How does DME work?

[Philharmagically]

I'm still not entirely sure about what the procedure is for DME in terms of luggage. I know that most people don't have to worry about luggage collection - Disney does that (as seen by the complaints of luggage not arriving in rooms until several hours later). But how does that work? Is there some sort of tag that you have to put on to the luggage?
I'm an international guest (but getting to Orlando on a domestic flight). So do I need to take the luggage over to the DME bus myself?

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

I'm assuming you are flying into the States and then traveling to Orlando with a connecting flight. If that is the case you will probably (I haven't done this so I might be wrong), have to collect your luggage and go through immigration & customs. Then you would have control of your luggage to recheck it for your next flight. If that is the case and you have a yellow Magical Express tag you can put it on your suitcase then and then ME would collect it in Orlando and deliver it your room. If you don't get a yellow tag I think there is still a way for them to collect your luggage but I don't remember what I've read about it. If I didn't have a yellow tag I would just collect my luggage myself. Also if your flight arrives after 10pm you have you collect your own luggage as well. If I'm wrong I hope someone chimes in to help, or if they have experience in this hopefully they can hope too.

 

[Gaston's gal]

After you sign up for DME, they will mail luggage tags to you about 2-3 weeks before you arrive. If you want the luggage taken to the room, then you put the tags on each piece of luggage you want them to collect for you. As long as your flight arrives between 5am and 10pm, you will give DME your baggage claim numbers upon arrival and they will get your luggage, take it to your resort and then take it to your room for you. It is so nice! Make sure you don't pack anything in those pieces of luggage that you will need for the first half of your day (like Magic Bands) because it does take them awhile to get all of the luggage delivered. Have fun!

 

[Philharmagically]

After you sign up for DME, they will mail luggage tags to you about 2-3 weeks before you arrive. If you want the luggage taken to the room, then you put the tags on each piece of luggage you want them to collect for you. As long as your flight arrives between 5am and 10pm, you will give DME your baggage claim numbers upon arrival and they will get your luggage, take it to your resort and then take it to your room for you. It is so nice! Make sure you don't pack anything in those pieces of luggage that you will need for the first half of your day (like Magic Bands) because it does take them awhile to get all of the luggage delivered. Have fun!

That's why I was asking. As an international guest, I don't have anything mailed to me. Hence I don't have the tags you are talking about (I also don't get my MB until I check in)

 

[englanddg]

That's why I was asking. As an international guest, I don't have anything mailed to me. Hence I don't have the tags you are talking about (I also don't get my MB until I check in)

You will need to uncheck your bags and go through Customs, then take it to the ME check in area.

Here, you will be able to check in when you arrive at MCO. You'll need to go off to the right, as you approach ME, where they have CMs who will take care of everything for you.

You will not get the luggage benefit, but they will transport it to your resort on the bus you take with you.

When you arrive at the resort, Bell Services will gladly take your luggage to your room for you (if you don't care to go to your room immediately).

 

[BigRedDad]

My advice is to get your luggage which I think you must do as an international traveler. You will be on a domestic flight into MCO. However, I don't think you will get your luggage, go through Customs, and then check-in at your domestic flight. Therefore, I think you must go through Customs at MCO. Assuming that is correct, this is all you need to do...

1. Get your luggage from baggage claim
2. Go through Customs
3. Haul your luggage to DME
4. Check-in, load, and get dropped off at your resort

There is nothing wrong with getting your luggage yourself. However, there are benefits for letting Disney get your luggage. If you use the tags, then DME does the work looking for lost luggage. It did not happen to us, but we met a family at AKL that had their luggage lost. They were on their 3rd day of no luggage. DME took them to the Outlet mall, gave them a credit to purchase clothing for the rest of their visit, and brought them back to the resort. If you do not use the DME tags, you are responsible for working through the airlines to find your luggage. The airlines are not overly invested in finding YOUR luggage. They are more inclined to work with DME because DME will put someone on it every minute pestering them.

 

[jaklgreen]

You will go through customs 1 of 3 ways. Either you will go through customs at your original airport before you leave, or at the airport you first land in, or your final destination(Orlando).But now that I think about it since you are switching to a domestic flight I am pretty sure it will be one of the first 2. When you first land, you will need to get your bags(and probably go through customs), then go up to the ticket counter and check in to your domestic flight to Orlando. Either way, since you will not get luggage tags you can either retrieve your bags in Orlando and take them with you to the Disney busses and they will just ride with you to the resort, or you can give Disney your luggage claim tickets that the airline gives you when you check your bags and Disney will get them for you and bring them to your room later in the day. It is a bit of a pain travelling internationally then switching flights but it is a small part of your vacation. Just make sure you leave enough time between your flights. Since you are switching from international to domestic with a different airline they will not keep the plane waiting for you as if it was a connection. Most airlines you need to check in at least an hour before the flight.

 

[StephK]

Ive flown in from Canada before, stopping at Houston first and you do need to go through customs, collect your bag and re drop your bag for your next flight. I am from Australia though and we just carried our bags ourselves to the bus, they store it underneath for you and you take it into the resort yourself, not a big deal

Now for my own Question , We are arriving at MCO via hire car and dropping off the hire car there as we wont need it at Disney, am I still able to catch the DME? It keeps asking for my flight details, do i need to make some up so that the system will regsiter my booking?

 

[YoJDew]

Our last trip, we never got our luggage tags for some reason. When we arrived at MCO, we went straight to the DME desk and asked them about it. They were able to look up our flight and our bags using our claim checks, and then took over from there. We didn't even have to go grab our luggage, it was waiting for us in our room when we got back to our hotel after spending the afternoon at MK. The key to making this work was having everything we needed for the day in our carryons: Sunscreen, change of clothes, hats, Magic Bands, etc.

If you don't want to have to worry about it, go grab your bags when you get to MCO and just take them with you. They'll stow them under the bus and you'll have them when you check in. That might be easiest in your case.

 

[Rob562]

Now for my own Question , We are arriving at MCO via hire car and dropping off the hire car there as we wont need it at Disney, am I still able to catch the DME? It keeps asking for my flight details, do i need to make some up so that the system will regsiter my booking?

You have two options:

1) Call the DME office directly (866-599-0951, 9am-5pm Eastern), tell them what you're doing and about what time you're planning on needing the bus from MCO and they'll get you in the system as arriving but not on a flight.

2) Look for a flight scheduled to arrive at about the time you plan to arrive and put that info in.

Depending on what rental car company, you may also be able to drop it on WDW property for the same price. Alamo and National have a desk at the Dolphin which is walking distance to Epcot, the Studios and the Epcot resorts, or the Alamo/National desk at the Car Care Center has vans that can drop you off at any Disney park or hotel.

-Rob

 

[StephK]

You have two options:

1) Call the DME office directly (866-599-0951, 9am-5pm Eastern), tell them what you're doing and about what time you're planning on needing the bus from MCO and they'll get you in the system as arriving but not on a flight.

2) Look for a flight scheduled to arrive at about the time you plan to arrive and put that info in.

Depending on what rental car company, you may also be able to drop it on WDW property for the same price. Alamo and National have a desk at the Dolphin which is walking distance to Epcot, the Studios and the Epcot resorts, or the Alamo/National desk at the Car Care Center has vans that can drop you off at any Disney park or hotel.

-Rob

Thank you so much! i will look further into it!