60 minute wait times reported for Magical Express

[dx4100]

Originally Posted by Andybear

I get asked about money by the immigration officer each time.

See more...

Close to 50 trips to america and I have never been asked. Where am I staying, when am I going back is pretty standard for me.

Maybe you look a bit shifty

[Andybear]

Originally Posted by dx4100

Close to 50 trips to america and I have never been asked. Where am I staying, when am I going back is pretty standard for me.

Maybe you look a bit shifty

See more...

It could be because I go solo. They want to know I can support myself for the time I'm there.

[duchy]

Originally Posted by Andybear

It could be because I go solo. They want to know I can support myself for the time I'm there.

See more...

I’m not so sure it’s that Andy, you and I are both a similar age and I have never been asked how much money I have with me on any trips solo or otherwise anywhere entering the US. It certainly isn’t the Rolex or dripping with diamonds that stops them as I definitely dress for comfort when flying ( think scruff) rather than style

[duchy]

Originally Posted by xuntitledx

We had a very long wait for the Magical Express on our first trip a couple of weeks back, assumed that was usual but it didn’t make us any less peeved by it. Particularly after a very long travel day already.

Of course we could have paid for an Uber direct but why should we? I expect better service as we have already paid for it.

See more...

It’s no different to a European package, wait endlessly for the last few off the flight to get to the coach (or worse a second flight to arrive) and then stop at every other hotel before your own or jump in a cab.
The service you have paid for is a shared transfer , possibly indirect from MCO to your resort. Disney make no promises about the time it will take as it’s subject to lots of variables. I quite like the fact there are other options so if it’s not it’s customary short line I can choose to wait it out or choose an alternative. For an excessively long wait I’d be speaking to Guest Services for recompense though once in resort.

[Nimbus]

Originally Posted by Mr Tom Morrow

Of course we must bear in mind Disney is the first film studio in history to gross $10 billion dollars in a year.

Certainly not enough to lease another Mears bus for the DME.

See more...

I hear those Mears buses are really expensive. And they wouldn't just need one.

BTW, what do people mean by "unacceptable"? Do they mean that they'd cancel their stay at the Disney hotel and book a hotel somewhere else? Make alternative arrangements to get to their Disney hotel (uber, taxi, hire car, whatever)? Or do they just mean that they'd find it annoying but still wait in line whilst maybe complaining sternly to a CM?

I'd be in the latter category. But I wouldn't call it "unacceptable". Clearly, I would accept it, albeit begrudgingly. To me, it's very annoying but not unacceptable.

Also, last time I visited, there were different queues for different resorts (or groups of resorts). If I remember correctly there were about a dozen different queues for the buses and we were directed to stand in the CBR one. So I assume this is just one queue? Or was there a 60+ minute wait for every queue and every resort?

Considering this isn't normal - there aren't normally 60 minute waits for the DME (hence why it was mentioned on Facebook and why it's being discussed here now) - then I assume there was some major issue leading to the long wait. Was the weather incredibly bad that the buses couldn't leave the station for a while, resulting in the long queues maybe?

[Andybear]

Originally Posted by duchy

I’m not so sure it’s that Andy, you and I are both a similar age and I have never been asked how much money I have with me on any trips solo or otherwise anywhere entering the US. It certainly isn’t the Rolex or dripping with diamonds that stops them as I definitely dress for comfort when flying ( think scruff) rather than style

See more...

I've done 2 solo trips - this year and last year. On both occasions I was asked why I was on my own and how much money I had with me.

[Andybear]

Originally Posted by Nimbus

I hear those Mears buses are really expensive. And they wouldn't just need one.

BTW, what do people mean by "unacceptable"? Do they mean that they'd cancel their stay at the Disney hotel and book a hotel somewhere else? Make alternative arrangements to get to their Disney hotel (uber, taxi, hire car, whatever)? Or do they just mean that they'd find it annoying but still wait in line whilst maybe complaining sternly to a CM?

I'd be in the latter category. But I wouldn't call it "unacceptable". Clearly, I would accept it, albeit begrudgingly. To me, it's very annoying but not unacceptable.

Also, last time I visited, there were different queues for different resorts (or groups of resorts). If I remember correctly there were about a dozen different queues for the buses and we were directed to stand in the CBR one. So I assume this is just one queue? Or was there a 60+ minute wait for every queue and every resort?

Considering this isn't normal - there aren't normally 60 minute waits for the DME (hence why it was mentioned on Facebook and why it's being discussed here now) - then I assume there was some major issue leading to the long wait. Was the weather incredibly bad that the buses couldn't leave the station for a while, resulting in the long queues maybe?

See more...

When I was there this September and last September there was one queue to check in and then we were directed to the queue of whatever hotel we were staying at.

[Nimbus]

Originally Posted by Andybear

When I was there this September and last September there was one queue to check in and then we were directed to the queue of whatever hotel we were staying at.

See more...

But then that sounds like it could be a problem with the CMs checking people in (perhaps the computer system had gone down?), not with the Magical Express buses themselves. I had originally assumed this was a 60 minute wait after the CMs had checked you in.


BTW, I also have to pay for my flights to America (which includes airport taxes) and have sometimes stood in line for an hour at immigration. I still plan to visit the USA next year, so clearly I don't consider the annoying 60+ minutes wait in the immigration hall to be "unacceptable".

[chmurf]

Originally Posted by Nimbus

BTW, I also have to pay for my flights to America (which includes airport taxes) and have sometimes stood in line for an hour at immigration. I still plan to visit the USA next year, so clearly I don't consider the annoying 60+ minutes wait in the immigration hall to be "unacceptable".

See more...

true, but you know the reality behind this ?

it's much more acceptable to rant about a vacation provider, than to give the same rant about CBP/DHS getting you through the same "ordeal" and charging you for that

because disney will never stop you from entering the US or flag you for Secondary, if you're too vocal about it

[Nimbus]

Originally Posted by chmurf

true, but you know the reality behind this ?

it's much more acceptable to rant about a vacation provider, than to give the same rant about CBP/DHS getting you through the same "ordeal" and charging you for that

because disney will never stop you from entering the US or flag you for Secondary, if you're too vocal about it

See more...

I suppose the difference is that Disney is a private business that makes huge profits whereas the CBP/DHS isn't a business but a government service which (technically) doesn't make a profit.

It's a bit like comparing private medical treatment and NHS medical treatment. With the latter you expect some delays because it's "free" (not really; we pay for it through taxes). Whereas we expect better service from the former, including less delays, because we are directly paying for it.

As you say though, people can complain to Disney or the CMs about the queue for the DME. The worst that will happen is that Disney will ignore them, whereas it's possible Disney might compensate them (free fastpasses, a Disney gift card, etc). If you complain to the CBP/DHS about the immigration queue, the best you can expect is that they will ignore you.