Disney Magical Express

[Loomis]

Hi folks,

I'm getting ready to take my first trip to WDW in a few months, and it's all booked and ready to go. I've booked through an agent, and they've noted that the transport is to be booked through the Disney Magical Express site in advance. I've tried the www.disneymagicalexpress.com site, but that just seems to send me back to the generic go.com site.

I've also found this:
http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw...tDMEDetailPage

which talks extensively about booking online, but silly me couldn't find a link anywhere to actually book online.

Am I mad, blind, or a bit of both? Is there another link I might be able to try?

Thanks in advance

Loomis

[mikeland]

Your travel agent should be able to arrange this for you. Otherwise, why don't you call Disney reservations yourself?

[CleveRocks]

Originally Posted by Loomis

Hi folks,

I'm getting ready to take my first trip to WDW in a few months, and it's all booked and ready to go. I've booked through an agent, and they've noted that the transport is to be booked through the Disney Magical Express site in advance. I've tried the www.disneymagicalexpress.com site, but that just seems to send me back to the generic go.com site.

I've also found this:
http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw...tDMEDetailPage

which talks extensively about booking online, but silly me couldn't find a link anywhere to actually book online.

Am I mad, blind, or a bit of both? Is there another link I might be able to try?

Thanks in advance

Loomis

Disney's Magical Express is a function of your resort reservation. Since you used a travel agent, "you" do not have a Disney reservation, your travel agent does. You then have an agreement with your agent that you will pay them to use that reservation. But in the eyes of Disney and all applicable laws, you do not own the reservation, the travel agent does.

Therefore, you have no rights to make any changes or additions to a reservation that you don't own. As far as Disney is concerned, you are a stranger, and have no more right to make a change to that reservation than I do. This all changes, of course, at the moment of check-in. Once you check in, you are every bit a Disney guest as anyone else.

So in other words, your travel agent needs to make your DME reservation for you. And when the time comes, your DME information packet (which includes the DME luggage tags) will be mailed to your travel agent, not to you.

It works this way with all aspects of your reservation. Let's say you want to put in a request for a certain room location ... you have to do this through your travel agent. The Disney Reservations Center won't (well, they shouldn't) add anything to your reservation unless they hear it from the owner of the reservation, the travel agent.

[Loomis]

Ah, thanks folks. That makes sense. Cheers! Although, do you reckon the same would apply to dining bookings? Would I have to arrange all this through an agent as well?

[Lindawdwtravel]

Originally Posted by Loomis

Ah, thanks folks. That makes sense. Cheers! Although, do you reckon the same would apply to dining bookings? Would I have to arrange all this through an agent as well?

Your travel agent should be taking care of Magical Express for you. Make sure they have all your flight information to give to Disney. As to dining, you can either do that yourself or as a courtesy your travel agent can book it for you, which ever you prefer. To book dining yourself, call: 407-WDW-DINE.

[CleveRocks]

Originally Posted by Loomis

Ah, thanks folks. That makes sense. Cheers! Although, do you reckon the same would apply to dining bookings? Would I have to arrange all this through an agent as well?

No.

Anyone can make dining reservations. You don't need to be staying at a Disney resort to make dining reservations. Therefore, anyone is free to do it for themselves. Do you understand what I mean? Dining reservations and resort reservations are two completely different systems, and one does not require the other.

Contrast this with DME, which is available ONLY to people who have resort reservations. DME is a perk of that resort reservation, and therefore is accessed ONLY as a function of that resort reservation.

It all makes sense ... you just have to learn the system once, and then everything falls into place.

[nbodyhome]

Originally Posted by Loomis

Ah, thanks folks. That makes sense. Cheers! Although, do you reckon the same would apply to dining bookings? Would I have to arrange all this through an agent as well?

Dining is separate. A lot of guests prefer to do their own, because they can choose the time you want to eat at (from whatever is available).

[Loomis]

Originally Posted by CleveRocks

No.

Anyone can make dining reservations. You don't need to be staying at a Disney resort to make dining reservations. Therefore, anyone is free to do it for themselves. Do you understand what I mean? Dining reservations and resort reservations are two completely different systems, and one does not require the other.

Contrast this with DME, which is available ONLY to people who have resort reservations. DME is a perk of that resort reservation, and therefore is accessed ONLY as a function of that resort reservation.

It all makes sense ... you just have to learn the system once, and then everything falls into place.

It does make perfect sense. Thanks, mate!

It is a big baffling place to plan for the first time, but thankfully there are places like this on the 'net.

You've all been a wonderful help.

[Wesley815]

I would much rather (and have always) used Walt Disney Travel directly rather than trusting any travel agent, or random websites promoted here. As CleveRocks said, you have no control over your reservation and have to really trust your travel agent doesn't screw anything up.

I like going to Disney directly that way if there is any problems I have control over the reservation and can make changes myself.

[Loomis]

Originally Posted by Wesley815

I would much rather (and have always) used Walt Disney Travel directly rather than trusting any travel agent, or random websites promoted here. As CleveRocks said, you have no control over your reservation and have to really trust your travel agent doesn't screw anything up.

I like going to Disney directly that way if there is any problems I have control over the reservation and can make changes myself.

I tend to agree, but given that I was booking three international flights; four domestic US flights and seven hotels in six different cities, I took the hassle out of it and went with an agent (who I have used at least thrice before). I will contact my agent, and arrange for the transport to be added in. No biggie. No doubt for my next Disney trip, which is (money permitting!) either to Paris or Tokyo (in late 2009), I will do it direct.

Thanks again for your collective help.