Magical Express Service

[confuseme]

I was told that even if they offer the magical express service, we shouldn't trust them to check in our luggages. They say that luggages get lost very often. Is this true? If so, then we will bring our own bags from the airport to the bus.

 

[mousefan1972]

I've used it twice. Luggage lost? No. Luggage taking forever (>5 hrs) to reach our room? Yes. If you are worried about it being lost, don't be. (as long as you attach the ME tags). If you don't want to pack a big carryon and have to wait a long time to get your stuff, then collect them at baggage claim and take them on the bus with you.

 

[shari71]

I haven't heard of this. We have used it twice and plan to again this year. I just plan on not getting the luggage for around 3-5 hours and pack what I need in the carry on.

 

[kstella]

I'll be using ME in November and will be claiming my own bags and putting them on the same bus that I get on. I've waited 8 hours for my bags when I didn't do this. Still love the ME, though.

 

[Nemo14]

We always pick up our own bags because we tend to fly in late at night. I know several people who have let ME do it though and never had a significant problem.

 

[lilclerk]

We let ME get our bags for us. Our flights were delayed (a couple of times ) and so we ended up getting our bags about 3.5 hours after we landed. Not usually a bad thing, but it was about 11pm and we were exhausted. And they said it was because the airport was having trouble with the luggage so it was delayed, but hey, we still got all of our things safe and sound.

But if you're more comfortable getting your things from baggage claim, that's perfectly fine too.

 

[Monty]

We've only used the service once. It went smooth as could be even though we didn't get tags. We will be using it again on the 27th and expect it will be as good as it was before.

 

[kennygman]

We've used it 3 times and no lost luggage. We pack some clothes and such in a carry on and then leave it with luggage services desk to have it delivered to the room with the rest of the stuff.

 

[CleveRocks]

We let ME get our bags for us. Our flights were delayed (a couple of times ) and so we ended up getting our bags about 3.5 hours after we landed. Not usually a bad thing, but it was about 11pm and we were exhausted. And they said it was because the airport was having trouble with the luggage so it was delayed, but hey, we still got all of our things safe and sound.

Since Disney says in the DME booklet that you should expect to get your bags about 3 hours after you arrive at your RESORT, then getting them 3.5 hours after LANDING sounds like better than average service!!!

As for the OP, whoever said that luggage gets lost "very often" was very mistaken. DME has been hugely popular and is a huge success. It's so popular that it was supposed to end in October of 2006, but in April of 2006 it was extended through the end of 2011.

The DME luggage tags have barcodes. Tagged luggage is pulled behind-the-scenes and taken to a Disney luggage sorting facility on the airport grounds. The bags are scanned once upon arrival, and a second time when grouped by resort. Resort-sorted luggage is then loaded into locked cages and scanned a third time. The cages are loaded onto DME luggage delivery trucks, and these trucks are tracked by GPS. The bags are scanned a fourth time when they are unloaded from the cages at the resort, and then scanned a fifth and final time when they are brought into the inside of your resort room. Bottom line: Disney knows where your luggage is at all times, and resort CMs can track its real-time location by computer.

If your airline never flew your luggage to MCO, DME will notice it is missing, and start looking for it. Without DME, you'd wait at baggage claim for almost forever, then wait again at your airline's baggage office and fill out forms, etc. With DME, you never even know there's a problem because they are on the case for you. They make sure your airline flies the luggage to MCO where it belongs, then DME delivers it to you like usual. So many times when there seems to be a huge delay for some bags, it's not DME's delay, but rather the airline's delay, and it was DME that got it back for you without you even knowing anything was wrong. But because of the delay, DME looks like the villian rather than the hero.

For people who are planning to claim their own bags, it is vital that they DON'T put the DME luggage tags on their bags. DME-tagged bags are pulled behind-the-scenes and never make it to baggage claim. Keep in mind that if you claim your own bags, you are very likely delaying your own arrival at your resort. In the time it taks for you to wait at baggage claim, it's probable that the first available bus to your resort already left without you and you'll have to wait for the next one.

 

[WDWEric]

ME worked good for us, if you dont trust them just dont put the luggage tags on your bags and collect them at baggage claim and take them to the bus. They will put you bags underneath and you will have them right away at your resort.

 

[rcapolete]

we used it last year and it was good. We had to wait about 5 hours for our bags but we made sure to back what we needed in a carry-on. This way we got to the room changed out of warm clothes (came from a cold spring morning in Jersey) into shorts and hit the park within an hour of arriving at the hotel

 

[confuseme]

we'll see if we get the luggage tags and the booklet prior to our departure. It's coming down to the wire. If we don't receive it, then we will have to check our own bags before getting onto the bus. That would be horrible.

 

[Shere_Khan]

If you are arrving early in the day and plan to go right to the parks, I would let ME take care of the bags for you. The chances are that when you get back to the resort in the evening your bags will be there.
If you are arriving late, like some in this thread have said, you might want to claim your bags and take them on the bus with you, because you will most likely want to change clothes for bed, and have your other things with you. (Unless you pack a large carry-on for these items.)

 

[Brian_WDW74]

we'll see if we get the luggage tags and the booklet prior to our departure. It's coming down to the wire. If we don't receive it, then we will have to check our own bags before getting onto the bus. That would be horrible.

No you won't. Just go to the ME desk at the airport when you arrive and tell them you never received your tags. They'll look up your reservations, then hand you a little booklet with pictures of luggage and ask you to tell them which ones look like yours. Then you head for the bus. They'll take it from there.

I've done this and didn't have any problems receiving my luggage at my resort. Just make sure to put name tags on all your luggage before you head for Orlando.

 

[Nemo14]

No you won't. Just go to the ME desk at the airport when you arrive and tell them you never received your tags. They'll look up your reservations, then hand you a little booklet with pictures of luggage and ask you to tell them which ones look like yours. Then you head for the bus. They'll take it from there.

I've done this and didn't have any problems receiving my luggage at my resort.

Better yet - take digital pics that you can show them right there, and have clear identification on your bags.

 

[miles1]

We just used DME for the first time last week, and all went smoothly. When we left for the trip, the rep at the Jet Blue counter told us to make sure on the return trip that we checked our luggage at the resort at least four hours prior to our flight. He said that Disney won't send the truck to Orlando Airport until its full, and if you're late to check your luggage it may not wind up on your flight. He actually recommended taking the luggage on the bus ourselves. I hand-carried our four huge bags to the check in counter at POFQ at 6:00AM for our 11:10AM flight, and had no problems.

I don't know if the representative at Stewart Airport in New York had any first-hand knowledge of problems, but we didn't have any.

 

[MdCaterer]

We used the ME service for the first time Sept1 and Sept 8th flying Jet Blue.
The whole service was smooth and easy! We received the tags via mail before traveling. I put them on our suitcases the night before. When we got to the airport they were whiked away and delivered to our resort room at WDW a few hours after we landed. The day of check out we carried the bags to the lobby and checked in. They were waiting for us at baggage claim when we got off the plane. Easy as could be. It was very reliable for us. HTH

 

[danv3]

Just wanted to confirm: Even though I have my tags, I can choose not to put them on, pick up the bags myself, and then ride DME with my bags to the hotel, right? I'm arriving fairly late at night and have no desire for my bags to be delivered at 3:00a.m. :snore:

 

[CleveRocks]

Just wanted to confirm: Even though I have my tags, I can choose not to put them on, pick up the bags myself, and then ride DME with my bags to the hotel, right? I'm arriving fairly late at night and have no desire for my bags to be delivered at 3:00a.m. :snore:

Correct, you are free to choose to do that.

Keep a couple of things in mind, however. If you stop and wait at baggage claim, you'll very likely miss the next available bus to your resort, so you might make it to your resort a half hour or so later than you could have ... for me, if it's so late at night, getting to bed as soon as possible would be (and was!) my priority.

Secondly, you don't have to be awakened in the middle of the night. When you get to your resort, ask to have your DME luggage held 'til you call for it in the morning. Pack accordingly in your carry-ons (which you should do, anyway, just in case the airline delays your luggage).

 

[figment3258]

We have used the service once and plan on it again in December. We have enjoyed it. We never go right to our room, we check in throw in whatever carry ons we have and go out, so when we get back we have our luggage in our room.


48 days to go Beach club here we come!:ROFLOL: