Luggage and the ME - Long Wait???

[notaclue]

We're staying at the CBR and taking ME from the airport. I've read that it can take up to 3 hours after you arrive at the resort to get your luggage. I don't understand why it takes so long if we are on the ME and so is our luggage? Does it really take so long? We're first-timers arriving in 13 days and I'm having a first-timer panic attack.

 

[disneyag]

Your luggage will probably not be on the same bus as you. I believe they transport it in a different manner. Our luggage arrived in less than 2 hours last October.

 

[I'mNoPrince]

Your luggage is pulled in the back before it hits the belts.

Then it is loaded onto truck in locked cages and transported to the different resorts . Then someone has to take them to your room.

If you did this it would be about the same amount of time . It normally takes 30 to 45 mins just at the airport for bags to be released.

So 3 hrs. is not really that long at all when you concider all things.

Remember you can always just not put the tags on ,go get them yourself,and take them on the ME bus yourself if you feel you need them right away.

 

[MKFan-PR]

I'm sure someone will explain it further, but the fact is it's actually two different operations for bus transport for the guest and luggage handling. Your bags are picked up behind the scenes before they get to the claim belt. They are processed and then sent to the corresponding resorts via truck. Once they arrive at the resort, they are processed again (by the resort's Bell Services, I believe), so they are delivered to the proper room.

I actually used it withou the tags, by giving ME my claim tags and a bag description (they gave me pictures to point out the type of bag), and they arrived at my room about 2 hours after we checked in.

The time will vary, depending on time of day, and a lot of ther factors, but it usually isn't more than 3 hours, from the experiences posted here.

Relax; you'll be fine!

 

[Evil Genius]

We've used ME several times and we never waited that long for our bags to show up. If you're worried though, put whatever you think you're going to need, (swimsuit, extra underwear, etc) into your carry on.

I hope you have a magical trip.

 

[mommytothreeboys]

I think the documents say 3 hours after arrival at MCO, not 3 hours after check-in. (don't quote me though, I could be wrong!) Our bags were waiting for us in our room when our room was ready. We landed at MCO at 10:30 and our room was ready around 2:15. I had packed our swimsuits in our carryons and we enjoyed the pool while we waited. Have a great trip.

 

[SHSFire]

We used ME for the first time in May and we are very glad we did. Our first flight was delayed (2 hrs.) but we did catch the plane out of Detroit to Orlando because it was also delayed(1/2 hr.). We are pretty certain that our luggage did not make the connection as we ran 30 gates in about 5 minutes to catch our flight.

We caught the ME, arrived at our resort, checked in, found our room and then left for the park. When we returned 6 hours later the luggage was in our room waiting for us. Not sure when it arrived, but it did and that's all that matters.

If we had been waiting for our luggage at the luggage carousel and then had to make arrangements to get it to our hotel because it was delayed it would have been a real hassle. ME took care of the luggage even if it was delayed.

Check your luggage, sit back and relax --- You are on vacation after all.

Julie

 

[CleveRocks]

I think the documents say 3 hours after arrival at MCO, not 3 hours after check-in. (don't quote me though, I could be wrong!) Our bags were waiting for us in our room when our room was ready. We landed at MCO at 10:30 and our room was ready around 2:15. I had packed our swimsuits in our carryons and we enjoyed the pool while we waited. Have a great trip.

I'm sorry, but the kid in me just HAD to quote you when you asked not to be.

Anyway, I'll quote from the first right-side page of the DME booklet (under the heading "BEFORE YOU LEAVE HOME"):

Please pack a carry-on bag containing your medications and essential items with which you need to begin your stay. Check the weather forecast for Orlando, you may want to pack a change of clothes or swimwear as you will not have immediate access to your luggage upon arrival in Orlando. Your luggage will travel separately from you and may take up to 3 hours to arrive after you check-in at your resort."

 

[CleveRocks]

We're staying at the CBR and taking ME from the airport. I've read that it can take up to 3 hours after you arrive at the resort to get your luggage. I don't understand why it takes so long if we are on the ME and so is our luggage? Does it really take so long? We're first-timers arriving in 13 days and I'm having a first-timer panic attack.

First of all, take a deep breath because there's nothing to panic about. I know that this is all new to you, but there's nothing panic-worthy here.

No matter where I fly, I ALWAYS pack my carry-on with everything I'll need for the first 24 hours of my trip. WHY??? Well, what if the AIRLINE delays my luggage? If I'm prepared for not getting my luggage for a day or so, then the airline's screw-up won't put a major bummer on the start of my trip, because I already have everything I need.

Upon reading this, a lot of people think I'm nuts because it sounds like too much stuff. Well, unless you change clothes 4 times a day, the stuff you need takes up surprisingly little space, especially when traveling to a warm climate. Try it for yourself: full change of clothes, bathing suit, "pool shoes," PJs, medications, allowable amounts of toiletries, etc. This takes up VERY VERY little space.

Consider a well-stocked carry-on to be a FREE form of travel insurance.

 

[mommytothreeboys]

I'm sorry, but the kid in me just HAD to quote you when you asked not to be.

Anyway, I'll quote from the first right-side page of the DME booklet (under the heading "BEFORE YOU LEAVE HOME"):

HA! I told you I could be wrong...and look at that, I AM!! Oh well! I knew I should have pulled out my DME packet before I responded...lesson learned!

 

[supersuperwendy]

We checked in..went to our room..headed to epcot...when we returned it was there waiting for us. You'll probably be too busy when you get there to even think about how long the luggage is taking. Go prepared to head right to the parks.

 

[mexican-mouseketeers]

We arrived at All Star Music on april 28th on 2 separate flights, one a domestic flight from San Antonio that arrived at MCO around 3:15 and another an international flight that arrived around 3:45.

The first suitcase made it to our room at 10:30 (the luggage from San Antonio), and the rest made it around midnight (the luggage from Mexico).

That is about 8 hours later than the time we checked in at the Magical Express counter. Completely unacceptable in my opinion.

But we had used ME twice before and both times we had our luggage before 7 pm (not sure when it was delivered, this was the time we were back at our room).

 

[goofy4tink]

There seems to be a large number of threads going about concern for the amount of time it takes for luggage to get to you from the airport. If this causes anyone any concern, they should just not tag their bags, and go to baggage claim and get their own bags. The bags will then go underneath the bus they are on. Plain and simple.
There is no way that the luggage is going to get to your room in a short amount of time...logistically it just isn't possible. Of course it's going to be a shorter time for us to get to the resort.....we walk to the checkin counter, we walk to the bus line, etc. I haven't seen much luggage walking around the airport. Someone has to physically get each piece of luggage, scan it, put it in the right 'pile', then it gets put into a cage/bin and goes on a truck bound for a set group of resorts. At each resort, the bags are then off-loaded. Bell services now has to handle each piece of luggage and get it to the correct room. Yep, that is going to take a fair amount of time.

Just pack what you will need for the first 5-6 hrs. I always have a change of clothes, a swim suit. Then, I can checkin at my resort, change my clothes is need be, or put on my swim suit and head to the pool. Or I can head to a park....doesn't matter. I just go off and start my vacation. My bags will get to my room when they get to my room. Yes, I like to get settled in as soon as I can, but I can do that later in the day.
It's just not a big deal. Sometimes we all make a bigger deal of something than it warrents.

So...once again...pack a carryon with what you need for the start of your vacation. If you just have to have your checked luggage when you get to your resort, then don't tag it with the DME yellow tags, and go to baggage claim and get it yourself and then bring it to DME area. Otherwise, let DME take care of the bags..have no worries, the bags will get to your room, just not immediatly!

 

[seashoreCM]

>>> I don't understand why it takes so long if we are on the ME and so is our luggage?

The ME luggage trucks, unlike the ME buses, don't always leave every 30 minutes full or not. And they may make more resort stops. Who has used and remembers using the regular Mears shuttle back before ME?

Disney hints: http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

 

[LauraAnn630]

I do NOT want to use the DME Luggage Service. What do I do?
Throw away your luggage tags. You will need to claim your bags as normal, and take them onto the motorcoach. When you get out at your resort, you will claim your bags again.

All About luggage and ME thread

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1144360

 

[SpecialK]

Arrived at 11:20; checked in at around 1:00; luggage arrived at 6:30. If we ever used ME again, I'd pick up my own bags.

 

[american_gramma]

We're flying to MCO at the end of June & staying at Coronado Springs. Will we be getting something in the mail about DME?

We'll have immediate needs in our carryon so aren't too worried about when our bags arrive at the resort. We're also "splitting" up items so each bag will have some items for other family members in it "just in case".

Needless to say, we're getting very excited about our 2nd trip to WDW...

 

[CleveRocks]

We're flying to MCO at the end of June & staying at Coronado Springs. Will we be getting something in the mail about DME?

We'll have immediate needs in our carryon so aren't too worried about when our bags arrive at the resort. We're also "splitting" up items so each bag will have some items for other family members in it "just in case".

Needless to say, we're getting very excited about our 2nd trip to WDW...

If you made a DME reservation, you should be getting your DME mailing any day now. If you booked the resort through a travel agent, the TA will receive the materials, and the two of you will figure out how you will get those materials.

 

[cdrn1]

I've used ME probably a dozen times now, and twice had six hour waits: once at ASMo and another at WL. We just take what we will absolutely need in our carry-on and don't worry about when our stuff will show up.