Disney wants more guests checking bags at its hotels
http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/business_tourism_aviation/2007/09/disney-wants-mo.html
http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/business_tourism_aviation/2007/09/disney-wants-mo.html
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Disney wants more bags at its hotels
- Thread starter Carolwood
- Start date
sweetpee_1993
Well-Known Member
Well then, I'll be happy to oblige when we go in December. 
RiversideBunny
New Member
From the article-
"only about 800,000 of those passengers will also have made use of the airline-check-in option, which allows them to obtain boarding passes and drop off their bags while still at their hotel."
We were going to check our bags at our Disney hotel for the return trip but the computer had picked us at random to undergo a special security check at the airport, so we had to take our bags on the DME bus and check them in manually.
Turns out that we got through the security line faster than most people because we had a special group of screeners.
:king: :king:
"only about 800,000 of those passengers will also have made use of the airline-check-in option, which allows them to obtain boarding passes and drop off their bags while still at their hotel."
We were going to check our bags at our Disney hotel for the return trip but the computer had picked us at random to undergo a special security check at the airport, so we had to take our bags on the DME bus and check them in manually.
Turns out that we got through the security line faster than most people because we had a special group of screeners.
:king: :king:
flynnibus
Premium Member
miles1
Active Member
The representative at the Jet Blue counter at our home airport tried to discourage us from checking our bags with DME for the trip home. He said they've had a lot of bags that didn't make the flight if you check them in too late. The rep made me paranoid, so I awoke at 5:30 on the day we left so that I could check in with DME by 6:00 for our 11:20 flight home. Since the bus left the hotel at 8:10, we still didn't have enough time to go to the parks.
Disney may be trying to boost usage, but somebody had better tell the participating airlines.
Disney may be trying to boost usage, but somebody had better tell the participating airlines.
Tinkrbell
Active Member
We'd use resort check in, except Midwest isn't one of the airlines that do that. I noticed the line for resort check in at Pop was quite long, but the lin to check in for Midwest at the airport was only 2 people (us & someone else who had been on the bus with us) when we got there.
Tinkershelly
Member
"Craig Mateer, president of Bags Inc., said his company has been granted approval from the U.S. Transportation Security Administration to begin processing travelers on international flights. Now it's a matter of working through security details and other logistics with the airlines."
Well, this makes me happy! It won't be in time for our trip in 18 days, but I'd gladly use this service if it was available for international departures.:animwink:
Well, this makes me happy! It won't be in time for our trip in 18 days, but I'd gladly use this service if it was available for international departures.:animwink:
DABIGCHEEZ
Well-Known Member
Just a heads up if not already mentioned..... you don't have to be going through Magical Express to check your bags in at the hotel. We had a rental car and used it this time and it was great not having to lug 7 suitcases to the car and then throught the airport. Got our boarding passes right in hotel and gate checke the car seat and stroller. Very convienentand had no problems with my luggage arriving. Problems with other passengers yes but not luggage. :wave:
spaceghost
Well-Known Member
Southwest is the big one to get on board really. We flew SW and would have loved to use the bag checking system on the return trip. Its great to hear that both sides want this to happen and that it should be happening before my next trip.
I used DME for the first time yesterday, at the end of my vacation. I usually don't use DME because I rent a car or use one of my parents', since they live in the area. However, unplanned circumstances caused us to not have transportation to the airport as we had expected, so we discovered a few things...
1) The bag check-in, and the transportation aboard DME are separate. You can use one without the other. So, I'd say use the check-in even if you have a rental car, so that you don't have a lug your baggage.
2) You can catch DME, if you are using it, from wherever you wish. Say, for example, you're staying at All-Star Music, but eating lunch at Chef Mickey's on your last day before heading to the airport. Just book a DME pickup at the Contemporary after checking your bags in at ASMusic in the morning.
3) DME will get you to airport too early if you follow their schedule and use the bag check-in. We arrived about 2 hours before our flight. With bags already checked-in, that was about 60 minutes earlier than reasonably necessary. However, that's a small nit, and not a really big problem.
4) Second downside is that the bag check-in has, by and large, been moved to outside (covered) locations at the resorts in an effort to remove crowds from the lobby. Of course, that means it is hot as you-know-what while waiting for the woman in front of you to check in 10 bags on her own and then get mad that should couldn't get the boarding passes for her husband, parents and teenage children who were not present.
5) You can sign up for DME up to the night before your departure. So don't worry if you didn't give Disney your flight info before the trip. Just call the number listed in your room, and they'll get you taken care of.
6) One non-Disney like moment -- the bus actually had a sign that said "Tips are appreciated for exceptional service" or something like that. Never seen such an outright request for tips like that at Disney.
1) The bag check-in, and the transportation aboard DME are separate. You can use one without the other. So, I'd say use the check-in even if you have a rental car, so that you don't have a lug your baggage.
2) You can catch DME, if you are using it, from wherever you wish. Say, for example, you're staying at All-Star Music, but eating lunch at Chef Mickey's on your last day before heading to the airport. Just book a DME pickup at the Contemporary after checking your bags in at ASMusic in the morning.
3) DME will get you to airport too early if you follow their schedule and use the bag check-in. We arrived about 2 hours before our flight. With bags already checked-in, that was about 60 minutes earlier than reasonably necessary. However, that's a small nit, and not a really big problem.
4) Second downside is that the bag check-in has, by and large, been moved to outside (covered) locations at the resorts in an effort to remove crowds from the lobby. Of course, that means it is hot as you-know-what while waiting for the woman in front of you to check in 10 bags on her own and then get mad that should couldn't get the boarding passes for her husband, parents and teenage children who were not present.
5) You can sign up for DME up to the night before your departure. So don't worry if you didn't give Disney your flight info before the trip. Just call the number listed in your room, and they'll get you taken care of.
6) One non-Disney like moment -- the bus actually had a sign that said "Tips are appreciated for exceptional service" or something like that. Never seen such an outright request for tips like that at Disney.
PhilharMagician
Well-Known Member
That is because DME service has been contracted to Mears. It is not run by Disney. I do however tip them for handling my bags since most people do not.
I am glad to hear about Southwest coming on board with the resort check-in. I have used resort check-in twice with Delta and have not had any problems. Since I fly Southwest 90% of the time this will make the trip that much more enjoyable for us. I hope they fast track this and have Southwest in place for late 07'.
Unplugged
Well-Known Member
(This reply is intended for all non-frequent flyers. Just using your posting as an example Miles1. :wave
The Jet Blue rep did you a huge favor by disclosing that. I travel a lot on business and there is a lot of "monkey business" when it comes to baggage handling. For example, if you check in too early for you flight, your bags may get put on an earlier flight. This means if your flight is canceled and you're stuck (not that being in Orlando is stuck by any means) overnight, you may not have any bags as they're already waiting for you at home!
Disney can provide contracted services such as DME, but no matter what anyone wants to say here, they cannot control the actual events and timing that transpire for the DME, TSA, airline, and weather.
My recommendation from all the travel I do, is if your flight is at 11:20A, don't go to the parks. You can incur delays, a bus breakdown, practically anything. Then, if you still make it to the airport, you could encounter long security lines due to a convention at a location in Orlando other than at Disney. If you miss your flight, whose fault is it then? (Hint: Yours :brick:.) Go to the airport a little early to keep your stress down and ensure your vacation memories are all positive. Don't be the one who went home with a travel horror story due to your own mis-planning. Bad things happen even when we plan well.
When I'm on business, if I depart a customer site late for a flight and push my luck, it's typically not by choice. Additionally, with my status on the airlines I know how to work the system to get priority seating on the next flight (that can mean the airline will bump standby passengers with a lesser status :lookaroun). Other options include my simply owning up to the fact that I may be stuck (this is my default so any departure is a good departure). Of course, being on business travel, business is paying for forced incursions on my itinerary. So keep that in mind as well.
Good luck to all to press their luck with air travel. :wave:
OneLuckyMom
New Member
That's true - IF the bus shows up. We were scheduled for an 8:15 pickup at Pop yesterday, along with a bunch of other folks. That bus never came. The 8:45 bus then showed up, but because the 8:15 AND 8:45 folks were all now waiting, only about half the people could fit onto the bus. The driver had to call for another bus to come get the rest, which I'm sure took awhile to get there.
I thought all of the problems with DME buses just not showing up had been resolved in the early months of the service, I was surprised to have to deal with it :hammer: And it really iritated me that the driver didn't give a flip about the problem when I told him about it - until he realized there were too many people to fit on the bus and several of them got really ed about it, that is.
We also had problems with the bag check in service. For some reason, they couldn't print the boarding passes for our second flight, which meant we had to check in at the airline counter after all. The airline had no clue what problem the Disney folks had, the boarding passes printed just fine for them....
So in the end, we ended up not having more than a few minutes of extra time at the airport. We weren't rushed, but we didn't sit around a long time either. If you are taking DME, keep to that 3 hour window. You don't know what surprises they are going to throw your way.
GenerationX
Well-Known Member
Ditto. We just used this today. Extremely convenient. We were able to drop off our checked bags and get our boarding passes (all done quickly and efficiently) without using DME. We returned our rental car without having to load up a cart full of heavy bags. Our bags took the same flight we did and arrived no problem.
(This reply is intended for all non-frequent flyers. Just using your posting as an example Miles1. :wave
The Jet Blue rep did you a huge favor by disclosing that. I travel a lot on business and there is a lot of "monkey business" when it comes to baggage handling. For example, if you check in too early for you flight, your bags may get put on an earlier flight. This means if your flight is canceled and you're stuck (not that being in Orlando is stuck by any means) overnight, you may not have any bags as they're already waiting for you at home!
Interesting. Since 911, I have had every airline that I have flown tell me that new laws require the passanger to fly with their luggage. Airlines can not intentionally send a passangers luggage on an earlier flight. Thats why if you want to go standby on an earlier flight, you must carry your luggage with you to the gate. Its happened to me far too often at Burbank (Bob Hope) Airport. One time my large bag was too big to fit through the xray machine, so I had to wait outside of the gate area until I could check in. They would not check my bag earlier because of this issue.