Tag Archives: Orlando International Airport

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Taste Your Way Around the World

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Eleven days remain before I fly to Orlando International Airport and catch Magical Express to Disney’s Old Key West Resort. There are just eleven days now until I get to be in the same room with both of the kids, their spouses and their daughters. I’m starting to get butterflies in my stomach now. I always do when I have a flight coming up. And the excitement is way over the top!

Today I received the three “Taste Tour Way Around the World 2018” trays in the mail. I ordered them in advance so we can hit the ground running at EPCOT. It will be a handy way to carry our food and drink choices while we nosh and imbibe our way around EPCOT World Showcase. Cool, right?

I don’t know if we’ll all hang together at EPCOT after our Fastpass+ rides, or if we’ll divide and conquer. Our vegetarians may go one way, our newest parents may go another, and Mike and I may blaze our own path. It doesn’t matter, because we ‘ll start out and finish up at the same grand villa every day. But won’t it be fun to try some new (to us) international flavors? Oh, yes, it will!

Meet me at the Kingdom.

Donna

 

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Upping the Ante/Satisfied DVC Member

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In nineteen days, I get on an airplane and fly to Orlando International Airport. Then I get to transfer to Magical Express and head to Disney’s Old Key West Resort. Hot-dang! So…

  1. Today I upped my daily walk by five minutes. I know that doesn’t sound like much, but to me it is a lot. (Thank you to Noom for encouraging me to walk further!) The featured photo for today’s blog was taken about ten minutes after my walk. I was pooped, hot, sweaty, a little bit cranky, yet invigorated. It felt good to push myself that extra five minutes.  So that is one of my major accomplishments for today.
  2. Also today, I took care of some vacation business. I called Magical Express directly, because only five of the eight of us traveling for this trip received our luggage tags. (We want them all because it is so nice to drop your luggage at your home airport and have it delivered directly to your hotel room. Man, I LOVE this service! Disney Vacation Club, [DVC], you rock]) I had a three minute wait for a rep, who then reissued our tags, so we will receive a new set of eight tags in seven to ten days. Mischief managed!
  3. Then I called DVC Member Services and waited fifteen minutes for a Cast Member who helped me to tweak my reservation. Cribs are sorted out for the little ones. We don’t need the Pack n’ Plays that Disney provides, because the kids rented cribs to be delivered and picked up instead. And I requested to be in a building with an elevator. Usually our three bedroom grand villa in one story up. After a day in the parks, I am absolutely dragging and climbing those steps can be the last straw. There is no guarantee we’ll get that request, but if it is available, then we’ll get it. (Please, please, please…)

So anyway, it’s been a good day so far. I hope you are having a good day, too.

Meet me at the Kingdom.

Donna

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Disney’s Magical Express

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Wow! There are just 36 days to go now until my next trip to Walt Disney World. I booked Disney’s Magical Express for the rest of our travel party today. I love this service! It means you enter a Disney bubble right at the airport, and we plan to stay in that bubble until that same Magical (Tragical) Bus takes us back to the airport eight days later.

I realize this is a genius idea on Disney’s part. It keeps us staying at Disney hotels, and it keeps us on property, rather than heading out to explore other area attractions. I don’t care, and I don’t feel manipulated at all. I love the convenience. In the days before this service existed, it was always a hassle and an extra expense to get from the airport to our hotel and from our hotel to the airport. Now we head for the bus, and our Disney adventure has begun.

Here’s some of what Disney has to say about it:

Start and end your stay with complimentary motorcoach transportation to and from Orlando International Airport and select Walt Disney World Resort hotels, with complimentary luggage delivery. 

Let Us Magically Whisk You Away

Board a motorcoach at Orlando International Airport and we’ll transport you and your baggage to your Disney Resort hotel.

When you reserve Disney’s Magical Express, you can begin your vacation the moment you step off the plane. Domestic passengers can bypass baggage claim and all Guests can avoid the inconvenience and cost of driving or finding ground transportation. With this special benefit of staying at select Disney Resort hotels, you’ll get from the airport to your accommodations in comfort and have your bags delivered directly to your room. You’ll also enjoy a complimentary ride back to Orlando International Airport on the day you check out of your Disney Resort hotel.

Disney’s Magical Express Information and Luggage Tags
After you’ve made your reservation, information about Disney’s Magical Express—including luggage tags—will be mailed to you approximately 2 to 3 weeks prior to your arrival. Please attach Disney’s Magical Express luggage tags to each bag that you plan on checking that you would like delivered to your Resort hotel room.

If you did not receive your luggage tags prior to leaving home and are scheduled to arrive in Orlando between 5:00 AM and 10:00 PM, you can simply provide your baggage claim numbers upon arrival at Disney’s Magical Express, and we’ll take care of the rest.

Please Do Not Pack MagicBands in Checked Luggage
Remember not to pack your MagicBands in your checked luggage, as they will be used to check in with Disney’s Magical Express and to unlock your room when you arrive at your Disney Resort hotel.

If you have not received your MagicBand, please be prepared to present your Disney’s Magical Express documents (which will be mailed separately to you) to board the motorcoach. You will receive your MagicBand upon arrival at your Disney Resort hotel.

Before leaving home we recommend you view and print a map of Orlando International Airport, including the location of Disney’s Magical Express.

Please have your MagicBand easily accessible upon your arrival at Disney’s Magical Express.

Arrival

Domestic Arrivals
Take the train from your arrival gate to the main terminal. You will be on Level 3. Between 5:00 AM and 10:00 PM, head directly to Disney’s Magical Express, located in the Ground Transportation Area on Side B, Level 1. Disney will claim your checked baggage for you and deliver it directly to your Resort hotel room via our luggage delivery service. Between 10:00 PM and 5:00 AM, you will need to claim your own baggage on Level 2.

Guests arriving on Side A of the airport are advised to cross to Side B before proceeding down to Level 1. Upon arrival at Disney’s Magical Express please let us know if you will need assistance boarding the motorcoach.

International Arrivals
Upon exiting your aircraft, you will enter the U.S. Immigration checkpoint. Please have your passport and any required documents available for inspection. After retrieving your luggage, proceed to the Customs checkpoint.

When exiting the Customs area you may keep your checked bags with you to travel on the motorcoach or—between 5:00 AM and 10:00 PM—you may use Disney’s luggage delivery service. To take advantage of this complimentary service, simply return your checked luggage to the transfer carousel following the immigration and customs process. Disney will claim your baggage and deliver it to your Resort hotel.

Take the train to the main terminal building where you will arrive on Level 3. Disney’s Magical Express is located on Side B, Level 1. Guests arriving on Side A of the airport are advised to cross to Side B before proceeding down to Level 1. Upon arrival, please let us know if you will need assistance boarding the motorcoach.

Luggage Delivery Between 5:00 AM and 10:00 PM

Disney’s Magical Express includes complimentary luggage delivery from Orlando International Airport to your Disney Resort hotel room between 5:00 AM and 10:00 PM.

While you ride the Disney Magical Express motorcoach to your Resort hotel, your baggage will be transported separately and delivered directly to your room.

Be sure to keep any medications, essential items, and valuables with you. Bypass baggage claim in the main terminal and proceed directly to Disney’s Magical Express located on Side B, Level 1. Be prepared to provide your airline baggage claim numbers so Disney can collect your luggage and deliver it directly to your Resort hotel.

Be advised, your luggage will travel separately from you and may take up to 3 hours after you arrive at your hotel to be delivered to your room.

And there is so much more information available at https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/magical-express.
Meet me at the Kingdom.
Donna
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Magical Mayhem

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Day 406 in fixing my mistakes on my way to meeting Mickey

Today I called Walt Disney World.  I few days back I tried to reserve a place for Mike and I on the Magical Express bus in December.  Even though I had put that there would be two of us taking the Magical Express to Disney’s All Star Sports Resort from Orlando International Airport and then back again three days later, by the time I finished online, they only had one person listed as riding the bus, and that person was Mike.   So I called and had a lovely visit with Danae (pronounced duh-nay).  She took a look and said that no reservation had been made.  Gee whiz!  Apparently I messed it up big time.  Danae got it all straightened out, and now we are reserved on the bus and all our flight information has been entered. Whew!  It sure doesn’t take much to mess things up.  So my advice? Always double check any reservations that you make online.  🙂

Meet you at the Kingdom!

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Magical Express Madness

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Day 403 in my stumbling toward meeting up with Mickey

Today I signed Mike and myself up for Magical Express, the Disney-provided (free) bus from Orlando International Airport to Disney’s All Star Sports Resort and then back to the airport again at the end of our brief December vacation.  And…I screwed it up completely.  Even though I entered that there will be two adults traveling, somehow at the end it only showed Mike as registered, with no mention of me.  So tomorrow I’ll call and try to get this all straightened out.  Sheesh!

And now I just want to mention my frustration at trying to book dining reservations for the December trip.  Minnie’s Holiday and Dine Dinner is completely sold out while we are there.  This is supposedly one of the least busy times of the year at Walt Disney World, and still no openings.  ARGH!  I’m starting to believe that there is no such things as “least busy times” at Walt Disney World.

Meet you at the Kingdom!

 

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Disney’s Magical Advantages!

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Day 274 in advancing toward meeting up with Mickey Mouse at the Magic Kingdom.

GAH!!!!  My plan for today was to book our trips to and from Disney’s Old Key West Resort and Orlando International Airport on Disney’s Magical Express.  Can you tell?  I’m just a little excited about that!  All six of us who are going in October (me, my honey Mike, our son Jake, his wife Eliza, our daughter Emi and her husband James) have finally booked our flights.  Once all flights are booked, if you are a Disney Vacation Club (DVC) Member (and we are), you can go to the DVC website and book the bus.

Now for those who are not Disneyphiles, Disney’s Magical Express is a free perk that folks staying at Disney resorts are provided.  It is literally a FREE ride to and from the airport.  (Now I know there are skeptics out there saying, “Oh, you’re paying for it.”  And that may be true, but I would stay on property even without this perk, so it feels free to me.  And I appreciate it!)  🙂  And on top of that, we can check our luggage in Chicago, and they will deliver it to our room at Old Key West.  Can you say, “Holy wah!”?  I love it!

So, now we are one step closer to being all ready for our vacation.  I hope to write soon about: Disney Vacation Club (it gets me to my happy place), My Disney Experience (an absolutely fantastic planning app), and  apples (I have a bone to pick with the apples/doctor saying).  Thank for hanging in there with me, my dear readers.  Meet you at the Kingdom!

BTW: I am drinking a cup of Starbuck’s coffee from my Magic Kingdom mug, as I type.  It arrived yesterday!  I LOVE it!  Two of my favorite things in one place–Magic Kingdom and Starbuck’s.  Yahoo!   Ya-le-hoo-lah! Thank you so much, Bro Geno and Sis-in-love Patsy!  And thanks to Regina, niece-in-love extraordinare,for picking up an extra mug, just in case.  🙂  Love you guys!