Bell Services Question

[kristenrice]

When we went to AKV this past May, we arrived by car instead of DME. I pulled up to the main entrance and told the CM that we would need assistance with our luggage, meaning one of the carts. I know that guests are not allowed to use the carts themselves so we were prepared for that, but after they loaded up our luggage onto the cart, things got messy. I handed the CM a $10 bill (4 luggage bags, 3 grocery bags) and he pushed the cart inside.

I went to park the car and DH took the kids to go up to the room. We had already done online check in and received the text that our room was ready. I parked the car and headed to the room, expecting to start unpacking. To my surprise, DH was there with the kids...and no luggage. He said the CM would not bring the luggage to the room but instead said that we had to go to the room and call down for it because they were "backed up". We waited almost 30 minutes for someone else to bring up our bags. Is this normal procedure? We really just wanted the cart to get the luggage inside from the car without making multiple trips. They took it inside and brought it into the storage room. Between the four of us, we could have got the bags up to the room, even if someone had to sit in the lobby with them and make multiple trips up to the room.

Is this their typical procedure? If you give up your bags in the driveway, do they always "store" them first? I just wanted to expedite our time in the driveway by requesting a cart. If I would have known they were going to hold our bags hostage for a half hour, I would have unloaded them myself and made multiple trips (into the lobby, not all the way up to the room,..I'm not that rude

 

[OKW Lover]

Did you tell bell services exactly what you wanted them to do? Or just ask for a cart?

 

[loves to dive]

It is the policy in all the resorts now that if you have bell services take your bags they will not deliver them to your room until you call down for them. That is new, in the past I've actually gone to the parks since my room wasn't ready and when I got to my room my bags were there or when I've checked in they've asked me if I have bags and if they are with bell services and when I've said yes they just delivered them to the room. I'm pretty sure when you drive up you can just tell them you are unloading your bags and don't want them to hold them and they will let you, they are pretty flexible with that.

 

[Hopefully]

What you experienced is what I would have expected. I believe the staff that helps unload at the door is different staff than does deliveries to the rooms

 

[dansdad]

What you experienced is what I would have expected. I believe the staff that helps unload at the door is different staff than does deliveries to the rooms

Yes. I am pretty sure that the staff that helps load/unload your car and the Valet staff are not Disney Employees. The Bell Services staff, that actually brings your luggage to your room, are Disney Employees.

 

[cvjw]

What you experienced is typical. Two sets of employees. One takes the luggage out of your car, takes it inside to bell services, and then another set delivers your luggage to your room. They will only deliver the luggage once you are inside the room. You tip both sets of employees.

They don't loan out their luggage carts - probably for liability reasons and for the fact that most guests would leave the carts right outside their room, never bothering to return them to the lobby for the valet guys to use.

If you don't want any help with your luggage when you drive, just pull up and unload your car, and take your stuff to your room. The valet guys will tell you where to park your car to unload. If your room isn't ready, just park your car, and unload when your room is ready.

We have found that the $20 or so to have someone unload our car and deliver our luggage is money well spent to our family

 

[kristenrice]

Thanks for the info! Like I said, this is the first time we've arrived by car to AKV and needed assistance. I just wanted to make sure that it was the norm so that I could properly prepare if we drive there again.

 

[bumbershoot]

What you experienced is what I would have expected. I believe the staff that helps unload at the door is different staff than does deliveries to the rooms

Same. I've had an experience or two that was different, but usually it's annoying like this. At boardwalk we experienced three levels of employees. One unloaded the car, passed the cart to a second who took I back, and a third delivered the stuff. Hated that 100%. It all just feels like some employment game. How many tips can they squeeze from us?