what to pack for carryon if using ME?

[dani blaski]

I will be using the Magical Express this June for a conference at the Contemporary. We arrive at night so what should I include in my carryon since we are using ME and I am not sure what the turn around time will be on getting luggage? Also will be 7/almost 8 mos pregnant, if that matters in your decision making process:)
Appreciate your feedback ahead of time!

[dzorn]

If your are arriving late in the evening I would bring something to sleep in and wear the next day. Then have ME luggage delivered in the morning.

Denise

[Goofy_4_WDW]

I would also add your vitamins, and all you personal hygine items.

[PocahontasLookALike]

As a good rule of thumb, and when using ME, always pack in your carry on anything you will need in the next 24 hours...medications, hygiene stuff, pj's, undies...ya know?

[dani blaski]

thanks so much! I did not know the turnaround time with luggage delivery with ME if arriving in the evening. So your responses were helpful. Sounds like they may not bring it until the next day.

[JakeJoshMom]

If you can get to your luggage i would take it with me on the ME.
We did not and our 16 month old ran out of diapers...We arrived at 12:00 and at 9:00 pm we still did not have our luggage.
a CM suggested we always bring our luggage with us on the ME.

[PrincessJen09]

I thought part of the greatness that is ME was that they took care of the luggage? How do you get it otherwise?

[mom2bellaandlivi]

OH am I glad that I found this!! Does it really take them that long?? I read somewhere 2 to 3 hours.

[yellowfish78]

It's a "just in case" packing rule with ME.
...in case you arrive at 9pm, do you really want someone knocking on your door at 1am delivering luggage?
...in case the airline misplaces your luggage and ME can't find it until the next day.
...in case you're traveling at peak travel season and it just takes them longer to get it to you.

Some people prefer to get their own luggage at the airport and just take it with them on the bus themselves. Just leave off your ME tags.

[dani blaski]

do you think that someone would be able to assist me with the luggage? I will probably have a little bit a challenging time with the baby bump! I am going to be at a conference for a week ( so I have to pack business casual which IMHO takes more space than vacation casual) and I will have two rolling suitcases & a carryon bag for essentials, laptop,etc. Also, I really do not want to risk them losing the luggage since it is hard enough to find appropriate maternity clothing for work meetings and all else (if I had to go & buy something).

[JakeJoshMom]

We were there before the BUSY time (May 22, 2005) and it took forever to get our luggage.
Next time we will go to baggage and pick up our luggage and bring them down to the ME and load them up on the ME bus.
It took 7 hours to get our luggage and I really think that if my DH didn't call and tell them we needed diapers or our luggage we may not have gotten it until the next day.
There are some friends of my going in June and I suggested they get their luggage and load it on the ME.

[dani blaski]

i actually called the phone number listed for ME service through the website for the conference that I am attending. The rep that I spoke with said that if it took 9 hours it was more than likely the airlines fault (of course they would say that!). He suggested that I bring a carryon with what I will need for that night & the next day on the bus with me & check the rest of the luggage & let them receive it. He also said to let the front desk know that I would be calling in the morning when I wanted to recieve the luggage. That way they would not wake me up in the middle of the night.

[JakeJoshMom]

I hope our incident was not the norm.
When a CM from the CBR said he tells everyone to get their luggage and not let the hotel deliver it, I took it to heart.
Please let me know how it goes. I am all for packing a carry one with the items you will need for your arrival and 1st day.
Don't forget to carry on your prenatal vitamins.

[ZoZo]

A friend of mine used ME several months ago. She got to the hotel around 7:30 or 8:00 pm (after traveling all the way across country), and still didn't have her luggage when she went to bed around 10:00. Lo and behold, there was a knock on the door about 11:45: they were delivering her luggage! Woke her out of a sound sleep.

[CleveRocks]

Number one, the norm for DME luggage delivery IS 2-3 hours or so. Are there experiences outside the norm? Of course! But remember, these are exceptions, not the rules.

Number two, airlines delay about 10,000 pieces of luggage PER DAY in this country. Which leads me to ...

Number three, no matter where I fly, I ALWAYS pack a carry-on with 24 hours of supplies just in case the airline delays my luggage. It's just a smart, self-protective way to travel. And believe me, when we went to WDW with my daughter still in diapers, we had LOTS of extra diapers in her carry-on. We didn;t do this because of any possible DME delays, we did this because of possible AIRLINE delays. Like I said, we pack the same way no matter where we fly.

Number four, I think DME is wonderful. It's been around just over a year now, and averages between 6,000-10,000 users EACH DAY. I love the idea of not having to mess with my checked luggage. It's really quite magical.

Number five, if you think there's a risk of DME luggage delivery waking you up, then let the front desk/Bell Services know to hold your luggage until the next morning. Don't bother telling this info to the DME people at the airport, because once the luggage gets delivered to the resort it's the resort CMs that actually deliver the luggage to your room.

Number six, WHY DID I NUMBER THESE THINGS???

[CleveRocks]

do you think that someone would be able to assist me with the luggage? I will probably have a little bit a challenging time with the baby bump! I am going to be at a conference for a week ( so I have to pack business casual which IMHO takes more space than vacation casual) and I will have two rolling suitcases & a carryon bag for essentials, laptop,etc. Also, I really do not want to risk them losing the luggage since it is hard enough to find appropriate maternity clothing for work meetings and all else (if I had to go & buy something).
OK, I just had to laugh at this one a little bit. Disney offers to handle your checked luggage for you, so that you won't have to even see it or touch it, let alone carry it, from the time you check it at your home airport until the time it arrives inside your resort room. You don't want to use this service, which seems tailor-made for your situation, but want them to provide OTHER luggage assistance for you???

Seriously, think about what you're asking. No other hotelier in the country is going to offer you ANY type of luggage assistance from the airport to the hotel. Disney is offering it to you. For free. There have been over 2 million DME users since it was launched just over one year ago. If there were substantial problems with them losing luggage, they wouldn't still be offering the service (or have extended it through 2011), and we'd be reading about LOTS of problems.

DME has been wildly successful. It's natural for people to have anxiety about the unknown, but trust in the experience of many people on this board that the overall performance of DME has been outstanding.

[dani blaski]

Do you really feel compelled to flame people? I am simply asking for feedback, which I have receievd, so thank you very much. I do understand to tell the FRONT DESK at the hotel, why would I tell the DME check in desk? Hello? I was simply asking what is the turn around time in getting the luggage once DME retrieves it for you. I received my answer. Thanks again, so how did you sharing that you think my question is so stupid assist in providing information or more appropraitely clarifying the issue? Just wondering.

[CleveRocks]

Do you really feel compelled to flame people? I am simply asking for feedback, which I have receievd, so thank you very much. I do understand to tell the FRONT DESK at the hotel, why would I tell the DME check in desk? Hello? I was simply asking what is the turn around time in getting the luggage once DME retrieves it for you. I received my answer. Thanks again, so how did you sharing that you think my question is so stupid assist in providing information or more appropraitely clarifying the issue? Just wondering.
I really didn't mean to flame you at all. A lot gets lost in the translation between how I would speak the words I wrote and how they may come off to some people reading them. I was serious when I said it made me laugh -- well, chuckle a little -- to read that someone asked if there was any other way to get Disney to help with luggage from the airport other than DME. I honestly didn't mean my message in any mean-spirited way.

I actually thought, and think, that my post did help clarify. i can't see it in front of me now, but I think I quoted one of your posts asking if there was any other type of luggage assistance available to you other than DME. I answered your question. SO, you WERE asking more than, as you say, "simply asking what is the turn around time in getting the luggage once DME retrieves it for you." I answered the question that I quoted from you in the previous post.

Also, I never used the adjective "stupid" to describe anything you wrote. Nor do I think it. :goodvibes

Again, I can see how my words can be read in a very negative voice, and I apologize for that, but as I said that was never my intention. My intention was to share information -- you asked is there any other type of assistance available, and I shared that there was not, and that I thought the assistance Disney does provide was just perfect for you, and that others feel confident using said service. I think that I provided information and helped clairfy the issue, yes.

[deany]

I always pack a bathing suit in my carry-on no matter where I go. It can be very hard to find just the right bathing suit if your luggage was lost or delayed for a while. :dumbo:

[annie1995]

I would definately carry on a swim suit if you are arriving during the daytime, any medicine you might need, camera, PJ's if you are arriving at night, same thing for a tooth brush, and toothpaste. Thats about all we carried on. It took our bags a good 2-3 hours to get to our room. :goodvibes

[kimis]

We used ME the first time in February and we loved it. We (my DH and I) each had a carry on bag. In one bag we had the regular health and beauty needs and the other bag had an outfit a piece, pj's and a jacket. However we were fine. We checked in the POR around 4:00 P.M. and went to Downtown Disney to eat. We returned to the room by 6:30 p.m. and our bags were already there.
WE LOVED IT! WE ARE SO EXCITED THEY WILL BE KEEPING THE ME GOING!

[pouty_tink]

We used ME on our October trip and absoluelty loved the idea!! It worked well for us, we arrived about 1pm, and our room was actually all ready for us to check in. so we dropped off our carry ons, and went exploring POR (it was our first time at a moderate) by the time we got back to the room at 3 or so our luggage was there.

As a rule of thumb, and a fail safe, we packed a change of clothes and anything else we would need immediately. Had we not packed a carry on with these things.. our luggage wouldnt have come, just is our luck :goodvibes