Has anyone had luggage issues w/ME?

[Minnie824]

So, now that we're definitely flying, I called yesterday to sign up for ME. DH & I are a little concerned about leaving our luggage there. I know, everyone will say its easier, etc. But, what if the airline loses a suitcase? Who deals w/that? You wouldn't know until like 4 hrs later. Has anyone lost a suitcase, either thru airline, then using ME, or thru ME? And when the luggage arrives at the hotel, do they put it in your room if you're not there? I've heard from someone that they leave it outside your door, which obviously isn't good. Also, does check in at the resort take longer w/ME? I mean, you have a bunch of people arriving at the exact same time, you'd think it may take longer. Thanks for any info!

 

[kaytieeldr]

Last question first: They do NOT leave your luggage outside your room. Bell Services (or Luggage Assistance, if you're staying at a Value resort) places your luggage IN your* room, even if you're not there. It's just one more perk of DME.
If the airline misdirects your suitcase, DME tracks its arrival (I don't know if they actually trace it back to find where it is) and delivers it to your resort when it arrives. If you're not using DME, or if you're not using the yellow luggage tags and planning to grab your suitcases yourself, YOU have to wait around the airport, fill out forms and find out what's going on. Using DME as designed, you can be off enjoying your vacation. It's ALWAYS smart to pack a carry on with whatever you'll need for the first 24 hours or so of your trip, given the airlines' propensity for misdirecting or losing luggage.
I don't know of anyone whose luggage has been lost by DME, which does not mean it doesn't happen. It'd be very unusual, given that the tags are scanned something like five times between your plane and your resort, and the trucks are equipped with GPS.

*Okay, fine, I do have a friend whose luggage didn't appear in their room for an unusual number of hours. Bell Services showed it as being delivered. It was. To their son's room (same reservation)... and he was at Pleasure Island all night. But Magical Express didn't make the mistake, the hotel did.

 

[CleveRocks]

does check in at the resort take longer w/ME? I mean, you have a bunch of people arriving at the exact same time, you'd think it may take longer. Thanks for any info!

I can't answer this question with any authority, I can just speculate.

Let's say a DME bus holds, I don't know, call it 48 people. Let's say it's full. Let's say there are people from 3 resorts on that bus, and that one-third are going to each of the three resorts. That means 16 people (including you) are going to the same resort as you. But let's say that those 16 people are comprised of 4 families of 4. Even if you are the slowest off the bus and into the lobby to the front desk, on average there would only be 3 people (parties) in front of you.

I guess I look at it this way. If the same amount of people all arrive at MCO around the same time, they might arrive at the resort around the same time no matter how they got there, DME or towncar or taxi or cousin Norbert picking you up because his mother Aunt Cleo asked him to.

I know that when you think a bus full of people it sounds like you'd have to deal with a huge crowd, but unless you're dealing with 47 other solo travelers all staying at the same resort then I think you'll be fine.

From my most recent DME experience, I can share this. I was just about the first person off the bus, so I'm not sure how many other families got off when we did. My wife tended to the kids and I was the first in line at the CBR front desk. I must have waited in line about 20 minutes (then another 10 minutes for my check-in process, which also included my FIL's check-in process). There was already a large crowd in line when I got there. There wouldn't have been another DME bus getting there any time really soon before I just did, so we can't blame THAT crowd on DME.

 

[CleveRocks]

*Okay, fine, I do have a friend whose luggage didn't appear in their room for an unusual number of hours. Bell Services showed it as being delivered. It was. To their son's room (same reservation)... and he was at Pleasure Island all night. But Magical Express didn't make the mistake, the hotel did.

Sorry Ronda, you KNOW how I hate to disagree with you, not only because you've been so nice and helpful to me in the past and will again in the future, but also because you're one of those people who now has to think about dodging huge blocks of concrete on your daily commute.

Anyway, I've seen you post thoughts like the above a lot lately, and I have to be intellectually honest with myself and call you on that one. You know and I know that delivery of DME luggage once it's at the resort is done by resort staff and not by DME staff. HOWEVER, if the resort does not do it well, it IS a function of how well DME runs. As a guest, if my luggage is late due to a Bell Services SNAFU I really am not going to make the disctinction of DME versus Bell Services. The fact is, Disney offered my DME complete with luggage delivery, and if the luggage delivery has a problem at the resort level it still is, functionally, a DME-related problem.

An analogy ... You rent a rental car, and on your way from the airport it breaks down. You find out (SOMEHOW!) that the breakdown was caused by tainted fuel. You complain to Hertz that you had car trouble. Hertz isn't going to say it's Exxon's fault because that's who supplies their gasoline. It's still Hertz' responsibility. The breakdown and your subsequent inconvenience were a direct result of renting from Hertz. You don't care if it was the fault of bad fuel or bad Mexican food, you just want a car that works. It's Hertz' responsibility that the people who complete all aspects of their mission do it in an adequate fashion.

With DME, I just want my luggage. If there's a problem with it, I won't make a distinction between DME and Bell Services. DME promised me I'd have luggage in my room in a certain timeframe. They didn't promise me that the luggage will be delivered to my resort's back-of-the-house and then if anything else happens after that it's not their problem.

Sorry , but I just gotta call 'em like I see 'em. Does this now mean that in October my kids should expect postcards from Universal (or from Faneuil Hall) rather than from WDW?

 

[goofy4tink]

RE: luggage on DME and if anyone has lost it. I have not...had only good experiences with their luggage handling.

 

[Minnie824]

Thanks for the input. DH is still skeptical, but we'll see. I feel more comfortable having them get the luggage after reading posts here. Thanks again, and if anyone else has had issues, please let me know!