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

[AngiTN]

Disney has never come out and said for people to use ME as a luggage delivery service without riding the bus. All of their official statements say that there is free transportation to the resorts which includes luggage delivery. Even on their website on the Mom's panel it says that the luggage delivery is just for those using DME. Just because they passively allow it to happen, does not mean that they won't change things in the future. That is my point. It was never meant to be just a luggage service. And with all things that get taken advantage of, they eventually do away with it.

I will warn you that the Mom's panel is not official and often gets things wrong. Be wary following anything they put out. And never forget their answers are not official Disney answers.

If they make a change then they make a change. That's their right. No one ever said they wouldn't. But it is funny, they did cross check things at one time and stopped. Do you not find that curious, they used to run a check to get bags and now they do not.

 

[Lewisc]

The bags get pulled at the tarmac. I don't think there is any way for Disney to return the bags to the airline or to the airport just because the guest was a no show for the bus. Stop for a bathroom break and the bags may already be sorted and loaded before you're even scanned at the bus.
A poster said Disney's contract with the airport doesn't have a provision allowing the return of bags to the airport/airline.

 

[AngiTN]

Yep
Heck, you can always stop to eat a meal, wait an hour for family to fly in, or more, you name it, there's tons of reasons to NOT go right to ME. They don't hold the bags waiting on you to get on ME even when you do plan to board it later. This alone is why I don't imagine they'll ever make a change. Unless they decide to force you to board the bus in X time after landing. And I seriously doubt that will ever happen either.

 

[VAfamily1998]

Yep
Heck, you can always stop to eat a meal, wait an hour for family to fly in, or more, you name it, there's tons of reasons to NOT go right to ME. They don't hold the bags waiting on you to get on ME even when you do plan to board it later. This alone is why I don't imagine they'll ever make a change. Unless they decide to force you to board the bus in X time after landing. And I seriously doubt that will ever happen either.

Thank you! I was starting to get nervous! I will be going to Disney in a couple weeks and my flight arrives at 4:00 pm, but my mom's flight arrives around 5:30. I wanted to just wait at the airport so we could ride DME together. Good to know they won't abandon my bags if I don't check into DME fast enough!

 

[seashoreCM]

But it is funny, they did cross check things at one time and stopped. Do you not find that curious, they used to run a check to get bags and now they do not.

(copied from another forum)
Disadvantages of cross checking guests and baggage prior to going to Disney:
1. Extra steps, extra work activity, to perform the cross checks.
2. Increases the average time it takes for bags to get to guests' rooms because bags have to wait at the airport for the confirmation that the guest is on the bus and for a CM to come get a bag and throw it in the baggage truck.
3. Requires more space on the loading platform to line up the bags for cross checking and selection.
4. Certain scanning errors could result in the bag never leaving the airport until guest services in behalf of the guest calls in hours later.

Guests are/were unable to tell the difference when cross checking was stopped.

 

[goofy4tink]

(copied from another forum)
Disadvantages of cross checking guests and baggage prior to going to Disney:
1. Extra steps, extra work activity, to perform the cross checks.
2. Increases the average time it takes for bags to get to guests' rooms because bags have to wait at the airport for the confirmation that the guest is on the bus and for a CM to come get a bag and throw it in the baggage truck.
3. Requires more space on the loading platform to line up the bags for cross checking and selection.
4. Certain scanning errors could result in the bag never leaving the airport until guest services in behalf of the guest calls in hours later.

Guests are/were unable to tell the difference when cross checking was stopped.

I have to disagree. It took no time at all to scan bags. They used to ask us how many bags. If we told the CMs at DME checkin we had four bags, but they only scanned three, they would start a search for that missing bag. Not anymore. If you are missing a bag, no one realizes it until you get to your room and see that only some of your bags are there...and that could very well be up to 6 hours after your arrival at MCO!!! Not good.
Or, they now just look at what the tag says, and take it to the resort listed. If someone changes their resort, and doesn't write in the new resort, and the CM don't scan the bag, it's going to the original resort. And it will take forever for someone to figure out where it went..yep, happened to us.

It should be very easy to scan bags upon arrival, then as they are loaded onto the trucks, then when they get to the resort. If Disney wanted to stop guests from tagging bags but not riding DME, they could easily see, from scans, that the bags arrived via DME handling, but the guest never tapped in for the DME bus ride...then add a luggage delivery fee to the room charge. But, in all honesty, Disney doesn't care. They are now taking the easy way out, and it isn't an improvement.

 

[AngiTN]

I have to disagree. It took no time at all to scan bags. They used to ask us how many bags. If we told the CMs at DME checkin we had four bags, but they only scanned three, they would start a search for that missing bag. Not anymore. If you are missing a bag, no one realizes it until you get to your room and see that only some of your bags are there...and that could very well be up to 6 hours after your arrival at MCO!!! Not good.
Or, they now just look at what the tag says, and take it to the resort listed. If someone changes their resort, and doesn't write in the new resort, and the CM don't scan the bag, it's going to the original resort. And it will take forever for someone to figure out where it went..yep, happened to us.

It should be very easy to scan bags upon arrival, then as they are loaded onto the trucks, then when they get to the resort. If Disney wanted to stop guests from tagging bags but not riding DME, they could easily see, from scans, that the bags arrived via DME handling, but the guest never tapped in for the DME bus ride...then add a luggage delivery fee to the room charge. But, in all honesty, Disney doesn't care. They are now taking the easy way out, and it isn't an improvement.

Yes they could add a fee. May be a good idea. What they can't feasibly do is try to hold the bags back at the airport until someone has checked in to ME unless they want to start assigning a departure time from MCO. But the way it's set now with allowing guests to board anytime they want it really removes their option of holding the bags at the airport. I adds a level of complexity and they may not even be able to do it based on rules that Bags Inc has with TSA. No idea but they could require them to move the bags along in X anoint of time. I could see this as a level of safety built in to their agreement

I don't think they are ever supposed to just read the tags even now. They are supposed to scan them. Whoever doesn't isn't following procedures. You'll never eliminate lazy employees

 

[goofy4tink]

Yes they could add a fee. May be a good idea. What they can't feasibly do is try to hold the bags back at the airport until someone has checked in to ME unless they want to start assigning a departure time from MCO. But the way it's set now with allowing guests to board anytime they want it really removes their option of holding the bags at the airport. I adds a level of complexity and they may not even be able to do it based on rules that Bags Inc has with TSA. No idea but they could require them to move the bags along in X anoint of time. I could see this as a level of safety built in to their agreement

I don't think they are ever supposed to just read the tags even now. They are supposed to scan them. Whoever doesn't isn't following procedures. You'll never eliminate lazy employees

Remember back when DME first started, we were told not to write anything on the yellow tags? That if the resort reservation number remained the same, any changes made would show when they scanned the bags. Well, when my bag was taken to the wrong resort, it took forever to get it to me. My reservation number didn't change, so being the good little doobie that I am, I didn't write the name of the new resort on the tag. So, when they finally found it, and brought it to me, the bell services CM quite snippily told me that I 'should have' written in the name of the correct resort!!! Even though it showed in their system at MCO..after they finally decided to look into it!!!! Nope, they aren't scanning anymore. And that's not right.

 

[AngiTN]

Remember back when DME first started, we were told not to write anything on the yellow tags? That if the resort reservation number remained the same, any changes made would show when they scanned the bags. Well, when my bag was taken to the wrong resort, it took forever to get it to me. My reservation number didn't change, so being the good little doobie that I am, I didn't write the name of the new resort on the tag. So, when they finally found it, and brought it to me, the bell services CM quite snippily told me that I 'should have' written in the name of the correct resort!!! Even though it showed in their system at MCO..after they finally decided to look into it!!!! Nope, they aren't scanning anymore. And that's not right.

I don't think the Bell Services CM at the resorts knows what the Bags Inc people at MCO do. This is one of those cases where the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing

 

[goofy4tink]

I don't think the Bell Services CM at the resorts knows what the Bags Inc people at MCO do. This is one of those cases where the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing

This was a case of my doing what I had always been told to do...not write anything on the yellow tag as long as the reservation number stayed the same. However, we did start seeing instances where guests were told to cross out the old resort and write in the new resort name! This tells me that they are no longer scanning at the same level they used to scan!
When we walked up the DME checkin podium that night, we were directed to the Pop bus line. I said no, we had changed our resort to POR! The CM asked me if I had just made the change within the past few days....no, at least three weeks ago! He kept looking....took about 10 mins!!!...finally found the change. Phew, he said, good thing you didn't have checked bags to move!! Ah, I do! My dd's friend had tagged her bag! Great..off he went to the main DME counter. Took another 10 mins, but he came back and said we would be all set now!!! Evidently that wasn't the case! The bag went to Pop, and sat there, for six hours!!! Lesson learned..if the resort changes, make the change on the tag too!!!

 

[sethschroeder]

Disney has never come out and said for people to use ME as a luggage delivery service without riding the bus. All of their official statements say that there is free transportation to the resorts which includes luggage delivery. Even on their website on the Mom's panel it says that the luggage delivery is just for those using DME. Just because they passively allow it to happen, does not mean that they won't change things in the future. That is my point. It was never meant to be just a luggage service. And with all things that get taken advantage of, they eventually do away with it.

Except most things people abuse cost companies money or interfere with other guests. In this case you are losing the expense of transporting a certain number of guests. Personally I may get a town car this next trip (we have before) but we still go straight to the resort. For 6 people though (2 kids) it helps to shorten the trip and get in the parks since we land at 11am.

You would need to transition DME to not being of value to guests before they would kill it off likely.

 

[Lilsia]

Except most things people abuse cost companies money or interfere with other guests. In this case you are losing the expense of transporting a certain number of guests. Personally I may get a town car this next trip (we have before) but we still go straight to the resort. For 6 people though (2 kids) it helps to shorten the trip and get in the parks since we land at 11am.

You would need to transition DME to not being of value to guests before they would kill it off likely.

I think that it does affect guests. They know how many people have signed up for the service and what time their flights land. I have been on the ME bus numerous times and they are waiting for people to show up before they depart. If they know that there are no more people coming for a certain amount of time, then they would probably head out. We have waited way too long sitting on the bus while they wait for someone.

 

[goofy4tink]

I think that it does affect guests. They know how many people have signed up for the service and what time their flights land. I have been on the ME bus numerous times and they are waiting for people to show up before they depart. If they know that there are no more people coming for a certain amount of time, then they would probably head out. We have waited way too long sitting on the bus while they wait for someone.

Nope, they aren't waiting for particular people to show up. Buses are supposed to sit and wait for about 25 mins. Unless the bus is full at an earlier point. So, if you board the bus quickly, but there are no others coming along to board, it may seem that the driver is waiting for someone, but they are just waiting for that 25 min time period to pass.
There is no reason that a guest can't get off the plane and then grab a bite to eat, or wait to meet someone, prior to going to the DME area. You arrive, you get on a bus. You aren't expected at a particular bus. Those signing up for DME, just to get luggage delivered, aren't holding anyone up. In fact, they are better than those who drag all their checked bags to the bus. Then, guests have to wait until those bags are loaded, and then unloaded, at each stop.

In all reality, the only thing Disney says about luggage and DME, is that you are not able to book specifically for luggage delivery. They say nothing about reserving a ride and then not showing up but allowing your tagged bags to be handled. It's really a non-issue.

 

[AngiTN]

Nope, they aren't waiting for particular people to show up. Buses are supposed to sit and wait for about 25 mins. Unless the bus is full at an earlier point. So, if you board the bus quickly, but there are no others coming along to board, it may seem that the driver is waiting for someone, but they are just waiting for that 25 min time period to pass.
There is no reason that a guest can't get off the plane and then grab a bite to eat, or wait to meet someone, prior to going to the DME area. You arrive, you get on a bus. You aren't expected at a particular bus. Those signing up for DME, just to get luggage delivered, aren't holding anyone up. In fact, they are better than those who drag all their checked bags to the bus. Then, guests have to wait until those bags are loaded, and then unloaded, at each stop.

In all reality, the only thing Disney says about luggage and DME, is that you are not able to book specifically for luggage delivery. They say nothing about reserving a ride and then not showing up but allowing your tagged bags to be handled. It's really a non-issue.

Thank you. I was going to post this but got to feeling like I was just going to be banging the ol' head against a wall so opted not to. Some people are simply never going to understand that leaving MCO is open seating I guess. Folks really think you are required to board ME departing MCO within X amount of time getting off your flight? What do they think happens when your flight is late? Ain't no one with ME monitoring the flights to update things, they haven't a clue, LOL

Which brings up something curious that happened when DH left the resort last Monday. He was leaving about an hour before DGD and I. He'd called for his Uber and was waiting out front at GF when a ME bus pulled up. He sparked a conversation with the driver (DH can spark a conversation with a post, LOL) and seems the driver had no passengers but came to GF anyway. He told DH that he could ride to the airport had he wanted to, even without any reservation at all. DH declined, his Uber was arriving. But, this was not only without a reservation but also, less than 2 hours before his flight. With Clear and PreCheck, we need even less time now
So many questions, why did they come to GF with no one to pick up? New policy? Fluke? Will they routinely now take guests without pre-registering? Did this driver go rogue?

 

[goofy4tink]

Thank you. I was going to post this but got to feeling like I was just going to be banging the ol' head against a wall so opted not to. Some people are simply never going to understand that leaving MCO is open seating I guess. Folks really think you are required to board ME departing MCO within X amount of time getting off your flight? What do they think happens when your flight is late? Ain't no one with ME monitoring the flights to update things, they haven't a clue, LOL

Which brings up something curious that happened when DH left the resort last Monday. He was leaving about an hour before DGD and I. He'd called for his Uber and was waiting out front at GF when a ME bus pulled up. He sparked a conversation with the driver (DH can spark a conversation with a post, LOL) and seems the driver had no passengers but came to GF anyway. He told DH that he could ride to the airport had he wanted to, even without any reservation at all. DH declined, his Uber was arriving. But, this was not only without a reservation but also, less than 2 hours before his flight. With Clear and PreCheck, we need even less time now
So many questions, why did they come to GF with no one to pick up? New policy? Fluke? Will they routinely now take guests without pre-registering? Did this driver go rogue?

Interesting. That goes against everything we've been told. There's a reason that driver's have taken our 'reservation' sheets and then done paperwork at the valet area. Not sure why the driver would go to a resort that had no guests getting on board. These are Mears drivers, so who knows.
And I, also, have a dh who can strike up a conversation with a pole!!! Dd and I are always laughing about it.

 

[Lilsia]

Nope, they aren't waiting for particular people to show up. Buses are supposed to sit and wait for about 25 mins. Unless the bus is full at an earlier point. So, if you board the bus quickly, but there are no others coming along to board, it may seem that the driver is waiting for someone, but they are just waiting for that 25 min time period to pass.
There is no reason that a guest can't get off the plane and then grab a bite to eat, or wait to meet someone, prior to going to the DME area. You arrive, you get on a bus. You aren't expected at a particular bus. Those signing up for DME, just to get luggage delivered, aren't holding anyone up. In fact, they are better than those who drag all their checked bags to the bus. Then, guests have to wait until those bags are loaded, and then unloaded, at each stop.

In all reality, the only thing Disney says about luggage and DME, is that you are not able to book specifically for luggage delivery. They say nothing about reserving a ride and then not showing up but allowing your tagged bags to be handled. It's really a non-issue.

We have waited far longer then the 25 minutes, up to 45 minutes several times. They know exactly when people land and how many have signed up for the service. Why wait for nobody if they know that there is no one else scheduled to get there.

 

[Lilsia]

Thank you. I was going to post this but got to feeling like I was just going to be banging the ol' head against a wall so opted not to. Some people are simply never going to understand that leaving MCO is open seating I guess. Folks really think you are required to board ME departing MCO within X amount of time getting off your flight? What do they think happens when your flight is late? Ain't no one with ME monitoring the flights to update things, they haven't a clue, LOL

Which brings up something curious that happened when DH left the resort last Monday. He was leaving about an hour before DGD and I. He'd called for his Uber and was waiting out front at GF when a ME bus pulled up. He sparked a conversation with the driver (DH can spark a conversation with a post, LOL) and seems the driver had no passengers but came to GF anyway. He told DH that he could ride to the airport had he wanted to, even without any reservation at all. DH declined, his Uber was arriving. But, this was not only without a reservation but also, less than 2 hours before his flight. With Clear and PreCheck, we need even less time now
So many questions, why did they come to GF with no one to pick up? New policy? Fluke? Will they routinely now take guests without pre-registering? Did this driver go rogue?

Funny because I have had a conversation with a driver and he said specifically that they know who is supposed to be on it. You can catch any bus, of course, but that does not mean that they are not expecting you.

 

[Missyrose]

We have waited far longer then the 25 minutes, up to 45 minutes several times. They know exactly when people land and how many have signed up for the service. Why wait for nobody if they know that there is no one else scheduled to get there.

They aren't waiting for specific people. Like was said before, they either wait the predetermined amount of time or are sometimes asked to stick around longer if another bus is taking longer to get back to the airport. DME does not assign any guests to a specific bus, just a route. They don't care if you show up to the bus an hour after landing or six hours after landing. In fact, DME doesn't particularly care if you don't show up at all.

 

[Lilsia]

They aren't waiting for specific people. Like was said before, they either wait the predetermined amount of time or are sometimes asked to stick around longer if another bus is taking longer to get back to the airport. DME does not assign any guests to a specific bus, just a route. They don't care if you show up to the bus an hour after landing or six hours after landing. In fact, DME doesn't particularly care if you don't show up at all.

I know they don't assign specific people to a bus, I never said that. I said that they have an idea of the number of people that are going to ride a certain time and wait for them. They wait because they KNOW that there will be more people showing up. I have ridden DME numerous times over the years and have spoken to them and they say that they know that they will have so many people in a time frame and so they wait different amounts of time for them to show up. Some times the bus pulls up and you get on and within 10-15 minutes you are leaving, other times we have sat on the bus over 45 minutes waiting for 1 other family to board. If it was like the resorts with just continuous buses every so often, then there wouldn't be those time discrepancies. Spoke to a driver once and he said that he was waiting specifically for this one family, when they finally showed up, we left.

 

[AngiTN]

I know they don't assign specific people to a bus, I never said that. I said that they have an idea of the number of people that are going to ride a certain time and wait for them. They wait because they KNOW that there will be more people showing up. I have ridden DME numerous times over the years and have spoken to them and they say that they know that they will have so many people in a time frame and so they wait different amounts of time for them to show up. Some times the bus pulls up and you get on and within 10-15 minutes you are leaving, other times we have sat on the bus over 45 minutes waiting for 1 other family to board. If it was like the resorts with just continuous buses every so often, then there wouldn't be those time discrepancies. Spoke to a driver once and he said that he was waiting specifically for this one family, when they finally showed up, we left.

And what pray tell would they do if that family decided to stop to eat? Make y'all wait another hour?
You know people are allowed to do that? right?
Or what if their flight was late? Some are hours or even days late
What you were told was BS. Plain and simple.
Pure and flat B.S.
They do not wait in 1 family. Ever.
They do have continuous buses, every so often. When departing MCO. What you are describing does happen when leaving the resorts. Maybe you are mixing things up in your mind?
And I too have ridden ME a lot over the years.
They are supposed to leave in 30 min after the first family boards. Or the bus is full.
I guess those that wait 45 are doing it just because (maybe the family was a personal friend who contacted them?)
Just like the driver that told DH he could board at the Resort. It was an improper procedure but it happened anyway.
The 45 min wait was improper procedure but it happened anyway
Their telling you they waited on 1 family was improper but it happened.