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

[seashoreCM]

Ok..... planning to do both bus and luggage from airport...but if something changes between now and our trip, and I decide not to hop on the bus, do I need to stop at ME checkin at airport anyway? or can I just go about my business without doing that

If you use the yellow Magical Express luggage tags and then decide at the last moment not to hop on the bus and it is before 10 PM, then you will be unable to claim your luggage at the carousel. "I" suggest each time going to the DME check in and going through the motions of apologizing that you decided not to ride DME and asking what to do about your luggage. The welcoming CM will then flag your bags so none of the bad things resulting from actually using DME for luggage only, as listed in this thread, will happen.

 

[goofy4tink]

If you use the yellow Magical Express luggage tags and then decide at the last moment not to hop on the bus and it is before 10 PM, then you will be unable to claim your luggage at the carousel. "I" suggest each time going to the DME check in and going through the motions of apologizing that you decided not to ride DME and asking what to do about your luggage. The welcoming CM will then flag your bags so none of the bad things resulting from actually using DME for luggage only, as listed in this thread, will happen.

If a guest tags their bags with the yellow tags, and arrives prior to 10pm, then fine....the bags will go to their resort. If their flight arrives at 10, or shortly prior to 10, and the bags are tagged, they will go to the public carousel, and when unclaimed, will go to the airline unclaimed luggage area, where a DME CM will retrieve it the next day, for resort delivery. I'm not sure what 'bad things' will happen to the bags if you don't show up to the bus. Experience has shown us that nothing 'bad' happens.

Now...it is always advisable to pack your carry on bag with anything you may need for the first night and morning. You would obviously know when your flight is due to arrive...plan accordingly. If it's close to 10, leave the yellow tags off and get the bags yourself. If you arrive around 6pm, and don't mind waiting for your bags to be delivered until close to 10pm, fine, tag them. I tend to leave the tags off if I'm landing any time later than 7pm.

 

[bumbershoot]

I'm not sure what 'bad things' will happen to the bags if you don't show up to the bus. Experience has shown us that nothing 'bad' happens.

FWIW I read seashore's comment as meaning the bad things people list here as being worried about.

 

[Lilsia]

I have another thought on this. I always use ME from the airport. It seems that the wait times have gotten longer and longer for the bus to leave. You sign up for the service and give them your flight information so in essence they are waiting for you to arrive. This is how they plan for how many buses and how many people will be on it, I would imagine. If so many people are signing up just so you don't have "deal with your bags", how is this affecting those who are sitting and waiting on the bus for those people who are supposed to be on it but never show. I have sat on the bus up to 45 minutes and when I questioned the bus driver he said they were waiting for some people, that never showed up and we left. I think they do plan on you showing up and schedule the buses this way. I think if you sign up for a specific service, just because it is free does not mean that you should just not show up without letting them know. I think that is rude.

 

[AngiTN]

I have another thought on this. I always use ME from the airport. It seems that the wait times have gotten longer and longer for the bus to leave. You sign up for the service and give them your flight information so in essence they are waiting for you to arrive. This is how they plan for how many buses and how many people will be on it, I would imagine. If so many people are signing up just so you don't have "deal with your bags", how is this affecting those who are sitting and waiting on the bus for those people who are supposed to be on it but never show. I have sat on the bus up to 45 minutes and when I questioned the bus driver he said they were waiting for some people, that never showed up and we left. I think they do plan on you showing up and schedule the buses this way. I think if you sign up for a specific service, just because it is free does not mean that you should just not show up without letting them know. I think that is rude.

No, they do not schedule you on a bus. You are not expected to be at ME to get on a bus X minutes after your flight lands. You are free to stop and eat for an hour, if you want. Or wait for half your family to fly in from elsewhere, if you want. They don't wait for a specific person to show before departing.
Their goal is to wait to depart till the first guest has been on the bus for 30 min or it's full, whichever comes first. If you waited for 45 min it was a off instance. In all our flights I can say we have not ever waited that long. We've waited 30 many times, when we were some of the first to board. But never significantly more. Usually the bus already has guests on it and we depart 15 or so min after we board.

 

[castle4us]

Delta and American do scan bags as they come off the plane. I get alerts on my phone when the bags are off loaded.

In order to get the alerts from Delta, do you have to have the Delta app?

 

[AngiTN]

In order to get the alerts from Delta, do you have to have the Delta app?

Yes

 

[castle4us]

Yes

Thanks!

 

[Lilsia]

No, they do not schedule you on a bus. You are not expected to be at ME to get on a bus X minutes after your flight lands. You are free to stop and eat for an hour, if you want. Or wait for half your family to fly in from elsewhere, if you want. They don't wait for a specific person to show before departing.
Their goal is to wait to depart till the first guest has been on the bus for 30 min or it's full, whichever comes first. If you waited for 45 min it was a off instance. In all our flights I can say we have not ever waited that long. We've waited 30 many times, when we were some of the first to board. But never significantly more. Usually the bus already has guests on it and we depart 15 or so min after we board.

They have to know how many people are signed up for it, otherwise why do we need to register for it and they ask you about your flight. We could just get off the plane and go down and catch the next bus. That would be a bus scheduling nightmare. They check you in for a reason. And I have waited 45 minutes the last 3 trips, it stinks. And I really did not mean that they have you specifically on one bus(although that is how it works on the way back to the airport), but that they are expecting a certain amount of people because of our flight times.

 

[AngiTN]

They have to know how many people are signed up for it, otherwise why do we need to register for it and they ask you about your flight. We could just get off the plane and go down and catch the next bus. That would be a bus scheduling nightmare. They check you in for a reason. And I have waited 45 minutes the last 3 trips, it stinks. And I really did not mean that they have you specifically on one bus(although that is how it works on the way back to the airport), but that they are expecting a certain amount of people because of our flight times.

You can do that

 

[Lilsia]

You can do that

But no luggage tags then. Maybe that would be better if everyone just got their bags and went and caught the next bus. No more using it as a free luggage service.

 

[AngiTN]

But no luggage tags then. Maybe that would be better if everyone just got their bags and went and caught the next bus. No more using it as a free luggage service.

And a vast majority don't. There is not a huge run of guests that put on luggage tags and then don't ride the bus

 

[goofy4tink]

It 'used to be' that when you checked in, they asked you how many bags you had. That way, because they already had your flight info, if they only got 2 bags vs the 3 you checked, they would start the search for that missing third bag. Now? Not so much. The contract Disney has with MCO stipulated that you needed an existing reservation to use DME, that you weren't allowed to just 'walk up'. That seems to have gone by the wayside. We are hearing that more and more people are just deciding at the last minute to use DME, and just arrive with a resort reservation. And they are allowed on the bus.
Disney asks you to reserve a ride so that they can schedule enough buses. No, you aren't expected to ride a specific bus. But, Disney knows, full well, that most people will go directly from the gate to the DME area. Yes, some will stop to get a bite to eat, and arrive at DME about an hour later. But, the vast majority of guests go there directly.

 

[Missyrose]

@goofy4tink We (@AngiTN and I) were having this discussion in another thread, and I guess I was going on the old rules for DME. Disney no longer cares if you ride the bus? If you tag your bags, skip the bus and a bag goes missing, Disney will be cool tracking it down even though you didn't ride the bus?

 

[AngiTN]

@goofy4tink We (@AngiTN and I) were having this discussion in another thread, and I guess I was going on the old rules for DME. Disney no longer cares if you ride the bus? If you tag your bags, skip the bus and a bag goes missing, Disney will be cool tracking it down even though you didn't ride the bus?

Don't believe anyone ever said that anywhere

 

[Missyrose]

Don't believe anyone ever said that anywhere

That's been the main issue though. Your bags will always travel to the resort if you tag them, whether you ride the bus or not. The problem has been what happens if something goes wrong en route. In the early goings of this sticky, it's been noted that if you tag your bag, don't ride the bus and the bag goes missing, Disney could say/has said it isn't responsible for finding it because the guest didn't adhere to the T&Cs of DME. I'm just wondering from the experts on this thread if that has changed.

 

[AngiTN]

That's been the main issue though. Your bags will always travel to the resort if you tag them, whether you ride the bus or not. The problem has been what happens if something goes wrong en route. In the early goings of this sticky, it's been noted that if you tag your bag, don't ride the bus and the bag goes missing, Disney could say/has said it isn't responsible for finding it because the guest didn't adhere to the T&Cs of DME. I'm just wondering from the experts on this thread if that has changed.

The bold is what I have yet to find. Anywhere. Not saying there isn't one just saying I can't find one if there is so I have no idea what it says.

ETA - It may be a "at your own risk" endeavor. That's how I look at it at least.

 

[seashoreCM]

Here is one set of terms and conditions including for Magical Express
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/book/terms-conditions-travel-agent-package-2013/

I did read somewhere else (I forget where) about DME having a lost baggage procedure comparable to what airlines have.

 

[AngiTN]

Here is one set of terms and conditions including for Magical Express
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/book/terms-conditions-travel-agent-package-2013/

I doubt that DME automagical baggage delivery to your room is an "at your risk" endeavor, otherwise a lot more guests would be bringing their bags directly to the welcoming area and to the buses, and also openly advocating doing that.

Those are from 2013.

And I wasn't talking about the entire service being "at your own risk"
I was talking about doing it without your riding the bus being "at your own risk"

 

[goofy4tink]

@goofy4tink We (@AngiTN and I) were having this discussion in another thread, and I guess I was going on the old rules for DME. Disney no longer cares if you ride the bus? If you tag your bags, skip the bus and a bag goes missing, Disney will be cool tracking it down even though you didn't ride the bus?

That's been the main issue though. Your bags will always travel to the resort if you tag them, whether you ride the bus or not. The problem has been what happens if something goes wrong en route. In the early goings of this sticky, it's been noted that if you tag your bag, don't ride the bus and the bag goes missing, Disney could say/has said it isn't responsible for finding it because the guest didn't adhere to the T&Cs of DME. I'm just wondering from the experts on this thread if that has changed.

Here's my issue...if they don't know how many bags you checked, there is no way they are going to know if a bag has been misdirected. Let's say you arrive at MCO around 11am, you've tagged your family's 6 bags. You go to DME, and head to WDW, safe in the knowledge that your bags are being take care of. Your room isn't ready yet, so you leave your carry on bags with Bell Services, and head to a park. You return to the resort after dinner, around 8:30ish. You go to your now ready room, carry on bags in hand. You find 5 bags sitting there, inside the door! Ah, where's the 6th bag? Who knows. So you call down to Bell Services. And at this point? Who knows what happens. The airline is going to tell you that the time for reporting a missing bag has passed. You can report it and if it turns up, fine. But, I'm not sure how actively they are going to look for it. And Disney? I've had a bag sent to Pop, at 5pm, only to have it sit there until 1am, while I'm at POR!!! And I called down about it 3 times!!! So, not sure how much help Disney is going to be!!

DME doesn't seem to be in complete adherence to their original contract with MCO. You were supposed to have an existing DME reservation before being able to ride the bus. You were supposed to go to the resort you were staying at, nowhere else. But, that seems to be changing. Many are being able to just walk up to the DME area, show their resort reservation and be able to get on a bus. And some have reported being able to go to a different resort than the one they are registered at. So, I'm thinking all bets are off when it comes to DME. Disney/DME doesn't seem to care at all whether or not you're riding that bus. It would be very easy to make it otherwise. You don't ride the bus to your resort, but use the luggage delivery service? Fine, but it's not free anymore. There will be a charge on your room bill!