Magical Express

[Kingoglow]

I don't want it to seem like I am gaming any system, but I had a question about Magical Express.

My wife and I have an on-site reservation. We will be renting a car at MCO and will be driving it to the parks. If I sign up for Magical Express will they collect my bags and take them to the hotel room even if I never check in for the bus service at the airport?

 

[Nemo14]

Technically no, but I have heard of it happening.

 

[Minnie Mum]

Why? Does your car not have a trunk? Or is lifting your bags off the luggage carousel too much for you?

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I don't want it to seem like I am gaming any system, but I had a question about Magical Express.

My wife and I have an on-site reservation. We will be renting a car at MCO and will be driving it to the parks. If I sign up for Magical Express will they collect my bags and take them to the hotel room even if I never check in for the bus service at the airport?

In reality, they probably will, but that's against the rules and would be considered "gaming the system."

Why: Magical Express is not run by Disney, it's run by Mears. There's a separate company called Bags, Inc. that's in charge of the luggage portion. Disney pays both Mears and Bags for their services based on passenger counts as tallied by Mears. So, for example, if you sign up for Magical Express but never get on the bus, Disney isn't going to pay Mears for your fare. But if you're sending your luggage with Bags and then not being counted in the passenger counts, Bags is doing work for which they're never going to be paid.

One viable option is that you (or your wife) could pick up the car and drive while the other one rides Magical Express. Or, you could cancel your car reservation at MCO and pick it up at one of the many on-site Disney locations instead. What we've done in the past is taken Magical Express when we land, take a Disney bus to the parks the first morning, then one of us goes to the Dolphin or one of the other car rental pickup locations on that day's mid-day break to pick up the vehicle.

Why? Does your car not have a trunk? Or is lifting your bags off the luggage carousel too much for you?

Baggage claim at MCO is a pit of misery. Even if I'm renting a car, I'll Magical Express my way to the resort and pick up the car on property for the sole reason of avoiding MCO baggage claim.

 

[Dave B]

From the research I have done in the past, isn't it a lot more expensive to rent your car and pick up at the Dolphin or on site than at the airport?

 

[DisneyMann]

Most likely not since the "trigger" for the luggage to be sent is when you scan your magic bands at the DME check-in.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

From the research I have done in the past, isn't it a lot more expensive to rent your car and pick up at the Dolphin or on site than at the airport?

It varies quite a bit depending on your dates and vehicle type. We had a big group last time so we needed a full size SUV or minivan and the cheapest option (by far) was to do a one-way rental picking up at the Dolphin and returning at MCO.

 

[ToTBellHop]

No. That only works on the return trip, where you can do Resort Airline Check In without boarding the bus.

 

[graphite1326]

Why? Does your car not have a trunk? Or is lifting your bags off the luggage carousel too much for you?

OUCH!

 

[MickeyMomV]

As long as your resort tag is on your baggage it should make it to the resort. As @CaptainAmerica mentioned there is bound to be one of the service providers that will not be paid from Disney for providing the service. Just because Dis offers the service for free does not mean the providers are not incurring a cost that they need to be paid for. I will say that after driving down for spring break and having to deal with the traffic I would gladly ride the DME and rent the car on property if needed.

 

[Bartledvd]

I could care less about this silly "gaming" the system nonsense but it raises a security issue if the traveler doesn't travel with their bags.
So, I'm surprised if they would allow that.

Well unless you come from over seas or collect your bags from the carousel they will not be traveling with you.

 

[Dave B]

It's actually cheaper to rent the car off site once you get to Disney World anyway. So there's little advantage to renting the car at MCO if you have round trip access to the Magical Express to and from the airport.

That's weird, I have found the opposite, I have found it to be a lot cheaper at the airport than at the swan or offsite hotles