DME: I need convincing

[stevea20]

Now THAT'S a good one. Even DW was impressed by that one and she's the reason for this thread.
32 days to go.

 

[Alesia]

I know it seems backwards for most people, but the possiblity of the airline misdirecting my luggage is the main reason I want DME to handle my bags.

My husband has flown 3 times and his luggage has been misdirected twice, so we know the frustration of having to wait, and wait, and wait for the luggage to arrive on the carousel. And then when it doesn't you have to fill out paperwork before you can leave the airport. It's bad enough to end a vacation that way, I definitely don't want to start it that way.

With DME handling the bags they also handle the headache of dealing with lost luggage while I'm enjoying my time at WDW.

 

[clkelley]

i know it seems backwards for most people, but the possiblity of the airline misdirecting my luggage is the main reason i want dme to handle my bags.

My husband has flown 3 times and his luggage has been misdirected twice, so we know the frustration of having to wait, and wait, and wait for the luggage to arrive on the carousel. And then when it doesn't you have to fill out paperwork before you can leave the airport. It's bad enough to end a vacation that way, i definitely don't want to start it that way.

With dme handling the bags they also handle the headache of dealing with lost luggage while i'm enjoying my time at wdw.

exactly!!!!!!!!

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

I've used DME twice so far and haven't had a problem. It was so easy!

I'll be using it again on my upcoming trip. Which reminds me I need to call and give them my flight info now that I've booked my flight.

The key for me being comfortable with it is packing at least 1 outfit in my carryon bag for the next day, my pjs and if I plan on swimming, my swimsuit and cover up. I always carry my meds and important bathroom stuff in travel size in my carry on as well. That way if my baggage does get delayed, I'll be ok for a day or 2.

 

[United544]

We have used DME twice and everything (almost) has gone perfectly. I would without hesitation use DME again. With a family of 6 is it a life saver to not have to handle our bags. Check them at the airport when we leave, they magically show up in our room. Unbelievably simple and (in our experience) very efficient.

To be fair, the one hiccup we had was on our return flight. One of our bags was left by the curb (I guess they forgot to load it onto the bus). We were luckily staying the evening at the Orlando Airport Hotel and so Disney just delivered the bag directly to our room.

 

[Arenita]

DME is part of the "Magic" for me, especially the times I have travelled alone with a young child. The 3 times we've used it, we've been at a park or a pool for two or three hours and when we returned to our room, the bags were there. No problems here.

Hope you have a great trip!

 

[sndral]

If everyone refused to take DME it'd take forever to deliver everyone to their resorts as the driver would have to open up the bins under the bus and pull out a bazillion bags @ each resort. Plus, who wants to manhandle heavy suitcases on and off the carousel then wheel them to DME, then wheel them to check in, etc.. The WDW resorts are HUGE, it can be a long trek from check in to your room wheeling a large suitcase plus carryon and assorted other collected items after a long, disorienting travel day.

 

[happymommy]

We took DME once, but usually rent a car one way (pick up at MCO and drop off at the Dolphin) or take a towncar service (car rental is usually about $40, towncar about $50). With DME, we were surprised at how long it took us to get from the airport to the resort (over 2 hours), so we took a cab upon return to the airport.

We only bring carry-on luggage.

So, give it a try and see. I'm glad we did, as I found out it's not for us. I like using a towncar, as they're waiting right there in the baggage area for us, and we get a quick grocery stop on the way for toiletries and drinks/snacks. It's worth the extra $$ for us, but YMMV.

 

[greg42]

I'm a believer in the DME bag service now. On the way down, we kept one bag out of the system and checked one through. I collected the one bag at baggage claim, dragged it with me to the DME bus, etc. When we arrived at the resort (ASMu) before noon, we were able to check in right away. Walked back to our room way at the back. Checked through bag was already there in the room! It was a slow time (September) so it could be worse at peak times, I'm sure. But I don't think I'll ever be going at peak times.

On the way home it's even better. They print out the real airline baggage labels right at the resort. You can (in fact must, essentially, because they close at 1pm) check in your bags in the morning even if your flight is in the evening. Then you go to the park or wherever for your last day and never have to worry about your bags until you get to your home airport. All worked perfectly.

So my conclusion is, assuming you're using the DME bus in the first place, there's no reason not to use the included luggage service. Pack all stuff you may need upon arrival into your carry on, though, just in case the luggage is a little behind you in arriving.

 

[CleveRocks]

We took DME once, but usually rent a car one way (pick up at MCO and drop off at the Dolphin) or take a towncar service (car rental is usually about $40, towncar about $50). With DME, we were surprised at how long it took us to get from the airport to the resort (over 2 hours), so we took a cab upon return to the airport.

We only bring carry-on luggage.

So, give it a try and see. I'm glad we did, as I found out it's not for us. I like using a towncar, as they're waiting right there in the baggage area for us, and we get a quick grocery stop on the way for toiletries and drinks/snacks. It's worth the extra $$ for us, but YMMV.

2 hours is much longer than average. The average time froim airplane exit to resort drop-off via DME is 70 minutes. I've been lucky ... each of my 3 times using DME, I got to resort quicker than average, the fastest was 56 minutes.