Carrying luggage on Magical Express

[snowbunny]

I wasn't intending to be sarcastic, I think his case may be the exception that proves the rule.

Hi, just getting back to this thread after being away a few days. I did not think you were being sarsastic Lewis, I was agreeing with you in your note to the poster ahead of you.

The OP is concerned that in this particular situation, because of the cruise departure the timeline is a little tight should there be any type of snafu. In that situation, I'd take my own bags off the carousel and bring them down to the bus. Yes it's rare that bags get lost, and in the rare case that a bag is lost, it's usually found eventually. If the OP doesn't want to take the chance the bags will be delayed several hours, what's the big deal.

 

[Laura]

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.

Well, you can get to the airport in plenty of time, but that's about it. If you've booked a non-stop flight, there's naturally less chance of your luggage being delayed. I've travelled by plane dozens of times, and my bag was only delayed once, for 36 hours. It would have arrived sooner if British Airways had written the street address of my hotel on the delivery tag instead of just the city and postal code. The suitcase arrived at Heathrow 10-12 hours after I did. The frequency of flights and length of time it takes to fly from most US airports to Orlando makes it less likely you'd have to wait even that long, as I had to wait for a flight from Boston to the UK after they located my bag. It had apparently not made the connection in Logan Airport, despite the fact that I had well over an hour layover.

I can understand your desire to keep your bags close at hand if you're leaving on a cruise the next day, it would keep you from worrying if your luggage made it to Orlando and give you time to buy some slacks for dinner on the cruise or some such. It does defeat some of the purpose of DME, though, and a lot of your replies seem like you think we're all fools for using it. I think that's why you are getting some of the strongly-worded responses.

I went on a cruise to Alaska in 2004, and we arrived a day early. Two of the guys wore blazers, dress shirts and slacks on the plane. Perhaps you could do the same? You could just lay your blazer on top of any carryons in the bin above instead of wearing it and wrinkling it as much. This way if your baggage doesn't make the ship, all you would have to do is pick up some shorts, etc. while in WDW and on the cruise. On the ship they should have a service to iron/launder anything you need, and you can also rent a tux that would be waiting in your stateroom. Only clothes should be in your checked bags. Anything of real value should be carried on (camera, laptop, etc).

 

[Hannathy]

I'm not 100% sure but when you get to the cruise ship don't you have to check your luggage there? I don't think everyone carries all their bags on to their rooms them selves do they? So it starts coming down to when do you just relax and let them handle things like they do for the tens of thousands of people they are set up to handle. I mean how are you going to be sure your bag gets put on the ship? they could forget it.

My DH travels for work a lot and I travel a lot and we have only had our bags delayed 3 times in 30 yrs! and all the times it was because of weather.

 

[Laura]

Yes, you generally have to give the cruise line staff your large bags (the ones that you would check onto a plane) on arrival at the cruise terminal and then it's put in the stateroom by the crew. You can keep your carry-ons with you. The system is set up to work; I don't know of anyone who hadn't gotten their bags once surrendering them at embarkation.

I really hope the OP can chill out on this vacation, and is just getting all the worry out of the way beforehand!

 

[Firebug]

Deleted to ease stress.
FB

 

[CarolA]

You should have never posted the above. Now the OP is going to be jumping off the bus at each resort stop to make sure his/her luggage is still under the bus.

FB

I expect that to happen.


And then there is the risk that someone else can take your luggage off the baggage claim at MCO. (This acutally has happened to me when I used the generic black bag.... The man brought it back to the airport a few hours later.) And at MCO the bag claims are VERY long....

 

[Goobergal99]

LOL, You know what I am pretty OCD myself, I actually make my family run to baggage claim to make sure noone takes my bag, but then again, my bag is marked with a big fluffy bow anyway, so I can tell it is mine.

I wasn't trying to spark anything when I responded, I just understand why someone would feel uneasy about the service, I feel the same way, I just can't relax until I know my baggage is with me.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Okay, you're a TEENY bit obsessive (not necessarily OCD) but as Carol's post indicates, it IS possible for somebody to accidentally misidentify a piece of luggage. Just so you know, it is probably NOT necessary to run to baggage claim at MCO - it takes longer for luggage to come out there, since DME pulls all the yellow-tagged luggage before the rest of it goes out on the belt.

 

[goofy4tink]

Okay....so here it is...if you are at all nervous about not having your luggage with you, then do NOT put the yellow tags on them. Then, go to baggage claim and pick them up yourself at MCO. Head over to DME, check-in, hand your bags over to the driver, who really does have a system of 'what bags for which resort', they go under the bus. When you get to your resort, your bags come out, pick them up, tip the driver, and go and check-in. That's the long and the short of it. If someone is more comfortable getting their own stuff, then let them. Yes, the majority of us have had wonderful experiences with DME but it is not for everyone. Let's try not to question/argue with those who choose not to use this service.
It's everyone's choice!!!!

 

[CarolA]

LOL, You know what I am pretty OCD myself, I actually make my family run to baggage claim to make sure noone takes my bag, but then again, my bag is marked with a big fluffy bow anyway, so I can tell it is mine.

I wasn't trying to spark anything when I responded, I just understand why someone would feel uneasy about the service, I feel the same way, I just can't relax until I know my baggage is with me.

The black bag the man took had a BIG Mickey Mouse baggage tag on it. (Don't know how he missed it) I figured out what happened when one that looked just like mine (without the tag) was the only one left. I told the DL guy that I bet the guy returned to get his stuff... he did.

 

[Goobergal99]

Okay, you're a TEENY bit obsessive (not necessarily OCD) but as Carol's post indicates, it IS possible for somebody to accidentally misidentify a piece of luggage. Just so you know, it is probably NOT necessary to run to baggage claim at MCO - it takes longer for luggage to come out there, since DME pulls all the yellow-tagged luggage before the rest of it goes out on the belt.

Thanks, but believe me, I am definently OCD (lots of other daily life examples can vouch for that )

I used ME last year, the same way the OP was suggesting, and you know what, the wait really wasn't that terrible at all. We waited maybe 10 minutes at baggage claim, walked to the ME desk to check in and were on our way shortly after. So as everyone said, to each yor own. My mom is going for the first time since ME express started , and her and her DBF, have no desire to wait around, just to lug their luggage. So they are trusting the airline and ME

 

[kaytieeldr]

If they have a good experience, would you at least consider using DME the way it was designed, next time?

 

[Hannathy]

And if everyone starts dragging their bags over for the driver to load it is going to take a lot longer to load the busses and to unload at the hotels if the driver has to get off each time and unload a bunch of luggage, if your the last stop you could have a long ride.

 

[disneyjunkie]

And if everyone starts dragging their bags over for the driver to load it is going to take a lot longer to load the busses and to unload at the hotels if the driver has to get off each time and unload a bunch of luggage, if your the last stop you could have a long ride.

Then you'll have people complaining how long it takes if you use Magical EXPRESS .

 

[TDC Nala]

And if everyone starts dragging their bags over for the driver to load it is going to take a lot longer to load the busses and to unload at the hotels if the driver has to get off each time and unload a bunch of luggage, if your the last stop you could have a long ride.

If I'm on your bus, they'd have to stop anyway, because I've got just a carryon. Lots of folks bring carryons. I haven't been on an ME bus that the driver didn't have to stop, get out and unload the carryons.

 

[sluggo]

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"

You are Welcome!

 

[Adrienne]

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.

That is assuming that he wants to tip them. These ppl are doing there jobs and getting paid, they only need to be tipped if you believe that they are doing their job WELL.

Adrienne