Control freaks and DME

[sylw]

We have been to WDW several times, but also rent a car at the airport and pick up our luggage ourselves. We are not renting a car this time and I am having a hard time getting over the fact that someone else will be responsible for picking up my luggage. How will they know how many I have? I just want to relax and not worry but I think I'll have a hard time checking in to the hotel and just casually heading off to a park or DTD until I see my luggage. Isn't that crazy? Please help me calm down!

This is their job, they've been doing it for years, even when things do go wrong, they are taken care of quickly...any of that?

 

[babyrich]

We have been to WDW several times, but also rent a car at the airport and pick up our luggage ourselves. We are not renting a car this time and I am having a hard time getting over the fact that someone else will be responsible for picking up my luggage. How will they know how many I have? I just want to relax and not worry but I think I'll have a hard time checking in to the hotel and just casually heading off to a park or DTD until I see my luggage. Isn't that crazy? Please help me calm down!

This is their job, they've been doing it for years, even when things do go wrong, they are taken care of quickly...any of that?

We have used DME every trip and never had a problem. If you are worried about them gettting all your bags, write on the tag 1 of X, 2 of X and so on. DME is so convenient.

We get to the resort and check in, we head to a park, I call later to find out our room assignment (if they didnt have it available), and we head back and find our luggage in our room. Its great. Calm Down!!!!

 

[sam_gordon]

From what I understand, when you "check in" @ DME, you tell them how many bags you have.

Also, as long as the yellow tags are on the bag, I'd feel VERY safe that as long as the bags make it to MCO, they'll make it to the resort.

 

[momeeyore]

How will they know how many I have?

When you go to the DME line to get on your bus, they ask for your voucher that you get in the mail and the number of bags that you have. That is how they know how many to expect and if there is a problem with a lost bag from the airline.

I am a control freak too, but this is one service that I just love. I figure the airline is more likely to lose my luggage than Disney.

 

[tjmw2727]

I have used it many, many times andIMHO the Luggage Delivery feature is the best part of DME That said you should always travel with 24 hours of necessities in case the airline causes a delay or misroutes your bags. For us its a quick change of clothes, toiletires, mediicines and valuables.

When you get to the DME area there will be CM's checking you in, they will make note of how many checked bags you have and if all of them are tagged with the yellow DME tags.

It can take up to 4 even 5 hours after you check in to get your bags so be ready for that. We do head to a park, DTD or even the pool and haven't yet been in the room when our bags arrived.

Alternately you can leave the tags off your checked bags and bring them to the DME bus. The driver will store them under the bus for you and retreive them at the resort (a tip will be expected). If your room isn't ready then bell services will store your bags for you while you head out (another tip). When you arrive back you can either have bell services deliver your bags or pick them up at bell services (another tip).

 

[sylw]

Thanks! I feel much better! And writing 1 of X is a great tip! Thanks!

 

[Desnik]

I am a control freak and I freely admit it!
We travel with carry ons only because I will not check our bags. Then for DME we have our own bags with us all the time. I have our packing down to a science plus we have an owner's locker with all our toiletries and other stuff so fitting what we need in carry ons isn't an issue. With that said, DME really does do a good job with their system. On one of our trips we were traveling with family & their bags were lost but DME got them to them the same night of arrival. So yeah loosing your bags can happen, but DME will do their best to get them to you quickly. It's usually the airlines that screw up, not DME. But, for me, after having our bags lost on a few occasions it's just not worth the worry or risk.

 

[Minnesota!]

We have used DME at least 5 times...and it's fantastic!

Nothing to worry about - they transport 1000's of pieces a day!

FWIW - I have never ever had anyone ask me how many suitcases I had. YMMV..

 

[aubriee]

As an AP holder, I go to WDW 4-6 times a year and have used DME every single trip, since the very first week it was in existence. Yeah, I was one of the original guinea pigs that first week. It's a great service and I have never had a problem. I get off the plane, head to the DME podium on the first floor, check in, tell them how many bags I checked, then go get on the bus. After checking in at the hotel, I check out my room if it's ready, if not, I catch a bus to a park. When I return that night, my bags are always sitting there waiting for me. Again I've used them 4-6 times a year since the very first week DME started so easily over 30 times and have never had a problem.

 

[SDSorority]

We have been to WDW several times, but also rent a car at the airport and pick up our luggage ourselves. We are not renting a car this time and I am having a hard time getting over the fact that someone else will be responsible for picking up my luggage. How will they know how many I have? I just want to relax and not worry but I think I'll have a hard time checking in to the hotel and just casually heading off to a park or DTD until I see my luggage. Isn't that crazy? Please help me calm down!

This is their job, they've been doing it for years, even when things do go wrong, they are taken care of quickly...any of that?

We have never had a problem and we are TOTAL control freaks. Ok, it's really only ME that's the control freak in the family... but seriously, we never ever had a problem, and our luggage made it to our room within an hour of LANDING! I was actually in my room taking a shower one time when bell services came and delivered our luggage... just about 30 minutes after we checked in! I heard DH talking to someone (thinking he was on the phone or something??) and when I came out, our luggage was on the bed and he was starting to put stuff away.

That's not to say that every time will be that fast... but we have always been pleased when we have used them.

Though, now we rent a car and don't check bags so we don't really worry about it anymore, but I wouldn't hesitate to recommend DME!

 

[disneybliss2]

Total control freak and worry wart here! As other posters have stated, DME will ask for your vouchers and will know how many bags you have. All of your bags will be tagged with your resort tags. I am more worried about the airlines losing our luggage when we switch to our connecting flights. We have never had any trouble with DME. It's a great, free service to take advantage of.

 

[lurkernj]

Control freak here too, and that's what I like about DME. I don't have to worry about it. I am very OCD before a trip, but once I get on the plane, I want to start relaxing. I feel that I work hard planning my trip and now it's time to enjoy the fruits of my labor. I love that I don't have to go to get my own luggage or drive myself and worry about directions, getting lost etc. It's time to let go.

 

[dburg30]

You trust the airlines to get your luggage on the correct plane, but have a problem relying on WDW to get your bags to the right resort? Worst case once at WDW is that the bags goto the wrong resort or are at MCO.. Worst case on the the airlines is they wind up 1/2 a country away from you...

And if they do put your bags on the wrong plane at your home airport and you arent letting WDW deal with your bags, guess who gets stuck at the airport chasing them down? Yep, YOU..

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

also if you are worried about lost luggage make sure to pack one or two outfits in another piece of luggage. I always pack a few of my thing in my husband suitcase or if my sister is the one traveling with me I put them in her bag and vice versa. You never know and I don't want to be catch off guard.

 

[mnosky]

I wouldnt bother with 1 of 1, 1 of 2 etc. as a type A myself, our first trip using DME, we didnt get the luggage tags and I was dying. I attempted to replicate them myself and had these yellow tags that said DME and our hotel on our luggage and then had a sample to show them at the DME desk - I really think they were trying not to laugh at me. They said they go completlely bu the airline barcodes because they could miss the DME tags or people could forget them - thats just more like an extra safety net. So they seem pretty organized.

Our luggage took something like 5 hours after us and we waited in line 2 hours for the bus and so that was only one of 2 times I've done DME but that's another story...

 

[LittleStinkerbelle]

I am a control freak and a worrier but we've used DME's luggage service many times with no issues. With that said, I always (for Disney and other destinations) pack a couple days of clothes in my carry-on, along with anything that would be really hard to replace on the fly (like my shoes because I'm an odd size, or my bathing suit because I'm so picky ).