Carrying luggage on Magical Express

[mitsguy2001]

I understand the OP too. Why the sarcasm just because someone wants to keep tabs on their luggage? In years spent traveling for business, I quickly learned never to let a bag out of my sight unless it is absolutely unavoidable, especially if anything in it is going to be needed in less than 24 hours.

Unfortunately, I think that having it out of my sight is absolutely unavoidable when I am forced to check my luggage at the airport because of carryon restrictions. Since you seem to have a lot of experience with this: is there anything I can do at the airport to decrease the chances of my luggage being lost? I'm assuming that there is not much I can do, other than pray that it's not lost.

 

[mitsguy2001]

Just to clarify for anyone else reading this ....

The yellow DME luggage tags do not replace airline tags. Every checked bag that goes into the belly of an airliner has one of those white airline tags, the ones with your name and the three-letter airport code. Before you get to the airport, you put a yellow DME tag on each checked bag you want DME to deliver to your resort room for you. The DME tags are not paid attention to by anyone except the Disney subcontractor working in the bowels of MCO, at a physical point after the airline releases custody of the luggage to the airport itself.

But it increases the chances that the airline will screw up and get confused when they see an additional tag.

At that point, those employees fish out the DME-tagged bags before the rest of the bags reach the baggage claim carousel.

That sounds very dangeorus, and very prone to error. And, if the tag falls off, I'd be in real trouble.

Think of DME tags as just a high-tech version of tying some yellow yarn onto the handle so that you'd more easily recognize your bag at baggage claim and distinguish it from the others.

So once again, DME tags in no way replace airline/airport tags.

Your post basically convinced me to not even think about trying the DME luggage handling. Thanks.

 

[mitsguy2001]

Actually, the one word would have been no — but that would have been misleading.

The OP asked if they allow people to carry their luggage onto the bus. They don't. But they allow passengers to have the driver store the luggage in the baggage hold below the passenger level of the bus.

But, it sounds like I get to see them store it under the bus, so that I am certain that it goes on the right bus. And then I assume that the luggage is removed from the bus and given to me before the bus leaves and before I enter the resort. Am I correct?

 

[CarolA]

And then a thief will break into your room and steal it... and if the bus stops at a different resort first you better race off and make sure none of those thiefs take your luggage..

(I know I am being rude, but really this is becoming kind of funny....)


I travel weekly. I leave my luggage with bellmen and airlines all over the world. It shows up...

 

[mitsguy2001]

And then a thief will break into your room and steal it... and if the bus stops at a different resort first you better race off and make sure none of those thiefs take your luggage..

(I know I am being rude, but really this is becoming kind of funny....)

It seems that those scenarios are less likely, so I am ignoring them for the time being.

I travel weekly. I leave my luggage with bellmen and airlines all over the world. It shows up...

Then you get lucky. Everyone else I know has luggage frequently lost. Also, since you travel weekly, you probably don't care if one trip is ruined. For someone like me who rarely gets to travel, and this cruise is the trip of a lifetime for me, I want to do anything I can to decrease the chances of this trip being ruined, even if it means I have to incur some extra inconveniences.

 

[irishbosoxfan]

Yes, put yellow DME tags on everything but your tent.

Thanks for the info!! Wasn't sure so I figured I'd ask!

 

[2Princes2Princesses]

(I know I am being rude, but really this is becoming kind of funny....)

I travel weekly. I leave my luggage with bellmen and airlines all over the world. It shows up...

Cripes I have OCD and have MAJOR panic attacks about dishes and laundry. But even I am not this obsessive about my luggage. Egads. I also was starting to giggle over this thread.

Ativan....it works for me!!! (and it fits in my carry on...when I am not too afraid to fly)



DISCLAIMER: I am not being insensitive here, I REALLY DO have OCD and take meds. So don't flame me. Or I will spend hours obsessing over why and be too afraid to post ever again.

 

[Rebecca12345]

OH I am glad I read this thread - Do you mean if my flt gets in at 8pm our luggage probably will show up at our hotel after 10 -11pm?

 

[kaytieeldr]

I understand the OP too. Why the sarcasm just because someone wants to keep tabs on their luggage? In years spent traveling for business, I quickly learned never to let a bag out of my sight unless it is absolutely unavoidable, especially if anything in it is going to be needed in less than 24 hours.

I don't see any sarcasm either; again, in 2005 the airlines permanently lost 200,000 of the more than 3,000,000 million pieces of luggage they misdirected; anyone who's read prior posts from some of the DME advocates would see that it's been stated a number of times that one should ALWAYS pack in one's carry-on luggage enough and the right clothing and toiletries for the first night and day of the trip (along with documents, medications and valuables) in that bag. Yes, I realize the OP's situation is not the normal scenario, he will need ALL his luggage almost immediately. But people really need to trust the service

I think the airline would be more likely to lose my luggage with the Disney tags than with their own tags.

Yeah! What CleveRocks said! Your airline or the Skycap attaches the white destination tag to your luggage and gives you your claim check/s. This is the ONLY tag to which the airlines pay attention. The yellow DME tags don't even come into play until the suitcases are UNloaded at MCO - and then, the airlines ignore them and DME takes over.

Wow, so much discussion for a question than can be answered with one word.

And that surpises you?

Since you seem to have a lot of experience with this: is there anything I can do at the airport to decrease the chances of my luggage being lost? I'm assuming that there is not much I can do, other than pray that it's not lost.

Well, I do have a legitimate suggestion, but it's not particularly cheap - although it may help you realize you can get by with less stuff - but you can ship it to the resort earlier in the week via FedEx, or UPS. Say you're arriving Saturday. Ship your stuff on Monday (include a nylon duffle bag to repack your stuff into so you're not lugging a cardboard box onto the ship ) Three day ground service is probably the least expensive option AND you can track the package's progress online.

But it increases the chances that the airline will screw up and get confused when they see an additional tag. That (employees fish out the DME-tagged bags before the rest of the bags reach the baggage claim carousel) sounds very dangeorus, and very prone to error. And, if the tag falls off, I'd be in real trouble.

Doesn't happen. I won't say never, but with an average of 6,000 Guests using DME every day, and figuring 3,000 each way, that's 984,000 bags IF each person brings only one AND lets DME transport it. That's almost a third of ALL the luggage misdirected last year throughout the country, and almost five times as many bags as were permanently lost by the airlines - simply not possible. As for 'dangerous' and 'prone to error', well, it's worked VERY well so far - see my approximations above. As long as one attaches the tags correctly - and they come with simple instructions - they're NOT going to fall off accidentally. And since the DME tags are the same material as the airline tags, they're as unlikely to fall off as the airline tags.

But, it sounds like I get to see them store it under the bus, so that I am certain that it goes on the right bus.

Once again, the DME-handled luggage doesn't go on ANY bus. Period. It is transported by truck by a subcontractor with over ten years' experience in - are you ready - specializing in transporting luggage!

Response deleted at the suggestion of a Dis-er with more common sense than I have

OH I am glad I read this thread - Do you mean if my flt gets in at 8pm our luggage probably will show up at our hotel after 10 -11pm?

Yes, it's possible. As stated above, it's ALWAYS a good idea to pack what you need for your first night/day in your carry on luggage. Also, that late it's possible that Bell/Luggage Services won't deliver your luggage to your room until the next morning, unless you specifically request they bring it that same night.

PLEASE NOTE: Nobody is trying to convince mitsguy2001 to use DME - it's futile anyway, but I think we can all see the sense in his ultimate reason for picking up his own luggage. It's the 'arguments' presented after the original post that we're disputing.

 

[pamjb]

In the unlikely event that your luggage would be lost, your cruise would not be ruined. Disney has castmembers that work at the airports to locate and deliver lost luggage. We forgot a bag on the valet cart at the airport. We had 10 bags and likelihood that we lost one in our excitement was quite high. We discovered it when we got to the hotel where we stayed near the airport. My DH went back to the airport when we discovered it. Couldn't find it. When we got onboard ship, we talked to guest services, described the bag, where we lost it, what was iin it. That was on Saturday around 5 pm. I got about 5 phone calls from guest services....."we found the bag" "the bag is on a Delta flight to Key West" "There is rain in Key West, so plane mya be delayed" "If the bag is delayed, we will get it to you in Grand Cayman" That bag was in my stateroom by 5 pm Sunday, before we left Key West.
The other time I lost my bag, it was delivered to my home within 24 hours of my arrival back home, in a snowstorm no less. The lost was due to the fact that we had a last minute change of plans.
Perhaps you have heard of so many people losing their luggage because they are the only ones to complain. You don't hear the millions of travelers saying, "Great Job, I got my luggage"

 

[Hugpug]

Last year when I took DME for the first time I stapled my tags together at the ends careful not to touch the barcode section to ensure that the tag would not come off. My bags where delivered without a hitch. There is always that chance that your bags could get lost has nothing whats so ever to do with DME.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

But, it sounds like I get to see them store it under the bus, so that I am certain that it goes on the right bus. And then I assume that the luggage is removed from the bus and given to me before the bus leaves and before I enter the resort. Am I correct?

Yes, if you carry your luggage to your Magical Express motorcoach, you should be able to see it loaded into the baggage hold of that coach. Because you are very concerned about your luggage being lost, you might want to be very careful that the driver unloads your luggage at the correct stop. I assume they have a method for identifying which bag goes to which stop.

This whole thread just proves that people are different. I am much more confident that my bags and I will be reunited at the resort room if I use Magical Express as designed — with the tear-proof, bright yellow, barcoded tags with strong adhesive and computerized tracking. I would be much more concerned if I were constantly having to pick up, carry, and set down my luggage, and to rely on a driver to unload my bags at the right resort, with no computerized tracking.

 

[zurgswife]

Here's my 2 cents. If the airline loses your luggage you will not get any reimbursement prior to your cruise.

I had a friend that DME misplaced their luggage, when it didn't show up by dinner they were allowed to go to the gift shop and get a fresh set of clothes for the evenings dinner. After purchasing and being reimbursed for the clothes the bags showed up....

So, while I've never had a problem with DME. It does happen but your more likely to get it back if it is misdirected by DME then with the airline..

 

[CleveRocks]

Your post basically convinced me to not even think about trying the DME luggage handling. Thanks.

OUCH! That's going to leave a mark. It feels sort of like finding out a girl broke up with me and "started playing for the other team" if you know what I mean ....

 

[dsneygirl]

We transported our luggage to DME on our Oct trip last year because we had our camping gear in it (long story). Luckily we have always had good experiences with prompt luggage retrieval at MCO so it only added another few minutes to our journey. If you feel more comfortable than go for it.

 

[TDC Nala]

This poster doesn't seem to trust anyone to do anything properly. There's a FEW examples of mistakes and sheer incompetence that could probably fuel his distrust. In answer to his question (and it's been answered before), sure, he could go and get his own luggage and forego the use of the ME luggage service. It won't be convenient and it will cost him tip money out of pocket, but if he's determined to do what he can to prevent other inconveniences, he can definitely do it that way.

The possibility of luggage loss wouldn't be enough for me to forego the service, if I were traveling with anything but a carryon.

 

[kaytieeldr]

This poster doesn't seem to trust anyone to do anything properly

Including experienced Dis-ers to give him the 'right' responses

 

[Goobergal99]

In response to the OP's ?, yes you absolutely can do it that way (at least we were able to last year) I feel the same way, what if the airline lost my luggage and I never discovered it until hours later when my luggage doesn't
"magically appear"?

As far as some ppl's rude,condescending responses to that ?, I have to ask, why not just answer the ? and save the comments. Why do any of you care how the OP decides to handle his/her luggage anyway?

 

[safetymom]

I travel weekly also. It is very important to have my luggage for the business meeting. I gave up worrying about it a long time ago. I have had luggage delayed twice and it was delivered within hours.

People think every piece of luggage gets lost.

It is probably more important for a business person to have their luggage than someone traveling for a vacation.

 

[kaytieeldr]

In response to the OP's ?, yes you absolutely can do it that way (at least we were able to last year) I feel the same way, what if the airline lost my luggage and I never discovered it until hours later when my luggage doesn't "magically appear"?

As far as some ppl's rude,condescending responses to that ?, I have to ask, why not just answer the ? and save the comments. Why do any of you care how the OP decides to handle his/her luggage anyway?

Well, once you've checked in for DME and had your voucher scanned as you board the bus, DME takes full responsibility for tracking misdirected luggage - completing any forms, transporting it to your resort, notifying you if it's truly lost...

As has been pointed out earlier in this thread, the accurate answer to the original question is no, you cannot bring your luggage on the DME bus with you. You can bring it TO the bus, where it will be stowed in one of the compartments underneath.

Rude, condescneding responses began once the OP began responding pessimistically to every response that did not apparently say exactly what he expected.