Disney transfer questions

[S.S.Oceanlover]

We have the Disney transfers booked for our cruise on the Wonder next week.

I was told that we just put the Disney luggage tags on before our flight down and that Disney will pick up our bags and make sure they make it on the ship.

On the way back what do we do with our bags after we put them out the last night?

Do we still have to claim them and take them to the bus or does Disney get them and put them on the bus?

How about after the bus gets to the airport? Do we get the luggage from the bus and check it at the airport or will Disney check it for us?

TIA

Bill

 

[bahama97]

When we left, we had to claim our bags at the customs check out. Then you take your bags to the bus and the driver puts them on the bus. Once you get to the airport at the right terminal, the driver will get the bags out for you and then you are on your way. HTH

 

[S.S.Oceanlover]

When we left, we had to claim our bags at the customs check out. Then you take your bags to the bus and the driver puts them on the bus. Once you get to the airport at the right terminal, the driver will get the bags out for you and then you are on your way. HTH

OK thanks. I thought my scenario was too good to be true. We'll just do the luggage express.

Bill

 

[Cruise]

You might want to take a look at this page:

http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/dcl/en_US/onboard/more/detail?name=OnboardAirlineCheckInDetailPage

Depending on what airline you're on, your scenario for getting off the ship could happen.

If your airline is not one of the ones participating, then yes, you'd have to claim your luggage to go through customs and then turn it back in at the bus.

 

[S.S.Oceanlover]

You might want to take a look at this page:

http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/dcl/en_US/onboard/more/detail?name=OnboardAirlineCheckInDetailPage

Depending on what airline you're on, your scenario for getting off the ship could happen.

If your airline is not one of the ones participating, then yes, you'd have to claim your luggage to go through customs and then turn it back in at the bus.

I don't know how you guys find all this stuff but thank you very much.

We are on JetBlue which is a participating airline and our flight is 11:57am which also is under the 11:25am time constraint.

Looks like we are good to go then.

Does anybody know how long this has been in affect?

We sailed on Disney in September 2007 and used the Disney transportation but still paid the extra for the luggage express.

Thanks again. I really appreciate the reply.

Bill

 

[auntyaba]

We returned 3/09 and flew on Delta (a participating carrier) and this is how it worked for us. The prior to leaving the ship they will ask you how many checked bags you will have, night before you will get in your stateroom airport tags for your luggage (the kind with all the numbers and scanning codes) you will put those on your CHECKED luggage and set it out by 11:00 p.m. You will also receive your boarding passes in your room (no need to go to the check in counter at the airport) The next morning when you disembark you will go to the airport checkin desk right off the ship and pay (assuminig you have to pay for your checked luggage) then go through customs, passed all the well organized luggage and straight onto the bus for the airport. Driver will ask what airline you are flying on and will tell you which stop you will be at the airport. When you reach your stop at the airport, get off the bus, go through security checkin and straight to your gate. YOU WILL NOT TOUCH OR SEE YOUR LUGGAGE until you return home. DISNEY IS AWESOME. IMHO this is one of the best services Disney offers and makes it so worth having them arrange for your ground transfers no dragging luggage around and no standing in airport lines at the ticket counters.

 

[kcashner]

The luggage handling on participating airlines with onboard check in has been in effect for over a year now. We have done cruises both with and without participating airlines. Seriously, the onboard check in is well worth the cost of the DCL transfers! You'll also get your boarding passes in your stateroom.

Yes, it is totally seamless IF you are on a participating airline and IF your flight is in the appropriate time window. You will place your luggage outside your stateroom with the baggage claim tags which were on your bed now on the bags. When you get off the ship, there will be a CM calling out that if you have onboard check in, you need to go to a special "line" (which may not be a line at all, but only a CM providing the service...no one waiting). IF your airline charges a fee for luggage, you'll pay it at that point. You won't see your bags till you arrive at your home airport.

If you are not on a participating airline OR if your flight falls outside of the appropriate time window, you will get the standard "character" luggage tags and will claim your bags in the terminal and walk them thru Customs.

This service is so good that it actually made me look seriously at the participating airlines. However....I only have 2 real choices from my home airport--one participating, one not. Since the participating airline has started charging a fee for the first bag AND has eliminated its direct flights....well, a direct flight is better than luggage service.

 

[stlkeeler]

We have the Disney transfers booked for our cruise on the Wonder next week.

I was told that we just put the Disney luggage tags on before our flight down and that Disney will pick up our bags and make sure they make it on the ship.

On the way back what do we do with our bags after we put them out the last night?

Do we still have to claim them and take them to the bus or does Disney get them and put them on the bus?

How about after the bus gets to the airport? Do we get the luggage from the bus and check it at the airport or will Disney check it for us?

TIA

Bill

Just to clarify - you only put the Disney tags on your bags if you are sailing the day you fly in. If you fly in a day early, do not put them on yet! My SIL made this mistake last year and didn't get her luggage until just before the bus left for the port. We stayed at the Hyatt and she was supposed to put them on in the morning for the guys picking up the bags out in the hall.

We returned 3/09 and flew on Delta (a participating carrier) and this is how it worked for us. The prior to leaving the ship they will ask you how many checked bags you will have, night before you will get in your stateroom airport tags for your luggage (the kind with all the numbers and scanning codes) you will put those on your CHECKED luggage and set it out by 11:00 p.m. You will also receive your boarding passes in your room (no need to go to the check in counter at the airport) The next morning when you disembark you will go to the airport checkin desk right off the ship and pay (assuminig you have to pay for your checked luggage) then go through customs, passed all the well organized luggage and straight onto the bus for the airport. Driver will ask what airline you are flying on and will tell you which stop you will be at the airport. When you reach your stop at the airport, get off the bus, go through security checkin and straight to your gate. YOU WILL NOT TOUCH OR SEE YOUR LUGGAGE until you return home. DISNEY IS AWESOME. IMHO this is one of the best services Disney offers and makes it so worth having them arrange for your ground transfers no dragging luggage around and no standing in airport lines at the ticket counters.

The luggage handling on participating airlines with onboard check in has been in effect for over a year now. We have done cruises both with and without participating airlines. Seriously, the onboard check in is well worth the cost of the DCL transfers! You'll also get your boarding passes in your stateroom.

Yes, it is totally seamless IF you are on a participating airline and IF your flight is in the appropriate time window. You will place your luggage outside your stateroom with the baggage claim tags which were on your bed now on the bags. When you get off the ship, there will be a CM calling out that if you have onboard check in, you need to go to a special "line" (which may not be a line at all, but only a CM providing the service...no one waiting). IF your airline charges a fee for luggage, you'll pay it at that point. You won't see your bags till you arrive at your home airport.

If you are not on a participating airline OR if your flight falls outside of the appropriate time window, you will get the standard "character" luggage tags and will claim your bags in the terminal and walk them thru Customs.

This service is so good that it actually made me look seriously at the participating airlines. However....I only have 2 real choices from my home airport--one participating, one not. Since the participating airline has started charging a fee for the first bag AND has eliminated its direct flights....well, a direct flight is better than luggage service.

Also, this is not a given. We were on a participating airline last year with the departing flight leaving after the specified time and we didn't get the tags and boarding passes in our room like I expected. I checked with guest services and they told me we "didn't qualify" or something like that. I was upset but they told me there was nothing they could do. So, I think you have to let someone know when you check in at the terminal that you want to do this. Don't just assume it will happen, like I did. Last year was my first Disney cruise and I didn't know any better.

Good luck and have a great trip!

 

[dta87]

Also, this is not a given. We were on a participating airline last year with the departing flight leaving after the specified time and we didn't get the tags and boarding passes in our room like I expected. I checked with guest services and they told me we "didn't qualify" or something like that. I was upset but they told me there was nothing they could do. So, I think you have to let someone know when you check in at the terminal that you want to do this. Don't just assume it will happen, like I did. Last year was my first Disney cruise and I didn't know any better.

Good luck and have a great trip!

I have not used this service but I have read that you have to register for it onboard (I think it said by Wed? but I am not sure)

 

[mmouse37]

Just to clarify - you only put the Disney tags on your bags if you are sailing the day you fly in. If you fly in a day early, do not put them on yet! My SIL made this mistake last year and didn't get her luggage until just before the bus left for the port. We stayed at the Hyatt and she was supposed to put them on in the morning for the guys picking up the bags out in the hall.







Also, this is not a given. We were on a participating airline last year with the departing flight leaving after the specified time and we didn't get the tags and boarding passes in our room like I expected. I checked with guest services and they told me we "didn't qualify" or something like that. I was upset but they told me there was nothing they could do. So, I think you have to let someone know when you check in at the terminal that you want to do this. Don't just assume it will happen, like I did. Last year was my first Disney cruise and I didn't know any better.

Good luck and have a great trip!

Ditto....this happened to us in January....at terminal check in I handed my flight info to the CM and restated that I was planning on taking part in the onboard airline check in program. She said I was set to go. On Friday night I never got my boarding passes so I went to guest services and they told me I had to tell them about my wanting to partipate by Wed/Thurs onboard....that was conflicting info I got at the terminal. Luckily DCL worked their magic and got me my boarding passes in time to take advantage of the program. It worked great and well worth the price of the transfers (we only booked transers on the return to airport portion...so at $35 pp it was worth it to us).

MJ

 

[bonoriffic]

When you get off the ship, there will be a CM calling out that if you have onboard check in, you need to go to a special "line" (which may not be a line at all, but only a CM providing the service...no one waiting). IF your airline charges a fee for luggage, you'll pay it at that point..

Has anyone ever used a participating airline that normally charges for checked bags, such as American, but doesn't charge if you are in first class?

I'm going to keep walking as I shouldn't have to pay by being in first class, but who is determining who has to pay? Will you luggage flat out not be sent along based on some CM decision, or is it left to the airline to sort out at the airport? I'd hate to not receive my luggage because a CM is not well versed in airline luggage policies.

 

[Cruise]

Has anyone ever used a participating airline that normally charges for checked bags, such as American, but doesn't charge if you are in first class?

I'm going to keep walking as I shouldn't have to pay by being in first class, but who is determining who has to pay? Will you luggage flat out not be sent along based on some CM decision, or is it left to the airline to sort out at the airport? I'd hate to not receive my luggage because a CM is not well versed in airline luggage policies.

I believe it's up to the airlines to tell DCL what should be charged. You can mention to Guest Services when you sign up for online checkin that you shouldn't have to pay for luggage due to being in first class.

However, if it were me and I got a slip saying I had to pay for the luggage, I'd just pay it and then take it up with the airline later to get the charge refunded. But hey, if it's worth it to you to be able to keep on walking and not have your luggage show up at home, by all means, keep on walking.

 

[BobandLee]

One other thing to keep in mind....

I know someone whose name was the same as one on the "No Fly List".
They were not able to check their bags at port. They needed to check their bags at the airline counter even though they were flying on a "participating airline".

So if you have a very common name, the port check in may not work for you.

 

[minie_meese]

We had a bit of confusion on our cruise with respect to the luggage transfer too.

Some of us had the land sea package and a few people booked their own room prior to the cruise. If you do the land sea package you will get DCL tags (yellow and blue) for your luggage with your hotel name on the tag. You put them on your bags before you get on your flight to Orlando and leave them on your bags until you get them in your cabin on the cruise ship.

If you booked your own room before the cruise you can request Magical Express and will use those tags on the flight to Orlando or you will need to claim you luggage at baggage claim. As a previous poster indicated if you are not going directly to the cruise ship from your flight, DO NOT put the DCL tags on your bags before you claim your bags in Florida unless you are on the official Disney Land Sea Package. If this is the case, you put the yellow and blue tags on your luggage before you give them to DCL on your way to the port.

As for return transfers, when you check in for the cruise make sure that you turn in the airline transfer page in your cruise booklet with your flight listed if you are on a participating airline and want to get your boarding passes printed by DCL. You will receive your printed boarding passes and luggage tags in your cabin, and your luggage will be automatically transferred to your return flight. If you don't you will not get your boarding passes and you will need to claim your luggage when you disembark. The seamless transfer is the main reason we booked DCL transfers and it was great.

I read a post from MJ before we left about her experience so I checked at Guest Relations on board to see if we all had transfers listed on our reservations. One of the 5 rooms we had did not and we were able to get it corrected without a problem (thanks MJ). I believe this needs to be arranged at least 48 hours before you disembark, but ideally do it when you check in for your cruise. I found this a bit confusing so don't be afraid to ask specific questions like "will my boarding pass be delivered to my room?", don't do as my daughter did and just say "is everything ok?"

Once we got it figured out it was a terrific service.

 

[bonoriffic]

However, if it were me and I got a slip saying I had to pay for the luggage, I'd just pay it and then take it up with the airline later to get the charge refunded.

So this is a new piece to the process I didn't know. You get a customized letter delivered with your boarding pass explaining if you owe luggage fees? I assumed it would be a generic one letter fits all type deal, interpret it yourself for your situation.

 

[Cruise]

So this is a new piece to the process I didn't know. You get a customized letter delivered with your boarding pass explaining if you owe luggage fees? I assumed it would be a generic one letter fits all type deal, interpret it yourself for your situation.

The letter isn't customized so much as there's a ___________ on the form where someone can hand write in how much you "owe" for luggage fees. But yes, it should be delivered with your boarding passes.