Airline check-in returning?

CaptainAmerica

Premium Member
It is not expected to return. This wasn't really a COVID cut, it was always going to go away with the elimination of DME. COVID just accelerated the timeline.
 

Weather_Lady

Well-Known Member
As the above poster said, it was a service that was rolled into DME, so there's no reason for Disney to bring it back.

Most people do their airline check-ins online and download their boarding passes to their phones these days, anyway (although oldsters like me prefer to take a belt-and-suspenders approach and have a paper backup copy just in case technical issues prevent me from pulling it up on my phone at the airport).

If you've already checked in online, some hotels (e.g., AKL) will print your boarding pass for you as a courtesy at the front desk, and some (e.g., Swan and Dophin) have a business center where you can do it yourself. Check with yours ahead of time to see what, if anything, they can do for you.
 

MikeyK72

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
As the above poster said, it was a service that was rolled into DME, so there's no reason for Disney to bring it back.

Most people do their airline check-ins online and download their boarding passes to their phones these days, anyway (although oldsters like me prefer to take a belt-and-suspenders approach and have a paper backup copy just in case technical issues prevent me from pulling it up on my phone).

If you've already checked in online, some hotels (e.g., AKL) will print your boarding pass for you as a courtesy at the front desk, and some (e.g., Swan and Dophin) have a business center where you can do it yourself. Check with yours ahead of time to see what, if anything, they can do for you.
I understand what you mean by using your phone for electronic boarding passes...DW and I do that too. However, the real convenience was the ability to check baggage at the resort. That is the big one for us.
 

Chi84

Premium Member
I'm sorry to hear it's probably not coming back. For us, it's not about printing the boarding passes; we're old ;), but we use our phones or can just print them at an airline kiosk. But it was wonderful to drop off our bags and not have to lug them around the airport or get into the crowds around the kiosks.
 

MikeyK72

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I'm sorry to hear it's probably not coming back. For us, it's not about printing the boarding passes; we're old ;), but we use our phones or can just print them at an airline kiosk. But it was wonderful to drop off our bags and not have to lug them around the airport or get into the crowds around the kiosks.
Exactly. Especially when you're traveling with golf clubs in addition to your suitcases.
 

Weather_Lady

Well-Known Member
I understand what you mean by using your phone for electronic boarding passes...DW and I do that too. However, the real convenience was the ability to check baggage at the resort. That is the big one for us.
Ah, I see. We've always traveled carryon-only so I didn't stop to think about that part.

I really do think Disney has shot itself in the foot by eliminating DME, in terms of disincentivizing onsite stays.
 
Last edited:

Queen of the WDW Scene

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
What I miss most about RAC is the ability to hand off your luggage and not see it until you get home and be able to skip that process at the airport.
We used DME in August and it wasn't fun to retrieve our bags or check them in.
In November our flight arrives late evening and leaves at sunrise so we are doing carry on only to avoid the luggage situation.
 

ABQ

Well-Known Member
I'd love to know how it was budgeted. If it came out of each resorts own revenue or some other larger overall budget. Again, the perk of dropping of the luggage was so, so useful. Though it worked hand in hand with DME, it was NOT truly part of DME when it came to going back to the airport. I doubt anyone from Mears touched your luggage at all.
 

MikeyK72

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I'd love to know how it was budgeted. If it came out of each resorts own revenue or some other larger overall budget. Again, the perk of dropping of the luggage was so, so useful. Though it worked hand in hand with DME, it was NOT truly part of DME when it came to going back to the airport. I doubt anyone from Mears touched your luggage at all.
Agree...I thought the return luggage was stored in a secured area and then transported to the airport in a secured truck.
 

MikeyK72

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
It was. The service was run by Bags, Inc, not Mears.
Thanks for the info. So sounds like even though the contract with Mears is ending, Disney could bring this back if they wanted to bring this back.

IMO, this kind of customer service was the sort of thing that set Disney apart from the rest. Granted services like this cost them money, but I think they need to spend money to keep that customer service reputation intact.

At this point, with all of the take aways coupled with items that once were free but now they now nickel and dime us for, I wonder what they teach at the Disney Institute? :)
 

harryk

Well-Known Member
Thanks for the info. So sounds like even though the contract with Mears is ending, Disney could bring this back if they wanted to bring this back.

IMO, this kind of customer service was the sort of thing that set Disney apart from the rest. Granted services like this cost them money, but I think they need to spend money to keep that customer service reputation intact.

At this point, with all of the take aways coupled with items that once were free but now they now nickel and dime us for, I wonder what they teach at the Disney Institute? :)
This was the best feature that was offered for guests who had to catch a flight to get back home. We can deal with picking up our own luggage at MCO, catching a cab, etc. to get to the hotel we have selected - but not having to deal with airport check-in of luggage was super when departing. Just having to deal with carry-on was great. I can see no reason for Disney not to bring the airport check-in back. It was only there a few hours in the morning - but it made all the difference. But, as you will see, if you have not seen already - the Lion King Festival has been abridged and many other 'shows' have had the same cuts. I'm sure that 'covid' will be blamed - just another cop-out for cost cutting. However, prices have not come down - up UP UP is the operable word.
 

Mickey5150

Well-Known Member
DME and airline check in are the one thing I'm surprised Disney did not start charging for. Once they started charging for parking I figured they could easily charge for DME and then no one could complain they were paying for something they weren't using. I'd pay $50+ a person for luggage and bussing.
 

mattpeto

Well-Known Member
You just hope that somebody has their ear about losing DME. Out of all the changes, this by far is the worst. (At least Disney Enchantment is good, even if it's not HEA).

It's really a brutal blow for families.
 

MikeyK72

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
You just hope that somebody has their ear about losing DME. Out of all the changes, this by far is the worst. (At least Disney Enchantment is good, even if it's not HEA).

It's really a brutal blow for families.
Yep, DME coupled with the resort's airline check-in was a huge convenience since you didn't really have to deal with your checked bags.

I've said this already, but when traveling with golf clubs it was a game changer. We'd leave our clubs at the skycap at our airport and then because of DME they magically appeared in our room later that day. And when going home, just needed to bring them to the resort airline check-in. That was magical!

We've been through one trip already (just this past August) without the airline check-in and really felt the pain of lugging the clubs back to MCO. Not looking forward to that again when we go in a couple of weeks (10/23).
 

Register on WDWMAGIC. This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.

Back
Top Bottom