Magical Express and luggage delivery

[mdcpr]

I’ve heard that luggage delivery when taking Magical Express can take hours. Can I pick up my luggage and then walk to Magical Express to ensure this does not happen?

 

[nickys]

I’ve heard that luggage delivery when taking Magical Express can take hours. Can I pick up my luggage and then walk to Magical Express to ensure this does not happen?

Yes, but don’t use the yellow tags.

Bags with the yellow tags are pulled before they reach the carousel so you won’t be able to retrieve them.

The guidelines say your bags should be delivered to your room within three hours after your arrival at the resort.

 

[Weather_Lady]

As @nickys said, you can absolutely forego the DME tags and service, pick your bags up at Baggage Claim and take them to DME yourself.

Depending on how heavily you pack, you might also consider traveling "carryon only" so you don't even have to stop at Baggage Claim. My family of four always does this: we've found that four 21" rolling bags and 2 personal items (just for DH and I; that way, each kid only has to keep track of their carryon) can fit clothes, toiletries, breakfast foods and snacks for a week. It saves us time, removes the risk of our bags or their contents being damaged or lost in transit, and prevents us from overpacking. (YMMV. Obviously, different families have different opinions as to the bare necessities, and even different opinions on whether packing light is a stress-alleviator or a stress-inducer.)

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

It can take up to 3 hours after arriving at the resort. Although I have never experienced it taking that long.

You can pick it up yourself from baggage claim at MCO and if you were to arrive after 10pm you'd have to anyways.

Be sure to not put the yellow tags on if you intend to pick it up yourself.

 

[mmnw]

We always pick up our luggage. Don’t use the baggage tags provided.

 

[Rob562]

For us, it depends on what time we're arriving. If it's the morning or mid-day, we use the luggage tags and let DME deal with the bags. We're typically heading out to the parks right when we get to the hotel anyway, so it's no big deal. Just pack a change of shirt and some minimal toiletries in my carry-on. The bags get delivered to the room while we're out having fun and they're waiting for us when we get back.

-Rob

 

[ninjaprincesst]

You can, but to me not having to deal with the luggage is the main reason I use Magical Express, I really don't get everyone's attachment to their luggage, I pack anything crucial like medication in my carry on and head for the parks. I hated pre magic express burning all that time waiting on luggage. I also have found that most of the time if I go to the room to drop off my carry on my luggage has already made it or I will pass bell services in the hall with my luggage and we arrive early in the morning. And I wish I could pack light, can't do it, our 9 days takes every bit of our two Southwest checked bags of course we always go later in the year around Thanksgiving or Christmas where you have to dress in layers for the cold mornings and evenings and warm afternoons, and my daughter needs to go to Minnie Ears Anonymous for her Minnie ear addiction that takes up tons of room.

 

[ninjaprincesst]

You can, but to me not having to deal with the luggage is the main reason I use Magical Express, I really don't get everyone's attachment to their luggage, I pack anything crucial like medication in my carry on and head for the parks. I hated pre magic express burning all that time waiting on luggage. I also have found that most of the time if I go to the room to drop off my carry on my luggage has already made it or I will pass bell services in the hall with my luggage and we arrive early in the morning. One side note as someone that uses Magical Express the people boarding and the time it takes for them to load the luggage on the bus and wait for it to be unloaded at the hotel tends to annoy me when I am anxious to get to my hotel and get to the parks.

 

[Weather_Lady]

I really don't get everyone's attachment to their luggage,

I understand. Most of us who prefer not to check our bags - like me - have had prior experience with lost or damaged bags, which makes you paranoid after awhile. I used to travel frequently for business, and a combination of bad checked-bag experiences (a bag that was misdirected and went missing for days, a suitcase with the outside pocket torn open, one with the handle ripped off, one with indelible black grease-like streaks all over the front) basically ruined my trust in the system, and cost me a great deal of hassle and expense. Since I do carryon only, I never have to spend a moment waiting at the baggage carousel, either. To each his own, though -- I've traveled with others who used DME checked luggage delivery and they've never had an issue.

 

[ninjaprincesst]

I understand. Most of us who prefer not to check our bags - like me - have had prior experience with lost or damaged bags, which makes you paranoid after awhile. I used to travel frequently for business, and a combination of bad checked-bag experiences (a bag that was misdirected and went missing for days, a suitcase with the outside pocket torn open, one with the handle ripped off, one with indelible black grease-like streaks all over the front) basically ruined my trust in the system, and cost me a great deal of hassle and expense. Since I do carryon only, I never have to spend a moment waiting at the baggage carousel, either. To each his own, though -- I've traveled with others who used DME checked luggage delivery and they've never had an issue.

The only issue we have had ever is one bag was missing, I called them they called back like 2 minutes later and said it was on its way. It was not by the way Disney's fault it was Southwest who had put it on another flight.

 

[Rob562]

The only issue we have had ever is one bag was missing, I called them they called back like 2 minutes later and said it was on its way. It was not by the way Disney's fault it was Southwest who had but it on another flight.

And that is one of the un-sung benefits of the DME luggage service. If the airline mishandles your bag, DME is the one dealing with the airline, not you. If you were collecting your own checked bags and one didn't show up on the belt, you're the one having to take time to go to the luggage office, wait in line, fill out forms, etc.

With DME they do that for you. In fact, there are many times a bag is delayed because it misses a connection or whatever, and when it shows up in Orlando DME just transports it. When you get back to your room you just see that all your bags are there. Even though one of them showed up two hours after all the others, you're blissfully unaware because you were out in the parks all day.

-Rob

 

[nickys]

One side note as someone that uses Magical Express the people boarding and the time it takes for them to load the luggage on the bus and wait for it to be unloaded at the hotel tends to annoy me when I am anxious to get to my hotel and get to the parks.

Well one big reason for this is international guests.

If we arrive via a hub airport, we will simply hand over our luggage receipts to the DME desk and let them pull them for us.

But anyone who flies direct to Orlando has to collect luggage before going through Customs. And whilst we can put them back on a conveyor belt, I think it’s pointless when we can just bring them with us. Who really thinks “oh, I’ll just put my bags back now”? You’re so focussed on just getting to DME that it’s really easy to miss the conveyor belt anyway.

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

You can, but to me not having to deal with the luggage is the main reason I use Magical Express, I really don't get everyone's attachment to their luggage, I pack anything crucial like medication in my carry on and head for the parks. I hated pre magic express burning all that time waiting on luggage. I also have found that most of the time if I go to the room to drop off my carry on my luggage has already made it or I will pass bell services in the hall with my luggage and we arrive early in the morning. And I wish I could pack light, can't do it, our 9 days takes every bit of our two Southwest checked bags of course we always go later in the year around Thanksgiving or Christmas where you have to dress in layers for the cold mornings and evenings and warm afternoons, and my daughter needs to go to Minnie Ears Anonymous for her Minnie ear addiction that takes up tons of room.

This is how I feel. Unless you are arriving late I see no reason to go to baggage claim to lug my luggage.
I put what I need for arrival day in my carry on and let Disney do the rest.
I also love RAC so I don't have to lug my luggage back to the airport.

 

[ninjaprincesst]

Well one big reason for this is international guests.

If we arrive via a hub airport, we will simply hand over our luggage receipts to the DME desk and let them pull them for us.

But anyone who flies direct to Orlando has to collect luggage before going through Customs. And whilst we can put them back on a conveyor belt, I think it’s pointless when we can just bring them with us. Who really thinks “oh, I’ll just put my bags back now”? You’re so focussed on just getting to DME that it’s really easy to miss the conveyor belt anyway.

I understand when your from another country you don't have a choice.

 

[nickys]

I understand when your from another country you don't have a choice.

Well we do. But it’s a fairly pointless one!

 

[NeedMoreMickey]

This may be the first trip we use the yellow tags. We have always gotten our own bags in the past. What happens if your flight is delayed and it is after 10:00 and your luggage has the yellow tags? Had a flight delayed about 8 hours and we got in around 11:00, didn't use the yellow tags that trip so we retrieved our bags.

 

[JoMarch]

In my experience, bags used to arrive in a more timely fashion. Lately, especially my past trip, I landed in Orlando at 7:45am....my bags didn't arrive in my room until after 6pm..........

 

[ninjaprincesst]

In my experience, bags used to arrive in a more timely fashion. Lately, especially my past trip, I landed in Orlando at 7:45am....my bags didn't arrive in my room until after 6pm..........

I honestly don't care when they arrive because I'm at the parks and have no use for them until I am in the room. Last year they actually beat me to the room.

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

I honestly don't care when the arrive because I'm at the parks and have no use for them until I am in the room. Last year they actually beat me to the room.

That has happened to me a couple of times.
I'm like wait what how are they in my room already lol.

 

[graphite1326]

I've had them take over 5 hours for delivery but still use the service. However, they delivered our late luggage at 11:00 at night one time. I was really tired after a long trip and told them to hold the luggage at bell service and I would pick it up in the morning. They didn't. I was out cold at 11:00 PM.