Magical Express

[lovepooh]

I think I pretty much know the answer but in case I am wrong I wanted to throw it out there to the boards. We are checking in Sunday, but flying in tomorrow afternoon. We wanted to have to have our bags sent to the hotel. Our plan was just to take a carry-on to our overnight hotel and have Magical Express take our bags to the hotel. but we wont be arriving to disney property till next day about 10ish. Does anyone think this will be a problem. I was thinking since I had a reservation and was going to yellow tag the bags it would be ok. What all your thoughts on this ?

 

[Kamikaze]

The rule is that your bags cannot travel seperately from you.

So yes, it is a problem.

Also, how are you getting from your overnight hotel to Disney property? They won't let you use DME for that.

 

[lovepooh]

I know I can use I use magical express service from the airport on Sunday. I am arriving sat evening and using airport shuttle to an airport hotel and will use it back to the airport to get the DME. Already talked to DME about that, so that I know is not a problem.

 

[Yensid40]

I would just get your own bags. It sounds like it would be easier.

 

[mbisenius]

I would also plan on getting your own bags. I don't know that the resorts have any kind of "holding area" for luggage that arrives the day before check-in.

 

[glee]

I would just get your own bags. It sounds like it would be easier.

..And safer :animwink:

 

[lovepooh]

Thanks for all the responses I am just going to pick up my bags.

 

[CleveRocks]

The rule is that your bags cannot travel seperately from you.

So yes, it is a problem.

Respectfully, this is incorrect.

Disney's Magical Express is specifically designed so that your checked luggage DOES travel separately from you.

You receive special DME luggage tags in the mail at home. You put one on each bag you intend to check with your airline. You bring your checked bags to your home airport, check them with your airline, and you don't see those bags again until they are inside your resort room (and they are put in there whether you are in there or not).

The DME-tagged bags never come in contact with the guest/passenger at any time between the hoem airport and the reosrt room.

DME-tagged bags, when they arrive in Orlando, are off-loaded from the arriving aircraft and at some point backstage (that is, before any bags get to the public baggage claim carousel) they are pulled from the luggage stream and are brought to Disney's luggage sorting facility on the grounds of the airport. They are sorted first by zone and then by individual resort, then are loaded into cages, and these cages are loaded onto dedicated DME luggage delivery trucks.

The trucks then deliver the cages to the individual resorts.

So, as you can see, there is never even a moment when guest and bag are in the same vehicle, except for the aircraft itself.

 

[CleveRocks]

I think I pretty much know the answer but in case I am wrong I wanted to throw it out there to the boards. We are checking in Sunday, but flying in tomorrow afternoon. We wanted to have to have our bags sent to the hotel. Our plan was just to take a carry-on to our overnight hotel and have Magical Express take our bags to the hotel. but we wont be arriving to disney property till next day about 10ish. Does anyone think this will be a problem. I was thinking since I had a reservation and was going to yellow tag the bags it would be ok. What all your thoughts on this ?

No can do.

You can't use Disney's Magical Express before your resort check-in day. I can't pretend to know what will happen to your bags, but I wouldn't want to take the chance.

I am 100% certain that you are not entitled to use any part of DME prior to your resort check-in day.

 

[JPVonDrake]

To confirm...

Kamikaze is correct in that you cannot use the “luggage only” service of Disney’s Magical Express. Guests must participate in the motorcoach transportation (on the same day) in order to receive the luggage transfer service to their resort.

CleveRocks is correct in that checked luggage normally DOES travel separately from you, however your luggage can not leave the airport until Disney has confirmed you are on our motorcoach.

If you are arriving and checking into the Airport Hotel a day prior to your Disney Resort stay, be sure NOT to use the yellow bag tags sent by Disney and claim your own luggage. When you return to the airport the following day, Disney Magical Express will transport both you and your luggage on the same motorcoach to your Disney Resort Hotel on your scheduled day of check-in.

Note, it is important that you do not use the yellow DME luggage tags if you are not scheduled to check in that same day. Any piece of luggage with these tags are transferred from Airport personnel directly to the DME Cast to be processed and will not be sent to the luggage claim carousel. If you do not board a DME motorcoach that same day the luggage is returned to airport personnel as "lost luggage." This can seriously delay getting your luggage back to you the following day.

 

[CleveRocks]

I will certainly not condone "cheating," but I can tell you a response I've consistently received when calling DME directly at 866-599-0951.

According to every DME CM I've spoken with, Disney's official public policy on riding the bus and using the automatic luggage delivery is that if one person from a resort reservation number checks-in at DME and rides the bus, then ALL the luggage associated with that resort reservation number will be handled by DME.

So, for example, if a family wants to rent a car but can't fit all the family members in the car along with all the luggage, it is perfectly within Disney's rules for one family member to take the DME bus and the others to ride in the rental car to the resort, and Disney will transport ALL of the checked bags associated with that resort reservation number.

Again, I'm quoting official Disney policy, as told to me over the course of months by many different DME CMs. I would not publicly condone cheating a system, but if Disney itself (not just one potentially incorrect CM) says it's within its rules, then I thought it's be OK to put this info out there.

 

[Rob562]

I will certainly not condone "cheating," but I can tell you a response I've consistently received when calling DME directly at 866-599-0951.

According to every DME CM I've spoken with, Disney's official public policy on riding the bus and using the automatic luggage delivery is that if one person from a resort reservation number checks-in at DME and rides the bus, then ALL the luggage associated with that resort reservation number will be handled by DME.

So, for example, if a family wants to rent a car but can't fit all the family members in the car along with all the luggage, it is perfectly within Disney's rules for one family member to take the DME bus and the others to ride in the rental car to the resort, and Disney will transport ALL of the checked bags associated with that resort reservation number.

Again, I'm quoting official Disney policy, as told to me over the course of months by many different DME CMs. I would not publicly condone cheating a system, but if Disney itself (not just one potentially incorrect CM) says it's within its rules, then I thought it's be OK to put this info out there.

That can be done, and it's the policy I've heard from multiple people involved with DME. As long as one person gets on the DME bus and has their ticket scanned, all luggage that arrives that day will be transported. (Just make sure to tell the person at the DME podium the correct number of bags when they inquire about them)

Though this still wouldn't help the OP, whose tagged baggage would arrive the day *before* their scheduled arrival date (if they put the DME tags on their luggage). There are too many possiblities as to what could happen with the bag for most people to feel comfortable trying it.

-Rob