Disney Magical Express -Baggage Claim

[exit14]

I'll apologize in advance if this question has already been asked a 100 times.
I looked but didn't find the answer to my question.

I have a Disney trip booked for this coming October. We will be arriving in Orlando on a Sunday at 9:00 am and we are staying at the Animal Kingdom.

We have the yellow tags to attach our luggage so that we can skip the baggage claim process.

My question is -how long will it take for our luggage to arrive in our room?

We will be coming from Massachusetts -where the temp will be in the high 30's-low 40's when we leave our house at 4:45 am. When we land in Orlando we expect the temp to be in the 80's.

When we land we will most likely be dressed for cold weather and will probably want to change to summer clothing as soon as possible.

So, will our luggage arrive at our room within an hour or so of us arriving or will it take several hours? We're not sure if we should just simplify things and grab our own luggage at the airport or go along with the program and let Disney Transportation pick it up and deliver it to us.

Thanks.

 

[Jestocost]

Your luggage should arrive in your room within three hours of resort check in (not plane arrival) IF your room is ready at that time. Since check in time is not until around 3:00 p.m. (4:00 p.m. for DVC resorts), however, there's no guarantee that you will have a room until that time. Obviously if you don't have a room you won't get your luggage delivered.

Regardless of whether or not you use the DME luggage service, it's a good idea to bring everything you might need for the next 12-24 hours in carry-on bags and take those to your resort on your bus with you. I would pack a bag or two with a change of clothes and whatever else you think you might need through the afternoon. Those bags can be stored with luggage services and delivered to your room or picked up later.

You can leave off the tags and grab all of your luggage so that you have everything with you as soon as you arrive at your resort. That will add at least another 20 minutes to the time it takes for you to get to your resort. What's more, you may not have a room anyway and may have to store all of your bags for the day.

 

[goofy4tink]

Welcome to the DIS!!! Nice to have you here...always room for more people from Mass.
Okay...your DME booklet will say that you should expect your tagged luggage to appear in your room up to 4 hrs after resort checkin. My advice? Tag them and forget about them. You are arriving around 9, which will get you to AKL by 10:30. Your room may not even be ready at that time. Put anything you may need in carryon bags. I always put all my travel stuff, electronics, a change of underwear, and a teeshirt.

I often travel to WDW, from Mass, in early Dec. This is how I do it. I fly in a pair of jeans, Crocs (easy off at the airport), socks, a turtleneck, sweatshirt and a flannel lined windbreaker over all that. I have a pair of shorts and a tee shirt in my carryon. When I get to Logan (or TFGreen), I take off the windbreaker. That stays off. About an hour before landing, my socks come off. When we land, and I leave the plane, I usually head to a ladies room and switch the turtleneck/sweatshirt for the tee shirt. All that other stuff is now in my carryon bag. When I get to the resort, if it's hotter than I figured, I change into the shorts. The carryon bag goes to Bell Services if my room isn't ready yet.

This way, I can have socks, a turtleneck, sweatshirt and jeans with me for those chilly Orlando nights, as well as the flight back home. And, I don't take up space in my checked bags with the heavier clothes. I have to say that I really appreciate having those heavier clothes on when I'm standing outside of Logan, waiting for my dh to show up to pick me up...that wind can be brutal.

So, long story short...wear your heavier clothes on the plane, pack a change of clothes in your carryon, and let DME take care of getting your checked bags to your resort for you.

 

[Missytara]

About three hours.

Here is what I do. I leave from DE the weekend after Thanksgiving every year. I leave in about 40 degree temps and when I land, it is close to 70 degrees.

I wear a t-shirt, jeans, and a wool sweater or hoodie sweatshirt, with my sneakers and socks. I bring a small pair of gloves for my hands. I leave my coat in the trunk of my car, just in case I arrive home (like last year) and it had snowed. I carry a small day bag with my backpack, shorts, and anything I need for the first day - just in case.

When I get to BWI, I use the long term parking, so someone picks me right up at my car and drops me right off at the door to Airtran. I am only exposed to the cold for a few minutes while they load up the baggage.

When I get into the airport, I take off the sweater and put it in my baggage to be checked. After check-in, I go into the restroom, change from my jeans into my shorts, and throw my jeans in my daybag. Voila, in BWI, I am completely dressed for Florida weather.

I do it in reverse when I return.

 

[Missytara]

Oops. Looks like someone else does the exact same thing I do.

After a couple of years, you get savvy about it. It is wonderful to arrive in the airport and know you are ready for the warmer weather.

 

[linnell]

We leave tomorrow from Mass as well, and I have packed our bathing suits in my carry-on as well as a change of clothes. We arrive at MCO at 12:30, and have early dinner reservations at Chef Mickey's so I figured we can go enjoy the pool for the afternoon, whether or not our room is ready.

Also, after my bags got lost a few years ago over Christmas break, I always pack a change of clothes in my carry-on. Even on direct flights, things happen.

 

[jcarwash]

The replies on this thread are right. Because there's a delay getting your bags it's best to bring a carry on with a change of clothes. While the bag service from DME is so nice -- especially going home where you don't need to go to the counter at the airport -- you do end up lugging what you need upon arrival in a carry on.

In addition to shorts and swimwear, you'll probably want sunscreen (in a small enough container for TSA security), a comb (for after swimming), any medications, etc. Just enough stuff so you can be comfortable upon arrival. If your room is ready, you can ditch your carry on in the room. If your room is not ready, you can still get changed and check your carry on with luggage services.