Can someone explain to me how magical express works?

[cheezNE1]

I'll be using ME and was wondering how it works. I've already receive the package with tags from disney. I will be flying Jetblue. Do I have to go to baggage claim after arival and bring the luggage with me to the bus or will all that be taken care of by the airport? What else do i need whe i arrive at the airport.
Thanks

 

[Tara]

If you want your luggage delivered to your resort automatically, place your tags on those bags. If you don't have enough tags, don't worry - hold on to the baggage claim tags the airline gives you when you check in. Also, bring your ME booklet with you. It isn't necessary but not having it can slow down your check in a little.

When you arrive, proceed directly to the DME counter to check in. If you have bags without DME tags that you want delivered, give those baggage claim numbers to the CM checking you in. The baggage handlers can pull all your bags. (My understanding is that DME only sends 1 tag per person now.)

You will then be put in a line for a bus or directly on a bus and taken to your resort. The bus may stop at 1-3 other resorts first. You should assume the entire process will take no more than 90 minutes, although outliers always exist. Your bags will be delivered directly to your room within a few hours.

If you are arriving after 10pm, you will have to claim your own bags and those will go in the baggage compartment of the bus. Please remember it is customary to tip the DME drivers if they handle your bags.

 

[ses1230]

Pack whatever you will need immediately in your carryon bag, as you won't see your luggage for a few hours after you check in at your resort. I always put my medicine, glasses and contact case in my carryon, just in case there is a delay in getting my luggage.

Unless there is a specific reason you need to go to the DME desk, you can head right to the bus line podium with your DME booklet.

 

[cheezNE1]

So the airline will route my luggage to Disney resort? Where will the luggage go since i haven't receive my room # yet? Do i have to pick them up at my resort?

 

[CarolMN]

Moved from DVC Forums -

 

[Planogirl]

I called DME to give them my flight info and the lady told me that I should carry a small bag of essentials because it could take three hours to get the bags to us. That doesn't sound like we will necessarily have them on the same bus?

 

[Alesia]

I'll be using ME and was wondering how it works. I've already receive the package with tags from disney. I will be flying Jetblue. Do I have to go to baggage claim after arival and bring the luggage with me to the bus or will all that be taken care of by the airport? What else do i need whe i arrive at the airport.
Thanks

Assuming your flight arrives before 10:00 pm, you will put the yellow DME tags on your checked luggage. Each tag is about 2 inches wide and 16 inches long - do not tear them in half to make 2 tags. You do not go to baggage claim -that's the absolute best part of DME.

So the airline will route my luggage to Disney resort? Where will the luggage go since i haven't receive my room # yet? Do i have to pick them up at my resort?

Your luggage will be delivered to your room about 3 hours after you check in. You do not need to be there when they're delivered. You just check in, drop off your carry on luggage (if your room isn't ready, you can leave them with bell services,) and start your vacation.

I called DME to give them my flight info and the lady told me that I should carry a small bag of essentials because it could take three hours to get the bags to us. That doesn't sound like we will necessarily have them on the same bus?

The bags do not go on the bus - they are delivered separately. It is strongly advised that you carry everything you'll need for the first 24 hours in your carry on. Not just because of the delay with DME delivery, but because occasionally the airline will temporarily misplace your luggage.

 

[sam_gordon]

So the airline will route my luggage to Disney resort? Where will the luggage go since i haven't receive my room # yet? Do i have to pick them up at my resort?

Your bags will be delivered to your room. The luggage tags Disney sends you will have a barcode that will have your reservation number on it. When it gets scanned, the resort name (and room number once assigned) comes up. So yes, it comes right to your room.

As far as timing... The 90 minutes Tara mentioned is from when you step off the plane until you're at your resort. I think the average is closer to 70 minutes, 90+ is rare, but can happen.

It's generally accepted that your bags will be in your room within 3 hours of CHECK IN (or room assignment if you check in before 4pm), not 3 hours from plane arrival.

Regardless of DME, you should ALWAYS pack anything needed for the first 24 hours in a carryon. It's much more likely the airline will "misplace" your bag than DME.

 

[fiestamomma]

Assuming your flight arrives before 10:00 pm, you will put the yellow DME tags on your checked luggage. Each tag is about 2 inches wide and 16 inches long - do not tear them in half to make 2 tags. You do not go to baggage claim -that's the absolute best part of DME.

Hmmm I called after receiving my package because it states that there are two tags per person. But there are only 5 tags total for our 5 person group. When i spoke to a CM he instructed me that the back of the tag is perforated at the half way point and I should separate them to make two tags each.

So I'm kind of confused. Did I talk to a CM who was confused?!

 

[Alesia]

Hmmm I called after receiving my package because it states that there are two tags per person. But there are only 5 tags total for our 5 person group. When i spoke to a CM he instructed me that the back of the tag is perforated at the half way point and I should separate them to make two tags each.

So I'm kind of confused. Did I talk to a CM who was confused?!

The tickets used to come attached to each other in groups of 2. When they switched to sending only 1 tag per person (about 3 years ago,) they started sending them already detached. You have 5 tags total, not 10. If you need more, call DME directly and they will send you more.

Out of curiosity, did you call Disney, or did you call DME directly?

 

[cheezNE1]

This Magical Express process sounds pretty Magical. Thank you all.

 

[fiestamomma]

I called the Disney reservation line as was transferred to DME.

After reading these posts I got curious about why I had this question in the first place and pulled our tags out my "Disney Binder"

The back of my tags themselves have these instructions:
- Separate at the center perforation to create two single luggage tags.

Now I remember why I called! When we received our package, we disagreed on what to do with the tags. My hubby refused to believe we were going to separate them regardless of the instructions on the back
So that's why I called!!

I wonder if everyone gets different tags? Maybe because we are flying Southwest and we can get two bags free?

 

[ncc1701]

This Magical Express process sounds pretty Magical. Thank you all.

It is And not only on the trip to WDW. We love the fact that on the return trip we
take the bags to the desk in the lobby and don 't need to deal with them until we arrive at our home airport

 

[Alesia]

I called the Disney reservation line as was transferred to DME.

After reading these posts I got curious about why I had this question in the first place and pulled our tags out my "Disney Binder"

The back of my tags themselves have these instructions:
- Separate at the center perforation to create two single luggage tags.

Now I remember why I called! When we received our package, we disagreed on what to do with the tags. My hubby refused to believe we were going to separate them regardless of the instructions on the back
So that's why I called!!

I wonder if everyone gets different tags? Maybe because we are flying Southwest and we can get two bags free?

Everyone gets the same tags. The reason it says that is because they used to come in groups of two that were attached to each other. They just never changed the wording on the tags. You have 1 tag per person.