Magical Express Question

[Lucille]

If we fly on Frontier Airlines, I believe they are not a participating airline when it comes to baggage.

But can we still take the bus to and from the resort?

(Obviously we'd just get our bags ourselves as well and bring them with us to check in at the airport on the way home.)

 

[Nemo14]

If we fly on Frontier Airlines, I believe they are not a participating airline when it comes to baggage.

But can we still take the bus to and from the resort?

(Obviously we'd just get our bags ourselves as well and bring them with us to check in at the airport on the way home.)

Anyone flying into and out of Orlando International airport can participate in Magic Express both ways, and your luggage can be delivered to your resort through them. On the way back, you'll have to take your bags with you if your airline does not participate in the Resort Airline Check-In, which is not the same as Magic Express.

 

[dreamscometrue]

Yes, you can take Magical Express, and your luggage will be delivered to your resort upon arrival. When you depart, you'll have to take your bags on your M.E. bus since you can't do Resort Airline Check In. We fly to Canada, and we can't do Resort Airline Check In even if we fly a U.S. carrier, since our final destination is Canada. We simply have it on our bus and have to check it in at the airport.

 

[dmatt87]

We fly to Canada, and we can't do Resort Airline Check In even if we fly a U.S. carrier, since our final destination is Canada. We simply have it on our bus and have to check it in at the airport.

How come? I'm going to WDW for the first time next month... Are you saying that I can put the tags to check-in but not to check out? How come?

 

[Mukta]

How come? I'm going to WDW for the first time next month... Are you saying that I can put the tags to check-in but not to check out? How come?

Since you are traveling internationally, you have to take your luggage through customs yourself, both ways. Just like anytime you fly internationally.

 

[Monty]

How come? I'm going to WDW for the first time next month... Are you saying that I can put the tags to check-in but not to check out? How come?

Magical Express baggage handling only works going to WDW. If you're in Canada or the U.S., you receive the yellow tags and put them on your luggage and they will retrieve them at MCO and deliver them to your resort room. They don't sent tags outside North America any more.

On returning, baggage is only handled through a separate service called Resort Airline Check-in. RAC is only available on "participating airlines" and only for domestic U.S. flights. If you are not flying domestically, you just carry your own bags to the DME bus when you're leaving.

DME has never done baggage handling from resort to airport. Because it takes time and they might not get your bags there on time for your flight, it just isn't worth it. The RAC service is entirely separate and actually allows guests who are flying domestically on participating airlines to check in, get boarding passes and check their bags right at the resort. The rules only allow that for domestic flights, so coming back to Canada you wouldn't be eligible.

 

[Monty]

Since you are traveling internationally, you have to take your luggage through customs yourself, both ways. Just like anytime you fly internationally.

Not entirely true. Because Canadians can pre-clear U.S. Customs in our Canadian departure airports, we can use DME tags when traveling to WDW.

 

[Mukta]

Not entirely true. Because Canadians can pre-clear U.S. Customs in our Canadian departure airports, we can use DME tags when traveling to WDW.

That's awesome. I wish I could do that in more places. Customs can be such a hassle.

 

[Monty]

That's awesome. I wish I could do that in more places. Customs can be such a hassle.

We still have to go through Customs, we just do it here. So when we arrive at MCO, we don't need to take our bags through Customs there, so DME can retrieve them for us.

 

[NewfieFan]

Not entirely true. Because Canadians can pre-clear U.S. Customs in our Canadian departure airports, we can use DME tags when traveling to WDW.

Some flights do not clear customs until they hit Orlando (ex. we had a direct out of St. John's, NL and we had to claim our luggage and go through customs in Orlando). However, I still think you could use the yellow tags... b/c after we cleared customs we had to put our baggage back on the belt and pick it up in the usual baggage claim area of the terminal. (I was like, why can't I just keep my luggage now that I have it in my hands!?!) :shrug:

 

[dreamscometrue]

Magical Express baggage handling only works going to WDW. If you're in Canada or the U.S., you receive the yellow tags and put them on your luggage and they will retrieve them at MCO and deliver them to your resort room. They don't sent tags outside North America any more.

On returning, baggage is only handled through a separate service called Resort Airline Check-in. RAC is only available on "participating airlines" and only for domestic U.S. flights. If you are not flying domestically, you just carry your own bags to the DME bus when you're leaving.

DME has never done baggage handling from resort to airport. Because it takes time and they might not get your bags there on time for your flight, it just isn't worth it. The RAC service is entirely separate and actually allows guests who are flying domestically on participating airlines to check in, get boarding passes and check their bags right at the resort. The rules only allow that for domestic flights, so coming back to Canada you wouldn't be eligible.

Yeah, what he said ...great explanation.

 

[dreamscometrue]

Some flights do not clear customs until they hit Orlando (ex. we had a direct out of St. John's, NL and we had to claim our luggage and go through customs in Orlando). However, I still think you could use the yellow tags... b/c after we cleared customs we had to put our baggage back on the belt and pick it up in the usual baggage claim area of the terminal. (I was like, why can't I just keep my luggage now that I have it in my hands!?!) :shrug:

We thought the same thing when we went directly on CanJet once. We arrived at MCO, collected our luggage, did customs, had to drop off our bags while still at the airside terminal, but then had the choice to pick them up at the baggage carousel or let them be delivered. Since they had yellow M.E. tags, they were delivered to our resort as they typically are.

We've flown out of pre-clearance airports (there are 8 of them) and directly to MCO, and the yellow tags always 'work' that way as well.

Do other international guests have to take their luggage on the M.E. bus upon arrival? I ask this because an earlier post stated that no yellow tags shipped outside of North America anymore. We've had our luggage collected and delivered twice when yellow tags didn't make it prior to our departure. We just gave claim checks and description at M.E. counter. Actually, after reading a tip on these boards, we gave photos of our luggage at M.E. counter last time. I am curious as to what guests from the U.K., and other nations have to do.

 

[Monty]

Do other international guests have to take their luggage on the M.E. bus upon arrival? I ask this because an earlier post stated that no yellow tags shipped outside of North America anymore. We've had our luggage collected and delivered twice when yellow tags didn't make it prior to our departure. We just gave claim checks and description at M.E. counter. Actually, after reading a tip on these boards, we gave photos of our luggage at M.E. counter last time. I am curious as to what guests from the U.K., and other nations have to do.

Other International guests no longer get the yellow tags, but they can still use the service. It was probably my tip about taking a digital photo of your bags and printing it off . Guests can check in at DME and describe their bags [made easier with the printed photos] and provide their claim check stubs. DME will go and retrieve their bags and deliver them to their resort rooms just as they would for people using tags. It's not quite as seamless as with the tags, but still better than carrying them yourselves. :king:

 

[dmatt87]

Magical Express baggage handling only works going to WDW. If you're in Canada or the U.S., you receive the yellow tags and put them on your luggage and they will retrieve them at MCO and deliver them to your resort room. They don't sent tags outside North America any more.

On returning, baggage is only handled through a separate service called Resort Airline Check-in. RAC is only available on "participating airlines" and only for domestic U.S. flights. If you are not flying domestically, you just carry your own bags to the DME bus when you're leaving.

DME has never done baggage handling from resort to airport. Because it takes time and they might not get your bags there on time for your flight, it just isn't worth it. The RAC service is entirely separate and actually allows guests who are flying domestically on participating airlines to check in, get boarding passes and check their bags right at the resort. The rules only allow that for domestic flights, so coming back to Canada you wouldn't be eligible.

So if I get this straight...

1. I put the yellow tag on my bag
2. I pre-clear customs at my main Canadian airport
3. My bag gets picked up at MCO and delivered to my resort with DME

4. At check out, I bring my bag with me on the DME to MCO
5. I get my boarding pass and check my bag directly at MCO

If I'm correct then it should be simple.

 

[Rob562]

So if I get this straight...

1. I put the yellow tag on my bag
2. I pre-clear customs at my main Canadian airport
3. My bag gets picked up at MCO and delivered to my resort with DME

4. At check out, I bring my bag with me on the DME to MCO
5. I get my boarding pass and check my bag directly at MCO

If I'm correct then it should be simple.

Exactly correct, presuming you're flying from one of those airports that have the pre-clear option in Step 2.

-Rob

 

[Monty]

So if I get this straight...

1. I put the yellow tag on my bag
2. I pre-clear customs at my main Canadian airport
3. My bag gets picked up at MCO and delivered to my resort with DME

4. At check out, I bring my bag with me on the DME to MCO
5. I get my boarding pass and check my bag directly at MCO

If I'm correct then it should be simple.

Minor edit:

3. While I get off the plane, go straight to DME and board the bus without a care in the world, my bag gets picked up at MCO and delivered to my resort with DME

:animwink:

 

[Lucille]

The other two times we went to WDW in recent years, we checked our bags at the hotel on our way home. For this, we were told to be there approximately 3 hours before our flight departs to check our bags and get on the bus.

Will we still be told to be on the bus approximately 3 hours before our flight?

 

[Nemo14]

Yes, ME schedules your pic-up time at 3 hours before your flight time.

 

[dreamscometrue]

Ya know MontyMon, I think it was your tip to take the digital pics of the luggage to show at M.E..

 

[CleveRocks]

The other two times we went to WDW in recent years, we checked our bags at the hotel on our way home. For this, we were told to be there approximately 3 hours before our flight departs to check our bags and get on the bus.

Will we still be told to be on the bus approximately 3 hours before our flight?

To be safe, you want to go to the Resort Airline Check-in desk well before 3 hours prior to your flight.

By policy, the entire process must be completed in the computer by no later than exactly 3 hours before your flight time. If it is 2 hours 59 minutes before your flight time, the computer will not complete the transaction, and you'll need to take your luggage to the airport yourself and check-in at your airline's ticket counter (or curbside check-in if available).

The Disney's Magical Express bus pick-up time will be 3 hours +/- 15 minutes before your flight time. Since it's possible the bus time could be earlier than 3 hours before your flight, you don't want to be in the position to miss the bus because you're at the RAC counter right at the 3-hour-mark. The DME bus can and will leave without you if you aren't ready to board when it arrives.