Disney's Magical Express/RAC - What "Participating Airline" Really Means!

[goofy4tink]

Originally Posted by Minnie Lor

So is there usually a mile long at 5 am for the RAC? My flight is at 8:20. Should I even bother with the RAC or am I going to waste precious time by going to RAC?

I can't say for sure how long the lines will be.....I have been there at 5:30 or so and I was the only one. I would get there right at 5:00, just to be on the safe side. If you are returning on DME you will most likely have a pickup time of about 5:30 or so. Have everyone ready to go, and be at the bus stop. You can go to RAC, get the bags taken care of and get the boarding passes. As long as the rest of your group is at the bus stop you should be fine.
Otherwise, just take your bags to the airport with you and go it the 'old-fashioned way'.

[Minnie Lor]

Originally Posted by goofy4tink

I can't say for sure how long the lines will be.....I have been there at 5:30 or so and I was the only one. I would get there right at 5:00, just to be on the safe side. If you are returning on DME you will most likely have a pickup time of about 5:30 or so. Have everyone ready to go, and be at the bus stop. You can go to RAC, get the bags taken care of and get the boarding passes. As long as the rest of your group is at the bus stop you should be fine.
Otherwise, just take your bags to the airport with you and go it the 'old-fashioned way'.

Good point. Probably not enough time to check in with RAC and then go back to room. Yikes! maybe we should just stay up all night.

[kxmeeh]

I am looking for an update on us airways. first post still says on available in deluxes and in test phase. someone said, a few posts back, they used at por and it is a part of airline check-in now. can anyone confirm?

[jagar100]

Originally Posted by Chip 'n Dale Express

[*]Bags may be checked starting at 12 hours prior to flight, up until no later than 3 hours prior to flight departure time. (Bag check process must be COMPLETE by the 3hr mark, regardless of what time the guest gets in line) Please note that this information is subject to change without notice. There have been times when the 3hr mark has been increased to 4hrs. Please check with your particular RAC desk for more details.[*]Although policy is that they can check luggage starting 12hrs prior to flight, some RAC desks may check luggage greater than the 12 hour mark (still same day only). Again, please check with your particular RAC desk for more details.[*]Desk is open from 5am-1pm, daily.

I'm a little confused about the RAC. We have to check our luggage at least 3hours before the flight? RAC is at the airport, correct? I guess I'm confused about what RAC is and their purpose. If we don't have to be at the airport until 2 hours before our flight, why does RAC require you to be there 3 hours, or up to 12 hours before??? Please clarify, we are flying a participating airline, and will be using DME.

[goofy4tink]

Originally Posted by jagar100

I'm a little confused about the RAC. We have to check our luggage at least 3hours before the flight? RAC is at the airport, correct? I guess I'm confused about what RAC is and their purpose. If we don't have to be at the airport until 2 hours before our flight, why does RAC require you to be there 3 hours, or up to 12 hours before??? Please clarify, we are flying a participating airline, and will be using DME.

RAC is at the resorts! You will find it, usually, in resort lobbies. So, grab your checked luggage and head down to the RAC counter at your resort, at least 3 1/2 hrs before flight departure. If your flight departs at 8:00 or earlier you are not going to be able to use RAC.
Hope that explains it a bit better.

[luckytobeme88]

My sister's family will be flying in Orlando about 11:20 am on July 20th. We have a lunch rsvp @ DTD ~ 2:00pm with them. Do you think they can make the lunch with ME transportation to AKL then the WDW bus to DTD by 2 ?

[goofy4tink]

Originally Posted by luckytobeme88

My sister's family will be flying in Orlando about 11:20 am on July 20th. We have a lunch rsvp @ DTD ~ 2:00pm with them. Do you think they can make the lunch with ME transportation to AKL then the WDW bus to DTD by 2 ?

If their flight is on-time, they 'should be' at AKL by 12:30-12:45. They could be at the bus by 1:15 and hopefully in DTD by just before 2:00. It may be tight. I like to have a good 4 hrs from the time I touch down to any ADRs I may book on arrival day. If you take the average of 70 mins to get to the resort, then about 20 mins to checkin, that's going to put you at 1:00, best case scenario. The buses to DTD tend to be less frequent at the resorts and it can take as much as 45 mins to get there...wait for bus included.

[luckytobeme88]

Diane, thanks for the quick response. I think I might just have to wait for them to check in and drive to Downtown together..

[rockin_rep]

I apologize if this has been asked, and it probably has but i haven't found it.

I'm still a little fuzzy on what we do when we have an 1100 check out (all stars) but 500ish flight.

Can we check our luggage w/luggage services at 1100 and spend the day away from the resort (like at DD or Boardwalk or anywhere) and then just find our way to the ME without our luggage? Or do we have to come back to the resort and pick up our luggage and physically place it on the ME?

I did read the first post but still am unsure... (but it has been a really LONG day and week... )

TIA.

[Dopey Sharon]

Originally Posted by rockin_rep

I apologize if this has been asked, and it probably has but i haven't found it.

I'm still a little fuzzy on what we do when we have an 1100 check out (all stars) but 500ish flight.

Can we check our luggage w/luggage services at 1100 and spend the day away from the resort (like at DD or Boardwalk or anywhere) and then just find our way to the ME without our luggage? Or do we have to come back to the resort and pick up our luggage and physically place it on the ME?

I did read the first post but still am unsure... (but it has been a really LONG day and week... )

TIA.

Yes, you store your bags with bell services, go do whatever you want for the day. Head back to your resort about an hour before your scheduled ME pickup time, go to bell services (usually located outside by the pickup site), get your bags. When the ME bus comes, you take your bags and give them to the driver. He will put them under the bus, and you board. When you get to the airport, get off at your side (A or B). The driver will have already started to unload the luggage for the people. Find yours, give the guy a tip (we usually give him $1 a bag), and head into the airport, or to the curb to check your luggage.

[rockin_rep]

Originally Posted by Dopey Sharon

Yes, you store your bags with bell services, go do whatever you want for the day. Head back to your resort about an hour before your scheduled ME pickup time, go to bell services (usually located outside by the pickup site), get your bags. When the ME bus comes, you take your bags and give them to the driver. He will put them under the bus, and you board. When you get to the airport, get off at your side (A or B). The driver will have already started to unload the luggage for the people. Find yours, give the guy a tip (we usually give him $1 a bag), and head into the airport, or to the curb to check your luggage.

Thank you so much, i appreciate it.

Also, i've read about a 'departure notification letter' that you bring with you to the bus.

When and from where do you receive that?

This is our first time; we usually drive so i appreciate the help very much.

[Dopey Sharon]

Originally Posted by rockin_rep

Thank you so much, i appreciate it.

Also, i've read about a 'departure notification letter' that you bring with you to the bus.

When and from where do you receive that?

This is our first time; we usually drive so i appreciate the help very much.

Before I forget...we also tip the bells services guys $1 a bag when we drop them off and when we pick them up...

When you receive your package from ME, it will include the yellow luggage tags that you put on each piece of checked luggage and a booklet that has your flight information, both ways, and also your vouchers for the bus. When you arrive in Orlando, you go down to the third floor to the ME desk, give them the booklet that have the vouchers. They will stamp each one and give you that booklet back.

The day before you check out, you will get a paper slipped under your door with your ME pick up time. If you should happen to lose your ME booklet that contain your vouchers, you give the ME bus driver that paper. You only need to use that paper if you don't have your vouchers.

[xrayvin]

Originally Posted by mickey2000

If your not using ME (rental car) can you still check your bags in at the resort for the trip home?
Sorry if this was already answered !!
THANKS!

The answer to this was "Yes, you can. DME and Resort Airline Check-in are 2 separate entities. You are free to choose to use one or the other or both."
But I had read earlier in the post that you can not use this as a lugguge service. I also read that if you check in (RAC) at say 8am and then spend the day doing whatever that you have to come back claim your bags (that were held from earlier) and have them put in the ME (under bus) and get on the ME .

All these answers confuse me

We are trying to decide on renting a car, if we do my sister and family would ride back to the airport with us (7 people). There is NO way we can have all 7 of us and our lugguge in the car. We are trying to figure out if we can check our bags in and not have any luggage (other then carry ons) with us in the car. All of us are flying on participating airlines and staying at POFQ. Basically, once you check in for your flight do they take your luggage and the next time you see them is when you get home or do you still carry your bags after you have checked in?

I have already learned so much from this thread, this area just is a little hazy!

Thanks in advance

[CleveRocks]

Originally Posted by xrayvin

The answer to this was "Yes, you can. DME and Resort Airline Check-in are 2 separate entities. You are free to choose to use one or the other or both."
But I had read earlier in the post that you can not use this as a lugguge service. I also read that if you check in (RAC) at say 8am and then spend the day doing whatever that you have to come back claim your bags (that were held from earlier) and have them put in the ME (under bus) and get on the ME .

All these answers confuse me

You are confusing the 2 separate services, and lumping separate rules for each service into one big lump of rules for the whole thing. You gotta keep them separate. Confusing? Maybe ... but necessary.

Disney's Magical Express. Resort Airline Check-in. TWO separate services, with different rules for each.

Disney's Magical Express = round-trip bus ride (one on arrival day, one on departure day), and ONE-WAY luggage transfer from airport to resort on your arrival day only.

Resort Airline Check-in is something that exists only on your last day, the day you leave WDW and head for the airport. RAC is exactly like curbside check-in, except that it's in your WDW resort lobby and not at the curb at the airport. RAC has NOTHING to do with the DME bus. RAC is ONLY checking in for your flight and checking your luggage through to your final destination. Again, RAC has nothing to do with whether or not you ride the DME bus. RAC is not part of DME. This is why for the way home, you can use RAC for your luggage whether or not you ride the DME bus.

So to review:
Arrival day luggage delivery from airport to resort is part of DME.
Departure day luggage delivery from resort to airport is part of RAC.
The bus ride in both directions is part of DME.

Originally Posted by xrayvin

We are trying to decide on renting a car, if we do my sister and family would ride back to the airport with us (7 people). There is NO way we can have all 7 of us and our lugguge in the car. We are trying to figure out if we can check our bags in and not have any luggage (other then carry ons) with us in the car. All of us are flying on participating airlines and staying at POFQ. Basically, once you check in for your flight do they take your luggage and the next time you see them is when you get home or do you still carry your bags after you have checked in?

Resort Airline Check-in is exactly like curbside check-in at the airport. WHen you use curbside check-in, they take your bags, and you don't even have access to them again until you see them at your home airport. It's 100% exactly the same with RAC.

So if you check your checked luggage with RAC, you don't need to retrieve those same bags at your resort later ... you wouldn't even be permitted to have access to them again! You probably read about someone using RAC and then storing their carry-ons with the resort, and that they'd need to get their carry-on bags back before boarding the DME bus. This wouldn't apply to your party -- I'll assume you'll have your carry-ons in the car with you.

Please don't hesitate to post again with any questions about this.

[Minnie Lor]

I like you Eric. You're in my book.