? about the whole DME process

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

Okay I just want to make sure I have it all down pat from everything I've read here and/or clear up any misconceptions or questions I have about the entire process.

We're leaving in a week.... June 13th. We're flying AA out of DFW pm.. arriving after 10pm at MCO

Okay so we go to DFW... do we NOT curbside check our luggage? Or is that part the same as always- just make sure we have the yellow DME tags on there too?

I'm assuming nothing special is done when checking into your own airline for the flight there- just make sure the DME tags are on there, right?

Then the flight as normal... arrive MCO after 10pm. I've heard on threads here that if you arrive late you need to RUSH (for some reason??) to a DME counter. Well... where exactly is that? I've also heard on threads here that Disney CM's are not always there to direct you- so I'm curious where it is that we're supposed to be rushing to?

Once we find that counter- we check in for the DME bus ride, correct? And they will get our luggage with yellow DME tags on them... (but the luggage won't be going on the bus with us)

We board the bus, wait for others to board, drive to various resorts and get off at our resort (with carryon luggage) and check in same as always... (correct me if I'm wrong anywhere here LOL)

Assuming our luggage will take several hours to arrive- I'm assuming I can let the front desk know if I want to be made aware when it's arrived (bring it to room or call me in room or something?) or if I want it to be brought to the room in the morning? (this will depend on exactly how tired I am at that point. I'm usually a nightowl type person but I have a feeling I'll be up all night the night before and well... a little stressed with the flight by myself with 3 kids -so I might be tired earlier than usual for me. LOL It will also depend on what time they'd bring it in the morning- I have heard tell on threads here that it's brought 5:30am, 6:30am, etc. I'm not keen on being woken up that early with our luggage brought to the room at that time- we don't intend on getting up EARLY any day during this trip!)

We have vouchers with our DME tags but they are only for the bus trip to the resort- assuming we get the return bus trip vouchers when we're leaving???

Return trip we simply turn in our luggage to someone at the resort and then be waiting for our bus ride back to the MCO before the designated time (apparently 3hrs before flight). We're flying AA- so do we do NOTHING from that point on with our luggage and it just gets taken there and checked in by Disney/DME or do we need to do something while there at the airport to make sure our luggage is coming home with us?

Walk me through this if I've assumed wrong on anything or missed a step in this process? I would sure appreciate it!

 

[safetymom]

Yes you do curbside luggage as usual. You receive return vouchers at your resort the night before.

It depends on what airline you are flying for your return trip whether or not you turn in your luggage at the resort not to be seen again until you land at your home airport. If your airline is a participating airline you can check in right at your resort. If it isn't then you will take your luggage on the ME bus and check in as usual with your airline at MCO.

 

[CleveRocks]

Okay so we go to DFW... do we NOT curbside check our luggage? Or is that part the same as always- just make sure we have the yellow DME tags on there too?

I'm assuming nothing special is done when checking into your own airline for the flight there- just make sure the DME tags are on there, right?

You fly out of your home airport as usual. The ONLY thing different is you have your DME tag on each piece of checked luggage. Your home airport knows nothing of DME and they don't have to. All the yellow tag means is when your luggage arrives "behind the scenes" at MCO it will be pulled before it reaches the baggage claim carousel, and will then be transported by van/truck to your resort.

Then the flight as normal... arrive MCO after 10pm. I've heard on threads here that if you arrive late you need to RUSH (for some reason??) to a DME counter. Well... where exactly is that? I've also heard on threads here that Disney CM's are not always there to direct you- so I'm curious where it is that we're supposed to be rushing to?

The DME counter is on the same level as the rental car counters. If there are no CMs upstairs in the airport to direct you, just look for signs for rental car counters. Also, I'm sure EVERYONE who works at MCO knows where the DME counter is. DME is supposed to be handling 5000-6000 people a day, so I'm sure it's a place many other people have asked about.

Once we find that counter- we check in for the DME bus ride, correct? And they will get our luggage with yellow DME tags on them... (but the luggage won't be going on the bus with us)

We board the bus, wait for others to board, drive to various resorts and get off at our resort (with carryon luggage) and check in same as always... (correct me if I'm wrong anywhere here LOL)

You're doing great ... keep going.

Assuming our luggage will take several hours to arrive- I'm assuming I can let the front desk know if I want to be made aware when it's arrived (bring it to room or call me in room or something?) or if I want it to be brought to the room in the morning? (this will depend on exactly how tired I am at that point. I'm usually a nightowl type person but I have a feeling I'll be up all night the night before and well... a little stressed with the flight by myself with 3 kids -so I might be tired earlier than usual for me. LOL It will also depend on what time they'd bring it in the morning- I have heard tell on threads here that it's brought 5:30am, 6:30am, etc. I'm not keen on being woken up that early with our luggage brought to the room at that time- we don't intend on getting up EARLY any day during this trip!)

If I were you, I would also call Bell Services when you get to your room and make your request directly to them (or talk to them directly if they're available in the lobby when you check in].

We have vouchers with our DME tags but they are only for the bus trip to the resort- assuming we get the return bus trip vouchers when we're leaving???

I have to disagree with Safetymom. When I arrived on May 8, we got our return DME bus voucher when we checked in at the DME counter upon arrival at MCO. I lost it by May 14, but the driver said that didn't matter. My name was already on his list, and he said all he needed to see was ANYTHING official from Disney with my name on it so I could prove I was me and that I was a Disney guest. I showed him my WDTC hotel voucher (one of those many papers you get in the mail) and he smiled and told me to get on the bus. I know the drivers aren't CMs, they're Mears employees, but the drivers I had each way were very CM-like.

Return trip we simply turn in our luggage to someone at the resort and then be waiting for our bus ride back to the MCO before the designated time (apparently 3hrs before flight). We're flying AA- so do we do NOTHING from that point on with our luggage and it just gets taken there and checked in by Disney/DME or do we need to do something while there at the airport to make sure our luggage is coming home with us?

If your airline is a "participating airline," you check your luggage at a specific place within your resort set up exactly for this function. Your baggage will be checked in and you will get your boarding passes; from that point, you won't see your checked bags again until they are on your home airport's baggage claim carousel. If you still have a long time until your flight, you can also SEPARATELY check your carry-on bags with Bell Services so they can store them while you go off and play for a while.

Walk me through this if I've assumed wrong on anything or missed a step in this process? I would sure appreciate it!

Done. You're quite welcome. Enjoy WDW!!!

-- Eric

 

[Nysie]

I just have one extra question- If the airline is not a participating airline, you still attach the DME tags to your luggage at your home airport, and Disney gets them to your resort? right? On the return, since the airline is NOT participating you can't check in at the resort, do you put the luggage on the bus to the airpot or do the drivers? and then you would get your bags at the airpot and check in yourself? Thanks!!

 

[seashoreCM]

If you arrive after 10 PM you should report to the ME welcoming area (lowest level A side) as quickly as possible so the CM's don't give up waiting for you.

A written confirmation of your ME reservation is best (photocopies of the baggage tags if you have them will do) but if just in case that does not arrive at least have the name of the person you talked to on the phone.

When you get to the resort if not sooner, get your ME airport return date and hour and vouchers (something in writing) as soon as you can. (Sometimes the soonest is the day before return.) It is important to be on time for the bus back to the airport, allow plenty of time to get back to the resort especially from Magic Kingdom.

If your airline is not represented at the resort, you bring your bags to the bus going back to the airport. The driver will put larger bags underneath, you carry very small bags into the bus. If you had to leave bags with the bellhop, get back to the resort earlier (some resorts require 45 minutes) in case the bellhop line is long.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/magicx.htm

 

[monica31671]

I'm a bit confused on another point.
I have a lay over in GA. Will I need to do anything with my luggage, or will I check it in at my home airport and not see it again until I arrive at Disney?
Sorry. I've never flown and I don't have my ME info yet. I'm guessing all of that info is in the package with my tags. I leave in two weeks and I'm a nervous wreck!
Thanks for all the help!

 

[paulmc80]

I'm a bit confused on another point.
I have a lay over in GA. Will I need to do anything with my luggage, or will I check it in at my home airport and not see it again until I arrive at Disney?
Sorry. I've never flown and I don't have my ME info yet. I'm guessing all of that info is in the package with my tags. I leave in two weeks and I'm a nervous wreck!
Thanks for all the help!

Not to worry about your baggage being checked all the way through to MCO. Your airlines should confirm your final destination and connecting flight information with you at check-in. They will also confirm with you that your baggage is being checked all the way through to MCO.

I can understand how this is a concern never having flown before.

 

[CleveRocks]

I just have one extra question- If the airline is not a participating airline, you still attach the DME tags to your luggage at your home airport, and Disney gets them to your resort? right? On the return, since the airline is NOT participating you can't check in at the resort, do you put the luggage on the bus to the airpot or do the drivers? and then you would get your bags at the airpot and check in yourself? Thanks!!

As long as you arrive at MCO by commercial airliner, your specially-tagged luggage will be transported to your WDW resort (if your bag has a DME tag, they pull it behind the scenes so it never even goes out on the baggage claim carousels).

I also flew on a non-participating airline, so I had to be involved with my luggage on the return trip. Check-out time is 11 AM, my pickup wasn't 'til 4 PM, so I had all my luggage (suitcases and carry-ons) picked up at my room by Bell Services and stored by my resort's Bell Services so I could go off and play. About 20 minutes before my scheduled pick up, I got Bell Services to get my bags for me. Including carry-ons, there were 12 bags for the 6 of us. The Bell Services CM brought it out to me on one of those large wheeled carts and told me to leave everything on there until the luggage was loaded. When the bus pulled up, I wheeled the cart to the driver, interacted with the driver, and when I asked he said he would take care of loading it onto the bus hold for me. The only thing I carried on to the bus was my camera bag.

As we neared MCO, the driver announced his request that everyone remain seated after our arrival and allow him to unload ALL of the luggage from the hold of the bus. This way, he explained, there wouldn't be crowds and lines and waiting, but rather everyone could just get off the bus and grab their luggage immediately. Because we had so many bags, I snagged a skycap to help us transport our luggage with us to the airline ticket counter, which was actually quite a hike! After it was all tagged by the airline, he wheeled it to the TSA/airline worker who fed them into the x-ray machine. So really, the last time I actually carried my luggage was, well, at my home airport when I got it out of the car to do curbside check in one week earlier!

I'm a bit confused on another point.
I have a lay over in GA. Will I need to do anything with my luggage, or will I check it in at my home airport and not see it again until I arrive at Disney?
Sorry. I've never flown and I don't have my ME info yet. I'm guessing all of that info is in the package with my tags. I leave in two weeks and I'm a nervous wreck! Thanks for all the help!

Whenever you change planes but remain on the same airline, you never have to even think about your luggage. It will all be transfered between airplanes behind the scenes.

A word about airlines and bags, not to mention DME. My advice to you is to pack in your carry-on everything you need for the first 24 hours of your vacation, just in case your baggage is delayed by the airline or by DME. I've seen people on these boards moan and wail that they arrived at MCO at 10:00 p.m. and had to go to sleep without PJs or medications. Delays can happen in any system! Be prepared so as not to let the delay affect you. All you need to keep in your carry-on is your toiletries, medications, sunscreen, change of clothes, PJs, and you're set. Chances are your stuff won't be delayed, but if it is it's great to be prepared. Think of it as like wearing your seat belt -- you've rarely NEEDED your seat belt in your life, but if you WERE wearing it when it was needed it was a true life-saver, wasn't it. So don't be scared when I talk about delays -- I'm just trying to help you to be ready for anything, since this is your first time flying.

For example, I arrived at MCO at 9:40 a.m., then at Caribbean Beach Resort at 10:30 a.m. I checked in, checked out the resort, got some lunch, then went back to our room and got our bathing suits and sunscreen out of our carry-ons and went to the pool for a while. Our luggage arrived around 2:30 p.m. when we were at the pool enjoying ourselves. Had we not had stuff in our carry-ons, we'd have been inconvenienced and annoyed. Instead, thanks to a little bit of planning and common sense, we had already started our vacation and didn't care when the suitcases rolled in!

-- Eric

 

[dizagain]

I'm a bit confused on another point.
I have a lay over in GA. Will I need to do anything with my luggage, or will I check it in at my home airport and not see it again until I arrive at Disney?
Sorry. I've never flown and I don't have my ME info yet. I'm guessing all of that info is in the package with my tags. I leave in two weeks and I'm a nervous wreck!
Thanks for all the help!

Don't worry! We had a two hour lay-over in Miami and our luggage was in our room two hours after we checked in. If you don't get your tags, I would definitely put some kind of matching LOUD ribbon or something on all of your luggage to help DME find it. HAVE A GREAT TRIP...DME WAS WONDERFUL FOR US!

 

[monica31671]

Thanks to everyone for helping me out! I hope each of you have a wonderful trip.
Someday I'll be the seasoned pro giving some poor new kid advice.

 

[Disneymomofsix]

As long as you arrive at MCO by commercial airliner, your specially-tagged luggage will be transported to your WDW resort (if your bag has a DME tag, they pull it behind the scenes so it never even goes out on the baggage claim carousels).

Something different happened with us. We inadvertantly did not tag one of our strollers. When my sister went to check on it, she discovered several pieces of our luggage on the baggage carousel. Some had apparently lost the tags after being checked in at Nashville. One still had the yellow tag. I assume that if we had not checked on the luggage, that piece would have eventually been pulled and put where it belonged, but I don't know about the other pieces.

I also flew on a non-participating airline, so I had to be involved with my luggage on the return trip. Check-out time is 11 AM, my pickup wasn't 'til 4 PM, so I had all my luggage (suitcases and carry-ons) picked up at my room by Bell Services and stored by my resort's Bell Services so I could go off and play. About 20 minutes before my scheduled pick up, I got Bell Services to get my bags for me. Including carry-ons, there were 12 bags for the 6 of us. The Bell Services CM brought it out to me on one of those large wheeled carts and told me to leave everything on there until the luggage was loaded. When the bus pulled up, I wheeled the cart to the driver, interacted with the driver, and when I asked he said he would take care of loading it onto the bus hold for me. The only thing I carried on to the bus was my camera bag.

We arranged for Bell Services to get our luggage from the room. The CM that got them was going off duty after taking our luggage to the front, but he told us that the next CM would load our luggage for us. He gave us the other person's name. The other CM brought all of our luggage to the bus, and he and the driver loaded everything together.

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

Okay- first, thanks to everyone who helped answered my (and others) questions on this thread! I appreciate it!

So another mention of "hurrying" when arriving after 10pm. I'm concerned about this hurrying business, especially when I'm hurrying to some place I don't even know where (and depending on CM's to be there to direct me isn't a real good chance of that happening- since I'm rushing in the first place so they won't leave me... doubtful that at that time of night they'll have CM's to direct you?) I just don't get why if we arrive shortly after 10pm we might be left or forgotten if we don't HURRY to the DME counter. They know we're coming...

Something different happened with us. We inadvertantly did not tag one of our strollers. When my sister went to check on it, she discovered several pieces of our luggage on the baggage carousel. Some had apparently lost the tags after being checked in at Nashville. One still had the yellow tag. I assume that if we had not checked on the luggage, that piece would have eventually been pulled and put where it belonged, but I don't know about the other pieces.

That's exactly what I'm afraid of. And the reason I'm afraid of that is because I've flown before (to FL and various other places) where when we checked in our luggage they just ripped off any other tags still on the luggage from previous trips. I'm concerned- might they not think that the yellow tags are tags from previous trips and just rip them off without reading them or understanding why they are on there??? Might this not happen at some point OUT of my view where I can't tell them hey- leave those on there? That's what I'm worried about... and obviously since we arrive after 10pm it's not like we have time to go wait by the baggage carousel to SEE if our luggage is there without the yellow tags- we're supposed to be hurrying to DME counter! Since, as I figured, our airline isn't involved at all with DME- they don't know why the yellow tags are there and might rip them off- right? How can I make sure they don't rip them off before they arrive at MCO?

*worry worry*

We are flying on AA on the way back and from what I have heard- that is a participating airline so that should make things easier on the return trip. Although my worrying self kinda worries about the fact that we leave it with Disney at resort and don't see our luggage again until we arrive at DFW airport. If something happens and it's not there- how on earth do we figure out "where" it was lost? With Disney? Mears/DME transportation? The airline?
*worry worry* (but taking it with us is not an option... just me and 3 young children- no chance of carrying all our luggage and carryons ourselves. Carryons and children is about all I'm going to be able to handle!

 

[ctrezek]

I received my yellow tags in the mail. Relieved,
but theres only 4 tags, there's 5 of us in the party. (I did received 5 disney tags) The other weird thing is ...they're listed with my name (I booked everything) on two and my 17 year old sons name on two????
I'm guessing they're assuming his name as the Spouse? Master Josh.

I'm going to call DME, but I'm wondering if anyone knows the reasoning behind this????

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

Only 4 tags with 5 people? That's strange... we received 2 per person (4 in our party)= 8 tags. That sounds like they think you are only 2 people in that party (2 x 2 tags= 4 that you received). Strange! I'd definitely call about it!

 

[kaylie&laurensmom]

Does anyone know why you have to go to the DME counter to get a voucher to ride the bus if it's already part of your paid package? Or will you get your vouchers in the mail? I have heard from a friend that the line at the DME counter at MCO was HUGE this past week and people were waiting over an hour to get their vouchers. That seems like a very big inconvienance for something that is included in your package and could be sent to you ahead of time.

 

[CleveRocks]

Does anyone know why you have to go to the DME counter to get a voucher to ride the bus if it's already part of your paid package? Or will you get your vouchers in the mail? I have heard from a friend that the line at the DME counter at MCO was HUGE this past week and people were waiting over an hour to get their vouchers. That seems like a very big inconvienance for something that is included in your package and could be sent to you ahead of time.

I already answered this question of your on another thread, so I'll answer here from a different perspective.

Disney needs to know that you are going to get on the bus. If you don't register for the bus ride, they won't transport your luggage. They are doign DME to capture ALL of your money, not all of it. By offering you a free bus ride, they talk you out of a town car or rental car. No town car means no money spent on a town car means more money available to spend on Disney property (and since you won't have a grocery stop, even more money going to Disney). Even more important to them, I suspect, is tempting you out of renting a car. With a car, you can go to outside restaurants, outside theme parks, etc., so there's a lot of money there they want to lock up!

What's this all mean? If you put those nice little yellow tags on your luggage and have it delivered to your resort while you go rent a car, you've blown Disney's model and they won't stand for it. They need you to ride the bus in order to make DME worth their while.

I loved using DME. I used it on my May 8 arrival, the 4th day of operation. It was great. I think they have a great idea on their hands, from a business perspective AND from a guest perspective -- they saved me money on transportation, I felt like a VIP having my luggage handled for me, and it was a great start to my vacation.

-- Eric

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

Huh, what?
I get what you are saying but I'm real confused now- considering my DME yellow tags CAME WITH VOUCHERS for the bus trip for each of us from MCO to the resort. The only vouchers we don't have is for the bus trip back to MCO from the resort.

Your reasoning is sound- but I'm real confused why we received the vouchers already now...

WAit- now I'm even more confused. I read on this thread (my own) that the vouchers for the bus trip from resort to MCO you get later... there is some conflict of opinion about WHEN you get them- either day before departure, when you check in, etc. But now I just read those vouchers I received with the tags and notice that while the date on them say 6/13/05 (the day we arrive) at the bottom it says to present them to the drive when we are departing the resort "to" MCO. So those are the vouchers to go BACK to the airport!

No one else got those already? They all received them later at the resort?

*so confused*
But I hope our line isn't that long when we arrive...

 

[CleveRocks]

I honestly don't recall if I got my return DME voucher with the rest of the DME packet in the mail or if I got it at the DME counter when I first arrived at MCO (after I got off the plane). I am ABSOLUTELY sure, however, that I did NOT receive my return DME voucher at my resort. PERIOD. My best guess is I got it at the DME counter on the first day of my trip. I also remember losing it and not having it for my return ride. The driver said it didn't matter, he just needed to see something OFFICIAL from Disney woth my name on it, and I had a whole bunch of WDTC papers to show him -- he smiled and loaded my family's luggage as he told me to board the bus.

-- Eric

 

[LSchrow]

OMG!
this thread answered soooo many questions ~ ty OP & all that provided answers!

just a few clarifications/more questions:
i REALLY don't have to pick up my luggage from the carousel (just go to ME line, no lugging those big things?)
my SWA return boarding passes will REALLY be printed by them? (i don't need to find a PC at midnight? )

and:
can one just ask to have the luggage left in the room (BWV)? i figured we would do other "stuff" & it would just be there waiting if possible.

ohhhhh, ME is sounding just TOO good!!

 

[Cinderella37]

I don't think you can get your boarding passes for SWA because it's not a participating airline. You'll still have to obtain your boarding passes on your own. We're flying SW also (for the first time) and I'm having some second thoughts. I wish they were a participating airline because now we're going to have find Internet access and use my fiance's laptop to print boarding passes to ensure that we get A or B boarding to have seats together.

Yes, the luggage goes directly to the WDW depot behind the scenes - you don't have to pick it up from the baggage claim area. Good luck!