Confused about luggage and ME.

[robinbutterfly]

ok so on our trip back home, do we take our luggage with us on ME or do we leave it at the hotel for them to take care of it ?
We are flying Southwest. Honestly, I would feel better if we took it to the airport and checked it in.
But how does this work? What do most people do with their luggage when leaving a Disney resort?

 

[jocin3]

At your resort there will be an airline check in desk. Take your luggage there prior to checking out (usually it is best at least 3 hours before return flight) They will tag your bags and print your boarding passes. I just returned from Saratoga Springs last Saturday (and flew Southwest) and it was a very easy process. This way all you have to do is to go through security at the airport-no waiting in line to check luggage. Have a great trip!

 

[sam_gordon]

There are other things to keep in mind if you're going to check your luggage at the resort...

1) You MUST do so AT LEAST 3(?- I'm pretty sure) hours before your flight.
2) You MUST do so NO MORE than 12 hours before your flight.
3) The check in desk is only open from 5am-1p.

If you have a flight that leaves before 8:30am, you won't be able to use this feature. I add the extra 30 minutes because you'll need to be at the ME bus stop at least 15 minutes before your scheduled departure, which INCLUDES having your luggage already checked.

IMO, it's a great perk and I love using it. But, if you're more comfortable taking the luggage with you, feel free.

 

[CleveRocks]

Resort Airline Check-in (which technically is a separate service from Disney's Magical Express) has been around for more than 5.5 years, and it's very reliable as evidenced by the fact that there are not widespread complaints of luggage not arriving back at the home airport.

As noted above, the luggage must be taken to the RAC desk in your resort, you can't just leave it with Bell Services or leave it in your room. Also as noted above, the entire transaction MUST be completed no later than 3 hours before your scheduled flight time. If it's 2 hours and 59 minutes before the flight, the computer won't allow the transaction to go through, and you won't be able to use RAC. It's not like the staff can makle an exception for you.

Think of RAC as curbside check-in, because it exactly is curbside check-in, except that it's in your resort lobby rather than at the airport. Exactly like curbside check-in, you must present ID, you check in for your flight, you get your boarding passes, and you check your luggage through to your final destination (which means you will no longer have any access to it).

Ans also, just like curbside check-in, it is customary to tip the staff assisting you. The people staffing RAC are not Disney cast members. It's also important to realize that the RAC cast members are not in any way related to Disney's Magical Express, which means they can't answer any DME questions (such as bus questions and so on).

 

[cassie]

I had a 9:30 am flight and checked my bags at RAC at 6 am as my pickup time for ME was 6:30. I was the only one there at the time, and they say to be there for the bus 15 mins before the pickup time.

I've never had a problem getting my bags at my home airport. It's a good service. Only one time my flight was early and my bus pickup was at 5am. I took the bags on the bus with me.

 

[DebbieB]

I would check it at the hotel. I've used it twice with no problem. Southwest's lines at MCO tend to be long. If you check it at the hotel you can go straight to security.

 

[LSchrow]

Ans also, just like curbside check-in, it is customary to tip the staff assisting you. .

funny you said that....we always tip the RAC folks, but both DH and i noticed we are usually the one of 2, parties or the only party doing so (more often, the only).
we assumed that people think that they are disney CMs, as you said, and that they split tips with the bellhops. i do have to add that the BWV RAC staff has always been exceedingly pleasant and helpful.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Whenever I've Resort Airline Check-in (RAC), it's worked flawlessly. As Eric (CleveRocks) noted in his excellent description of the process, RAC just like using a curbside check-in at the airport, except that the "curb" is at your Disney resort. Your bags go into TSA-approved, locked cages which are sent by truck to your airline at Orlando International Airport.

The RAC people I've encountered have always been friendly and efficient. I've never heard an obvious, heavy-handed tip solicitation from them, but you're likely to be told that they'll issue your boarding passes and check your bags all the way to your home airport, "just like curbside check-in." That's a subtle suggestion that a tip would be customarily.

It should not matter if a guest thinks they work for Disney or knows they work for BAGS. Bellhops and restaurant servers are Disney CMs, but they are customarily tipped and their income depends on it.

If you choose to have the DME driver load your bags onto the bus instead of using RAC, then a tip to the DME driver would be appropriate when he or she returns your bags to you at the airport. Then you'd still have to drag your bags to your airline's ticket counter and wait in line. (If you use RAC, you can normally go straight to the security check-point that serves your airline's airside terminal.)

A tip to RAC provides far more convenience than a similar tip to the DME driver.

Unfortunately, RAC is not an option if you're on an airline that's not on the RAC list or if your departure is too early in the morning.

 

[seashoreCM]

ok so on our trip back home, do we take our luggage with us on ME or do we leave it at the hotel for them to take care of it.

Repeat, do not simply leave it at the hotel for them to take care of it.

Except ... if you are going to bring it to the airport yourself on the DME bus, then the bellhops will store it while you are enjoying the parks for a few last hours.

When you check baggage at your resort, you get (be sure you get) regular airline baggage claim checks.

 

[Laurabearz]

As noted above, the luggage must be taken to the RAC desk in your resort, you can't just leave it with Bell Services or leave it in your room. Also as noted above, the entire transaction MUST be completed no later than 3 hours before your scheduled flight time. If it's 2 hours and 59 minutes before the flight, the computer won't allow the transaction to go through, and you won't be able to use RAC. It's not like the staff can makle an exception for you.

And 2 hours 59 minutes is the truth! I highly suggest allowing at least a half an hour to get through the line and have your information entered.. a full hour (aka 4 hours before your flight) is even better!

 

[Ro Z]

Not that anyone can guarantee no problems. I just wanted to let you know that I have used RAC flying on SW 4 trips a year since it was introduced and never had a problem. We fly into Manchester NH. It is so easy!

 

[seashoreCM]

And 2 hours 59 minutes is the truth! I highly suggest allowing at least a half an hour to get through the line ...

Don't forget, you need to be out on the bus platform 15 minutes before the time printed on your confirmation which is when the bus should pull away. That will tend to be around 3 hours 15 minutes (from your plane departure).