Magic Express - Sending luggage, but renting a car

[dahwolf]

Hi everyone,
I just got off the phone with MS and they told me that if I don't physically ride from the airport to the resort on the Magic Express Coach, my lugguage cannot go. Is this true? We are planning on renting a car and were hoping to just have our bags show up at the resort a few hours later.

Any clarifiation would be great.

Thanks in advance,
Joe

 

[Chuck S]

Yep, you need to ride the bus to use the luggage service.

 

[dahwolf]

Well that is bogus..... I was hoping that wasn't 100% correct. I guess We will have to pick up our bags and transport them ourselves.

Thank you Chuck!
Joe

 

[Chuck S]

I'm sure it has something to do with security. Anyone could make a hotel reservation, and get a flight. Then send something in a bag that could be hazardous or explosive, while not actually going to the resort.

 

[BeesKnees]

Go through airport security with something and then send it on the bus? That seems like one of the worst ways to accomplish something bad.

Even if your chances of getting caught long before you ever see Florida are really great you are leaving a huge paper trail back to yourself.

 

[Mtnman44]

I suspect one of the main reasons disney operates the ME program is to "trap" people on property.

If people are getting a rental car anyway, Disney has no incentive to carry their bags. The policy makes sense to me.

While I generally like the ME system, in the long run it is quicker and easier to grab your own bags and throw them in the car and head to the resort. I've used ME four times and never once has the bus waited less than 15 minutes once I boarded, plus you have all the stops at other resorts. It takes a while.

 

[saturndb]

ME is meant to get you to the resorts and keep you on Disney property and them taking care of the luggage for you is a added perk. Disney pays per person booking and using ME, since it is a outsourced service.

 

[JWG]

In 2007 we did this to the airport. Sent our luggage with ME but drove. We've never tried it from MCO to Disney though.

Essentially, to the airport works because your luggage and self go separately and they don't know if you get on the bus or not. However, airport to resort you have to check-in and get on the bus.

 

[TisBit]

Go through airport security with something and then send it on the bus? That seems like one of the worst ways to accomplish something bad.

Even if your chances of getting caught long before you ever see Florida are really great you are leaving a huge paper trail back to yourself.

I certainly hope you don't expect the airports to sit back and figure they will follow a paper trail AFTER something bad happens.

The security is there for a reason and people doing this kind of stuff actually cause a lot of inconveniences for others in the process. If luggage gets on a plane, but the passenger doesn't, the plane doesn't leave and they have to unload all the luggage to get that persons bags back out.

 

[Chuck S]

In 2007 we did this to the airport. Sent our luggage with ME but drove. We've never tried it from MCO to Disney though.

Essentially, to the airport works because your luggage and self go separately and they don't know if you get on the bus or not. However, airport to resort you have to check-in and get on the bus.

The luggage service from the resorts to MCO is different than MCO to the resorts. The service at the resorts is like using a skycap at the airport. They will check you in for your flight and tag your luggage. You don't have to use ME.

MCO to the resorts involves different contractors paid by Disney (bell services, and Mears.)

 

[thepops]

Depending on how many of you there are, you could split and have part of your party ride ME with the luggage and the other part get the car and make any grocery or other stops you need to make on the way there. You might even arrive at the same time.

 

[Brian Noble]

Officially you can't. In practice it probably works...unless it doesn't, in which case things could get unpleasant. Here is the Transportation Board sticky on the question:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2015788

As for rationale: The entire point of ME, from Disney's perspective, is to create a captive audience, one that cannot venture outside The Bubble to spend time (and more importantly, money). The very last thing they want to do is spend the money moving your bags and have you get a rental car anyway.

If it were me, I'd either split my party, or collect my bags, rather than risk it.