Thank you, Di!
Maybe you or someone else can also confirm... if I am flying into MCO on SWA, a non-participating airline, will my bags still be transferred to the Poly or do I need to retrieve them and take them to DME myself? Also, how does one schedule return DME transportation to the airport? Is this something coordinated when you make your reservation with DME? And how much time should be allowed for transfer/travel back to the airport?
Thanks for enlightening this inexperienced potential DME passenger!
You can make your return reservations at the same time you make your reservations for the trip from MCO to your resort. If you choose not to do it that way, you can always add it when you checkin at the DME desk at the airport.
When using DME for your return to the airport, DME usually gives you a pickup time about 3 hrs before your flight departure. So, if your flight departs at noon, DME will want you to be at the bus stop area about 9ish..give or take. It seems like a lot of time but if the bus has to make other stops, it could close to an hour before you get to MCO, and they want you at the airport 2 hrs before flights.
And, as has already been explained, once you put those yellow luggage tags on your checked bags at home, you won't see them again until you get to your resort room. It can take up to 3 hrs after checking in at the resort for the bags to get to the room though. So, be sure to pack anything you'll need for the first part of your day in a carryon bag.
Or, you can choose not to tag your bags with those yellow tags. Then, when you get to MCO you can go to baggage claim and get your bags and bring them on the bus with you. That way you'll have them with you at the resort. But, if too many people do that, it does tend to slow down the whole DME process. It can add time at each resort stop. But, that's up to you.
For your return to the airport, you won't be able to get your bags checked at the Polynesian since you'll be flying on SW. If you had been flying on, lets say, JetBlue, you could have gone to the desk with your luggage, and gotten your luggage checked through to your home airport and been given your boarding passes. Then you just would have had to go directly to security at the airport, rather than the checkin counter with all your bags. Hopefully, SW will be added to the list of 'participating' airlines soon. Sure would make life easier for a lot of people. In your case, you will just bring your bags, with you, to the DME bus stop at the time they have given you. Then, your bags will go underneath the bus, you get on and off you go to the airport. You will go to SW checkin counter the same as you normally would, then off to security.
If you won't be leaving the resort until well after you checkout, you can leave your bags with bell services. Then, return to bell services about 30 mins before you need to be at the DME stop and get your bags brought out. It's a nice option if you want to head to a park for a few hours or just get a leisurely bite to eat before leaving for the airport.
