DME question - luggage

[WendyLovesPeter]

can I get my own bags from baggage claim if I'm using DME or do they get routed automatically to a designated spot?

 

[Pakey]

If you want to pick up your own luggage, do not put the ME tags on them. If you put on the tags, they will not be placed on the luggage carousel at MCO.

 

[Dabelsteen]

If you do not attach the disney luggage ticket they will not know to claim it. Just use the standard boarding pass from your airline. It will then go straight to the queue and out to the claim area.

 

[WendyLovesPeter]

If you do not attach the disney luggage ticket they will not know to claim it. Just use the standard boarding pass from your airline. It will then go straight to the queue and out to the claim area.

and then we can pick them up & proceed to DME? Will it be a problem for them to load on the bus or van or whatever transports us? The family I am meeting is uncomfortable with losing track of their luggage from checking into the airport in OH to hoping it appears in their resort room.

Are the DME buses kind of split us by which resorts they go to - like all the All Stars together, the EPCOT area resorts together, the MK resorts together etc?

 

[shoes99]

and then we can pick them up & proceed to DME? Will it be a problem for them to load on the bus or van or whatever transports us? The family I am meeting is uncomfortable with losing track of their luggage from checking into the airport in OH to hoping it appears in their resort room.

Are the DME buses kind of split us by which resorts they go to - like all the All Stars together, the EPCOT area resorts together, the MK resorts together etc?

There are different lines for different groups of resorts. When you check in and show your vouchers, you will be directed to the correct line for your resort. You can take your luggage with you to the bus and the driver will put it on the bottem of the bus. Don't forget to tip the driver at least $1 per bag for handling....
We like having our luggage delivered right to our room.. We have never had any problems.

 

[ilvdznee]

I have a question about the tags....we are staying at Yacht Club & so are friends of ours & we both recieved our ME tags today & theirs have a "YC" in the Mickey Ears & ours have a "EC". Does anyone know what those initials mean? and why would ours be different than theirs when we are staying at the same place?

 

[kaytieeldr]

and then we can pick them up & proceed to DME? Will it be a problem for them to load on the bus or van or whatever transports us? The family I am meeting is uncomfortable with losing track of their luggage from checking into the airport in OH to hoping it appears in their resort room.

Are the DME buses kind of split us by which resorts they go to - like all the All Stars together, the EPCOT area resorts together, the MK resorts together etc?

Yes, you can pick up your own luggage; just don't attach the DME yellow luggage tags, as stated above.

It is customary to tip ANY service person who handles your luggage - including, but not limited to, Skycaps and bus drivers. Reasonable tip would be $1-$2 per bag.

Note that if your room is not ready and you need to leave your luggage with Bell Services, Disney will not be responsible for the tip for non-DME-delivered luggage. The Guest would be expected to provide that tip, at the same rate per bag as above.

Disney WILL pay the tip to Bell Services for Magical Express-delivered luggage, which will magically appear in the Guest's room after it gets to the resort.

Now, in the three plus years Magical Express has been in daily, round-the-clock operation, a miniscule fraction of a percent of the over six million Magical Express users have had ANY problem getting their luggage - so I'm not sure I understand the concern about losing track of it. The airline is MUCH more likely to misdirect luggage (and the passenger can NOT keep track of it from check-in to loading) than any DME issue. That's not to say the airline will lose, even temporarily, any luggage - but it's interesting when people have no qualms about allowing an airline to transport (or not) their luggage several hundred to several thousand miles, but won't trust Magical Express to drive it twenty.

 

[goofy4tink]

I have a question about the tags....we are staying at Yacht Club & so are friends of ours & we both recieved our ME tags today & theirs have a "YC" in the Mickey Ears & ours have a "EC". Does anyone know what those initials mean? and why would ours be different than theirs when we are staying at the same place?

The EC stands for Epcot...since you'll be at an Epcot area resort, it will say that. Not sure why the tags have two different notations but I wouldn't worry about it.

As for luggage delivery with DME.....you stand a much greater chance of having the airlines misdirect your bags than DME misdirecting them. It's really not an issue to allow DME to get your bags and deliver them to your resort room.
But, if you, or your friends, are more comfortable getting the bags yourself, then go right ahead. Just be aware that you will be expected to tip the DME bus driver $1-2 per bag. And then when you get to your resort, you will have to tip any luggage service people that may handle your bags. Also know that when guests bring their bags to the bus with them, it slows down the whole process for everyone. It's one thing to stow a carryon bag underneath the bus, but it takes longer to stow those 4 or 5 checked bags and then unstow them at each resort. Now, understand, I'm not saying that you shouldn't bring your bags to the bus with you...just making sure you understand the system. I've used DME more than 5 times now...the longest trip I had was the one time we had a lot of luggage to be taken out at each of the two stops before our resort. It adds about 5 or so mins to the trip for each resort. I know, not much in the grand scheme of things, but there was a bit of grumbling on the bus as the driver stood there, waiting for each guest to take their bags and tip accordingly...the driver seemed to be a bit adverse to letting the guest get away without tipping...so, he stood there, by the unstowed bags, waiting.

Either way, the bags will be fine. Do whatever makes you, and your friends, most comfortable.

 

[WendyLovesPeter]

how did this become a tip discussion? Thats NOT my issue.

Someone is our party just wants to retrieve their own bags - thats all.

 

[HappyDznyCamper]

how did this become a tip discussion? Thats NOT my issue.

Someone is our party just wants to retrieve their own bags - thats all.

I don't think ut really became a tipping issue, I think people here wanted you to have all the facts. If you allow ME to handle your bags, 1. you will probably be at resort faster(luggage claim can take a long time at MCO) and 2. Disney pays all the tips. If you are more comfortable handling your own bags(don't put the yellow ME tags on them)1. It will take you longer to get to your resort(but you will know right away if the luggage was misdirectd by the airline)2. You will be expected to pay the customary tip to everyone who helps with your bags(sky cap, bus driver, hotel bell services).

One other advantage to ME handling the bags is that if the airline misdirects or loses them ME will deal with airline to find them, you may never even know that the airline delayed your bags(missed a connection or something) because ME will track them down and deliver them.

 

[goofy4tink]

how did this become a tip discussion? Thats NOT my issue.

Someone is our party just wants to retrieve their own bags - thats all.

Ah...not a tip discussion. But, it's worth noting that anytime someone gets there own bags, the bus driver will expect a tip....just though you might like to be informed ahead of time. So...if your friends do 'just retrieve their own bags', the driver will expect a tip..it's part of retrieving ones own bags.
Others may be reading this thread and they may be happy about getting that info. Didn't mean to offend you.

So...long story short..if you do not tag your checked bags they will go to the public baggage claim, just as usual. You then can get them yourself. They are not routed to any other place. If tagged with the yellow tags, they never get to the public baggage claim area..they are pulled before getting to that point. Hope this is the info you were looking for.

 

[DisneyFun08]

What about your carry-on bags? Are they stowed under the bus, and, should you tip for them?

 

[DisneyFun08]

What about your carry-on bags? Are they stowed under the bus, and, should you tip for them?

Anyone know the answer?

 

[goofy4tink]

What about your carry-on bags? Are they stowed under the bus, and, should you tip for them?

My carryon bag is usually just a totebag, so I can keep it with me, on the bus. But, there is little room for regular type carryon bags on the bus, so they are stowed underneath the bus.
Yes, if a driver touches your bag(s), he/she will expect a tip. So, if you have a regular sized carryon bag, that goes underneath the bus, you can expect to tip about $1-2 for that bag.

If I get a driver who makes the ride to my resort a ton of fun, then I tip him/her even if I have no stowed bags. If the driver just 'drives the bus', then no, there is no tip.