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

[Disneyfanatic108]

Just wanted to give an update. We arrived at MCO at 9:30 this morning and our luggage arrived at our room at 1:30. Was pretty worried just using it as delivery but all went well.

 

[stitchlovestink]

Here's my issue nowadays. Used to be that DME asked you how many bags you checked when you got to the checkin line. Not any more. Soooo, how are they going to know to look for a missing bag, if they have no idea how many bags to look for? They aren't, plain and simple. If your family tags 3 bags, and only 2 show up at MCO, then you are going to have a huge surprise when you get to your resort room later that day. Might not be a huge issue if you arrive at MCO at 3:30, get to your resort at 5, and get into your room, and you hang around until your bags get there, so you notice a bag is missing. BUT...what happens if you check in at 10am, your room isn't ready, so you head off to the parks for the day (as many of us do), and return around 7pm, to find 2 of your 3 bags sitting in your room. Who is now responsible for finding that missing bag? Who knows where it is...could be in another resort room, could be in Detroit, or it could still be at the home airport.
But, DME is going to tell you the airline misdirected it, while the airline is going to tell you that DME messed up. This is my biggest fear with DME. It doesn't happen often, but bags get misdirected.

Only time DME ever asked me how many bags I checked were the times I Booked a trip so soon they couldn't get anything in the mail to me fast enough. So I had to stop at the counter to get a boarding pass for the bus.
All the other times, the CMs waved me past the check in counter if I had my boarding slip for ME.

We once had bags arrive very late and the manager at the hotel in charge of luggage told me that a piece of luggage is generally scanned a minimum of 8 times from the time it is pulled at the airport until delivered in your room. ME has a MUCH BETTER idea of where your luggage is at any given time than any airline.

 

[goofy4tink]

Only time DME ever asked me how many bags I checked were the times I Booked a trip so soon they couldn't get anything in the mail to me fast enough. So I had to stop at the counter to get a boarding pass for the bus.
All the other times, the CMs waved me past the check in counter if I had my boarding slip for ME.

We once had bags arrive very late and the manager at the hotel in charge of luggage told me that a piece of luggage is generally scanned a minimum of 8 times from the time it is pulled at the airport until delivered in your room. ME has a MUCH BETTER idea of where your luggage is at any given time than any airline.

So true!!! I haven't been asked 'how many bags did you check?' in years. They used to ask at the counter when everyone had to go there to checkin in those early days. Then, they asked you when you got to the bus lines. Not anymore. So, I can't imagine how they are going to know if there is a misdirected bag.

 

[mickey1968]

What I don't understand about this is why they insist on tying the luggage delivery from the airport to riding Magical Express when the luggage isn't even on the same bus with you carried it with you. But, when you are leaving the resort you can do Resort Airline Checkin whether you ride ME or not. Is it not all one service?

 

[DizDragonfly]

Is it not all one service?

No, it is not.

 

[maxiesmom]

What I don't understand about this is why they insist on tying the luggage delivery from the airport to riding Magical Express when the luggage isn't even on the same bus with you carried it with you. But, when you are leaving the resort you can do Resort Airline Checkin whether you ride ME or not. Is it not all one service?

No. When you check in at the RAC desk at your resort before heading to the airport, is is as if you are standing at an airline check in desk. Just one miles from the airport. You are handing over your luggage to the airline at that point. You don't need to ride the Magical Express bus to use RAC.

The Magical Express bus from the airport to the resorts is meant to get guests from the airport to the resort as quickly as possible. They are not a luggage handling service, but a resort guest service. The idea is to get you on their property spending money as quickly as possible.

 

[Alesia]

What I don't understand about this is why they insist on tying the luggage delivery from the airport to riding Magical Express when the luggage isn't even on the same bus with you carried it with you. But, when you are leaving the resort you can do Resort Airline Checkin whether you ride ME or not. Is it not all one service?

Nope. it isn't. Inbound luggage service is handled by DME. RAC is handled by Bags, inc. They are two completely separate companies.

 

[goofy4tink]

What I don't understand about this is why they insist on tying the luggage delivery from the airport to riding Magical Express when the luggage isn't even on the same bus with you carried it with you. But, when you are leaving the resort you can do Resort Airline Checkin whether you ride ME or not. Is it not all one service?

As others have noted, luggage handling at the end of your stay is completely different than at the start. DME takes care of checked bags going from MCO to your resort. When it's time to get back to MCO, you can ride the DME bus, with your bags if you choose. Or, you can check your bags through, at your resort, and get boarding passes, through RAC (remote airline checkin). This is just like curbside checkin, but the curb is 30 or so miles from the airport!!

Another thing to keep in mind....Disney would prefer it's guests to have to depend on WDW transportation. Not having a car keeps guests onsite, vs heading to other theme parks and restaurants. So, they tell us that DME is not a luggage transfer service..that baggage delivery to the resort is a perk of riding the bus.

 

[betterbutter]

Nope. it isn't. Inbound luggage service is handled by DME. RAC is handled by Bags, inc. They are two completely separate companies.

This isn't true. My nephew works for BAGS at AoA. They handle all luggage both inbound and outbound, and they also handle all luggage delivery for people who arrive at the resort through other means.

DME only provides "people" delivery. All luggage is handled by BAGS.

One other thing, there is no "automatic gratuity" paid to luggage handlers by DME or BAGS. If the guest doesn't give a gratuity to the person delivering or picking up their luggage, they don't get a tip. I don't know where the idea came about that DME or BAGS had a set tip for the luggage handlers, but it is not true.

 

[betterbutter]

As others have noted, luggage handling at the end of your stay is completely different than at the start. DME takes care of checked bags going from MCO to your resort. When it's time to get back to MCO, you can ride the DME bus, with your bags if you choose. Or, you can check your bags through, at your resort, and get boarding passes, through RAC (remote airline checkin). This is just like curbside checkin, but the curb is 30 or so miles from the airport!!

Another thing to keep in mind....Disney would prefer it's guests to have to depend on WDW transportation. Not having a car keeps guests onsite, vs heading to other theme parks and restaurants. So, they tell us that DME is not a luggage transfer service..that baggage delivery to the resort is a perk of riding the bus.

DME does not take care of bags from the airport to the resort, unless you bring your own bags to the bus and store them in the bay. It is BAGS employees who pull luggage at the airport, bring it to the resort (have you seen the large white trucks unloading crates of baggage with the yellow BAGS logo on them?), and deliver it to your room. DME is Mears and they only deliver people and luggage accompanying those people. BAGS does all the other luggage.

 

[siskaren]

One other thing, there is no "automatic gratuity" paid to luggage handlers by DME or BAGS. If the guest doesn't give a gratuity to the person delivering or picking up their luggage, they don't get a tip. I don't know where the idea came about that DME or BAGS had a set tip for the luggage handlers, but it is not true.

How is someone supposed to tip for getting their luggage delivered to their room if they're not there when it happens? Some people do stay in their rooms and wait for it, but it's not necessary to do so.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

How is someone supposed to tip for getting their luggage delivered to their room if they're not there when it happens? Some people do stay in their rooms and wait for it, but it's not necessary to do so.

The lDME luggage delivered to the room is done by a WDW CM.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

How is someone supposed to tip for getting their luggage delivered to their room if they're not there when it happens? Some people do stay in their rooms and wait for it, but it's not necessary to do so.

Disney's bell services cast members routinely leave bags in guest rooms while guests are out having fun. They are somehow compensated for this, although Disney has never published exactly how they do this (nor would I expect Disney to). The key point is that guests do not have to wait for their bags to get from the airport to the resort and for a bell services CM to show up at the room.

However, inbound and outbound, Disney does not do anything that eliminates normal and customary tipping for assistance with bags beyond this, just because DME is involved in some way.

Guests who get baggage help from anyone else -- airport porters, inbound DME drivers, arrival bell services at the resort entrance or lobby, departure bell services, Resort Airline Check-in skycaps, inbound DME drivers, or airport skycaps -- should assume that the usual United Sates tipping practices apply.

 

[siskaren]

Disney's bell services cast members routinely leave bags in guest rooms while guests are out having fun. They are somehow compensated for this, although Disney has never published exactly how they do this (nor would I expect Disney to).

I know. I was responding to betterbutter's post claiming that they don't get an "automatic gratuity". I was just wondering how she thinks that someone who most likely is not going to have face to face contact with the person they're delivering luggage to is going to get a tip from that person.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Just a bit more on subject of tips and outsourcing...

From a guest perspective, it should not matter who issues the paycheck to a cast member who wears a Disney costume/uniform and provides a Disney-branded service. Guests should not have to research Disney's outsourcing relationships. Just because Disney hires Mears or Bags Inc or any other company to provide a service does not mean that different tipping practices apply.

What should matter is that Disney says, "You do not need to be in your room to receive your luggage." That suggests that the bell services cast members are being compensated -- although I doubt it's the $1-2 per bag that they would customarily receive from guests.

Beyond that, Disney says nothing about tipping or not tipping. Disney allows signs inside the DME motor coaches permitting tips for exceptional service.

Often, you'll hear someone involved with the DME/RAC process hint for a tip.

Someone at RAC might explain they are "just like airport curbside check-in." That's a good way of telling guests that they check bags to their final destination and provide boarding passes; but it's also a way of suggesting gently that the same tipping customs apply as at airport curbsides in the United States.

I've also come across heavy-handed pleas by DME drivers. I had one drivers who pointed to the sign, read the sign out loud, and then enumerated all the things he had done to provide "exceptional service." (I did not tip him.) Other times, I had drivers who really did provide exceptionally pleasant service, so I was happy to tip them.

 

[betterbutter]

The lDME luggage delivered to the room is done by a WDW CM.

Not true at all resorts. At Pop and Art, all luggage--all--is handled by BAGS staff. I believe this is the case at All Stars as well.

 

[betterbutter]

How is someone supposed to tip for getting their luggage delivered to their room if they're not there when it happens? Some people do stay in their rooms and wait for it, but it's not necessary to do so.

Many peoples wit until they will be in the room and then call and request delivery. Some are kind enough to stop by the luggage room and leave a tip for the person who did the delivery. They know who delivered to what room. Most just don't do anything.

 

[betterbutter]

Disney's bell services cast members routinely leave bags in guest rooms while guests are out having fun. They are somehow compensated for this, although Disney has never published exactly how they do this (nor would I expect Disney to). The key point is that guests do not have to wait for their bags to get from the airport to the resort and for a bell services CM to show up at the room.

However, inbound and outbound, Disney does not do anything that eliminates normal and customary tipping for assistance with bags beyond this, just because DME is involved in some way.

Guests who get baggage help from anyone else -- airport porters, inbound DME drivers, arrival bell services at the resort entrance or lobby, departure bell services, Resort Airline Check-in skycaps, inbound DME drivers, or airport skycaps -- should assume that the usual United Sates tipping practices apply.

The only compensation is the low hourly pay with minimal to no benefits. If the tip isn't handed over by the guest, they get no tip.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Many peoples wit until they will be in the room and then call and request delivery. Some are kind enough to stop by the luggage room and leave a tip for the person who did the delivery. They know who delivered to what room. Most just don't do anything.

If guests use the complimentary DME luggage service (attaching yellow tags before checking bags their home airport, bypassing baggage claim at MCO), there's really not an opportunity to "wait until they will be in the room and then call and request delivery." Delivery is automatic. And are guests really expected to make special trips to a luggage room to get someone to research who the last person was who touched their bags?

DME's inbound baggage process can take many hours. The bags have to be unloaded from the plane, sorted at the airport, put on a truck that stops at multiple resorts, unloaded at the report, queued for delivery, and finally taken to the guests' rooms. Meanwhile, the guests are somewhere else.

Essentially, the entire baggage process is behind-the-scenes. Disney explains, "You do not need to be in your room to receive your luggage." The bags are routinely delivered to empty guest rooms.

The only compensation is the low hourly pay with minimal to no benefits. If the tip isn't handed over by the guest, they get no tip.

The same is true for a lot of jobs.

I'm under no illusion that DME bag delivery pays as well as having a steady stream of guests tipping for delivery.

But I also assume that Disney's (or a Disney contractor's) compensation is sufficient to hire and retain qualified people to do the job... with no expectation of a steady stream of tips.

 

[goofy4tink]

DME does not take care of bags from the airport to the resort, unless you bring your own bags to the bus and store them in the bay. It is BAGS employees who pull luggage at the airport, bring it to the resort (have you seen the large white trucks unloading crates of baggage with the yellow BAGS logo on them?), and deliver it to your room. DME is Mears and they only deliver people and luggage accompanying those people. BAGS does all the other luggage.

Not true at all resorts. At Pop and Art, all luggage--all--is handled by BAGS staff. I believe this is the case at All Stars as well.

The only compensation is the low hourly pay with minimal to no benefits. If the tip isn't handed over by the guest, they get no tip.

Ok, a few thoughts here. When a guest registers for DME, they are told that their bags will appear, magically, in their rooms. No tipping is required. There is absolutely no possible way to tip someone who puts your luggage into a truck at MCO and then unloads it at the resort. There is no way to tip someone who brings your luggage to your room, magically, if you aren't there. Disney tells us we don't need to be in our rooms to receive luggage that DME/BAGS (whoever!) handled. BUT...if you arrive, in a car or car service, and have your bags with you, and your room isn't ready, then Bell Services/Luggage Assistance, isn't going to deliver those bags to your room later unless you are there to accept them....and hand over a tip!
I'm not sure how you expect a luggage handler, at MCO, to get a tip from a guest. Or even the person who unloads the luggage from that white truck.

As far as the value resorts go, I have stayed at AoA, Pop, and AS Music. Every single time, the person bringing my bag to my room is a CM in appropriate resort garb. As are the CMs in the luggage holding area. Not one of them has anything about BAGS on their person. If those people are in WDW 'costume' then I assume they are WDW CMs. Bell Services may be outsourced....it's very possible. I also know that I tip very well for luggage delivery to my room, when someone from Bell Services/Luggage Assistance brings it to me, unless it is included in DME. Then, as Disney has told us, no gratuity is expected.

I'm sorry if your nephew feels he is underpaid. Perhaps he needs to take that up with his boss. If your nephew works at the resort, and is delivering bags to the rooms, then he can expect a tip if the guest is in the room. But, if the bags are delivered to a room without a guest in it, then all bets are off. No way am I going to Bell Services to leave a tip for someone who delivered my bag hours prior. That's another issue to take up with his boss.