Late arrival

[lala5176]

With a 9:20 pm arrival would you take your own luggage or send it with luggage tags through Disney? I plan on having pajamas and toiletries for the kids to get to bed but my husband and I will be up for a while anyway. Last time we came in late we grabbed our own bags but we are a family of 5 so it's a lot of bags. Anyone have any experience with this? I usually try to avoid late arrivals but the airport I like to leave from only has one flight per day

 

[kmb584]

With a 9:20 pm arrival would you take your own luggage or send it with luggage tags through Disney? I plan on having pajamas and toiletries for the kids to get to bed but my husband and I will be up for a while anyway. Last time we came in late we grabbed our own bags but we are a family of 5 so it's a lot of bags. Anyone have any experience with this? I usually try to avoid late arrivals but the airport I like to leave from only has one flight per day

With a 9:20 pm arrival, I'd retrieve my own luggage. Your bags won't be delivered to your room until ~2:00 am and even if I were still awake, I'd worry that the delivery would wake my daughter. If you don't need a single thing in them for that night, you could ask bell services to hold them until the following morning, but personally, I like knowing that my luggage wasn't lost and unpacking as soon as possible to make the next morning easier.

 

[lala5176]

Good point. I would be worried that the luggage didn't get there if I left it at bell services. Maybe we will just have to take it. Thanks!

 

[AngiTN]

After dealing with the nightmare that is Orlando baggage claim a couple weeks ago because our flight ended up late and landed after 10 PM no, I would not ever approach that area if I had any choice in the matter. It was just awful and I was so tired from a late night I just wanted to be on the ME, not standing around waiting, waiting, waiting for the bags. It took well over an hour. Then had the schlep the bags across the airport. Awful. Disney is more than happy to save your bags till morning for you. You can always put the Do Not Disturb sign out just in case.

As for lost bags, most airlines have bag tracking, so you know where they are. I get an alert each time it moves so I know when it gets on the plane, off the plane, etc. Or get the $5 tracking tags from eBags

 

[TwinkleKS]

When we arrive late we grab our own luggage. I just don't want to worry about them showing up with the bags in the middle of the night. I've even sent DH and the kids on the ME, rented a car and taken the bags myself (totally annoying with 5 people / 10 bags, but I managed). The rental car had nothing to do with luggage, just the way it worked out. The only time we had something missing luggage wise in Orlando was a car seat bag that didn't make it until a later flight.

 

[lala5176]

After dealing with the nightmare that is Orlando baggage claim a couple weeks ago because our flight ended up late and landed after 10 PM no, I would not ever approach that area if I had any choice in the matter. It was just awful and I was so tired from a late night I just wanted to be on the ME, not standing around waiting, waiting, waiting for the bags. It took well over an hour. Then had the schlep the bags across the airport. Awful. Disney is more than happy to save your bags till morning for you. You can always put the Do Not Disturb sign out just in case.

As for lost bags, most airlines have bag tracking, so you know where they are. I get an alert each time it moves so I know when it gets on the plane, off the plane, etc. Or get the $5 tracking tags from eBags

Thanks. I didn't know e bags existed. I have to look into that. I hate going to baggage claim also !!

 

[Epcot82Guy]

AngiTN, I've heard and dealt with those stories myself!

One question I've always had - is that 10:00pm cut off a hard line? Or, is it more a delay until the next day? To give an example, if I have a flight that is scheduled at 9:25pm but is delayed an hour at the originating airport - I now have bags tagged with DME stickers but technically came in after 10:00pm. If we go directly to DME, are our bags now stuck at MCO? Or would Disney simply grab them with the first delivery the following morning?

(I certainly realize the other option is to not tag and retrieve the bags. But, wondering if you are caught unexpectedly with a delay or similar situation.)

 

[AngiTN]

AngiTN, I've heard and dealt with those stories myself!

One question I've always had - is that 10:00pm cut off a hard line? Or, is it more a delay until the next day? To give an example, if I have a flight that is scheduled at 9:25pm but is delayed an hour at the originating airport - I now have bags tagged with DME stickers but technically came in after 10:00pm. If we go directly to DME, are our bags now stuck at MCO? Or would Disney simply grab them with the first delivery the following morning?

(I certainly realize the other option is to not tag and retrieve the bags. But, wondering if you are caught unexpectedly with a delay or similar situation.)

It's a hard cut off. ME staff gets off at 10:00 so if bags come in after that there is no one working to pull them. If no one is there to pull them they go with all the other bags, just as if there is no yellow tag on them
Our flight times were exactly like your example.
We had yellow tags on our bags as we were due to arrive before 10:00. I had what I needed in my carry on so I wasn't concerned about when we got our checked bags, the next morning was fine.
If you do leave the bags to go to bag claim, they will be gathered up and set aside for the ME staff to pick up when they come back in the following morning. So they'll be sitting there at the airport all night.
There were stacks of them when I was in bag claim. Flights are delayed all the time so the ME staff is used to this happening. They routinely go to each airline each morning and gather up any bags that arrive through the night and they eventually make their way on to the guest.

 

[mickeynut1]

I agree with getting your own bags, especially arriving that late. I would like the peace of mind of having all my luggage upon checking in/getting settled in my room without having to worry about when it might arrive.