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

[CleveRocks]

Originally Posted by PrincessMom4

I need some guidance for a friend who will be using the DME. She is coming from Canada with Westjet. Once she gets to OIA, what does she need to do?? do they get the luggage from baggage claim for her and load it onto the bus and deliver it to her room?? or does she load it onto the bus herself?? I need some help. This is her first time flying.

People who make a DME reservation get special yellow luggage tags in the mail. They put one on each suitcase they check with their airline. Whwn the bags arrive in Orlando, airport employees AND Disney cast members look at ALL the luggage to pick out the DME-tagged ones. This happens behind-the-scenes in the bowels of the airport, not out in public. DME-tagged bags are brought to pick-up locations and then are brought to Disney's luggage sorting facility located on the grounds of the airport.

Luggage is sorted by resort, then packed into cages, then those cages are loaded onto DME luggage delivery trucks. The trucks drop off the cages at the appropriate resorts. From there, a resort's Bell Services staff is responsible for delivering the bags to the inside of the guest's room, whether the guest is in the room or not. The Bell Services cast member receives a special extra payment from Disney in lieu of a tip ... so if the guest happens to be in the room when the luggage arrives, a tip isn't expected because the cast member is already receiving a tip from Disney.

During the journey between behind-the-scenes at the airport to the inside of the guest room, the barcode on each DME tag is scanned 5 separate times, and the delivery trucks are tracked by GPS. Disney knows where you bags are at all times.

If your friend is coming in from Canada, she needs to find out if she will clear U.S. Customs at her home airport or at MCO. If she clears Customs at her home airport, then everything will be exactly as above; when she arrives at MCO, she can just go directly to the Disney Welcome Center and check-in for DME, confident that her bags will be delivered to her room later, and that she won't need to sit in her room and wait for them because they'll be brought into the room whether she's in there or not (except if she hasn't yet checked into the room, of course).

But if she clears customs at MCO, she'll need to be with her luggage during that process. Immediately folloiwng that, however, there is a "bag drop" conveyor belt where she'll have the opportunity to return the luggage into the airport system so that DME can handle it from there. Or she can keep it with her and bring it with her herself to the DME counter. If she does this, she will bring her own luggage to the bus. The bus driver will load the bags under the bus, and upon arrival at the proper resort, the driver will unload the bags and your friend will have them immediately; in this case, a tip would be customary.

[goofy4tink]

Originally Posted by PrincessMom4

I need some guidance for a friend who will be using the DME. She is coming from Canada with Westjet. Once she gets to OIA, what does she need to do?? do they get the luggage from baggage claim for her and load it onto the bus and deliver it to her room?? or does she load it onto the bus herself?? I need some help. This is her first time flying.

I really don't know the answer. I would post this question on the main Transportation board...we have a fair number of Canadians who are familier with the process, but they may not find the question in this thread.

[PrincessMom4]

OMG, you are amazing. That was exactly what I was looking for an answer. My friend is flying out of the biggest airport in our province which has a US custom office in it. I guess she will clear customs there.

[goofy4tink]

Thanks Eric.....who knew we were posting at the same time. You rock.

[MGMBill]

Sorry, not sure if this has already been asked or not. Because we are arriving late in the day we are flying in a day early and staying at an airport hotel. I saw that you recommend to book another night at a Disney resort but we already paid for the one night and it is non refundable. My question is about catching the DME the next morning. We want to take the hotel shuttle bus back to the airport and then take the DME to the POFQ. I called the DME reservation line and they said that I just need to check in at the counter and everything would be fine. I have a reservation that day but not for a particular time. I even asked again to a different CM when I had to call back to change some information on my return flight information and they said the same thing. Is this correct? Or since there is no flight information could there be a problem. I want to try to catch the bus to POFQ by 6:30am so I can check in (I know the room won't be ready) and be at the park by opening.

Thanks
Bill

[goofy4tink]

Originally Posted by MGMBill

Sorry, not sure if this has already been asked or not. Because we are arriving late in the day we are flying in a day early and staying at an airport hotel. I saw that you recommend to book another night at a Disney resort but we already paid for the one night and it is non refundable. My question is about catching the DME the next morning. We want to take the hotel shuttle bus back to the airport and then take the DME to the POFQ. I called the DME reservation line and they said that I just need to check in at the counter and everything would be fine. I have a reservation that day but not for a particular time. I even asked again to a different CM when I had to call back to change some information on my return flight information and they said the same thing. Is this correct? Or since there is no flight information could there be a problem. I want to try to catch the bus to POFQ by 6:30am so I can check in (I know the room won't be ready) and be at the park by opening.

Thanks
Bill

The DME buses run all day, all night. So, yes, you can catch a bus at 6:30. You may not get to POFQ until close to 8 though. I would imagine that at that time of day, they will put more resorts on one bus...fewer people going so they won't want to send out 5 buses going to only 3 resorts each, with maybe only 6 people on each bus. But, you may get lucky and have a fast trip.
In any case, you don't need to have specific times to use DME. You have a room reservation that starts that day, you can use DME at anytime. Just take your bags and head over to the checkin area. Your bags will go under the bus you are on, and handed to you when you get to POFQ.

[MGMBill]

Originally Posted by goofy4tink

The DME buses run all day, all night. So, yes, you can catch a bus at 6:30. You may not get to POFQ until close to 8 though. I would imagine that at that time of day, they will put more resorts on one bus...fewer people going so they won't want to send out 5 buses going to only 3 resorts each, with maybe only 6 people on each bus. But, you may get lucky and have a fast trip.
In any case, you don't need to have specific times to use DME. You have a room reservation that starts that day, you can use DME at anytime. Just take your bags and head over to the checkin area. Your bags will go under the bus you are on, and handed to you when you get to POFQ.

Thanks for the answer. You certainly relieved my anxiety!

Bill

[SandyPA]

I am not sure if this is the right place to post this. but here it goes!

I am flying into orlando airport to then get a transfer to Fort Canaveral for a RC cruise as after the cruise a transfer back to Orlando Airport. My question is? how do I get from there to Disneyworld to our hotel. How do I go about getting on the disney express bus? Any info would be greatly appriciated ?
Sandy

[CleveRocks]

Originally Posted by SandyPA

I am not sure if this is the right place to post this. but here it goes!

I am flying into orlando airport to then get a transfer to Fort Canaveral for a RC cruise as after the cruise a transfer back to Orlando Airport. My question is? how do I get from there to Disneyworld to out hotel. How do I go about getting on the disney express bus? Any info would be greatly appriciated ?
Sandy

You need to make a reservation for Disney's Magical Express. If you booked the trip yourself, call 1-407-W-DISNEY and give them your Disney reservation number and tell them you need to add a Disney's Magical Express reservation.

When you get dropped off at the airport, proceed with your luggage to the Disney Welcome Center, where you'll have to check-in. They'll tell you what line to get in, and you'll soon board your Disney's Magical Express bus.

DME is free, but it isn't automatic ... you need to make that reservation.

[SandyPA]

Thanks for the info. I will call tomorrow since I did make my own Disney reservation. Question? While I am making that reservation for the bus do I make the return reservation to the Airport on the day we fly back?
This is our first time flying to Orlando and Disney. we always drove. Never needed to know all this information. also, since we are coming from a cruise, we will have 2 bags each and a carryon. is there a limit of luggage for the disney bus? I sure hope not.

[goofy4tink]

Originally Posted by SandyPA

Thanks for the info. I will call tomorrow since I did make my own Disney reservation. Question? While I am making that reservation for the bus do I make the return reservation to the Airport on the day we fly back?
This is our first time flying to Orlando and Disney. we always drove. Never needed to know all this information. also, since we are coming from a cruise, we will have 2 bags each and a carryon. is there a limit of luggage for the disney bus? I sure hope not.

You can give them your return info at the same time, or you can give it to them when you arrive at the DME checkin counter at MCO.
I guess my question would be this...are you returing to WDW after the cruise, as well as before the cruise? If so, then the 2 bags won't be an issue. They will just be loaded underneath the bus when you are picked up at your resort, then handed to you when you get to MCO.

[SandyPA]

OK, This is the plan. WE are flying down to Orlando airport by Southwest. where we will get picked up by RC shuttle and taken to Port Canaveral. 7 Days on Rc cruise ship. the Day we come back we will also get an rc shuttle back to Airport. We will then get our luggage off the bus and head for Disney express welcome center as you told me above. I will call to make all them plans so they are ready for us when we get to the airport. Disney express will take us to our resort. 5 days later we will have disney express return us to Orlando airport and fly home on southwest. I keep reading about Disney express and how they operate. Just hope all will go smoothly for us. Thanks for the info again.
Sandy

[pixleyyy]

OK, so I'm still unsure on DME. If we're flying home from MCO on Southwest then how do we check in? Does DME do it for us? Or do we have to find a computer to do it ourselves? And we'll be at the park 24 hours before (at MK) so is there anyway to do it from there?

[CleveRocks]

Originally Posted by pixleyyy

OK, so I'm still unsure on DME. If we're flying home from MCO on Southwest then how do we check in? Does DME do it for us? Or do we have to find a computer to do it ourselves? And we'll be at the park 24 hours before (at MK) so is there anyway to do it from there?

Southwest is not a "participating airline" with Resort Airline Check-in. DME will still give you a ride back to the airport, but they don't interface with your airline in any way. You are responsible for checking-in for your own flight.

If you are inside MK at your 24-hour mark, go to MK's Guest Services and they can help you check-in to try to get an "A" boarding card. This has nothing to do with DME.

[pixleyyy]

OK, so DME will give us a ride to the airport but we'll need to check our own bags in once we reach there?

They will pick our luggage up from baggage claim at the airport when we arrive, won't they?

Just trying to be prepared.