Disney's Not So Magical Express

[jtowntoflorida]

We're just back from a wonderful vacation. The only issue we had all week was with DME. We landed last Saturday, late morning. Waited and waited and waited, then waited some more for a bus. Finally got one of those Mears buses...and now I know why people complain about them. The kids asked the entire trip to the Wilderness Lodge why the Disney video wasn't playing. So, we started our trip with an hour wait at the airport for a bus. We've never waited more than 5 minutes to board a DME bus in the past, so this was totally unexpected and frustrating.

Got to WL and checked in. Were surprised that at 1:00 our VWL room was ready--that made us happy. Got some lunch, then decided to play in the pool. Got back to our room...no luggage. Huh. We were still within the "3 hours from check in" window, so no biggie. Got dressed and went and got some dinner to eat. Got back to the room...still no luggage. OK. Called Bell Services, because at this point it had been 5 hours since we checked in. They said the luggage had "just arrived" at the Lodge and would be delivered shortly. I had to call two more times before it was actually delivered, nearly 9 hours after our flight landed and 7 hours after checkin. Again, we've never experienced this before and it was very frustrating. The kids were tired from being up early and we all just wanted to get to bed.

The rest of the week we had a great time. Went to do Resort Airline Check-in today...and they can't print out our luggage tags and tell us we have to take our bags on the bus to MCO. They don't even offer to help with the luggage or call a valet for assistance, they just let us struggle with them. Then the bus was 15 minutes late on top of everything else.

The whole situation was just frustrating, so much so that I'm not sure that I'd use this "complimentary" service again. Unfortunately, it seems to be a case of "you get what you pay for." I think I'd rather pay and get some good service than get this "free" and settle for mediocre service.

 

[bumbershoot]

The whole situation was just frustrating, so much so that I'm not sure that I'd use this "complimentary" service again. Unfortunately, it seems to be a case of "you get what you pay for." I think I'd rather pay and get some good service than get this "free" and settle for mediocre service.

It does sound frustrating. But...you've had seemingly good experiences with them in the past. You said you never waited more than 5 minutes for a bus from the airport, after all.

Went to do Resort Airline Check-in today...and they can't print out our luggage tags and tell us we have to take our bags on the bus to MCO. They don't even offer to help with the luggage or call a valet for assistance, they just let us struggle with them. Then the bus was 15 minutes late on top of everything else.

Hoping for a timeframe clarification here. Luggage checkin needs to be something like 3 full hours, minimum, from the time of the flight. If you're inside of that time they can't do it. It sort of sounds like you were trying to check them in right around the time that you were being picked up? Otherwise where were you taking them that was a struggle?

Our first going-home bus was what we would have considered 30 minutes late. Everyone HERE says that it loads 15 minutes BEFORE the time it says. So we were there before that. Every single CM at WL that we talked to about that had never heard of it and didn't know where we had heard it. The bus was then 15 minutes late from the time on our paperwork. so we had been there well over 30 minutes expecting the bus any second from then.

 

[scard192]

We arrived around noon on the 19th and waited at least 45 minutes in the DME line; the kids were all excited to get on the bus and head to our resort, waiting in line that long especially with a 2 year old was not fun. all the other lines had cleared out and were pretty empty while all of us in line 9 were still waiting.

 

[Letsbgoofy]

Free is nice, but after sitting on the bus for over 30 minutes waiting for it to fill up, then stopping at 2 resorts before Pop last year (another 10 minutes or so at each), I went with a rental car this year.

 

[Tallent]

We had a great trip with the DME being the only down side. We were fortunate enough to walk right on to a bus and have it leave after boarding. We landed at 6 and were checking in to SSR by 7. First stop! However, our luggage didn't arrive till nearly 1 am. We just wanted to go to bed but had to wait and wait and wait. We called at 10:30 to check on the luggage and were told it had just arrived at the resort and we'd have it in half an hour. Called at midnight and were told the luggage had just left Poly and would be here soon? Knock came at 10 to 1 and we got our stuff. No idea what happened---wasn't the delivery guys' fault and our driver to the resort was great. But the overall process somewhere in the middle seemed to get messed up. We prob won't do dme again (usually use a car service but he went out of business :-( )

 

[bianca]

We had a similar situation with ME to years ago. We kept asking Bell Services where our luggage was, but by the time it showed up the next day, half of the stuff in the suitcase was stolen. Apparently, it had "somehow" gotten taken off the baggage carousel and set in a side room for unclaimed luggage. My DH had packed 2 new sets of cologne for our Owners Locker. Long gone in addition to some clothing. No reaction from anyone, no apologies, no compensation. Live and learn. A least you finally received your luggage intact ..... A blessing.

 

[jtowntoflorida]

Hoping for a timeframe clarification here. Luggage checkin needs to be something like 3 full hours, minimum, from the time of the flight. If you're inside of that time they can't do it. It sort of sounds like you were trying to check them in right around the time that you were being picked up? Otherwise where were you taking them that was a struggle?

Our flight was scheduled for 11:15. We walked over to Resort Airline Checkin at 7:55 specifically so the bags could be taken to the airport by DME because I understand the timeframes and wanted to be in compliance. We had 4 checked pieces of luggage and our carryons. We were standing there, annoyed that they couldn't tag our luggage, and sat down to wait at a bench. We didn't receive any offers of help to either get our luggage from the check in desk to the bench where we were going to wait, or from the bench to the bus. When we got to MCO, we hired a porter to help us with the luggage.

The hour we had to wait at MCO, coupled with 9 hours we waited for our luggage, and the 45 minutes we had to wait at the WL on the way back left me wishing we'd just hired a taxi instead. Far less frustrating and time consuming. Not having to deal with luggage at the airport is certainly a huge benefit, but I'm not sure that it's worth the time commitment anymore.

 

[sam_gordon]

Our flight was scheduled for 11:15. We walked over to Resort Airline Checkin at 7:55 specifically so the bags could be taken to the airport by DME because I understand the timeframes and wanted to be in compliance. We had 4 checked pieces of luggage and our carryons. We were standing there, annoyed that they couldn't tag our luggage, and sat down to wait at a bench. We didn't receive any offers of help to either get our luggage from the check in desk to the bench where we were going to wait, or from the bench to the bus. When we got to MCO, we hired a porter to help us with the luggage.

The hour we had to wait at MCO, coupled with 9 hours we waited for our luggage, and the 45 minutes we had to wait at the WL on the way back left me wishing we'd just hired a taxi instead. Far less frustrating and time consuming. Not having to deal with luggage at the airport is certainly a huge benefit, but I'm not sure that it's worth the time commitment anymore.

I'm sorry you had a bad trip. My thoughts based on your post (and they are also worth what you paid for them)...

1) ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS bring stuff for the first 24 hours in a carryon anytime you're flying. This is regardless of whether you're using DME or not. This way you could have gotten the kids down, let bell services know to hold your luggage and you'll call them in the morning.
2) Did they give you any reason they couldn't check your bags at RAC? Are you sure you were outside the "3 hour window" by the time you got to RAC and waited in line (if any)? I'm just asking because you said you went to RAC at 7:55. That only allows 20 minutes to get luggage checked for an 11:15 flight.
3) Did you ask for any help with your suitcases?
4) Personally, I wouldn't write off the service based on one (two if you count the departure) bad experience if you've had good experiences in the past.

@ Bumbershoot: I've never read here that the departure busses load 15 minutes before your assigned time. IIRC, what's been said is guest need to be READY TO GO 15 minutes before the time in case the bus is early.

 

[smitch425]

I've never read here that the departure busses load 15 minutes before your assigned time. IIRC, what's been said is guest need to be READY TO GO 15 minutes before the time in case the bus is early.

The time they give you is the time the bus LEAVES. That is why you are supposed to get there early.

 

[maxiesmom]

My experiences with DME are more positive than negative. Yes, you can have to wait a bit to even board a bus. And yes, the ride to your resort can take a while. It is great for what it is, a free service. But if you are in a hurry and don't want to wait, getting your own car is the way to go.

And I agree with sam_gorden. Always, always, always pack what you need for the first 24 hours in your carryon. The airlines is more likely to lose your luggage than DME is to be late delivering it. You want everything you need for the first 24 with you.

 

[jtowntoflorida]

1) ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS bring stuff for the first 24 hours in a carryon anytime you're flying. This is regardless of whether you're using DME or not. This way you could have gotten the kids down, let bell services know to hold your luggage and you'll call them in the morning.

Disney touts DME has a hassle-free experience where you'll have your luggage within 3 hours of check-in. The convenience of it is substantially decreased if I have to carry everything on with me just in case they screw things up. We have carried on our night-time stuff when we've been on flights that have arrived in the afternoon in the past, but with a flight that arrived at MCO in the morning, I didn't think that it was necessary this time. Plus, we brought two air mattresses with us for the kids to sleep on, which we wouldn't have been able to fit into a carryon with the sheets and bedding, etc.

2) Did they give you any reason they couldn't check your bags at RAC? Are you sure you were outside the "3 hour window" by the time you got to RAC and waited in line (if any)? I'm just asking because you said you went to RAC at 7:55. That only allows 20 minutes to get luggage checked for an 11:15 flight.

There was no line at RAC...we walked right up at 7:55. The only reason given was that "the airline wouldn't let them" do it??? The DME confirmation we'd received on our door indicated that we could check our luggage in at the resort desk as long as we were there at least 3 hours before our flight departed. We were there at 3:20...if they need more than 3 hours, they need to say that. We complied with all of their directives and still didn't get the service that was promised. Coupled with the other DME-related issues, it was disappointing and frustrating.


We did ask for help with our luggage eventually, but I just expect better service from Disney in general. These small blips didn't ruin our trip by any means, or make us have a bad trip. Other than this, our trip was amazing and fairly hassle-free (not withstanding some small issues with our MBs and the FP+ situation with Soarin'). I just don't think that the DME is such a great service. I looked up towncar prices and for $127 + tip for a round trip, I think next time it will be worth it to use them instead of relying on DME. On our last trip, we received our luggage just outside the 3 hour window, which was annoying but we were understanding and it was only a little late. Not getting your luggage until 7 hours after you've checked in is a totally unacceptable level of service when they tell you your luggage will be in your room 3 hours after you check in.

 

[maxiesmom]

RAC is separate from DME. It is the same as checking in at the airport. So DME has no control over RAC and their inability to check you in. DME holds no blame for that.

And while you may think it a paint to haul stuff onto the airplane with you, it is always a wise thing to do. No luggage handling system is perfect. If you need something shortly after you land keep it with you. As I stated before, the airlines are more likely to misplace your bags than DME is. Neither system is foolproof.

 

[jtowntoflorida]

RAC is separate from DME. It is the same as checking in at the airport. So DME has no control over RAC and their inability to check you in. DME holds no blame for that.

And while you may think it a paint to haul stuff onto the airplane with you, it is always a wise thing to do. No luggage handling system is perfect. If you need something shortly after you land keep it with you. As I stated before, the airlines are more likely to misplace your bags than DME is. Neither system is foolproof.

I don't "blame" DME...I think this is a failure on Disney's part. RAC, DME, whatever, they're all Disney contractors or Disney employees and ultimately, I think that Disney is doing a poor job with this service in general. 3 years ago it was awesome, but it seems like recently there have been more and more issues with the service.

I travel frequently...close to 20 times/year. I understand that luggage can be lost by airlines. This is not the situation that occurred here, so it's completely irrelevant to this discussion. I wanted to post my experience to hopefully help others out to give them a head's up. Others believe that DME is a great service...I just don't agree with that after this last vacation so I'm going to look into other options in the future.

 

[Jestocost]

Free is nice, but after sitting on the bus for over 30 minutes waiting for it to fill up, then stopping at 2 resorts before Pop last year (another 10 minutes or so at each), I went with a rental car this year.

And I've arrived at the airport to be told by the rental car company that they didn't have any acceptable cars available. Or waited 2.5 hours for luggage to hit the baggage carousel.

All of that is just to say that if you are going to base decisions on the worst-case scenarios, you're still in a toss-up situation.

 

[sam_gordon]

jtown-

I don't disagree the problems you had weren't frustrating. But it is the rare service that can always perform at 100%.

Regarding the late luggage, yes, DME was at fault. But having at least the 'basics' in your carryon at least mitigates any problems, whether caused by the airline (more likely) or DME.

As far as not being able to checked bags, there have been reports on the Dis of this happening. Like you, they were outside the three hour window and working with a participating airline. I don't think there's been a definitive answer, but suggestions have included the passenger(s) being randomly selected for some kind of security screening that requires checking bags at the airport.

Obviously, you do what you feel is best for your family. Personally, I'd write the DME experiences off as "glitches" and at least give them another shot. If problems continue, then I'd look at other options.

I am glad you posted your experiences to let other travelers know what can happen. However, that doesn't mean these problems are likely to happen.

 

[goofy4tink]

The RAC people want to be able to check your bags...they really do. They aren't looking for reasons not to. If they told you they were unable to print your boarding passes, there was some reason, on the airline's part, why. Who knows what the reason is. But it is seldom RAC's fault..it usually falls to the airline.
And they are under no obligation to help you get your bags out to the bus stop. Yes, it would have been nice, and they probably would have earned a nice tip if they had.
I have heard a lot of people reporting issues with the time the bus returning to the airport gets there. Some have reported a bus that just didn't show up! At that point, it's up to Disney to get you to the airport!!

And the wait for the bus? Who knows. I have waited in line for as long as 40 mins, but that was just one time, and I got there just as the doors to the bus were closing. Most times, it's around 15 mins.

As for the bags not getting to your room in a timely fashion? Again, who knows. It could have been the fault of the airline..they could have misdirected the bags. Or, it could be Disney's fault...they could have sent the bags to the wrong resort, where it took a bit before they realized they had the wrong bags and got them moved to the correct resort. That's the most likely scenario.

I like DME, I truly do. But, as time goes by, I really like to know where my bags are and to have them when I arrive at the resort. Yes, it takes me a bit more time that way, but that's life. If I'm going to go the 'cheap' route and use DME? I'll leave the tags off and get the bags myself and bring them to the bus with me.

 

[Rafikifan]

I had friends' families go to WDW earlier this month. Both flew in on same day but different airlines and different resorts. First family landed at 3 pm and didn't receive their luggage until 9:30 and other family landed at 7 pm and didn't receive their luggage until almost 1 a.m. I had warned them about the 3 hours but they didn't expect 6 hours. That has never happened to us in the past. Is that long of a wait becoming the norm?

 

[scard192]

I had friends' families go to WDW earlier this month. Both flew in on same day but different airlines and different resorts. First family landed at 3 pm and didn't receive their luggage until 9:30 and other family landed at 7 pm and didn't receive their luggage until almost 1 a.m. I had warned them about the 3 hours but they didn't expect 6 hours. That has never happened to us in the past. Is that long of a wait becoming the norm?

my sister and I were on the same flight and her bags were delivered more than an hour after mine. Hers was more than 4 hours; we did pack things we would need right away in our carry ons

 

[SandyinMonterey]

My husband always insists on a rental car. I was hoping to talk him out of it for our next WDW in 2014 to save some money. But I'm starting to agree with him. Especially on airport days, I don't want to be at the mercy of DME.

 

[maxiesmom]

I had friends' families go to WDW earlier this month. Both flew in on same day but different airlines and different resorts. First family landed at 3 pm and didn't receive their luggage until 9:30 and other family landed at 7 pm and didn't receive their luggage until almost 1 a.m. I had warned them about the 3 hours but they didn't expect 6 hours. That has never happened to us in the past. Is that long of a wait becoming the norm?

What time you land doesn't factor. Only when you check in at the resort does the clock start ticking. So if someone landed at 7 pm a safe guestimate is they were checking in at 8:30 or later. As the delivery window is 3-4 hours their bags were not very late being delivered, if they were late at all.

You should get your bags within 3-4 hours of checking in. Airport arrival time doesn't matter.