Late flight home-what to do with luggage?

[lookame]

Everyone's input has been incredibly helpful. We'll plan to leave the park around 2pm and most likely take an uber (or heck maybe a Minnie van) back to Pop to ctch DME.

I was able to change our flight to an early flight so we'll arrive around 7am. Are we able to stash our bags with bell check at Pop until our room is ready?

 

[Dean1953]

Yes. If you want, your checked bags can have a Disney baggage check ticket put on that is mailed to you around 10-14 days before your flight. You will not have to pick up those bags at MCO Disney will pick them up and bring them to your room. This service operates except late at night and early in the morning, so I’m not sure if 7AM is too early for Disney to pick up your checked bags. You do need a reservation to ride on DME both directions. Im not sure of the phone number but if you call Disney, they should be able to transfer you to the correct department.

 

[pooch]

There is no “too early” for the DME luggage service. Put the yellow Mickey tags on your checked bags prior to dropping them off at your home airport and Disney will take care of getting them to your hotel room. I would also look carefully at your need for 8 carryon/personal item bags. IMHO, thats a lot of lugging. When DH, DGS and I fly down, we have clothes for the three of us (pjs, bathing suits, clothes for 1 day, toothbrushes) in DGS’s little rolling Star Wars suitcase (18x12x8) which goes in the overhead. I carry basically a beach bag with a small purse. It contains our documents, meds, liquids bag and electronics for the plane trip.
You are on Southwest so no bag fees for 2 bags each. I would check as much as possible.

 

[lookame]

There is no “too early” for the DME luggage service. Put the yellow Mickey tags on your checked bags prior to dropping them off at your home airport and Disney will take care of getting them to your hotel room. I would also look carefully at your need for 8 carryon/personal item bags. IMHO, thats a lot of lugging. When DH, DGS and I fly down, we have clothes for the three of us (pjs, bathing suits, clothes for 1 day, toothbrushes) in DGS’s little rolling Star Wars suitcase (18x12x8) which goes in the overhead. I carry basically a beach bag with a small purse. It contains our documents, meds, liquids bag and electronics for the plane trip.
You are on Southwest so no bag fees for 2 bags each. I would check as much as possible.

We won't have 8 carry on/personal items. We'll have a carry on each and a personal item each. For my kids and husband their personal item is a backpack. The kids backpacks have a activies for the plane and a change of clothes since we'll be flying from an area which is winter to an area which is more like fall or summer for us. They'll also have swimsuits in their backpacks and overall they really prefer to have their own things in their own backpacks. I have a small duffle bag which can attatch to my carry on suitcase which has all travl docs, my medicines and additional things I need with me during plane rides. My sons and my suitcases can be checked as they are both hard sided but my husband and daughters are duffle bags which probably aren't the best for checking. We might not need a checked bag, I'm debating if we should bring it or not.

 

[pooch]

I check duffle bags all the time without issue and my suitcases are soft sided so really not much different. I am just pointing out that its much easier to check bags than to lug them around yourself.

 

[pooch]

Also wanted to add - be sure to cross pack your bags. If you each use your own bag and one bag goes missing, that person has nothing. If each bag contains a little bit for everyone and a bag goes missing, you all still have clothes!

 

[Alesia]

Everyone's input has been incredibly helpful. We'll plan to leave the park around 2pm and most likely take an uber (or heck maybe a Minnie van) back to Pop to ctch DME.

I was able to change our flight to an early flight so we'll arrive around 7am. Are we able to stash our bags with bell check at Pop until our room is ready?

I wouldn't take a Minnie van. They're more expensive and you generally have to wait longer.

Yes, you can store your luggage at the resort when you arrive

 

[sam_gordon]

We won't have 8 carry on/personal items. We'll have a carry on each and a personal item each. For my kids and husband their personal item is a backpack. The kids backpacks have a activies for the plane and a change of clothes since we'll be flying from an area which is winter to an area which is more like fall or summer for us. They'll also have swimsuits in their backpacks and overall they really prefer to have their own things in their own backpacks. I have a small duffle bag which can attatch to my carry on suitcase which has all travl docs, my medicines and additional things I need with me during plane rides. My sons and my suitcases can be checked as they are both hard sided but my husband and daughters are duffle bags which probably aren't the best for checking. We might not need a checked bag, I'm debating if we should bring it or not.

If there are four of you and you each have a carry on & personal item, that's 8 items. I totally agree with each person (adult and child) having their own backpack with "on plane" activities. Putting swimsuits and other emergency clothes is a good idea also. I can see having a duffle bag (or other carryon sized case) with extra clothes for everyone. Everything else, check. And yes, you can check duffle bags, happens all the time. My only suggestion would take the strap of the duffle bag and wrap it around the handles, or better yes, take it off and put it in a pocket. This way the strap isn't dangling and possibly getting hung in equipment.

 

[nkereina]

If it were me, I would use RAC to check my bags (Southwest allows up to 2 checked bags per person for free) and make sure I have anything I might need in my carry on bag, since you won't see your checked bags again until you're home. Bell services will store your carry-on bags for you.

Leave whatever park you're at by 2pm to get back to your resort by 3pm, pick up bags, and be at the bus stop by 3:45pm. I don't see a need to take Uber at all, unless you don't want to leave for the airport at 4pm.

 

[DopeyDame]

I agree with everyone else that the easiest thing to do is RAC for your checked back and bell cap for the rest. BUT... if you did want to squeeze out every last minute of park time, you could still use RAC for your checked bags, and then bring your carry on bags with you to the park. Each park has lockers where you can store your stuff, and guest services will store things that don't fit in the lockers. Then you can just lyft from the park directly to the airport whenever you feel comfortable (I'd probably aim to be leaving the park at 4 for a 7pm flight)