Dme....luggage only.....don't want to ride the bus!!!!!

[goofy4tink]

Can you send the luggage off to your resort and you go somewhere lse before you go ck in at your resort? We would like to send our bags to POR, but we would like to go directly to Coranado Springs for the Expo - then return to POR and ck in - is that allowed? Thanks!

I assume that you will have a car? If so, sure. As long as you realize the things that could possibly go wrong by sending tagged bags with DME without riding the bus.
Also, your bags can take up to 3 hrs after resort checkin to get to your room. You may find yourself waiting a long time for your bags. If you do have a car, I would just not tag the bags and take them with you. Yes, it means spending 15 mins at baggage claim but it may be worth it in the long run.


If you were planning on riding the bus to CSR and then go to POR? Nope. As of right now, it is very uncommon for a guest to be allowed on a bus to a resort that they are not staying at. You are supposed to take the bus to the resort you will be checking into.

 

[Dreamer2012]

Thanks Goofy4tink - I was just trying to save some time...thinking we would get to the expo early and then ck in at POR. We do not have a car we were just thinking we could ride to Coronado and our bags could be dropped off at POR, but we will follow the rules and ride the bus to POR then head over to Coronado for the Expo. I really appreciate your help. Can I both you once more? We are planning on going to MK for my Birthday dinner on our departure day. Our ADR is for 4pm at BOG - so we were told to send our bags ME and then take a cab to MCO so that we could have more time to enjoy our dinner. Is that correct information? If so What time should we leave the Park to catch our 9:30 pm flight? Where should we have the cab pick us up? Thanks again.

 

[goofy4tink]

Thanks Goofy4tink - I was just trying to save some time...thinking we would get to the expo early and then ck in at POR. We do not have a car we were just thinking we could ride to Coronado and our bags could be dropped off at POR, but we will follow the rules and ride the bus to POR then head over to Coronado for the Expo. I really appreciate your help. Can I both you once more? We are planning on going to MK for my Birthday dinner on our departure day. Our ADR is for 4pm at BOG - so we were told to send our bags ME and then take a cab to MCO so that we could have more time to enjoy our dinner. Is that correct information? If so What time should we leave the Park to catch our 9:30 pm flight? Where should we have the cab pick us up? Thanks again.

Glad you are doing the right thing upon arrival. I would recommend checking in at POR then taking a cab over to CSR...that will save you a lot of time.

As far as your departure, you will check your bags in at the RAC counter that morning..do that before you head out to the parks. The counter opens at 5am. Then, if you have carryon bags that are smallish, you can take them to MK with you and rent a locker.
DME would pick you up, at POR, around 6:30ish. With a 4pm ADR at BoG, I can see why you would be concerned with return to MCO. It will most likely be 5:30ish by the time you're done with your dinner, then you would have to leave MK right away and go right to POR to be at the bus stop no later than 6:10-6:15 (15 mins prior to the time you are given for pickup). That's kind of close.
So, if you decide to stay at MK...you can have a cab pick you up at 7ish. I would walk over to the CR to do this though. If you went to the TTC, you would have to either monorail or ferry, which takes time. The walk is under 10 mins. If you get a cab by 7, you would be at MCO by 7:30...plenty of time for a 9:30 flight.

 

[Dreamer2012]

Thanks again Goofy4tink! I really appreciate your help. I think we will follow your suggestions...Is that the "standard" you need to be at the airport 2 hours before your flight? Also if a towncar would be less expensive to MCO - do you have one you reccommend?

 

[RnbwSktles]

My DH is super paranoid about stuff (and I even agree for the most part) so I think we would both feel a little better if we get to actually see that our luggage arrived at MCO safely. Can we grab our bags from baggage claim and bring them to the DME desk to have loaded on the bus? If so, do you then just grab your bags when you get off the bus at your hotel and proceed to check-in with them?

I am also thinking that an added benefit here could be having the option of pulling extra items out of the luggage if we arrive and realize it's much hotter/colder than anticipated.

I have never stayed on property before and had no idea the DME worked this way!

 

[maxiesmom]

My DH is super paranoid about stuff (and I even agree for the most part) so I think we would both feel a little better if we get to actually see that our luggage arrived at MCO safely. Can we grab our bags from baggage claim and bring them to the DME desk to have loaded on the bus? If so, do you then just grab your bags when you get off the bus at your hotel and proceed to check-in with them?

Yes you can! Just don't put the yellow DME tags on your luggage. Go pick them up at the luggage carousel, and take them to your bus. The driver will store them under the bus, so a tip of a dollar or two per bag is customary.

 

[Dreamer2012]

Just thought it might be helpful to let everyone know how everything worked out..Arrival went fine and we did just go to the Expo when we got off the bus @ POR and when we got back our bags were in our rooms! The day we left which was the bigger discussion worked better than what we had expected. We had THE BEST DINNER @ BOG at 4pm ADR that there was NO WAY I was not going to - since it was My Birthday. We got over to the Contemporary at 7 am and they cked our carry on bags there and assured us we would be fine if we got a cab from there at 7 pm to make our 9:30 pm flight - so that was the plan...we had a great day at MK (despite the rain!) and loved BOG - made our way to CR and got our cked bags - just then the ME bus pulled up and they let us board! No taxi charge (would have been 65ish + tip) So I tipped the driver (Bruce $20!) I was so grateful to just get going! wE ARRIVED AND WENT THROUGH SECURITY VERY QUICKLY and ALL went great - so end of the story - you ARE allowed to take the ME bus to the airport from another resort - you just need your proof of service and they give you a boarding ticket. Everyone was wonderful! We had a fantastic trip (even the PHM was great when we crossed the finish line and got our medals!) Hope it works as well for anyone else who needs to do the same thing!

 

[msvlg]

My son's girlfriend's SW flight is scheduled to arrive at 9:50 pm. She has never been to Disney therefore she is not at all familiar with how magic express works. My question for her is, because her flight is arriving so late will she still be able to skip baggage claim or will she need to stop and pick up her luggage? she is meeting us down there so we will bring her carry on items with us,so she will have basics. Since she is new to how things operate in regard to ME I am hoping she can skip baggage claim and get to the resort sooner I just don't want to give her the wrong advice. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. TIA

 

[siskaren]

Since the luggage pick-up service is only available until 10, I really doubt that the luggage from a flight arriving at 9:50 could be unloaded from the plane and sent down to the baggage area fast enough for DME to still be there to deal with them.

 

[msvlg]

Since the luggage pick-up service is only available until 10, I really doubt that the luggage from a flight arriving at 9:50 could be unloaded from the plane and sent down to the baggage area fast enough for DME to still be there to deal with them.

thank you for the feedback. I am wondering if she didn't pick it up at baggage claim that evening will they deliver to the resort in the mornin?

 

[Alesia]

thank you for the feedback. I am wondering if she didn't pick it up at baggage claim that evening will they deliver to the resort in the mornin?

Maybe, but in the meantime it will circle on the luggage carrousel for a long time before it is taken to the lost baggage office. It would be very easy for a thief to notice that it wasn't being picked up.

She really should just pick it up.

 

[maxiesmom]

- you ARE allowed to take the ME bus to the airport from another resort - you just need your proof of service and they give you a boarding ticket. Everyone was wonderful! We had a fantastic trip (even the PHM was great when we crossed the finish line and got our medals!) Hope it works as well for anyone else who needs to do the same thing!

You had some pixie dust, and that was great! But you can't count on that happening. The driver had room for you, but they don't always have room to spare. I've seen many a bus have too many passengers and not enough seats--and let me tell you, it gets ugly pretty fast!

 

[msvlg]

Maybe, but in the meantime it will circle on the luggage carrousel for a long time before it is taken to the lost baggage office. It would be very easy for a thief to notice that it wasn't being picked up.

She really should just pick it up.

Thanks for the feedback. I never thought of that. I will have her pick it up.

 

[QcDISer]

Hi all,

Sorry if this has already been answered. We fly out of Quebec City, Canada to MCO. There is no US Customs clearing out of QC City (YQB). We will have to clear US Customs on arrival at MCO. Can we still use DME's luggage service? Or do we have to claim our luggages a baggage claim and then proceed to DME's Welcome Center after?

DME sent us our yellow tags this week.

I this can help, we fly on Canjet Airlines.

TIA

 

[seashoreCM]

Yes you can still skip going to the baggage carousels and still use Magical Express baggage delivery when you ride Magical Express, regardless of where you live or where you are arriving from.

For Magical Express, clearing customs in Orlando works the same way as clearing customs in a city en route where you change planes, and it works similarly to clearing customs at your starting airport. You can use the yellow Magical Express baggage tags in the same fashion as someone living in the U.S.

(Special note: You have to clear customs before 10 PM if you do that in Orlando after which time everyone arriving in Orlando, domestic or foreign, needs to go to the baggage carousels.)

 

[ah10is]

We are flying on Delta. How does it work on our return flight home if I do online checkin on Delta's website and pay for our luggage online? Do we just drop off our luggage with the hotel airport check in and they tag them or can you only pay for the luggage with that Baggs phone number? Thank you.

 

[goofy4tink]

We are flying on Delta. How does it work on our return flight home if I do online checkin on Delta's website and pay for our luggage online? Do we just drop off our luggage with the hotel airport check in and they tag them or can you only pay for the luggage with that Baggs phone number? Thank you.

I have always just called the BAGGS number, on my pickup confirmation sheet. They take my payment over the phone, and give me a payment conf number. Then, I just take my bags down first thing the next morning and show them the conf number if need be.

 

[Bullseye]

Now....the only issue you may run into is this....You tagged 3 bags. You get to your resort, using a towncar or rental car. You do not checkin at the DME welcome counter. You get to your resort, get checked in, and then head off to a park. You return to your room, many hours later, assuming your bags will be there, waiting, in your room. But, you find only 2 bags in your room! So, you call Bell Services and start the search. The airlines have a window in which you should be submitting a claim for missing/misdirected bags....this window may have passed by the time you realize you have missing bags. Of course, WDW/DME may have just sent your missing bag to the wrong resort.So...long story short....Disney tells you that you have to ride the bus to get your luggage delivered. Disney will move all yellow, DME tagged bags, from MCO to WDW resorts...whether or not you are on a DME bus.

As long as you are aware of what 'could' happen, do what you wish. We have not seen reports of missing baggage here. It just doesn't happen very often...at least we aren't hearing of it happening.

There is no need for debate...this is how it works, plain and simple.

Sorry I didn't read the whole thread and I'm not trying to be a wise guy but wouldn't that be the case whether you rode the DME bus or not? I mean you're not expected to wait for your bags to arrive at the room before you go to the parks. Also just wondering is it better to check in with DME and not ride the bus or just not check in at all if you don't intend on riding the bus?

Normally I rent a car and DW and DD's take DME and we meet up at resort and everything is swell. But this year we arrive at 10am and I immediately have to go pick up DD whose last day of DCP is that day. She needs to vacate her apartment by noon. So I was hoping to have DME take the bags to save time, and in the meantime we will drive over and load DD's stuff in the minivan.

 

[goofy4tink]

Sorry I didn't read the whole thread and I'm not trying to be a wise guy but wouldn't that be the case whether you rode the DME bus or not? I mean you're not expected to wait for your bags to arrive at the room before you go to the parks. Also just wondering is it better to check in with DME and not ride the bus or just not check in at all if you don't intend on riding the bus?

Normally I rent a car and DW and DD's take DME and we meet up at resort and everything is swell. But this year we arrive at 10am and I immediately have to go pick up DD whose last day of DCP is that day. She needs to vacate her apartment by noon. So I was hoping to have DME take the bags to save time, and in the meantime we will drive over and load DD's stuff in the minivan.

I have been asked how many bags I checked, and tagged, when checking in at the bus line. Others have said they were never asked. I have been told that they ask you how many bags in order to know how many bags are expected, and if they scan only 2 bags, but 3 are expected, they can start looking for it.
Now....whether or not that actually happens, who knows. But, there were reports, early on, of just that happening.

If you call Disney and ask them if you can tag your checked bags and have DME move the bags, but you rent a car, they will tell you no. They will tell you that DME is not a luggage delivery service and that you are supposed to ride the bus. I personally would prefer that people do it this way vs taking all their bags to the bus with them. I have no idea if anyone will have an issue doing it either. I just want to be sure that everyone who is thinking about doing this, fully understands Disney's policy and what they want to happen. They make the policy, not me.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Sorry I didn't read the whole thread and I'm not trying to be a wise guy but wouldn't that be the case whether you rode the DME bus or not? I mean you're not expected to wait for your bags to arrive at the room before you go to the parks. Also just wondering is it better to check in with DME and not ride the bus or just not check in at all if you don't intend on riding the bus?

Normally I rent a car and DW and DD's take DME and we meet up at resort and everything is swell. But this year we arrive at 10am and I immediately have to go pick up DD whose last day of DCP is that day. She needs to vacate her apartment by noon. So I was hoping to have DME take the bags to save time, and in the meantime we will drive over and load DD's stuff in the minivan.

According to the Terms and Conditions in the Magical Express booklet that's mailed several weeks before travel, Disney provides exactly the same liability for loss or damage as the airlines. In fact, the paragraph even starts off, "Consistent with airline baggage policies, Disney's liability for loss or damage..." In other words, if luggage is lost or damaged, the Magical Express passenger files a claim with Disney, not with the airline. How Disney works things out with the airline (including who ultimately pays the claim) might make a difference to the shareholders of Disney, but not to the Magical Express passenger.

However, Disney also states that Magical Express baggage transfers are only for Magical Express passengers. Here's what Disney's current policy is regarding DME luggage delivery without riding on the DME motorcoach on Disney's official "Complimentary Airport Transportation Service - Disney's Magical Express Transportation" page:

Please note that you cannot reserve the luggage service exclusively. You must be present on the motorcoach to have your luggage transported to a Walt Disney World hotel.
​

Despite this, some arriving guests have apparently been successful using Magical Express baggage transfers without using the passenger transportation.

The open question is whether Disney will still accept responsibility for baggage issues for those who pile into a rental car instead of riding to WDW on a DME motorcoach.