DME and random thoughts

[arthuruscg]

The more I think about it, the more I wounder why with a few modifications of procedures why DME can't take you directly to and from the parks.

1. Require 24hr advance online check in with selecting which park you will be going to for the tickets/ KWC to be available for pick up at Guest Relations. I am saying that guest relations has all of the stuff in a envelope that the guest signs for, ALL of the check in items happens during online check in. It would require a minimal increase in GR staffing but could also allow for a reduction in hotel staffing.

2. Require that you give the DME check in desk at the airport your luggage stubs, and sign that they are able to start process any missing/ damaged claim work. Since 99% of people have cellphones, DME could call the guest and have them go to Guest Relations to fill out the paper work or fill the form out on your smart phone.

3. The really odd thing for me is DME not picking up at the parks or anywhere else on property. 24hrs in advance, you notify DME where you want to be picked up at, you turn the luggage in when you check out of the hotel and that is it. If the park was the last pickup it would encourage more ticket sales.

.....Actually, for the return trip to MCO, if they only picked up from the 7 pick up points (MK, HS, AK, EP, TL, BB, DTD) there could run less buses (more runs with less drivers due to reduction in run length). The same is also true in the mornings before hotel check in.

 

[dburg30]

my brain hurts..

Seems like an awful lot of hassle.. I guess if you were leaving LATE in the afternoon or whatever it may be nice, but normally you have carry ons which you would have to deal with at the parks, you still have 3 hours, you still have people at resorts that need picked up. I just dont see it being better for WDW in any way, especially logistically..

guess anything is possible though.

 

[smitch425]

I am not usually one to use the phrase "never gonna happen", but I think it fits in this case. It just isn't logistically feasible. Too many people with too much carry on luggage. People who fly are allowed one carry on and one personal bag. What would they do with that stuff at the parks? How could you schedule pickup times for the thousands of people that are at a park on any given day? It is much more efficient to run set routes to the hotels. Not everyone wants to go to a park on the last day. You would have to constantly have busses going to 7 different parks IN ADDITION to all of the hotels. Simply too much work and manpower involved.

 

[arthuruscg]

I guess Southwest has spoiled me with 2 free check bags. My carry on is my book bag that I use in the parks. I figure that if my luggage is lost, it would give me an excuse to buy clothes at DTD.

Even traveling with a 2yr old DS and DW, we still only need 1 book bag + stroller.

 

[goofy4tink]

I just don't see the point. Why would they want to change it??? Too many people seem to want Disney to provide services that are able to be accommodate personal preferences. It's public transportation, basically.
That would tie up way to many buses....for the few people that would want to do this. In all reality? I just don't see the huge outcry for something like this.

I imagine that the vast majority of guests just want to get to their resort, get checked in, and then go to their room. As far as the return to MCO??? Well, that one would please guests. No more having to head back to the resort early. But, rather than have pickup at the parks, perhaps they could designate certain resorts as p/u spots for the parks....for instance...you want to stay at MK a bit longer? Pay a bit extra and be able to be picked up at the CR.
Want to be at Epcot/DHS?? Pay addtl to be p/u at BC.
AK?? Head to AKL.
Disney could possibly charge for this accomdation. Maybe they could charge people $10 pp to change their p/u area. Maybe they could do the same upon arrival...you want to go to a park vs your resort? Fine, we'll charge you and you can be taken to one of the above resorts...for park access. You could leave any carryon luggage there, with Bell Services.

Who knows...maybe some day down the road.

 

[Tara]

The vast majority of travelers have carry-on luggage, computer bags, etc. They aren't going to want to lug those around at the parks. This sounds highly impractical to me.

 

[kaytieeldr]

1. Thirty percent of U.S. households have no Internet access http://www.itbusinessedge.com/cm/co...useholds-have-no-access-to-internet/?cs=39500

2. Eighty-five - not 99 - percent of adults in this country have cell phones http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2011/Generations-and-gadgets/Report/Cell-phones.aspx

Just based on this data, the OP suggestions wouldn't work. As goofy4tink pointed out, he seems to want personalized transportation services at no cost. There are companies that provide the personalized service, they just charge.

Other reasons it wouldn't work:
there are about a half dozen Guest Services windows at each park, already handling general issues, ticket issues, questions, complaints...any influx of guests checking into hotels would overburden that;
there isn't room for more GS windows, so additional staffing is moot;
the OP seems to have never worked at a hotel front desk and isn't aware that it involves more than minimal training;
the OP seems to have never read the numerous "what should I request?", "what's the best room at ____?", etc., threads on the Resorts board;
the OP is considering/suggesting only what would be ideal for him and his family, and not the needs and desires of the thousands of other guests using Magical Express each day, or the logistics of the overall service.

 

[seashoreCM]

No big storage area at the parks for carryons of arriving and departing guests.

No platform and staging area for the Magical Express buses at the parks.

Buses from park to resort and resort to park not equipped to take guests' carryons.

 

[Lewisc]

I don't know if it will ever happen but it's not a stupid idea. Disney has already said, I'm not going to take the time to google the press statements, they were considering letting DME guests check into their resort at MCO and then be bused directly to a theme park. The original issue was a systems issue which prevented producing keys at a remote location. RAC solved their systems issues with Southwest. The compute issue was either solved, or could be solved.

The issue with roller bags could be easily solved. Let guests check those bags at the DME desk for delivery to their resort. Put larger storage lockers at the entrance to parks. Airlines have rules. Disney could have rules. Guests with a roller bag have to go to their resort first. Either solution could work.

The fact that this hasn't been implemented suggests Disney either decided busing guests directly to a park isn't worth the extra cost or not enough guests would be interested. The system wouldn't work without a resort check in desk at MCO. Too many guests have their park passes attached to their room key. Having a resort checkin desk at MCO makes more sense then having one in every park. Avoids the 24 hour notice rule. Many guests want to go to their resort first to freshen up.

Checked luggage is a non-issue. Many DME guests check in at their resort and then go directly to a theme park. Their luggage is delivered to their room while they're at the park. Going directly to a park doesn't necessitate any change to the system Disney uses to handle missing luggage.

The statistics quoted in this thread are of questionable relevance. 30% of adults may have limited access to the internet but the question is what % of guests flying to WDW for a vacation have access. 85% of adults may have a cell phone but the question is what % of families flying to Disney have at a cell phone for at least one person in the group? One parent. One child.

BUT Neither a cell phone nor internet access is a requirement.

Guests checking in at MCO would probably need to use some kind of express check in. That could be online. Maybe terminals in MCO to accommodate guests who didn't do it in advance. Guests with specific room requests would have to go to the resort. DIS have exact room requirements. "Normal" guests generally take whatever room they're given.

Some of the staffing at MCO would be offset by a reduction in the staffing required in the resorts.