Anyone have a problem with Magical Express and losing your luggage?

[kevschickee]

We have decided it will be a lot easier to just check our luggage but I am wondering if anyone has had issues with it?

 

[Schmeck]

We had a school trip with 80+ kids and 20 chaperones, we used ME, and no one's luggage got lost, either way.

 

[dancin'girl]

The only issue we had was having to wait about 7 hours for our luggage to arrive, which was very inconvenient because we wanted to go to sleep!
Our second time it took about 4 hours, but we were prepared this time with pj's for the kids in our carry-ons just in case!

 

[dumbo_buddy]

two trips ago we were heading to the airport using ME when we stopped at the terminal before ours, DH just happened to look out the window as we were pulling away and he saw his bag sitting on the curb! he yelled STOP!!! the driver took out his bag on accident! lucky that DH noticed!!!

we still use ME and consider that incident just an accident and not a reflection of ME.

 

[Macduffy]

worked like a charm for us!

 

[tjmw2727]

Reports of lost luggage due to DME are very rare - and you know how fast bad news travels I have actually only read one first hand report of lost bags and it was never clear if DME lost them or the airline lost them.

Simple fact is that the airlines are more likely to loose or misdirect your bags than DME is. I have had my bags mishandled 3x by the airlines on non disney trips and so far so good with DME.

DME says to allow up to 3 hours after check in to get your bags and there have been reports of delays. Again its not clear if the delay was DME or the airlines. Either way you should always have what you need for the first 24 hours in your carryon regardless of where you travel.

I have used DME 3 oto 5 times a year since it started and IMHO the luggage delivery is the best part. Arrive at the airport, get the bus and head to the resort, check in and your on your way. We are rarely in the room when the luggage arrives and its so nice to come back and find your bags waiting in the room.

 

[bear_mom]

I would think that the airline has more of a chance of losing my luggage than ME.

Emily

 

[tyandbash]

On our last trip, we arrived very late at night. We had a our pj's packed with us, but asked that the luggage be brought to our room upon arrival as my DH's golf clubs were among them and well...he LOVES his clubs. So at 3 am I hear a very soft tap on the door. I open it for the poor guy working in the middle of the night and all of the luggage is there but the clubs. I almost had a panic attack, I actually had to step out into the hall so that I could talk to the poor CM without my DH waking up and hearing. ANYWAY...we did not find out what truly happened with the clubs and my DH had a tee-time the next morning. Disney rented him clubs and shoes and bought him everything else that he needed for his round of golf and by the afternoon they had found the golf clubs and returned them safe and sound. I THINK that since the clubs come out a different location then the luggage, the driver just didn't think to check there. My DH was surprisingly calm about the whole thing too. This is the same man who two years before that, got all the way to Orlando before realizing he left his suitcase back in NY in our bedroom. While I pack for four people he only had to pack for himself. We never noticed his missed bag. BUT, he did have his clubs!!LOL

 

[seashoreCM]

... heading to the airport using ME when we stopped at the terminal before ours, DH just happened to look out the window as we were pulling away and he saw his bag sitting on the curb! he yelled STOP!!! the driver took out his bag on accident! lucky that DH noticed!!!.

This one seems very frightening. There are no claim checks issued for this part of the journey. Wonder whether this has happened before and wonder whether Disney (or Greyhound or Peter Pan or Fung Wah, etc.) has ever made good.

Not sure if DME ever runs two buses for the same time slot, but there is? the chance of having your bags loaded under and then boarding and finding no seats!. You need to insist that your baggage be taken out to stay with you (as well as alternate transportation provided for example said second bus, or second section as Greyhound calls it). (OT) In an earlier, pre-MK, lifetime I was waiting at the bus station near college and a bus unloaded and some passengers were talking about their bags on 'the other bus'. This was a terminal where all buses rendezvous'ed but what would have happened if just one of the buses had someone getting off at a prior flag stop and his bags were on the other bus?

 

[peemagg]

They count the amount of people getting on the buses, so that there is no overloading. If you place your items under the bus that is the bus you are on.

 

[winjos]

I've used ME a bunch of times. After having to wait over 5 hours a couple of times (arrived before noon and got the bags after 5pm) to get our bags, we now get our bags at baggage claim and take them with us. No worrying about our bags and we know where they are.

My biggest beef is that you have no way to know when you will receive your bags or where your bags are located. We talked to the bell hops and they told us numerous times that they have no idea where our bags are and won't until they arrive. So, how long until your bags are technically lost?? UGH!!

 

[yrdlyprincess]

Let me say this first--we have NEVER used ME so I don't know what they are like. We had some of our luggage stolen on the way home from our honeymoon, now DH is a bit protective of his stuff. When check it and got it ourselves. I know for the airlines (SW) if they aren't notified in 4 hours of your flight landing they aren't responsible for lost luggage. I do know MANY people that use ME and are very happy.

 

[smcdaniel4688]

We had a flight from New Orleans to MCO and we used the ME. We arrived to our hotel at lunchtime. It was great and we had no complaints UNTIL it got to be suppertime and we had no bags. I had packed up pjs for my kids on carryon but nothing for DH and I becasue I figured we would have the bags before too late since we arrived at noon. We went to the front desk numerous times and inquired about our bags. At about 7 p.m. they told us that our bags were at the hotel and would be in our room shortly...nothing at midnight....nothing at 1230 a.m. Finally at 1 in the morning, our bags arrived. It took almost 13 hours to recieve our bags after check in. Other than that, the ME was nice. My experiance taught me to check my own bags though!!

 

[Big Kid]

We've used ME twice without any problems.

 

[tjmw2727]

I've used ME a bunch of times. After having to wait over 5 hours a couple of times (arrived before noon and got the bags after 5pm) to get our bags, we now get our bags at baggage claim and take them with us. No worrying about our bags and we know where they are.

My biggest beef is that you have no way to know when you will receive your bags or where your bags are located. We talked to the bell hops and they told us numerous times that they have no idea where our bags are and won't until they arrive. So, how long until your bags are technically lost?? UGH!!

Your bags are delivered to your resort room, always, you do not thave to be in the room when they arrive. Since check in at most resorts is 4pm technically your bags were delivered about an hour after check in.

DME literature is clear about that and states that you should expect your bags in your room up to 3 hours after checkin - not arrival.

DME uses barcodes and scanners, just like the airlines so the DME CMs do know where the bags are. The resort bell hops have nothing to do with DME, they take care of the luggage brought by guests.

Bringing luggage onboard the bus is an option but IMHO the luggage delivery feature of DME is one of the best parts.

Picking up your own bags, can add alot of backtracking and extra waking depending on your airline. Then you and eveyrone else has to wait while your bags are loaded under the bus, then unloaded. The driver and everyone else who touches your bags will be tipped and if you arrive early you will have to store your bags at the resort anyway. This means two sets of tips!!

 

[MrsPooh]

We had one slight problem. Our bags were delivered within about two hours. I was in the room but the rest of the family was already out and about. The only problem is that we received one bag that was not ours and we were missing one of our bags.

I refused the bag that did not belong to us but it was several more hours until our remaining bag to our room.

Once in the wrong room it entirely depended on the guests in that room to notify someone. We were lucky because those guests told Disney right away that it wasn't theirs. I always wonder what would have happened if those guests had just stuck it in a corner...

I've never yet heard of that happening to anyone else. This was several years ago and only a few months after ME was started.

 

[halikatak]

We've used them probably 5 times and haven't had any problems. I always pack what we need for the day in our carry on.