Disney's Magical Express Update -- Reservations Required effective 11/1/05

[sleepycor]

I am booking ROOM ONLY at Coronado Springs and it doesnt include DME. Can I still call and reserve DME? Will there be a cost because it doesn't include with my room reservation? If so, how much will be it?

 

[jmpellet]

I thought room only ressies were entitled to DME??? Can someone confirm?

 

[CleveRocks]

I am booking ROOM ONLY at Coronado Springs and it doesnt include DME. Can I still call and reserve DME? Will there be a cost because it doesn't include with my room reservation? If so, how much will be it?

Anyone named on the reservation at a WDW owned-and-operated resort is entitled to DME. I don't know where you heard you needed to have booked a package, but happily you are incorrect. Room-only or package, 1 night or 15 nights, value or deluxe ... none of that matters.

If you have a room-only reservation booked at CSR, then it 100% absolutely does include DME. But you must make separate reservations for it. It's free, it's included, but you must make those reservations.

 

[sleepycor]

ohhhhhhhhhh thank you so much!!

I remember booking online and it said no ground tranportation included so Ithought DME was not included.

but I'll call to make the reservations

THANKS!

 

[DisneyConvert]

We are renting a car for our upcoming stay, but I may have to return to MCO before the rest of the family.
Can I use ME to take me back to MCO on my own?
.
Do I need a reservation or just hop on the bus with my luggage?
Does it help to go "carry on"?
.
Thoughts (inside info)?
Thanks!

 

[goofy4tink]

We are renting a car for our upcoming stay, but I may have to return to MCO before the rest of the family.
Can I use ME to take me back to MCO on my own?
.
Do I need a reservation or just hop on the bus with my luggage?
Does it help to go "carry on"?
.
Thoughts (inside info)?
Thanks!

While you can't just show up and hop on the bus, you can still use it for your return to the airport. You will need to let them know you will be using the bus, so make a reservation when you get to your resort. The front desk can tell you who you need to speak to.

 

[kabbie]

I have a question...I will be staying at BWV under points that I have rented from an owner. I have the confirmation number so can I still use DME service?

 

[goofy4tink]

I have a question...I will be staying at BWV under points that I have rented from an owner. I have the confirmation number so can I still use DME service?

Technically, I believe the owner has to call MS and make the DME reservation for you.

 

[pjpoohbear]

Tyler, on the phone when making a resort reservation we did not have air yet and the CM said that we could use a website to make our DME reservations, do you know what that address is, I can't figure out how to get there.

ETA: The website the CM gave us was for TA's to book DME not the public, opps on the CM side.

 

[5DisneyNuts]

Hi everyone. I have what will probably be a silly question! I'm just a bit paranoid with all the changes that have gone on with my reservation

We have a room reserved under my husband's name (he is the lead guest on the resv). I know that all of our tags, etc. will come with his name. The question is what if he never takes ME? He is going to rent the car and use that back and forth to WDW. Will that affect the rest of us on the reservation?

Thanks for all the great info.

 

[goofy4tink]

I don't think it will be an issue.

 

[CleveRocks]

Hi everyone. I have what will probably be a silly question! I'm just a bit paranoid with all the changes that have gone on with my reservation

We have a room reserved under my husband's name (he is the lead guest on the resv). I know that all of our tags, etc. will come with his name. The question is what if he never takes ME? He is going to rent the car and use that back and forth to WDW. Will that affect the rest of us on the reservation?

Thanks for all the great info.

In numerous phone calls to DME, I learned the official word from Disney is that as long as one person from the reservation number rides the DME bus then all luggage associated with that reservation number will be transported by DME.

 

[5DisneyNuts]

Thanks Diane and Eric!

DH will grab his own luggage since he has to make a stop to see his uncle and might need some things. I was just concerned that since everything is in his name and he isn't there, they may cancel the rest of us. According to the CM at WDW travel, he has to be listed on the ME reservation since the room reservation is in his name even though he won't be using it. That was the only way for the rest of us to get our flight information on.

Sorry this is so confusing!

 

[goofy4tink]

Not confusing at all. Just remember...if your dh is going to grab his own bags, do not put the yellow tags on them!! The yellow tagged bags never make it out to the baggage claim area. They are pulled as soon as they come off the plane!

 

[5DisneyNuts]

Will do, thanks again. So, you don't think we'll have a problem if the lead guest is a big no show? Or should I call DME directly and let them know he isn't using the service? I would hate to think someone else needed the seat, but couldn't find room.

 

[CleveRocks]

Will do, thanks again. So, you don't think we'll have a problem if the lead guest is a big no show? Or should I call DME directly and let them know he isn't using the service? I would hate to think someone else needed the seat, but couldn't find room.

While it's very kind of you to think of other travelers, in this case it's totally unnecessary. On the trip from airport to resort, no one is pre-assigned to a certain bus at a certain time. They assign people to buses only after they check-in. You check-in by party, not by individual. So when you check-in, they'll make sure they know how many in your party are riding the bus, and then you'll be sent to your bus queue. He doesn't have a pre-reserved space on that bus, so he won't be wasting space that could be used by someone else.

On the way back to the airport however, reverse everything I just said .... In that case, you are assigned to an exact bus at an exact time, and a no-show could be taking room needed by someone else.

 

[5DisneyNuts]

Ah Ha! I think I finally got it. Thanks so much for putting my mind at ease.

 

[Linus Van Pelt]

Hi.

We will be utilizing DME next May for our stay at the AKL, and I was curious as to how many other resort stops are on the DME AKL bus (and to which resorts)? And from what I've been reading about the service on these forums, it usually takes around 90 minutes from when you touch down at MCO to when you arrive at your resort, but I was just reading in the current UG that on the busiest days (Saturdays and Sundays between 9:30 and 5:00, right when we'll be arriving at MCO) it can take, at times, upwards of three hours to get to your resort. I'm sure this is more the exception than the norm, right?

 

[goofy4tink]

Hi.

We will be utilizing DME next May for our stay at the AKL, and I was curious as to how many other resort stops are on the DME AKL bus (and to which resorts)? And from what I've been reading about the service on these forums, it usually takes around 90 minutes from when you touch down at MCO to when you arrive at your resort, but I was just reading in the current UG that on the busiest days (Saturdays and Sundays between 9:30 and 5:00, right when we'll be arriving at MCO) it can take, at times, upwards of three hours to get to your resort. I'm sure this is more the exception than the norm, right?

AKL is 'usually' on the same route as POP...one I've taken 3 times now. One time, AKL was the first stop, and it took me almost 90 mins to get to POP. But, a lot of that time was people needing to get all their luggage pulled from under the bus, which adds about 5+ mins to each stop. But, the other two times, the bus went to POP directly, putting AKL at the end of the route.
As for average times, I've used DME 5 times now....the average has been 70 mins, with the shortest time being 55 mins, and 90 being the longest. I have yet to hear of anyone (personally) taking 3 hrs to get to their resort.
Now the luggage is a different story. That takes up to 3 hrs from resort checkin to get to your resort room.

You ask about the busy times of day at MCO. I have to think that those times it actually takes less time to get to the resort because they have more buses running and there are more people manning the checkin counter at the airport.

 

[Linus Van Pelt]

AKL is 'usually' on the same route as POP...one I've taken 3 times now. One time, AKL was the first stop, and it took me almost 90 mins to get to POP. But, a lot of that time was people needing to get all their luggage pulled from under the bus, which adds about 5+ mins to each stop. But, the other two times, the bus went to POP directly, putting AKL at the end of the route.
As for average times, I've used DME 5 times now....the average has been 70 mins, with the shortest time being 55 mins, and 90 being the longest. I have yet to hear of anyone (personally) taking 3 hrs to get to their resort.
Now the luggage is a different story. That takes up to 3 hrs from resort checkin to get to your resort room.

You ask about the busy times of day at MCO. I have to think that those times it actually takes less time to get to the resort because they have more buses running and there are more people manning the checkin counter at the airport.

Thanks.

And 90 minutes sounds a bit more palatable. It said in the UG that during those busiest times the wait to check in at the DME counter can approach 30 minutes, because on those busy days, upwards of 10,000 people can be serviced at the DME counter. Makes sense.