All these airlines have me so confused, help

[digman6]

Here is the deal we are planning to fly out of Ohare or Midway in Chicago going to Orlando. 12/18-26th its a while from now I know.

I thought I could book with SW airlines and save some money BUT if I understand correctly they are not part of the Magical Express so I am out of luck on that one. if I take SW I need to pay for a ride to my resort (POR).

The other issue is i thought my dd turns 2 right when we leave I thought i could have her be a lap kid WRONG again . Ok buying a ticket is fine with me but now I have a carseat to lug along with me! trying to get that installed with another 100 people trying to get by on the plane should be a treat. plus I need to worry about the seat size as well.

Do the kids all need ids to get on the plane as well ???I thought I read that for SW they need some sort of ID . the kids are going to be then 11,8,5, and just turning 2 yrs.

Is that typical of SW airlines to put there dates out so late? I have not flown in years and when I did it was AA I will never do that again( long story- damaged luggage , lost it 2 xs and had me transfer instead of 1 time , 4 times this was in spring not winter so it was not weather related).
What kind of prices do they offer , I hear they have the best prices but its hard to tell a good price when you have not looked for fights in many years. if it was good I may not know it. I did DING set up but at this rate all they are sending is flights for the next month or so.

thanks for anyhelp!

 

[karliebug]

You can still do Magical Express with SW, I have done it several times. The only thing is that you have to get your luggage yourself at baggage claim and then take it with you on the ME bus. This actually may be an advantage, because sometimes you wait hours for your luggage to arrive at your resort. SW should be extending their window for flights in the next 2-3 weeks (I'm guessing).

 

[clkelley]

You can still do Magical Express with SW, I have done it several times. The only thing is that you have to get your luggage yourself at baggage claim and then take it with you on the ME bus.

Southwest guests can use ALL of the benefits of Magical Express. They can be transported by bus in both directions, and they can put the yellow tags on their bags and have them Magically arrive in their room later that day.

What Southwest does not participate in is Resort Airline Checkin (RAC). This is a SEPARATE,\ service from Magical Express. The only thing this service does is allow you to check your bags at your resort for the trip home and get your boarding passes. You can use RAC without using Magical Express.

So on your trip going home, you must take your bags on the bus with you and check them at the airport yourself.

 

[Hannathy]

Also you do NOT HAVE to use a car seat on the airplane! It is a personal choice it is NOT REQUIRED. So if you are using ME -which you can!- and not renting a car while at Disney you don't have to bring it.

Kids do not need ID to board a plane, the only one who would need anything would have been the child who is under 2 and that is to prove they are under 2 but since they aren't you don't need any ID's for the kids.

Is it getting simpler, hopefully.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

You can still do Magical Express with SW, I have done it several times. The only thing is that you have to get your luggage yourself at baggage claim and then take it with you on the ME bus.

You are mistaken.

Magical Express guests do not need to get their own luggage at baggage claim if they fly Southwest or any other airline that flies into Orlando International Airport. Disney will transport their checked bags to their room, with Disney even paying the inbound bellman tip. That's a huge convenience, especially for someone traveling with small children. And it saves time at the airport.

See the sticky thread, Disney's Magical Express - What "Participating Airline" Really Means!

This actually may be an advantage, because sometimes you wait hours for your luggage to arrive at your resort.

Nobody needs to wait in their room for Magical Express luggage delivery. Because Disney pays the bell service tip, the bellmen deliver bags to rooms while the guests are out having fun.

Yes, it takes bags longer (usually a few hours) to arrive in the room than it takes the guests, but that's not a problem as long as the guests bring carry-ons with items that might be needed the first day (such as swimwear or theme park clothing), as well as the usual items that one shouldn't check (such as valuables, fragile items, medicine).

SW should be extending their window for flights in the next 2-3 weeks (I'm guessing).

The release of Southwest flights from May 11 through the summer is imminent. But it's extremely unlikely that Southwest's next batch of flights will through December.

The airlines with nonstop service from the Chicago area to the Orlando area are:

• AirTran from Chicago-Midway to Orlando International
• AirTran from Milwaukee to Orlando International
• Allegiant Air from Chicago-Rockford to Orlando-Sanford (no Magical Express)
• American from Chicago-O'Hare to Orlando International
• Midwest Airlines from Milwaukee to Orlando International
• Southwest from Chicago-Midway to Orlando International
• United from Chicago-O'Hare to Orlando International

Many airlines provide connections.

 

[digman6]

WOW did I get educated fast! .

I was not planning on getting a car to rent so let me get this straight;I can take her and put her in a seat and thats it? That seems really odd in a way you have to get the seat but you don't have to use the car seat for the child.

So if i book with a airline that does not participate in Magic Express when I leave to go home I have to take my bags and check in myself if I understand that now.

This doesn't seem so bad now after all. thanks for the clear up on this.

Do many parents carry a car seat on the plane? I want her safe obviously but she will want to hop from lap to lap more then be locked in her seat.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

So if i book with a airline that does not participate in Magic Express when I leave to go home I have to take my bags and check in myself if I understand that now.

All airlines "participate" in Magical Express, because airlines don't have to do anything special for their passengers to use the Magical Express roundtrip motorcoach transportation and inbound home-airport-to-Disney-resort-room luggage service.

Some airlines, notably Southwest, do not currently participate in a separate but related service called Resort Airline Check-in (RAC), a remote skycap service. If your airline participates in RAC, then you have the option of checking your bags and obtaining your boarding passes at your resort on you check-out day. If you can't use RAC (because your airline doesn't participate or because your flight is too early in the morning), then the Magical Express driver will still take you and your bags to the airport, where you'll check in and check your bags at your airline counter or with a skycap for your airline.

When the DME driver returns your bags to you from the luggage hold of the motorcoach, a tip of $1-2 per bag is appropriate. If you use the services of skycap, whether at the RAC desk or at the airport, a tip of $1-2 per bag is also appropriate.

(The only tip paid by Disney is the inbound bell services tip so that the bellman will deliver your bags to your room while you're out having fun.)

Do many parents carry a car seat on the plane? I want her safe obviously but she will want to hop from lap to lap more then be locked in her seat.

See the recent thread, Your expert opinions, please!!

A car seat on the plane is optional. I really don't know if it adds much to safety, but for some kids might prefer being in a familiar seat rather than an airplane seat.

The Magical Express motorcoaches and WDW transportation system (bus, boat, and monorail service) do not have seat belts, so car seats will do you no good. In fact, they can't be used. The Magical Express driver will store any car seats in the luggage hold during the motorcoach trip.

 

[Kuffam]

How are you getting to the airport? If by car or limo, you will need one. I also find the seat belts on a plane are very easy for a child to get out of, so a car seat might work better.