When visiting Walt Disney World, the mouse has you in his clutches, er, care from the moment you touch down at Orlando International Airport. Guests staying at a Disney owned and operated resort have access to the complimentary Disney’s Magical Express (operated by Mears), a motor coach shuttle providing transportation between Orlando International Airport and your Disney resort and back again. If you opt to use Magical Express, here are a few tips to make your entrance and exit to Walt Disney World as smooth as possible.
Disney Pre-Travel Tips
Once you’ve made up your mind to travel to the vacation kingdom, it’s time to book! During the initial booking process you (or your travel agent) can add the Magical Express option to your reservation. As I mentioned, this option is included with your resort stay at no extra cost. If you have flight information handy, you can provide at this time, otherwise, you can add that to your reservation once you receive it. Also pre-travel, you’ll receive an informational letter via snail mail with a set of yellow tags to affix to any checked luggage. This allows you to drop your bags at your home airport, and you won’t have to worry about them until they’re delivered to your resort room! If you prefer, you can pick up your bags from baggage claim and take them onto the Magical Express with you. Guests arriving between 10:00 P.M. and 5:00 A.M. should plan to claim their luggage.
Get Park Wise: If you do not receive or lose these tags, you may simply give your claim tags (received when you check in your luggage at your home airport) to the cast members at the Magical Express desk at Orlando International, and they will retrieve your luggage and deliver them to your room.
Disney Arrival Day
When checking your bags at your home airport, make sure you keep out anything you may need for the day (medication, cell phone charger, swimsuits, etc.), as it can take up to three hours for your luggage to get from airport to resort room. Stash these goodies in your carry ons, and you’re good to go. You’ll also want to be sure to hang on to your MagicBands, as this will serve as your “ticket” to board the bus. If you do not have these on hand, you may also use the letter received with your tags. If you don’t have either, you’ll need to stop at the Magical Express Desk, they’ll print new documents for you.
Once you arrive at Orlando International, you’ll head to the main terminal then make your way to level one (ground transportation) of side B (“B is for Bus!” I tell my guests…is my teacher side showing?). If you have your bands, you may proceed directly to the podium, and a cast member will scan your band and direct you to the correct line for your resort. From there, sit back and relax, because Disney’s got you!
Get Park Wise: If you don’t receive your luggage within three hours, do NOT be shy about contacting the front desk. They will look into it and get you information as soon as they can.
Disney Departure Day
Although we all know it’s coming, it can be a bummer when the Sad-gical Express comes to take you back to the airport. The day before checkout, you’ll receive your pick-up information in your resort room. Your pick-up time is approximately three hours prior to your flight (or four hours prior to international flights), so keep that in mind when planning any last day adventures.
Before embarking on those adventures, be sure to note the resort airline check in times. If you are departing on Alaska, American, Delta, JetBlue, Southwest or United, you may check in at your resort between 5:00 A.M. and 12:00 P.M. and no later than three hours prior to your flight. You’ll be able to check and send your luggage, as well as receive your boarding pass. This allows you to head straight to security (or the airport gift shop!) instead of checking in at Orlando International. If you are not on a participating airline or slept in too late and missed the 12:00 P.M. cut-off, you’ll need to take your luggage with you on the Magical Express and check it in at the airport.
Get Park Wise: If you miss your bus, get in touch with a cast member, and they will reschedule for (likely) the next bus. It’s usually about 20 minutes behind yours, so be sure to stick around so you don’t miss that one, too.
Have you taken advantage of Disney’s Magical Express? What are your thoughts, tips and suggestions?
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