DME Tags

[meloneyb21]

I GOT 'EM!!!........But anyway, everything about them is in order. I was just wondering if your arrival date is supposed to be on all four tags. I thought 2 would have arrivals and 2 would have departures. Also 2 have me and my DH's name but the other 2 just have his name on them twice. Is this common? I don't know any better 'cause this is my first time.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

I GOT 'EM!!!........But anyway, everything about them is in order. I was just wondering if your arrival date is supposed to be on all four tags. I thought 2 would have arrivals and 2 would have departures. Also 2 have me and my DH's name but the other 2 just have his name on them twice. Is this common? I don't know any better 'cause this is my first time.

You only use the yellow DME tags when traveling to WDW. The barcode on those tags lets Disney figure out how to get the bags from the airport to your room. Be sure to attach the tags to your bags before you check your bags at your home airport. When you arrive at Orlando International, go straight from your gate to the DME Welcome Center, bypassing baggage claim.

You don't use yellow tags for your trip back home. It would be nice if Disney delivered the bags to your house, but they don't.

You receive two tags per person. The first name on each tag is the reservation. The second name is the passenger name. (If you have an odd number of passengers, you could get two extra tags without a passenger name.)

The travel vouchers in your DME packet are important fro your return trip. They'll scan then for the inbound motorcoach ride. They'll collect them for the return motorcoach ride.

 

[Lewisc]

You can get extra yellow tags if you call, at least 10 days in advance. Some airlines allow you check 3 bags and some passenger elect to pay the airline to check extra baggage.

The confirmation letter you get the day before your departure not only has your departure time but is now bar coded so you can use it if you can't find your original vouchers.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

The confirmation letter you get the day before your departure not only has your departure time but is now bar coded so you can use it if you can't find your original vouchers.

That's a great idea! I didn't know that.

 

[tjmw2727]

I GOT 'EM!!!........But anyway, everything about them is in order. I was just wondering if your arrival date is supposed to be on all four tags. I thought 2 would have arrivals and 2 would have departures. Also 2 have me and my DH's name but the other 2 just have his name on them twice. Is this common? I don't know any better 'cause this is my first time.

That is correct, you only have a set of tags for your arrival flight. Two tags for each member listed on the reservation. All of them will have the name on the reservation, (in your case your dh's) and the name of the person traveling. That's why your dh's name appears twice on his and his name also appears on your tags, he is the reservation holder.

You don't need ME tags for your departure that's why they only have the arrival date. On your departing flight you either check your bags through to your home airport right at the resort (if your on a participating airline) or bring them with you on the DME bus and check them through at the airport.

One more thought since you mentioned you are new to flying. Be sure and put a luggage tage with your name, address and contact information inside your luggage as well as on the outside in addition to the ME tag. Just in case!

HTH
TJ

 

[Lewisc]

You don't use yellow tags for your trip back home. It would be nice if Disney delivered the bags to your house, but they don't.

Cute comment. Not everyone flies much. Even people who fly occassionaly might think the DME yellow tag replaces the airline luggage tag. It does have your name and identifies your destination airport (MCO). It wasn't that many years ago that our tag had our destination airport pre-printed and our flight number was just written in.

Likewise I can undersand some guests thinking a DME tag might be used by the the resort checkin people. Disney does have our airline and flight number and I can understand people who don't fly much thinking that tag would be needed to do resort checkin.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Cute comment. Not everyone flies much.

I hope my response to meloneyb21 did come come across as a put-down. If it did, let me apologize to meloneyb21.

I was trying to be helpful in my response. And I used a smiley (which I seldom do) in hopes of conveying that this particular line was meant as a lighthearted remark.

I haven't used DME since October, but, at that time, the instructions in the DME packet weren't as clear as they could be. From some of the recent questions on this board, it seems that they still aren't.

That's why I was glad to see your comment that the confirmation letter on the day before check-out now has the transportion voucher barcode. It shows that Disney is fine tuning DME.

 

[Lewisc]

I know you were tyring to be helpful, my point is people who don't travel much might think the DME replaces the airline tags and as such might be needed both directions.

It seems obvious when you already know the answer, as both of us do, but the question isn't as stupid as it sounds the first time you read it.

I hope my response to meloneyb21 did come come across as a put-down. If it did, let me apologize to meloneyb21.

I was trying to be helpful in my response. And I used a smiley (which I seldom do) in hopes of conveying that this particular line was meant as a lighthearted remark.

I haven't used DME since October, but, at that time, the instructions in the DME packet weren't as clear as they could be. From some of the recent questions on this board, it seems that they still aren't.

That's why I was glad to see your comment that the confirmation letter on the day before check-out now has the transportion voucher barcode. It shows that Disney is fine tuning DME.

 

[kaytieeldr]

One more thought since you mentioned you are new to flying. Be sure and put a luggage tage with your name, address and contact information inside your luggage as well as on the outside in addition to the ME tag. Just in case!

HTH
TJ

Even smarter: Instead of your home address, use your work address or the address of a nearby friend or relative who will NOT be away on vacation. Theives get more enterprising all the time.

 

[meloneyb21]

I put both the tags with my name on my luggage before I leave home and he does the same with his, right?

 

[Mr. X]

What happens if you choose no to use the tags, and want to pick it up at the baggage clam and bring it on the bus with you??? Can I do this??? Reason: I'm traveling w/ 4 yo, and 18 month old, I don't want to wait for hours for my luggage to arrive.............

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

What happens if you choose no to use the tags, and want to pick it up at the baggage clam and bring it on the bus with you??? Can I do this??? Reason: I'm traveling w/ 4 yo, and 18 month old, I don't want to wait for hours for my luggage to arrive.............

Using the yellow DME tags to have your luggage "magically appear" in your room is optional. If you'd rather retrieve your own luggage from baggage claim, don't use the yellow tags.

The downside is that you then need to deal with your luggage at the airport and at the resort. With a 4-year-old and an 18-month-old, you'll probably need luggage assistance, both at the airport and at the resort. Disney doesn't cover tips if you choose to handle your own luggage, so plan on tipping a porter at the airport, the DME driver, and a bellman at your resort.

Also, if you don't use the yellow tags, plan on arriving at your resort about a half hour later than if you do. Instead of going straight from your arrival gate to the DME Welcome Center, you need to allow time for walking to and from baggage claim and the time waiting for your bags to appear on the conveyor — which means you're almost certain to be on a later DME motorcoach.

May I offer another suggestion? Plan on packing everything you'll need during the first few hours at WDW (for your 4-year-old, your 18-month-old, and everyone else in your family) in carry-on bags. That's a good idea anyway in case the airline misdirects your luggage. Also, pack valuables and medications in your carry-ons. Then use the yellow tags for everything else. You can catch the first motorcoach to your resort. You'll have everything you need so your family can go off and have fun. Your checked bags will "magically appear" in your room in a few hours — and you don't have to wait in your room because Disney takes care of the inbound bellman gratuity.

 

[Olallamom]

Mr X: We did this exact thing in October. It is not a problem at all. It was nice not to have to wait for our luggage to arrive at the hotel. I didn't have to worry about packing a change of clothes into my carry on.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

I put both the tags with my name on my luggage before I leave home and he does the same with his, right?

When you say goodbye to your luggage at your home airport, there should be three tags on each bag:

• An ID tag with your name, address, and phone number. This can be an ID tag that came with your luggage, a paper tag that you can get at the airline counter, a travel package souvenir tag, or any other ID tag. I prefer to use my office address and phone number on the ID tag.
  
• One yellow, barcoded DME tag.
  
• The airline routing tag, with the flight number and destination ("MCO"), which will be applied by the agent at the airline counter (no fee if the bags are within size and weight guidelines, and no tip) or by a curbside skycap (fee may apply, customary to tip).

You can apply the first two tags at home.

 

[tjmw2727]

I put both the tags with my name on my luggage before I leave home and he does the same with his, right?

No. You only put one DME tag on each bag to be checked through for resort delivery. Since most airlines allow two checked bags per person DME sends two DME tags per person. If you are only checking one bag then you only need to use one DME luggage tag on that bag.

TJ

 

[tjmw2727]

What happens if you choose no to use the tags, and want to pick it up at the baggage clam and bring it on the bus with you??? Can I do this??? Reason: I'm traveling w/ 4 yo, and 18 month old, I don't want to wait for hours for my luggage to arrive.............

Yes you can do just that. Don't put the DME luggage tags on the bags and just claim them at MCO like you always have. The driver of the DME bus will load them underneath for you and unload them at the resort. I tipped for this service.

I did this in October and was happy with my decision since we arrived very late at night. If I were arriving during the day I would use the luggage delivery service from DME and have my bags routed to the resort. Just pack a carryon with what you will need while you are waiting for DME luggage delivery.

Either way works!
TJ

 

[meloneyb21]

No. You only put one DME tag on each bag to be checked through for resort delivery. Since most airlines allow two checked bags per person DME sends two DME tags per person. If you are only checking one bag then you only need to use one DME luggage tag on that bag.

TJ

Oh, I am so inexperienced ......That's why !

 

[tjmw2727]

Oh, I am so inexperienced ......That's why !

Thanks for the smiles and don't worry. Flying can be intimidating the first time but don't worry, just pay attention when you get to the airport, relax and it will be fine. The key for you is to relax so your dd dosen't get anxious, if you can let your DH work out all the details ~ or vise versa.

FWIW - I flew SWA out of Philly for the first time in October and it was a great experience. It was not our first time flying but it was our first time with SWA and first time flying out of Philly. I was the solo adult with my two dd's and we had a great flight. I suggest using curb check for your luggage, you will need to tip but IMHO its well worth it, we do $2.00 a bag.

You can keep your stroller until the gate, get a gate check tag for it at the gate desk and leave it at the door of the airplane. Fold it and secuire it, in fact its a good idea to use a bungee cord to keep it closed. I also suggest removing any thing on the stroller that can be removed and storing it in your checked luggage prior to the trip. Things like the canope, cup holders, child tray, toys etc, if they come off they could be lost or damaged in the baggage compartment. You can just use the stroller "stripped" at the airport and put the accessories back on prior to park touring.

You can also pre-board with your dd if she is under 4.

Have fun
TJ