DME and All Star resorts

[Nola Girl]

We are unhappily riding a ME bus now with all luggage in tow. It is our first value resort visit. We always show up 5 to 10 minutes before our scheduled pickup time do airline checkin and get on the bus. Well this morning we were told you are too late... WHAT. I did not even check. After more visits to WDW than I can count my pickup time has always been exactly 3 hours before flight time or earlier. I noticed almost everyone at all 3 stops had luggage. Is this a value thing? Kinda crummy if you ask me. I am thinking it is set up to make sure that the luggage of those that are paying the bucks gets taken care of and the value folks don't even realize they are being set up to fail.

 

[goofy4tink]

Seriously??? You can't really believe that the values are not giving the same RAC/DME service the deluxe resorts do.
In order to use RAC, you must be able to complete your checkin and be leaving the RAC counter no less than 3 hrs prior to your flight departure..there is no wiggle room there. So, let's say your flight is at 11am, and you are given a DME p/u time of 8am. You must be at the RAC counter by 7:15ish, in order to get your business done, and still get to the DME bus stop 15 mins early.

You should always get your bags checked and boarding passes issued well in advance of your DME pickup time. If you are given a pickup time that is 3hrs 15 mins prior to flight departure, you may very well run into an issue at the RAC counter if you stop there just prior to your pickup time.

 

[Missytara]

Was the RAC counter down for some reason that everyone had to take their luggage?

We always leave late in the day, but check our luggage around 7:00 am; we make sure we have more than enough time to go through the RAC desk. I have been up to 30 minutes in line.

If you showed up exactly at three hours before your departure flight and expected to take your luggage to the RAC desk and then get on, it probably was too late to do so because the line was too long.

And actually as a rule, ME always states you should be at the stop 15 minutes before your departure time, to board the bus and load luggage as needed. The departure time is the time when the bus leaves the resort, not boarding.

 

[tink15823]

We are unhappily riding a ME bus now with all luggage in tow. It is our first value resort visit. We always show up 5 to 10 minutes before our scheduled pickup time do airline checkin and get on the bus. Well this morning we were told you are too late... WHAT. I did not even check. After more visits to WDW than I can count my pickup time has always been exactly 3 hours before flight time or earlier. I noticed almost everyone at all 3 stops had luggage. Is this a value thing? Kinda crummy if you ask me. I am thinking it is set up to make sure that the luggage of those that are paying the bucks gets taken care of and the value folks don't even realize they are being set up to fail.

We have never had a problem but Dh checks ours hours early.

 

[POOHsie]

Value resorts have a lot more guest rooms than Deluxe. There could be a larger crowd trying to depart a Value resort than you are used to experiencing. I would agree with others that you didn't give yourself enough time to go thru RAC. Thirty to 45 minutes in advance of departure would be a good guideline. Disney is pretty good about treating every guest evenly. I wouldn't ever think they were treating Value guests with less respect.

 

[Mousemommy1]

This has never happened to us in all of our value stays. However, we know enough to make checking in our luggage the 1st order of business for check out day, and then if we have time, we enjoy the rest of our time. Sounds like you didn't give yourself enough time. It's not a value thing.

 

[Tink415]

We are unhappily riding a ME bus now with all luggage in tow. It is our first value resort visit. We always show up 5 to 10 minutes before our scheduled pickup time do airline checkin and get on the bus. Well this morning we were told you are too late... WHAT. I did not even check. After more visits to WDW than I can count my pickup time has always been exactly 3 hours before flight time or earlier. I noticed almost everyone at all 3 stops had luggage. Is this a value thing? Kinda crummy if you ask me. I am thinking it is set up to make sure that the luggage of those that are paying the bucks gets taken care of and the value folks don't even realize they are being set up to fail.

Sorry that happened. Not many people want to spend lots of time getting ready to leave, and I've been accused of stalling just so I miss the flight home and 'have to stay another day or two' RAC remote airline checkin is different than DME. Resorts with more rooms have additional staff at RAC check-in, but its a separate process from DME. I've not left enough time for airline check-in at AKL, SSR and CSR myself. Now I make a point to refresh my memory on what to do when for check out day Its best to do airline check-in as soon as you pack up the room. Then show up 15 minutes before DME pickup.

 

[purple figment]

We are unhappily riding a ME bus now with all luggage in tow. It is our first value resort visit. We always show up 5 to 10 minutes before our scheduled pickup time do airline checkin and get on the bus. Well this morning we were told you are too late... WHAT. I did not even check. After more visits to WDW than I can count my pickup time has always been exactly 3 hours before flight time or earlier. I noticed almost everyone at all 3 stops had luggage. Is this a value thing? Kinda crummy if you ask me. I am thinking it is set up to make sure that the luggage of those that are paying the bucks gets taken care of and the value folks don't even realize they are being set up to fail.

You've been very fortunate if you've been allowing only 5 - 10 minutes for RAC. The fact that it wasn't enough time today was coincidental with being at a value resort because it can (and has) taken longer at any resort level. While packing up and leaving is never fun, we make a point of taking care of RAC as soon as we're ready in the morning because, like you, we don't want to have to deal with luggage on the DME and check in lines at the airport.

I hope, otherwise, it was a good vacation at DW.

 

[maxiesmom]

You are confusing 2 different things--Magical Express is separate from Resort Airline Check in. DME has nothing to do with you checking in your bags at the resort for your trip home.

RAC is just like checking in at the airport. Only once you hit the cut off time, that is it! They won't accept your bags. If you showed up 5-10 minutes before that cut off time, you were trying to check in way to close to the cut off time. If you had been successful doing that before, you were very lucky, and your luck just ran out.

It is not a value thing to have all your luggage with you on the bus. Some people are just more comfortable checking in at the airport. We have stayed at value resorts many times, and have never been stuck carting our bags onto the bus. But that is because we drop them off a few hours before our scheduled ride home. I would never show up 5 minutes prior and expect to get checked in on time.

 

[bdklein]

. I did not even check.

Maybe the problem is you and not WDW/ME/RAC.

 

[JennyDrake]

I had this same experience with a VERY unpleasant employee at the AKL. VERY unpleasant. We were 3 hours and 5 minutes before our flight, which put us at the desk just before 5 a.m. She told us we were "too late" ina very condescednign tone, threw in a mini lecture and included how it was not DME policy/rules, but rather SWA. (?????) So we lugged our bags, went to SWA counter to check in and asked them about the "too late" and they looked at us as if we were nuts. (But smiled while doing it.)

 

[disfan07]

Also, from what I've noticed at value resorts (we've stayed at 3 of them a total of 5 times) is that there seem to be (at least IMO) a lot more foreign visitors at those resorts. If I recall correctly, those guests can use DME, but they cannot use RAC to check their bags. And many times, they are there for longer stays and might have a lot of luggage.

But I think in this situation, it was your fault. Not disneys/RAC/DME, etc.

We always get there about 20-30 minutes early (we usually grab a snack from the food court or gift shop and eat while waiting) and we usually check our luggage first thing in the morning (and we usually have later afternoon or evening flights). It's called time management and personal responsibilty.

 

[aubriee]

But I think in this situation, it was your fault. Not disneys/RAC/DME, etc.

We always get there about 20-30 minutes early (we usually grab a snack from the food court or gift shop and eat while waiting) and we usually check our luggage first thing in the morning (and we usually have later afternoon or evening flights). It's called time management and personal responsibilty.

I agree! I go to WDW 4-6 times a year and have used DME and RAC ever since the first week it was in existence (yeah, I was one of the original guinea pigs that first week DME started). I stay at all levels of resorts and have never noticed in a difference in RAC/DME whether I am at a Value, Moderate, or Deluxe. However, on checkout day, I pack up very early and get my bags to RAC, before heading off to the parks for the day. I would never, never wait until 5-10 minutes before I was scheduled to get on a DME bus to try to check my luggage and get a boarding pass. That's setting yourself up for failure. It's not Disney's fault. If the OP normally tried to do RAC 5-10 minutes before their pick up time, then they have been very, very lucky in the past. Heck, the last time I used RAC when I was staying at the YC, the line to check bags that morning was really long and a few times when I've used it at POFQ the line has been all the way across that check in area, all the way to the door of the gift shop. There were more people checking out than were checking in. No way could anyone have gotten through that line to check their bags in 10 minutes. Anyone trying to check their bags and get a boarding pass 15 minutes prior to their DME boarding time, would have missed their bus that day.

 

[maxiesmom]

I had this same experience with a VERY unpleasant employee at the AKL. VERY unpleasant. We were 3 hours and 5 minutes before our flight, which put us at the desk just before 5 a.m. She told us we were "too late" ina very condescednign tone, threw in a mini lecture and included how it was not DME policy/rules, but rather SWA. (?????) So we lugged our bags, went to SWA counter to check in and asked them about the "too late" and they looked at us as if we were nuts. (But smiled while doing it.)

That is because you have to be totally done with the check in process 3 hours before your flight, when you use Resort Airline Check in. That means everything entered into their computer, bag tags printed, all of that. Checking in at the airport does not have the 3 hour rule, which is why they looked at you like you were nuts.

DME has nothing to do with your checking in at the resort. All DME is then is the bus to get you back to the airport. They have nothing to do with you checking in for your flight and dropping your bags. That is Resort Airline Check in RAC.

 

[goofy4tink]

I had this same experience with a VERY unpleasant employee at the AKL. VERY unpleasant. We were 3 hours and 5 minutes before our flight, which put us at the desk just before 5 a.m. She told us we were "too late" ina very condescednign tone, threw in a mini lecture and included how it was not DME policy/rules, but rather SWA. (?????) So we lugged our bags, went to SWA counter to check in and asked them about the "too late" and they looked at us as if we were nuts. (But smiled while doing it.)

The CM was 100% correct. This is why we always tell people to forget about using RAC if they have a flight any time prior to 8:15am..it just isn't going to work. You have to be done with your business no less than 3 hrs prior to departure time.....it normally takes more than 5 mins to accomplish this.
The folks at the SW counter, at the airport, aren't going to know about RAC....most likely anyway. I'm not surprised they had no idea what you were talking about.
Guests need to understand what rules and proceedures are, otherwise, they are not going to be able to use these things.

Baggage has to be at the airport within a set amount of time...SW says bags have to be checked, and at the airport, no less than 45 mins prior to departure..per their site. So, if you hand over your bags at 5:10am, those bags may not be taken to MCO until 7am....which means they aren't at the airport until 7:30....too late for the flight. There is no way to tell what time the bags will be taken to MCO..hence the 3 hr ruling. Figure on 35 mins to the airport, at least, since they have to make other stops. And the bags have to be there no less than 45 mins prior, so it's now close to 90 mins...just basic time. They need that addtl time as wiggle room.