Disney Transportation - Use it or Lose it?

[EvieBug]

If you put the yellow tags on your bags, they get taken before they even hit baggage claim and you will not see them until they show up in your room (or if you arrive late and ask them to be held, when you call for them in the morning). If you do not put the tags on, you grab them from baggage claim and take them on the bus (the driver will put them under). Then at your resort you grab them.
If you put the yellow tags on you cannot change your mind and go grab them from baggage claim.

Thanks Gracie! I am leaning toward schlepping my own bags over to the DME and going from there.

 

[GreatLakes]

On my last trip we only rented a car for the last three days and relied on Disney buses for the rest of the trip. While having the ability to go wherever you want when you want is nice I prefer not having to think about driving while I'm down there. When we went to the parks we just used the buses and the only places we drove on those three days were either offsite or when we went over to Fort Wilderness to see the horses.

 

[canadiandisneynut]

I enjoy getting on cool air conditioned buses or monorails after being in the park. Our DD often doses off for the 15 minute ride. We visit the park in the morning, head back for a swim and go back to the park for the evening. The only time we encounter a packed bus is if we stay for Wishes.

 

[kidneymomma]

If your a resort guest do you get free parking at the parks? We've akways used the buses but it maybe just as easy to drive our own car. To the park and then if we decide to hop to another park take Disney transportation. I guess my question is too how far do you have to park when driving. Most of the buses take you right to the gates.

 

[smidgy]

disney resort guests canpark for free at the parks.. but you are correct. you will be in the parking lot, which canbe quite a ways away from the enjtarnace gate. the buses are usually closer. esp at MK.. you still have to take a ferry or monorail from the MK parking lot to the gate, and most likely a tram from the area your car is in to the TTC (ticket and transporation center, where youpick ou siad ferry or monorail)
we used to get AAA parking at AK and DHS, as AAA memebers, but not sure if that is available anymore unless you book your trip through AAA
the only 2 parks we ever drove to was AK and DHS> and it wasn't too bad of a walk.. I think at AK it could have been less of a walk than from the bus stop.. depending on at which resort you are staying. we have found the water parks are much better to drive to.. their parking lots are small to beginwith.

 

[goofy4tink]

One more DME question, please. I may be misremembering, but I thought when we went last (2011, so it was a while ago) we watched our suitcases get piled into that cargo bin space under the bus (apparently it had already been grabbed?) and then we piled on, and then when we got to the resort they just opened the bin, we pointed, they handed them to us and off we went. Then again, I just found my "bundle" from that visit with receipts and park maps and all, and there was a pristine bunch of DME luggage tags. Maybe we just had a bunch extra. Darn my lack of memory!

Anyway. So if we allow DME to grab our bags, they pull directly from the plane and don't send to baggage claim someone upthread said. So we won't 'see' our bags per se. Once we are dropped off, do they still pull bags as they drop at each resort? And then they go inside with them, or do they literally separate them by room and deliver them to the rooms? That is to say - is the luggage piled up near the entrance to the resort and we could say "oh look, our stuff" and grab them, or do we literally have to wait for in-room delivery?

And lastly - if we wait for baggage claim, get our bags then go to DME with them in hand, will they just load them on the bus with us, then unload at the resort so we can wheel them in?

I am not totally worried about it, I don't see us needing our bags before evening, but it seems different than I remember so I am just trying to get a grip on it. LOL

Thanks for all the information and comments, folks. I have done Disney with a rental car (I was in FL for work) and I wasn't thrilled with the parking lot experience. But I'm not known for my incredible patience with other drivers (hahahahaha) so there is that.

As already mentioned.....if you tag your bags, DME people pull the tagged bags as they come off the plane. They are then put in resort specific 'cages' and sent to the resorts. Once at the resort, they are disbursed to the appropriate guest rooms. If you do not tag the bags, they will go to baggage claim, you get them, and take them to the DME bus with you and they get loaded beneath the bus. The driver will then expect to be tipped for baggage handling. When you get to your resort, if your room isn't ready yet, the bags can be stored with Bell Services. Bell Services will then deliver them to your room, with you in it, when the room is ready. And they will expect a tip as well.
It sounds like you never tagged your bags on that trip in 2011. If bags are tagged, they don't ever make it out to the public baggage claim carousel.
Now, the thing to keep in mind is this......if you decide to get your own bags (leaving them untagged), and if you land on Side A of MCO, you will have to do this.....
1. tram from gate area to main terminal (you are on level 3)
2. head to Side A baggage claim...level 2...down the escalator or elevator
3. wait for bags, grab them
4. head back up to level 3
5. cross over to Side B...still on level 3
6. head down to level 1..ground transportation...to DME

If you land on Side B, not nearly as big an issue....tram, down to level 2 for baggage claim, down to level 1 for DME.

Just want you to have all the information you need to make an informed decision!!!

 

[EvieBug]

Just want you to have all the information you need to make an informed decision!!!

That was very helpful, thank you! Now I'm leaning toward ease and leaving my luggage for the cage.

My DH feels the DME is an important part of vacation so I'm guessing I'll be leaving our bags regardless since he won't want to go with me to fetch them.

 

[smidgy]

That was very helpful, thank you! Now I'm leaning toward ease and leaving my luggage for the cage.

My DH feels the DME is an important part of vacation so I'm guessing I'll be leaving our bags regardless since he won't want to go with me to fetch them.

make sure you pack anything you really need in your carry on. (and the ME driver usually puts them under the bus) like your swim suits, medications etc. It can be 4 hours until your luggage is delivered to your room.. longer usually at the value resorts. we did once walk over to the baggage hold and ask them if they had our luggage and they got it for us (with the proper paperwork, of course)

once at pop, though I was standing by our room and saw the bell hop walking with a cart of luggage.. I saw ours. I ran in the room the grab mypaperwork and ran to him.. (I'm responding to your ? about just being able to grab your luggage if you see it.) granted , it was towards the bottom, but I offered to move the other ones off for him.. he was such a Barney fife! lol he refused to gfive me my luggage. he siad he had to go in order. it was kind of funny, actually.

 

[wddub2015]

I found Disney transportation to be way more convenient than the hassle of renting a car. We exclusively used their transportation for our trip earlier this year. For the most part we didn't have to wait very long, but did have one issue that caused us to miss morning EMH at AK. We saw busses for every other park pass at least 4 times before one finally came for AK. They did have someone onsite from Disney transportation on the radio with their dispatch and 3 busses arrived right in a row at the same time to take the masses to AK. We all got an extra fast pass for the bother.

 

[EvieBug]

make sure you pack anything you really need in your carry on. (and the ME driver usually puts them under the bus) like your swim suits, medications etc. It can be 4 hours until your luggage is delivered to your room.. longer usually at the value resorts. we did once walk over to the baggage hold and ask them if they had our luggage and they got it for us (with the proper paperwork, of course)

once at pop, though I was standing by our room and saw the bell hop walking with a cart of luggage.. I saw ours. I ran in the room the grab mypaperwork and ran to him.. (I'm responding to your ? about just being able to grab your luggage if you see it.) granted , it was towards the bottom, but I offered to move the other ones off for him.. he was such a Barney fife! lol he refused to gfive me my luggage. he siad he had to go in order. it was kind of funny, actually.

Good info, thank you! Yeah, I'm planning for basics in the carry on, swimsuits and stuff. Although it maybe change when we are close enough for me to see a forecast!

 

[smidgy]

Good info, thank you! Yeah, I'm planning for basics in the carry on, swimsuits and stuff. Although it maybe change when we are close enough for me to see a forecast!

just pack the suits in the carryons no matter what. you never know and they don't take up much room. oh! and a plastic bag to put the wet suits in in case you want to change..
after all It can be POURING at magic kingdom and bright and sunny at your resort. and it could be pouring at your resort and in a half hour, bright and sunny!

 

[Terry70]

We definitely use Disney transport, including DME. My wife didn't know if I'd ever go again, so my 1st trip in '12 we took a limo to the airport, used DME, then busses/ boats/monorail on property. Now I'm spoiled: I don't touch my luggage from the time the limo pulls in the drive until I'm in my resort. Couldn't figure out then (and don't understand now) why anyone would mess with a car. My daughter has done CP twice and is a CM now, so there's one available, but a car is still useless to me. I'm on vaca: don't wanna drive, cook, etc. My daughter also pointed out that not all guests are used to driving on the right, never mind that they may not know where they are going. I'm willing to wait a few more minutes if I have to in order to use Disney transport, hey I'm on vacation!