Magical Express Bus: What to Expect
One of the reasons we love staying at Disney resorts is because of the easy and convenient bus transportation to and from the Orlando International Airport. This transportation is called the Magical Express. We have used it for every single one of our Disney vacations for the last 8 and a half years. If you’re using the Magical Express for the first time or the first time in a long time here is what you can expect.
Line Up
It never seizes to amaze me how many people are traveling to Walt Disney World at any given time. Of course some times of the year are busier than others but regardless the Magical Express is where you’ll experience your first Disney line up. The line ups can be extremely long or kind of short. The length of the line is dependent on a few things. If you’re staying at a Value resort, the line will be longer. If you’re staying at one of the Deluxe resorts the line will be shorter. This is because there are more rooms at Value resorts and therefore more guests at the Value Resorts. The line will be shorter if a bus has recently left or longer if the bus is coming soon. There are several different lines, all leading to different buses. There’s no where to sit in the line up but there are multiple TVs that will distract and entertain you while you’re waiting for the bus. All with information about Walt Disney World.
Wait
The wait can be very long or very short. Depending on whether the bus has just departed or if it’s just arriving. Unfortunately there’s no way to tell. One sure sign that you’ll be waiting a while is if you head straight to the front of the line. This means one of the buses has recently come and gone. The wait on the bus can also be lengthy. When the bus arrives, you’ll board and then you’ll have to wait again. We’ve had times where we’ve waited around 15 minutes on the bus, likely because people have booked the Magical Express whose airplane has recently arrived. So just because you board the bus doesn’t mean that you are any closer to leaving, but at least you have seat. On the other hand, there are times we’ve boarded the bus as soon as it arrived and then left within 5 minutes. It’s not predictable.
Resort Area
Now each bus is not for one resort. Each bus will head to a resort area, so there will guests on the bus that are staying at different resorts than you. For example, when staying at Disney’s Boardwalk you’ll likely drop off guests at the Caribbean Beach, Swan and Dolphin resorts, and the Beach Club and Yacht Club Resorts. So once you arrive on Walt Disney World property you may not head directly to your resort.
Check In
After your airplane touches down at the Orlando International Airport you’ll make your way to the main building. Magical Express is located on the ground floor. You can either use the elevators or the escalators to get down to the ground floor. There will be a number of people ready to help you. Hand them your Magical Express information which should have arrived in the mail about a month before your departure date, or scan your MagicBand. If you have neither of these things they can pull up your reservation and put you on the appropriate bus.
Not Cast Members
The company that runs the Magical Express is not Disney, its Mears. So the people you are interacting with during this Magical Express experience are not Cast Members. You can tell. The experience here is less magical than you’ll be accustomed to with the rest of your Disney experience.
Book Ahead of Time
To take advantage of the Magical Express, guests need to book ahead of time. You can do this on the Walt Disney World website through MyDisneyExperience under your resort reservation or you can simply call (407) 939-1936 and the cast members will help you make a reservation. You’ll need your flight information to book.
MagicBands
If you are a Disney resort guest from the United States you’ll have received your MagicBands in the mail. If you’re an international traveller your MagicBands will be waiting for you at your resort. Those who have their MagicBands, can scan them to board the Magical Express. For those who do not have their MagicBands they’ll need to give the employee at the Check In desk the Magical Express papers you received in the mail. If you’re Re-Using a MagicBand, as long you have taken the proper steps, your MagicBand will work on the MagicBand scanner. For more information on how you can re-use your MagicBand follow this link.
Eat Before
As mentioned above, the wait to board the bus and on the bus can be very long. So if you find yourself arriving around a meal time, it’s best to eat while you’re at the airport. Especially if you have children and want to curb as many meltdowns as possible. Because you’ll also be waiting to check in when you arrive at the resort so get a meal in at the airport.
Bus Trip
When you board your bus the bus driver will tell you it could take 45 minutes. On our last vacation the bus trip took approximately 20 minutes to drive underneath the Walt Disney World sign, to arrive at our resort, Saratoga Springs, it took 40 minutes but we were the third resort that was dropped off. So if we had been staying at Port Orleans- Riverside, the first resort or Port Orleans – French Quarter, the second resort, we would have been at our resort within 30 minutes after leaving the airport. During the bus trip you’ll be able to watch one of a number of TVs. During the trip the TVs will screen information about Walt Disney World to make the most of our vacation. If you haven’t watched the video before pay close attention because there will be bits of information that can make your Disney vacation better than you’d planned.
Magical Express is certainly not without its hiccups but its benefits far out way its negatives. Hopefully these tips and information will help you be best prepared for your Magical Express experience. Happy Planning, Friends.
