Magical Express resort pick up now FOUR hours before flights? Alternatives?

[SorryI'mNotSorry]

With Magical Express buses now picking up four hours before flights, what alternative transport options are there for families with lots of luggage? Obviously you can call an uber, but with 6 people and a bunch of luggage, are you likely to be able to find someone nearby with something that can fit you all? Mears shuttle? Other airport shuttles?



EDIT: this pick up time change starts tomorrow Nov 17
http://wdwnt.com/blog/2017/11/disneys-magical-express-now-picking-guests-4-hours-flight/

 

[dansdad]

With Magical Express buses now picking up four hours before flights, what alternative transport options are there for families with lots of luggage? Obviously you can call an uber, but with 6 people and a bunch of luggage, are you likely to be able to find someone nearby with something that can fit you all? Mears shuttle? Other airport shuttles?

You might have better luck posting this over on the Transportation Board.

https://www.disboards.com/forums/transportation.16/

Lots of DIS members who are very knowledgeable in this area hang out over there.

 

[siskaren]

You can use RAC for your luggage without using DME.

 

[SorryI'mNotSorry]

You can use RAC for your luggage without using DME.

We are staying at the airport hotel and not flying until the next day, so that won't work for us. Might be a good choice for others, though!

 

[Farro]

4 hours!!! Oh that's ridiculous. We have TSA pre-check, we'd be sitting at the airport for 3 hours.

OP - use resort airline check in for your luggage - they will deliver to airport, not associated with ME and take an Uber to airport.

ooops, just read above post. You may need a shuttle.

 

[dansdad]

This stinks for the guests that have TSA pre-check. But I for one and glad for this change. After missing 1 flight and having to run to 2 others because of the security line, we started requesting an ME pick-up 4 hours before our flight. The last time they couldn't grant my request and I was sweating the whole time.

 

[Farro]

This stinks for the guests that have TSA pre-check. But I for one and glad for this change. After missing 1 flight and having to run to 2 others because of the security line, we started requesting an ME pick-up 4 hours before our flight. The last time they couldn't grant my request and I was sweating the whole time.

I wonder why MCO can't get their act together. I fly out of O'hare all the time and we never have this issue, and this was before we had pre-check.

We aren't coming back to Disney for a few years so I suspect things will change by then, but honestly? I find ME quite depressing on the way back, I'll happily take an Uber.

 

[pens4821]

While it's a little excessive, I would be ok with it. The last two times to Disney we had a pickup of about 2.5 hours then 3 hours before our flight. Both times we cut it real close. The first time they couldn't check our luggage at the RAC. The line for southwest was huge at the airport, luckily they started sending people downstairs. By the time we got through that, then stood in security, we had time for a muffin at Starbucks then we were boarding.

Then last year we did the RAC. We got to the front of the security line and 2 of the 5 boarding passes they gave us wouldn't scan. TSA guy said we must be coming from Disney, it happens often. By the time we got out of line, went to a kiosk to print new ones, then back through security, once again we only had time for a quick meal at McDonalds before boarding.

Yeah, we had time for a quick snack/meal both times, but it still was cutting it to close for me. I hate sitting at the airport, but I'd rather be waiting there for an extra hour than to feel as rushed as we felt both those times.

 

[ncc1701]

This stinks for the guests that have TSA pre-check. But I for one and glad for this change. After missing 1 flight and having to run to 2 others because of the security line, we started requesting an ME pick-up 4 hours before our flight. The last time they couldn't grant my request and I was sweating the whole time.

Agreed a few trips ago we arranged for a 3.5 hr pickup so to have a nice lunch at Ruby Tuesday. Due to the line at security we only had time for a quick sandwich & fries from Wendy's . MCO is the worst security lines we have experienced so far. Our home airport is Philadelphia and even that isn't as bad.

 

[nursejackie]

Taxi, worth $45 to leave later and have a much shorter commute time.

 

[hllb]

Oh man, this may kill us. We have an 8:25 AM flight. They're really going to force us to leave by 4:25 AM?! Ugh...I hope they've reevaluated to 3 hours by the beginning of February!

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Oh man, this may kill us. We have an 8:25 AM flight. They're really going to force us to leave by 4:25 AM?

Yes.

I had a 3:20 AM pickup on Tuesday. Had that been 3 days later, it would have been 2:20 and I would have sat in the airport 2.5 hours instead of 1.5 hours. On trips less than a week, I don't check luggage, and I have pre-check, so not much to wait for.

The alternatives are a taxi or van taxi, shared shuttle with Mears (be sure to check their pickup times if you are going for a shared shuttle, but shared shuttles are almost always the cheapest), car service, there may be an Uber/Lyft service with larger vehicles that would cost more.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

They say this is for the holidays and they will re-evaluate.

Frankly, given how awful MCO security is, I do not know that have pre-check is truly going to save people over the holidays. That is a very screwed up airport. I think very early or late flights are a different case than the flights at prime hours, though.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

If you are not checking luggage at the resort (not sure how that might change things), you can give DME a later flight time than your actual flight, but then if you miss the flight you would have no recourse via Disney or DME.

 

[hllb]

If you are not checking luggage at the resort (not sure how that might change things), you can give DME a later flight time than your actual flight, but then if you miss the flight you would have no recourse via Disney or DME.

Hmmm....how would that work? Do they ask you for a flight number, or just the time? And then you just take your luggage on the bus?

 

[SpaceMtnGirl]

Hope this changes by March. We only have 4 hours in the parks on our last day, so this change would mean just 3 hours. In that case we will be dropping a day off our tickets. Thanks for posting this, will be keeping an eye on it!

 

[SorryI'mNotSorry]

If you are not checking luggage at the resort (not sure how that might change things), you can give DME a later flight time than your actual flight, but then if you miss the flight you would have no recourse via Disney or DME.

I already have a dummy flight in place. Basically, we check out on X date but don't fly out until the following day (staying at airport hotel). I used the latest dummy flight I could find, and that will have us picked up at the resort now around 7pm. I was hoping to stay later so I guess I'll have to weigh the pros and cons of the shuttle.

 

[holden]

I’d get precheck and a rental car for the trip or Uber.

 

[bumbershoot]

Last February we were picked up 3 hours prior, had three more stops where he waited for ages at each, and it took 2 hours to get to the airport. My cousin had mistimed a shuttle at the airport and missed it, causing her family to have to come get her from Daytona. I didn’t have that much time to get to my flight (though it was then delayed).

I don’t think the 3 hours was that bad, even with precheck, because it can take SO long just to get off Wdw property.

 

[heidijanesmith]

We use a towncar service to get to and from MCO. So much easier and faster than MDE!