Magical Express and a 7:00 pm arrival time....

[marcyinPA]

Do you think we'll have a problem receiving our luggage before bed time? Or should we just grab our bags? And if we do grab our own bags, do we not use the yellow ME tags?

I've never flown in this late, so it's never been an issue for me. My friend is worried that our bags won't get to us until the next day.

 

[WDWisTheBest]

Do you think we'll have a problem receiving our luggage before bed time? Or should we just grab our bags? And if we do grab our own bags, do we not use the yellow ME tags?

I've never flown in this late, so it's never been an issue for me. My friend is worried that our bags won't get to us until the next day.

I think the key part of your post is that your friend is worried that the bags won't arrive until the next day.

You will probably be ok, but if you get your bags and put them on the ME bus, you will be sure.

 

[OKW Lover]

You shouldn't have any problem getting your bags that day.

But, when you fly you should never plan on your bags getting to your destination the same day you do. Seasoned travelers always bring what they are going to need for the first 24 hours in their carry-on baggage.

 

[Jestocost]

Your bags should be delivered to your room within three hours from resort check in and you should be at your resort within 90 minutes of your arrival, so that would put delivery before midnight. If you want to collect your own bags DO NOT use the yellow DME tags as they will never get to the carousel. When collecting your own bags add at least 20 minutes to the time it will take you to get to your resort.

As at least one PP noted, you should plan on having what you need for about 24 hours in your carry-on bags with you. It's more likely that the airline will misdirect or delay the arrival of your bags than it is that DME will do so.

 

[goofy4tink]

If you arrive at 7pm, you should be at your resort no later than 8:30...probably a bit sooner. Your luggage can be expected up to three hours after resort checkin..so could be as late as 11:30pm. But, it will most likely arrive sooner than that.
A lot depends on the resort you are staying at. The deluxe resorts seem to get your bags to you more quickly than other resorts. The moderate resorts are pretty good about not having you wait for a long time. But Pop can be awful. They make less frequent baggage delivery runs..they seem to do it every hour or so...regardless of how much they have sitting there. Pop is the only resort I've had a long wait for my checked bags to arrive at.
In all reality, you may very well have your bags by 10-10:30. But, to be on the safe side, pack that carryon bag properly..pj's for the night, change of clothes for the next day...just in case.

If you decide to grab your own bags from baggage claim at MCO, you don't tag them with they yellow DME luggage tags! Leave those off, go to baggage claim and get the bags and then head down to level 1 and DME. Your bags will be stowed underneath your bus. It will add about 20 or so mins to your travel time but at least you'll have your bags with you. You can get unpacked and settled in and then get a good night's sleep.

 

[prncess674]

What are your plans for the first evening? Are you planning on going straight to the resort and in bed by 9pm? If you plan on being out and about and can do without your bags for a while then by all means check them. Pack a carryon with your essentials and if your checked bags haven't arrived by your designated bedtime then call down to bell services and have them hold your bags for the AM. Give them a time that you would like them delivered.

 

[marcyinPA]

Thanks everyone. I think we'll grab our bags from the carousel. While we aren't going to go to bed immediately, I would like some of my liquid items that are more than 3 oz for the morning (ie, hairspray! LOL).

I do plan on packing jammies and stuff like that in a carry on. I tried telling my friend to do the same, but she is intent on traveling light. Hopefully SW doesn't lose our luggage. (I've had my luggage lost before, so I know to be prepared!)

 

[iluveeyore]

We land with SW at 6:30 p.m. so DD and I will be grabbing our own luggage. We usually do so I can change if I like, unpack if we don't feel like going anywhere, and then I know my bags made it and I have everything I need. It really only adds a short amount of time. And since we're landing later than we usually do, we'll probably grab a quick bite in the airport food court to give our luggage time to be unloaded so we can get on the ME and get our vacation started with a full tummy!

 

[kaytieeldr]

Pop is the only resort I've had a long wait for my checked bags to arrive at.

And yet, when I've been in the room, my luggage has arrived within an hour and a half of me checking in.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Thanks everyone. I think we'll grab our bags from the carousel. While we aren't going to go to bed immediately, I would like some of my liquid items that are more than 3 oz for the morning (ie, hairspray! LOL).

We land with SW at 6:30 p.m. so DD and I will be grabbing our own luggage. We usually do so I can change if I like, unpack if we don't feel like going anywhere, and then I know my bags made it and I have everything I need. It really only adds a short amount of time.

May I ask your plans should your luggage be misdirected?

 

[Missytara]

For those who insist bringing ALL their bags onto the ME bus, because it doesn't SEEM to add all that much time - think about if everyone else did it. Think of how long people would be waiting for them to load all that luggage on the bus for a bus full of passengers.

I traveled this year on a bus with a family of ten that insisted on bringing EVERY single solitary bag with them. I am not kidding. They had four carts of baggage. We waited several minutes at the airport.

Keep one bag with everything you need for the first day and let the rest of it go to the resort.

dawn

 

[Lewisc]

SW baggage claim is in the opposite corner of MCO from the DME welcome center. Get your bags. Back up to level 3. Schlep your bags to the other corner of MCO then down to level 1.

If I saw the need to get my bags from the SW carousel I'd consider a car service. I think you'd be halfway to your resort in the amount of time it would take to get your luggage over to the DME desk.