How long to expect to ride on the Magic Express? - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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We're staying at the Boardwalk. Arriving on a Monday at probably 10:15 am. Do they have certain routes from the airport to certain resorts or is it a free for all?
If it's going to be a couple hours, we need to grab lunch at the airport and feed the baby.
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We've only used the DME once but were staying at the GF, so we had a longer trip than some to get to our resort.
Since you're arriving at 10:15 in the morning, figure roughly an hour to get off the plane and to the DME check-in to board the bus. Sometimes, the bus will be held until there are enough passengers, so that could add another 20-30 minutes. I'd guess it won't take much longer at that time of day to get to Boardwalk than it did for us to get to the GF, probably around 45 minutes.
However, getting in that early, your room may not be ready, so there's the perfect opportunity to ask bell services to store your carryons while you grab lunch at BW's food court. However, with a baby, you might prefer to hit one of the airport restaurants for lunch, feed the baby, and then go on down to the DME check-in area. Whatever you think will work better is fine.
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HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA @ that sounds kind of dirty. That's funny.
I think we were on the magic express for about 45 minutes from the time we got on until the time we got off. We were the second stop if I remember correctly and it takes a few minutes at the stop for the driver to get everybody's bags off and get back on the road headed for the next resort. But it wasn't long.
We walked down to the bottom of the airport where the DME boards and we walked right on to the bus and we didn't have to wait very long for it to leave so we got lucky.
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The ride itself is a little over a half hour. The time from de-planeing to resort depends on how long you have to wait for the bus at the airport and if there are stops at other resorts before yours. I would guess our average time from plane to resort is probably an hour to hour and a half. That is from the time our plane arrives not when we get to ME loading.
I go to Disney about 4 times a year and always use DME. I've been in Jan, Feb, Mar, May, Sept, Oct and Dec. The longest it has ever taken from "wheels down" to "resort door" was an hour and 45 minutes. That was extremely unusual. I usually arrive around the same time you do, and I plan on about an hour from "wheels down" to "resort door." That plan is typically right on mark. The shortest time I ever made was 45 minutes, but that was pretty freaky. Walked right on to a bus and it left right away!
I agree, I think you should be fine to plan on lunch at your resort food court around lunch time! If you are scheduled to land at 1015, I d say you should be at your resort around noon. Have a great trip!
In 2010 I stayed at BWI. That was the longest DME ride I've ever had.
It took the full 90 minutes from the time I boarded the bus until I arrived at the resort.
There is very little CS to eat near BWI (there's a pizza window and the bakery that I remember off the top of my head) so I would recommend getting lunch at the airport and feeding the baby there before catching the DME bus to your resort as long as your baby doesn't get car sick.
One of my kids did and I never fed him in advance if I knew we'd be doing a car ride within an hour of eating.
I think the current plan is to eat at the airport. In case the ride is long to the hotel, Cora will have a full belly and might even fall asleep on the bus. That might be necessary if we can't finagle an early check in.
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I think the current plan is to eat at the airport. In case the ride is long to the hotel, Cora will have a full belly and might even fall asleep on the bus. That might be necessary if we can't finagle an early check in.
I think that would be the safest plan for your situation. It took us about 35 minutes from the time we entered the line for the ME to get to the 'World' but it took us another 45 minutes to get to our resort. Our bus went to one moderate resort (first) and two other Deluxe Resorts before we reached our hotel. We had to backtrack to Port Orleans I guess because someone didn't get off there-despite the fact that the driver did announce it clearly and we heard it well from the back of the bus. We were practically at the Boardwalk already when he did a U-turn and went BACK to Port Orleans. I guess if you really needed to get food in that situation, you could have gotten off at Port Orleans and ridden Disney Transportation to a park and then to your own resort. I think I looked it up and if we had done that the first time we stopped at Port Orleans it would have been faster.
If you take DME, be sure to take advantage of having the luggage go straight from your home airport to your hotel room. Especially with two young kids, it will be one less thing to worry about when you land at MCO - and one of the things we like best about DME. Also be sure to take any essentials in case the checked luggage takes longer to get to your hotel.
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Contemporary/Red Boat 1993; Dixie Landings 1994, POR 6/2007; CSR 8/1998, 6/2005, 2/2011; 8/2012; DCL (Wonder)/Boardwalk 2000; AKL 1/2003, 6/2003, 6/2004, 4/2006, 6/2009; DL 7/2007, 7/2010; 8/2011; CBR 4/2008; Polynesian 12/11; Hollywood Hotel (Hong Kong Disneyland) 8/2008
We usually get to the hotel in about an hour after arriving at the airport. With a little one getting something to eat and a nap might be the best laid plan.
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Hudson River view from promenade at Liberty State Park in NJ - Disney Magic in Hudson River, passing the new One World Trade Center
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