell off. I think this is a major issue and can be a factor in some of these bag delays. The sticky they use for the tags is not the same quality that the airlines use for their bag tags. I wish they would use the luggage tags they send for Disney Cruise passengers, which are interlocking and stay on the luggage.

My suggestion to future travelers using Magical Express:

1) Tape or staple your Magical Express tag to ensure it doesn't come off. Don't just rely on the sticky on the tag. A bag with no tag has a higher chance of being delayed.

2) Definitely pack some essentials in a day bag. It will be several hours before you see your bags.

If you don't mind a bag delay, the service is very nice.

*****

Stephanie – June 15, 2005

Due to a mistake at the airlines, we arrived on a later flight than we had arranged. Disney Customer Service said no problem, they updated all of our flight info. (They told us due to the bad weather (hurricane) and airline delays that our luggage would take up to 4 hours to arrive.) In Orlando, we waited less than 10 minutes to check-in with Magical Express at the airport and got onto a bus. The bus was nice, cool, and comfortable for the 35 minute trip to our resort. The video was fun for the kids. The luggage arrived in about 3 hours to our door. So, pack the bathing suits or pjs in the carry-on.

On our way back, we were scheduled to leave the resort about 3 hours before departure. The bus was right on time. We had plenty of time to check-in at the airport, get through security, and have a light lunch.

I would recommend using an airline where you can do check-in at the resort and leave the luggage to them (US Air was not one of airlines in the program). You can do that hours in advance and then have time to do something before you leave, like go swimming or shopping. I would not recommend taking an early flight out of Orlando or you will have to get up really early.

*****

Cathie Alia – June 14, 2005

My husband and I had a wonderful experience with Disney's Magical Express. As the date of our trip neared I became a bit concerned because our Magical Express luggage tags had not arrived. After reading other people's comments about not receiving luggage tags and calling Disney and than receiving luggage tags right before their departure date I decided to do the same thing. We called Disney 5 days before our trip and were given instructions on how to proceed without having the luggage tags once we got to the Orlando Airport. Luckily, our tags did arrive via FedEx the day before we
left. We landed in Orlando on June 14 at 3:30 pm and we were in our hotel room at the Coronado Springs Resort by 4:35 pm! The Magical Express check-in was absolutely flawless. There were no lines and than we were put on a bus immediately to our resort. My husband and I went for a walk to tour the resort's property and 45 minutes later when we walked into our hotel room our baggage was already in our room.

We left on Sunday, June 19. Our flight was at 10:25 am and we were assigned a pick-up time at 7:25 am. We checked our bags at the hotel check-in service and we also received our boarding passes. Our bus arrived promptly and we arrived at the Orlando Airport by 8:30 am and we had plenty of time to get a bite to eat and relax before our flight. Our bags were waiting for us when we arrived at Newark Airport.

My husband and I were extremely pleased with this new service and we would recommend it. My advice is if you don't receive your luggage tags within one week of leaving for your trip is to call Disney. I truly believe that if we hadn't made that phone call we wouldn't have received those luggage tags. And also bring a change of clothing and all your personal belongings in a carry-on bag. Disney makes it clear that you will have to wait a couple hours to receive your luggage at your resort.

*****

Shawn Okeefe – June 14, 2005

I am writing about Disney's Magical Express service. I believe people who have worrying issues should not use this service. I have used the service twice since early May (One Convention and one family trip)to the Contemp and Coronado Springs. Both times the tags arrived a few days (2) before departure. Once at MCO the staff was plentiful and service was quick.

On both occasions I planned to wait a few hours for my bags to arrive. I went out after check in and when I returned my bags were there.

People should understand this service will take a couple of hours and plan accordingly. Poor cast members don't need to be inundated with phonecalls every 10 minutes. Plan accordingly and chill out and this service is wonderful (especially for free)

*****

Robyn – June 12, 2005

Magical Express was a delight. We arrived Orlando around 11:30 am, found the Disney counter, boarded our bus and off to the hotel before noon. Our room was ready for check-in when we arrived. We dropped our extra carry-on bags and hit the park. When we returned at 10pm our bags were safely in our room. The check out service was a dream. We received our bag tags and boarding passes at the hotel. This made the airport experience a breeze.

ME tip- the hotel tags that arrived with our coupon book did not stick very well. We needed to tape them to ensure they didn't fall off the bag.

*****

Chris – June 11 – 18, 2005

Flew Continental Airlines- direct flights. Stayed at Port Orleans Riverside. No problems with arrival- we had an early flight, the only thing was the check-in line at the resort, it was long due to the number of people getting off the busses.

The return trip: Check out time is 11:00am for the rooms, flight departure was 4:20pm. Tip: don't wait to long getting your luggage to ME as every one is doing that,we waited in line from 10:45 to 12:30 to check luggage for ME. We boarded bus right after that. The bus ride was nice, good information on movie. Boarded plane for our 4:20 flight,after spending some time at the airport. When we arrived at our destination we went to baggage claims. We found out the our luggage and luggage from another group staying at Port Orleans was never put on the plane, the truck hulling our
luggage never made it to the airport. That was a total of 31 bags! Continental Airlines had them flown up the next day. (one bag belonging to my daughter, she lives 5 hours away from me, was still missing, the airline is to deliver that bag to her address)

The lady at Continental that we spoke to said that the Airline is reviewing ME, they have had a lot of problems with ME and it is costing the Airline money delivering "lost" luggage. And if things don't improve they are considering pulling out of ME.

*****

Rick Howe – June 11, 2005

We used Disney's Magical Express on both our arrival and departure. Suffice it to say that the program is not yet fully baked – our bags arrived about 10 hours after we did on arrival. But the free bus vouchers work well, and certainly save money. We DID hear from a bus driver that about 40 Mears drivers (they handle the bus portion of Magical Express) had quit over the past few weeks. Many of them are older/retired, and they were told by Mears that they would not be handling bags. But since the baggage forwarding part of the program still doesn't work, most riders take their bags with
them, meaning that the drivers have to load and unload the bags from under the bus.

My advice, use Magical Express wisely – put everything you need for the first day and night in a carry-on bag. Double check at your resort the day before you leave at the time you'll be checking in your bags (and get a boarding pass depending on your airline). You may find that the 2 people at the desk are overwhelmed by the crowds and you'll be wasting valuable park time checking your bags. You may just want to take your bags with you (under the bus) and do a normal check-in at the airport.

*****

Kae Dorsam – June 10, 2005

My Family landed at around 3. They flew Delta but did not receive the DME express tags. I called before we left to make sure they were on the list & they were. So they went and got their own luggage, no problem the cast members told them. The waited about 5 minutes after they got the luggage to board the bus. We were all staying at WL. Luckily WL was the first stop. They arrived before 4:30. They had no problems or complaints. I should add that I did not take DME We flew SW & I got a rental car for $75. My family went on to Naples & did not fly out of Orlando so they did not used it for the return trip.

*****

Michelle – June 4 -11, 2005

Overall it wasn't bad. The luggage tags arrived about 10 days prior to our trip. I found them a little tricky….they don't
stick together very well. But they stayed on our bags. It is very easy to spot the magical express people at the airport…they are all over with big white gloves directing you where to go. Short line at the check in counter and a fairly short line for the bus to the Caribbean Beach. I had expected our luggage to take awhile to arrive at the resort, so I just made sure I had anything with me that I may have needed for the day. We arrived in Orlando at 11:00 AM and were
at the resort by noon. Our luggage arrived in our room at 4:30 PM. For the return trip home we used the airport check in service at the resort. This was very nice since the only thing we had to do at the airport was go through security. No bags to check and no lines for boarding passes. I would use the service again!if it continues to be free of charge.

*****

Tracy – June 4 -11, 2005

We had a wonderful experience using the service. I received our luggage tags in the mail about a week before our trip. While we weren't on one of the airlines which allowed us to get our boarding passes at check out time and we did have to take our luggage on the bus with us for the return trip, we were very happy with the service. There was immediately a Disney rep telling us where to go on arrival and the wait for the bus was minimal. We enjoyed the little Disney tape they
showed on the way to the hotel. On the return trip it was also very prompt and pleasant. We were so pleased with the savings and were also surprised and enjoyed the coupon for the free pin and lanyard that came with it! My only complaint is I wish they would make the buses cell phone free. We had to listen to two girls speaking very loudly to people on their phones about all the details of their trip. So rude!

*****

Greg – June 6-10, 2005

I booked the Magic Your Way vacation and also made use of the Disney Express. As indicated in other posts of this nature, my Magic Express Luggage Tags did not arrive before I left. My very helpful travel agent called the Disney people and they assured her that it would not be a problem. As it turned out, it wasn't! I made a wise decision to pack my carry-on bag with enough stuff to get me through a night–just in case! But I also decided to collect my own luggage.
After being directed to the Magic Express counter, I was quickly checked in, my luggage stowed in the ME bus and I was off to the All Stars Music Resort within 15 minutes. Checking in to the resort took a bit longer than anticipated as there was a glitch in the housekeeping department answering the desk call for clean room numbers but other than that, there were absolutely no problems at all. The return flight check-in desk in the lobby of All-Stars Music went pretty quickly and the transport to the airport arrived on time and my luggage was on my return flight. I would definitely consider using the Magic Express again!!

*****

Jill Bowman – June 10, 2005

Just returned from Disney World, and I wanted to let you know how pleased I was of the new "Magical Express" service. I have been to Disney World many times and this was the first time I've ever used a transfer service. Being a Travel Agent and reading lots of reviews from guests using the service earlier in the month, I was a little skeptical at first. Our Agency is increasing our sales to Disney World, and I felt this was a perfect time to try it out. I had no problems whatsoever, I did run into a few families who were complaining about it (I think they're the type who needs to find something to complain about), but all in all I give Disney's "Magical Express" 2 thumbs up!!! I traveled with my Niece (11 years old) and
she was pretty impressed as well. Because we had given our flight info to Disney ahead of time, I think it helped make the check-in process go much smoother. Our room was ready when we checked into the Wilderness Lodge around NOON, this gave us a chance to go change into lighter clothes (we came from PA) before lunch. When we arrived back to our room about 4:30pm'ish…we found our luggage had already arrived! Monday was check-out day …and we had absolutely no issues worth to mention. We arrived back to MCO with time to spare (over an hour to be exact), and headed directly thru security up to our gate. Our flight was on time, and we were sad to leave. Hoping Disney keeps the "Magical Express"
going…it's definitely the best way to travel over to "Mickey's House" (as my 3 year old niece calls it).

*****

Mary Madden – June 9, 2005

Magical Express – NOT – My problems started before I had even left home. I called every day before I left and they assured me that the materials (luggage tags, etc.) would be in my mailbox any day. Not only did it not arrive before I left, but it never arrived. They had no record that I was supposed to be part of the service. Luckily I had my confirmation
number and the letter from Disney showing I was entitled to the service. On the return journey, I was assured that I would receive an explanation letter in my hotel room with instructions and the pick up time. Once again, this failed to materialize and it took many phone calls to find out what/where/when for pickup.

*****

Cydney – June 2005

We used Magical Express Service and were very pleased. We found the check in counter with no problems and had no wait getting checked in. We did have a 20-25 min wait to get on a bus, but considering we didn't have to wait on luggage it probably all balanced out. The buses are very nice and comfortable. The video is fun and makes you
excited about arriving, and it really passes the time. They dropped off at Wilderness Lodge first so we were checked in in no time. We went to the park for couple of hours and our luggage was waiting for us in our room. Do plan ahead though and bring one change of clothes in a carry on just in case. Then you won't have to worry about what time your luggage gets there. The return trip was REALLY early. We had to catch a 4:05 am bus. One tip, they sent a taxi van to pick us
up at our resort. A bell hop told me that they will do that sometimes. I was expecting a bus so I was a little leery of getting on a cab and finding out that it was wrong and then having to pay for the fare. It all went smoothly though. He was right on time and took us straight to the airport. I will definitely use this service in December.

*****

Evelyn – June 8, 2005

The Magical Express Service was just great. We received our Resort Luggage Tags and information one week prior to our trip. Everything we needed to know was in the information packet along with our boarding vouchers shipped FedEx Express. The Cast Members were very easily spotted at the airport when we arrived early in the morning. The Magical Express bus driver we had was very polite and pleasant. When our vacation was coming to an end it was just as easy
and stress free. We had a late flight home so our luggage was in our resort storage room up until our bus arrived. We can only say thank you to all the Disney Cast Members and Great Job on the Magical Express Service.

*****

Eric Harmon – June 7,2005

We returned to WDW for one of our 4 yearly Mouse trip fixes and decided to take the Magical Express (just to try it out) since it was new. After we got off the plane in Orlando at 08:30am (50min flight from our house) we were greeted by a man from the Magical Express that said we did not need to get our luggage just get on the bus and the mouse would take care of our luggage. I was not worried about the Mouse just the people that worked for him.

We never received our special tags so we had to give them a copy of our claim check and describe what our luggage looked like. We arrived at the Beach Club at 09:30am and checked in (luggage to arrive soon per a Cast Member, no problem). At noon no luggage, Bell Services said they would check on it. At 3:00pm no luggage Bell Services said it must be lost but it would turn up. I explained that it would not just turn up like a lost child they would actually have to look for it (they did not laugh but neither did I). I calmly explained my case to the Bell Services Manager Joel at the Beach Club. I told him that all of our clothes were in that luggage and we had Priority Seating in Morocco at 6:00pm and all my wife had for shoes were the sandals that she wore on the plane. He instructed us to purchase anything that we needed on property to make us comfortable. Just charge it on our room charge and turn in the receipts to him to have those amounts credited back to us. We went to Downtown Disney and bought my wife a pair of Nikes to replace the pair in the bag and a pair of socks. We went back to the Beach Club and turned in the receipt to Joel. He told us that he did not want this to ruin our vacation and even said that if the luggage was not found after awhile longer they would take us to a Wal*Mart, Target, or any where else we wanted to go. I explained to him that it is not the point of replacing our lost stuff we just wanted our stuff because you never realize how much something means to you until it has been taken away from you. We arrived back from dinner around 9:30pm, there was a man screaming about his luggage to Joel, he finally stormed off talking to himself. Joel said that he had just found our luggage. I was so happy I almost cried, after all it did take 13 hours to get our luggage. He asked if there was anything else he could do for us, I told him that he had already done the best thing that he could possibly do for us (find our luggage). Although we probably will not take the Magical Express again the experience was almost pleasant and we kept up with our bags for the return trip and everything was fine. The point being Disney only cared about us being happy and they more than went out of there way to prove it. How thrilling it must be to say how much you like your job and the way that must make you feel at the end of the day when you go home.

*****

Tim – June 7,2005

I had a great experience with Magical Express. The whole process was very smooth and convenient, and not to mention FREE. A lot of people are upset about their bags getting to the hotel later than they expected. But I did some checking around on various websites and with M.E. before I left and found that bags were getting to the hotel about 3 hours after your arrival. So I just packed a carry-on with some extra clothes and sunscreen and whatever other small things I might want. Problem solved. When my flight got into Orlando, I was on a bus and on the way to the hotel within 15-20 min.
I checked in right away, dropped off my carry on, and went to the parks for the rest of the night. And when I got back my bags were waiting for me in my room. I was extremely pleased with the service, both to and from the airport. There may be some small glitches still, but with just a little effort and pre-planning on your part, M.E. will run smoothly for you.

*****

Janet Bowser

Please let your readers know that Magical Express WILL NOT deliver their documents to a PO Box! We have one because our town is so small that we do not have house to house delivery and so we have been assured through Disney's Magical Express that we will not get our package because they ship Fedex. It would have been nice to know that.

I am in the process of letting the people at the reservation center know that they need to tell their guests to use a physical address and not a PO box.

*****

Gary Sinz – June 2005

This is a caution regarding Magical Express and my experience. Arrived at OIA and was directed by Cast in Airport to bus boarding area. Stopped by Magical Express counter and asked about luggage transport. I was interested in making sure I had my suitcase. It was a short walk to baggage carousel, and I was thinking of picking single suitcase up. Magical Express cast asked if my suitcase had the Express tag. I replied it did. She pointed to bus and said don't worry, your luggage will be at resort by the time you check-in.

We boarded a very comfortable Disney Magical Express Bus with video above each seat. During the South 417 drive I had navigated many times in rental cars, I kept glancing out the window. I expected to see a Disney van racing by at any time, filled with luggage. On to first toll gate, than second. Noticed no speeding vans. Just guessed that I missed it or Disney used some magic! We arrived at resort about 45mins later, checked-in went to room. No Luggage. It was late so 5 yr old needed to clean-up, brush teeth and get in PJ's. Patiently waited an hour. No luggage. At this point beginning to worry and having a tired 5yr old, I called frontdesk. Asked about my suitcase and was transferred to Magical Express (apparently Mears with a new name). They said hotel needs to check on your luggage, they are responsible, but don't understand that. OK, called front desk again. They say ME needs to investigate, but how long has it been? Luggage is taking 2 hours to get to resort. Magical Express has told us(resort) to expect 2 to 4 hours for bags to arrive. That is what we have been seeing. I explained that ME at airport assured me luggage would be in room when I arrived. Resort frontdesk said they are fielding all kinds of complaints, because luggage takes 2-4 hrs to arrive. The little one fell asleep in underwear, knowing something was wrong. My suitcase arrived 3hrs after check-in 2:30am. Needless to say I missed early hours. One big kudo to poor girl at late night front desk, she offered to open gift shop and get my little girl PJ's and toothbrush. She deserves a What WaltWD button.

On return we had a flight out at 7:30am. We received a bus departure at 4:10am. Had to get 5yr old up at 3:00am to catch bus. ===There is NO Magic in this Express=== My recommendation, use this only if $25 for Mears or rental car is not in budget. DO NOT LEAVE airport without picking up your luggage and taking it to ME bus. It is not so bad that this is the level of service. It is terrible, that they are not honest about what to expect.

*****

Grace – June 5, 2005

My party of 8 returned yesterday from WDW and we used the Magical Express service without a problem. We checked our bags at our hometown airport and they arrived at our hotel room approx. 2 hours after we arrived. Upon arrival at MCO, we easily found the Magical Express service counter. We were then directed to the appropriate waiting area (assisted by the workers with the big white mouse gloves) and within 25 minutes of arrival at the airport, were on our way to our resort. No hassle at all. In all of the info I received from WDW – they stated upfront that the AVERAGE wait time for luggage to arrive is 2 hours. I did prepare for a longer wait time by packing some necessary items in my carry on bag. I would not hesitate to use this service again!

*****

Alison – June 2, 2005

We used Magical Express on our recent vacation to DisneyWorld. We arrived on June 2nd – on a delayed flight – had a
little trouble finding the check in for the service and it seems to take a while to wait in lines and to fill buses, but I guess it beats driving. We had already packed spare essentials like bathing suits and pajamas in our carry ons – so we check in and went swimming. When we returned our bags were waiting in our room.

*****

Kathy- June 2005

We used the Magical Express for our visit to Disney over the first weekend of June and I would recommend the service. My husband and I were traveling with our one-year old and three-year old and it was really nice to have someone else take care of all the baggage! We made our reservation two weeks prior to our departure and the tickets arrived via Fedex the day before our trip.

My one complaint is that it was not easy to find the check-in desk upon arrival (which was at about 9:00 p.m.). We were never able to find a sign or representative to direct us and ended up asking the woman at the Avis desk for directions. It was confusing and irritating (especially after a long day of travel!) to wander around looking for the buses!

Our luggage arrived to our room within an hour or two of arrival which was no problem as we had our pajamas, toothbrushes, etc. in our carry-on bags (which is recommended when you call to make your reservation!). Upon leaving the hotel, the bellman took our suitcases from our room and we never had to deal with them until we got home! The airline check-in from the hotel was great!

*****

Brian – June 2005

We went to Disney World the first week of June. Our Magical Express experience was excellent. We arrived at the airport
around 11:30am and had no problems being directed to the Disney Check in area. We waited 10 minutes at most to check in and we were on the bus to the resort 15 minutes later. We were dropped off at the Pop Century hotel and found no line to check in at the hotel. They even had our room ready! We went to Animal Kingdom and when we returned to our room, our luggage was there. Our departure was just as flawless. Of course they pick you up close to three hours before
departure, but isn't that better than missing your flight? Everything that Disney promised us with the Magical Express was what we received. I read other reviews and was nervous about using the service but I am definitely glad we used it. We were very impressed with the whole package. As usual, everything Disney is Magical. They make it perfectly clear that luggage may take up to three hours to be delivered to your hotel, so I find it humorous that there are complaints about that very thing. Have a carry on with the items you will need when you arrive at the hotel, they will hold these bags if your room is not ready. I give Disney's Magical Express an A+.

JUNE 2005 REPORTS
MAY 2005 REPORTS