Having a GRAND time - The Official GF Chat Thread PART 2

[vbarry]

By the way Channing~ I love the photos! (please tell me that is not you in a tangled sweater ) Just kidding! Now I feel a need to buy one so I will FIT IN at the GF! That darn stuff place is gonna cost me a fortune!

 

[goofygal531]

Mare~ I am playing a little phone tag with Miquel myself. Explain this TTC thing to me. How are you getting your luggage if he is picking you up at the TTC??

We have always used ME but since this is Christmas there is no way I am waiting two hours to get on a ME bus. They will drop us off at GF and we will be at Beach Club Villas on the day we leave. Our flight leaves about 5:3o0 pm

"If you are flying out with any *participating* airline you can avoid airport check-in lines on domestic flights by checking your luggage and receive a boarding pass before ever departing your Disney hotel. Airlines are: American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Song, United Airlines, and Jet Blue. Resort Airlines desk opens 5am. Please allow 3.5 hours before flight time."

Now you have me thinking..... is this service for ME only or can anyone use the drop off luggage service??? We ALWAYS use it, and get our boarding passes but for years now we've been using ME. I can't remember??? I'm not sure if this is an airlines feature or ME feature???

Didn't Brook drop off her luggage and get picked up at MK (which I'm assuming she got picked up at the TTC???) Didn't I read that in her trip report?? Where is she???

I need to investigate this now. I really thought the Resort Airlines desk was separate from ME. Let me go check this out....

But to answer your question, I emailed Miguel and he said there's a Limo/Taxi area at the TTC to meet the limo there. He said he recommends 3pm and it will take us about 30 mins from there. Which is fine. 2 hours is more than enough time. Our flight is for 5:45 pm on a Monday. I'm also happy that SE provides carseats and booster seats!

 

[praline3001]

I used the resort airline check in in Feb. as we flew united.

The resort airline check in is only opened in the mornings so be prepared for that.
I was able to get our boarding pass and they took all of our luggage. We then went to the AK and spent the day there, having SE pick us up from the AK park and take us to MCO.


In June we flew SWA, which is not a part of resort airline check in. When we checked out of the GF on our last day, we called bell services to pick up our luggage. They stored it for us when we went to MK. Our limo picked us up in front of the GF at 6pm. I got there 30 minutes early and gave them my luggage reciept ... they brought out our luggage and put it in the limo ... i didnt have to touch it LOL
Then the SE driver pulled up to the curbside check in at MCO. The curbside check in dude met the limo and took my luggage right from the limo... of course I tipped him but he checked our luggage for us strait from the limo so I never had to touch the luggage from the time it left our room at the GF until we landed in new orleans

The good thing about the resort airline check in is you can have your car service meet you at one of the theme parks and take you strait from the park to MCO... giving the kids extra time to play rather than hanging out at the resort all day.

My problem is SWA is the ONLY airline that flies non stop to MCO from New Orleans. So my choices are lay over or using resort airline check in ... I can't have both
I picked SWA non stop flight as I hate lay overs LOL


Short answer is ... the "rule book" states you have to use DME for them to transport your luggage.... I am sure there are peeps who figure ways around this to cheat the system LOL

Resort Airline check in is completely different from DME. You can use the airline check in and still use a limo service.

 

[goofygal531]

Wow, yell "Where's Brook" for an answer and she pops up immediately. Your good girl!

I knew I read you did the Airline desk thing on one of your trips! I just had the wrong trip!

Short answer is ... the "rule book" states you have to use DME for them to transport your luggage.... I am sure there are peeps who figure ways around this to cheat the system LOL

Resort Airline check in is completely different from DME. You can use the airline check in and still use a limo service.

Okay now your confusing me??

So your saying, some people find a way to ship their luggage ME without using the service should their airline not be "participating" in the resort airline desk? Is that what you mean?

 

[praline3001]

Can I ask a question? Why are you meeting Miquel at the TTC?

just curious

To me it seems it would be better to meet him at the GF than the TTC.... either way you still need to take a monorail and its a lot nicer and cooler and shady at the GF rather than the hot parking lot of TTC?

Now if you were going to DHS or AK then it would be better to meet him at the park so you don't have to deal with the busses ... I know I am a freak but I hate the bus system at disney and always take cabs

but in meeting him at TTC ... you have to take the monorail no matter what so it seems to me it would be better and easier to find him if you just took the resort monorail to the GF and met him there rather than the TTC monorail.
Just a thought...

 

[Lives4Disney]

Can I ask a question? Why are you meeting Miquel at the TTC?

just curious

To me it seems it would be better to meet him at the GF than the TTC.... either way you still need to take a monorail and its a lot nicer and cooler and shady at the GF rather than the hot parking lot of TTC?

Now if you were going to DHS or AK then it would be better to meet him at the park so you don't have to deal with the busses ... I know I am a freak but I hate the bus system at disney and always take cabs

but in meeting him at TTC ... you have to take the monorail no matter what so it seems to me it would be better and easier to find him if you just took the resort monorail to the GF and met him there rather than the TTC monorail.
Just a thought...

I was confused, too....but she is actually stayinhg at the YC this time.

Chan

 

[praline3001]

Wow, yell "Where's Brook" for an answer and she pops up immediately. Your good girl!

I knew I read you did the Airline desk thing on one of your trips! I just had the wrong trip!



Okay now your confusing me??

So your saying, some people find a way to ship their luggage ME without using the service should their airline not be "participating" in the resort airline desk? Is that what you mean?

I don't know for sure but its just a good guess that SOMEONE found a way around the rules as there always is

You don't have to use ME to use the resort airline check in. You DO have to use ME if you are transporting your luggage on the ME bus...

Example... you can't land at MCO, have the yellow luggage tags on your stuff so ME takes your luggage to your room and then use a limo. If ME takes your luggage to the resort, you must use their bus system... same goes for the trip to the airport... you must accompany your luggage.

This is different than resort airline check in. The resort airline check in desk is like a mini check in counter for the airport. If you are on aparticipating airline, you can check your luggage (just as you would do at the airport) and get your boarding pass. When you arrive at MCO, all you have to do is get into the security line.

With ME, you still need to get in line to check in and get a boarding pass (unless you check in online in which case you still have to check your luggage upon arrival to MCO)

Am I making sense? Resort airline check in and ME are 2 seperate services....

 

[goofygal531]

Oh for those of you who's airlines participate in the "Resort Airlines Check In", they open at 5am. You need to allow at least 3.5 hours before your flight. One person from your party needs to be present to check in with ID for the family. This part is iffy per resort. GF didn't ask for the entire family's ID (DH had all our passports just in case). However, BC wanted to see each person's ID. So have everyone's on you just in case.

There can be a line, so get there early. Some resorts request that you schedule a bellman pick up the night before. Vanessa, you might want to do this if your departing on a busy post-holiday day.

Oh, I'm so relived this is not a ME service!! I was about to have a panic attack!! I love when the luggage magical disappears (in a good way, not a lost luggage way! )

 

[PolyAddict]

Channing..

Thanks for posting all the great pics!!!

I really liked the 1988 info on the Grand Opening.

Now I know exactly how much DH and I paid for our honeymoon in June 1989, $205 per night. Maybe they will let us celebrate our 20th next year at those prices!!!

 

[praline3001]

I was confused, too....but she is actually stayinhg at the YC this time.

Chan

ahhh okay, that makes more sense now

 

[vbarry]

OK- Thanks for explaining!! Now I get it! I was sooo confused! (blonde moment) As long as Miquel or whoever moves my luggage I do not care....I hate to transport luggage!!

I talked to Mr. Miquel today and gave him cc info etc. Now I am booked! WOOHOO!

I am on SW also so no resort airline check in for me.

 

[goofygal531]

With ME, you still need to get in line to check in and get a boarding pass (unless you check in online in which case you still have to check your luggage upon arrival to MCO)

Am I making sense? Resort airline check in and ME are 2 seperate services....

Gotcha!

See, I never knew the difference because we board the ME bus with no luggage. We always use the Resort Airline Check In desk so over time, the whole process just became one to me.

Thanks for clarifying it Where have you been?

 

[vbarry]

Oh Channing~ Do you have your Hooters outfit all nice and pressed for tomorrow's outing??

 

[goofygal531]

I was confused, too....but she is actually stayinhg at the YC this time.

Chan

I'm confused why your confused?

Sorry, I missed a post in the middle - no longer confused

 

[praline3001]

Mare~ to be honest both ways I returned home on my last 2 trips was super easy... with no problems

Miquel was great about handling our luggage and pulling up right next to SWA curbside check in. He pulled our luggage out of the limo and handed it to the SWA curbside check in guy. I had already had the GF get on the internet for me and print up my boarding pass ...

OHHHHHH Yeah... if your flying SWA make sure to go to the GF desk at your 24 hour check in time period as they will print your boarding pass for you so you can get an "A " boarding pass... regardless HOW your getting to MCO the GF will do online check in and print you out your boarding pass for SWA.


Think of the resort airline check just like curbside check in.... its the same exact thing just at the resort instead of in front of MCO

 

[goofygal531]

Can I ask a question? Why are you meeting Miquel at the TTC?

just curious

To me it seems it would be better to meet him at the GF than the TTC.... either way you still need to take a monorail and its a lot nicer and cooler and shady at the GF rather than the hot parking lot of TTC?

Now if you were going to DHS or AK then it would be better to meet him at the park so you don't have to deal with the busses ... I know I am a freak but I hate the bus system at disney and always take cabs

but in meeting him at TTC ... you have to take the monorail no matter what so it seems to me it would be better and easier to find him if you just took the resort monorail to the GF and met him there rather than the TTC monorail.
Just a thought...

DH wants to stay at the YC this trip. More xmas stuff in that area and he LOVES the area. He doesn't want to repeat the same vacation we just had by staying at the GF again. We've never stayed at the same resort twice. Well, not yet. We only have the BWI left then we've hit all the Deluxe resorts (except the lodges which don't interest us). I wasn't going to argue, I'm just happy to go to WDW

So the TTC is the closest pick up from MK. I'm not going back to the YC from there.

 

[praline3001]

I'm confused why your confused?

Each resort has an Airline Resort Check In desk.

We were confused why you were meeting the limo at TTL rather than GF... I thought you were staying GF and didn't realize you were staying YC LOL

If you were staying GF it would be better to meet the limo at the GF rather than TTC... staying at YC it would be easier to meet the driver at TTC....


I have been around. With the kids out of school, things have been busy lol

 

[goofygal531]

You know what just happened, we're all posting at the exact same time so post over lapped and I missed posts!!

No longer confused!!

 

[praline3001]

OK- Thanks for explaining!! Now I get it! I was sooo confused! (blonde moment) As long as Miquel or whoever moves my luggage I do not care....I hate to transport luggage!!

I talked to Mr. Miquel today and gave him cc info etc. Now I am booked! WOOHOO!

I am on SW also so no resort airline check in for me.

V~ the very best way for you would be how Savannah and I did it this past trip... super EASY!!!!
I did it even with a broken toe hehe

At your 24 hour check in window time (for SW online check in) go to the GF desk ... if before 10pm you can go to the conceirge desk but as it closes at 10pm you might have to go to the main lobby desk if your window is after 10pm)
Give the CM your print out with your confirmation number for your flight. They will do online check in for you and print out your boarding passes.

The next morning call bell services and have them pick up your luggage from your room. They will give you a luggage tag (keep in safe place hehe) and store your luggage.

Within the hour of the limo picking you up at GF, go to the front of the GF at the valet desk. Give them your luggage tag and they will retrieve your luggage for you. They keep it on the rolling carts until the limo gets there ... you don't even have to "watch it" or lug it to the bathroom if the girls need a potty break before the limo gets there

Once the limo shows up, let the bell hop know and they will roll the luggage to the limo and load it for you. Actually if I remember correctly, I told them when I gave them the luggage tag that I was expecting a limo and they just "knew" when my limo showed up and brought the luggage to the limo without me asking....

Anyway, once the luggage was loaded up we were on our way to MCO. I told Miquel that I already had out boarding passes so all I needed was curbside check in so I could check our luggage. He drove us right to the curbside check in desk for SWA. The SWA guy took the luggage as Miquel unloaded it and took it and checked it for me. He gave me my luggage tags and then I walked into MCO and headed for the security line. It really was not that much different than resort airline check in! The only difference was the luggage went into the limo with us.

 

[Cinderumbrella]

I love this one!!! Colin looks like he REALLY wants a drink!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OH...and here is me with my "TANGLED SWEATER"!!! Believe me..I am the most unphotogenic person (God I hope I dont' look like that in real life..and Jo or Lu took about 8 pics of me with this stupid sweater on and this is the only one that I think is OK to even post publicly. )

I know you took this picture just for me!!! I promise to return the favor in December!!!!!!

Wow these pics are great!! Show them all I really enjoy seeing everything!


First Lovemy2boys and now you!!

I'm so in the mood to be there!!!

Welcome to our thread!!!!!!!!!!!!