Magical Express Checkout Issues

[eleven24]

So we received our 11:30 boarding notification on our door a day prior to our departure. Packed and ready to go home we arrived at the SSR DME checkout booth at 10:45... and waited an hour and fifteen minutes. The two people they had working the desk were clueless when a party of 15 were checking out. The woman had the luggage tags stuck all over her legs, the people to whom the bags belonged to kept walking off... she had no idea who went with which bag. Meanwhile, the other DME representative was having issues printing boarding passes.

When we finally get to the counter, at 12:00, the frazzled woman tells us that we missed our boarding call by 15 minutes and that we SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN THERE EARLIER.

So, we had to take our luggage to the airport & check in ourselves. Not a huge problem since we only had 3 bags - but still, it wasn't "magical".

Just thought I'd pass this along to anyone going so you know that the time printed on your reminder slip isn't the time you should be there, but the DEADLINE at which your bags can no longer be checked at the resort. Next time we'll check the bags, then go have breakfast... not the opposite!

 

[ClarabelleCow]

a little confused? were you on a non-participating airline and is that why there was such an issue? If I remember correctly, when flying a participating airline, you need to check your bags early. Now If I had gotten there for a 11:30 pickup, and you were there at 10:45, at about 11:15, I would have said something, because obviously you watched your bus drive away!

We have done M.E. about 5 times, never with a problem, always flew participating airline, so checked the bags early in the AM, then just showed up at required time and walked on the bus.

 

[TDC Nala]

This is slightly confusing in that I think you are talking about the resort luggage check-in, not the Magical Express pickup. The resort check-in is a separate service. The people working there are not part of DME. Guests can use resort check-in whether they are booked on Magical Express or not, assuming they are flying on a participating airline.

The bus pickup time you receive on your room door has no relation to the time you can check in your luggage at the resort. You can do that at any time on your checkout day.

I'm trying to figure out the timing here - did you miss your ME bus because you were waiting in line to check luggage? The bus driver does not know whether or not you are trying to check in luggage. If you are not present to board the bus at your designated pickup time, they WILL leave you.

 

[disneynutz]

This is slightly confusing in that I think you are talking about the resort luggage check-in, not the Magical Express pickup. The resort check-in is a separate service. The people working there are not part of DME. Guests can use resort check-in whether they are booked on Magical Express or not, assuming they are flying on a participating airline.

The bus pickup time you receive on your room door has no relation to the time you can check in your luggage at the resort. You can do that at any time on your checkout day.

I'm trying to figure out the timing here - did you miss your ME bus because you were waiting in line to check luggage? The bus driver does not know whether or not you are trying to check in luggage. If you are not present to board the bus at your designated pickup time, they WILL leave you.

I think that you have the story correct and you have covered everything. We fly SWA and we have no choice but to bring our bags with us on the ME and check them at MCO. We were hoping that SWA would be added on as a participating airline this year but so far it hasn't happened.

 

[eleven24]

This is slightly confusing in that I think you are talking about the resort luggage check-in, not the Magical Express pickup. The resort check-in is a separate service. The people working there are not part of DME. Guests can use resort check-in whether they are booked on Magical Express or not, assuming they are flying on a participating airline.

The bus pickup time you receive on your room door has no relation to the time you can check in your luggage at the resort. You can do that at any time on your checkout day.

I'm trying to figure out the timing here - did you miss your ME bus because you were waiting in line to check luggage? The bus driver does not know whether or not you are trying to check in luggage. If you are not present to board the bus at your designated pickup time, they WILL leave you.

That is true - we were waiting in line for the luggage check-in, and yes we watched our 11:30 bus drive away. As did the 11:45 bus. We were flying AirTran, which is a participating airline. I did say something, as did my wife, around 11:15 and we were given the hand up with the "please, wait your turn".

Now I fully realize that the luggage/airline check-in are separate from DME; however, the "magical" part of DME is the whole luggage handling issue. If not for that, DME is simply a bus ride to the airport. What we found misleading was the notice we received with "Disney's Magical Express" across the top, and the 11:30AM departure time listed below.

The personnel handling the luggage and/or check-in ARE representative of DME as they are part of the "magic". As such, they need to realize this especially when passengers (us) are informing them that they are running short on time. Even as much as saying, "THAT is our bus right there. Can you PLEASE process our luggage?".

My post was only meant to let someone else know that if the luggage is packed and ready, by all means go check it in. That way you can then just board the bus at the appropriate time without stressing out at the luggage/check-in desk.

 

[TDC Nala]

The personnel handling the luggage and/or check-in ARE representative of DME as they are part of the "magic".

Not so. They work for a third party. The luggage checkin service is handled by a company called BAGS. This service is not included in your Magical Express reservation. If you want to check your luggage at your resort for transport on a participating airline, that is entirely up to you. However, you must be flying a participating airline.

The notice you received had nothing to do with checking your luggage for your return. That was the time you needed to be ready for the bus pickup. YOU are to make sure you have enough time to catch your assigned bus.

Your best option was to get out of the line and carry your luggage on the bus when you realized that your pickup time was approaching. It appears they were able to get you put onto a later bus and you were able to make your flight. That was fortunate, as if you miss your assigned bus pickup DME is under no obligation to get you onto a later bus in time for your flight.

Magical Express includes only luggage delivery on arrival, not on departure.

 

[dzorn]

That is true - we were waiting in line for the luggage check-in, and yes we watched our 11:30 bus drive away. As did the 11:45 bus. We were flying AirTran, which is a participating airline. I did say something, as did my wife, around 11:15 and we were given the hand up with the "please, wait your turn".

Now I fully realize that the luggage/airline check-in are separate from DME; however, the "magical" part of DME is the whole luggage handling issue. If not for that, DME is simply a bus ride to the airport. Yep its just a bus ride What we found misleading was the notice we received with "Disney's Magical Express" across the top, and the 11:30AM departure time listed below.

The personnel handling the luggage and/or check-in ARE Nope they are not they are RAC (Remote Airline Check-in)employees and the time for airline check-in is up to 12 hours before departure must be complete 3 hours before flight departure occasionally this changes to 4 hoursrepresentative of DME as they are part of the "magic". As such, they need to realize this especially when passengers (us) are informing them that they are running short on time. Even as much as saying, "THAT is our bus right there. Can you PLEASE process our luggage?".This would be the same issue if you showed up at the airport airline counter with lines and not enough time before your flight to get checked in and through security. They cannot take people randomly because you did not allow enough time.

My post was only meant to let someone else know that if the luggage is packed and ready, by all means go check it in. That way you can then just board the bus at the appropriate time without stressing out at the luggage/check-in desk.

Or better yet go read the sticky on the transportation board what a participating airline really means. Sorry you got RAC and DME confused at least you still were able to board a bus since you missed yours to make your flight.

 

[BCV23]

So we received our 11:30 boarding notification on our door a day prior to our departure. Packed and ready to go home we arrived at the SSR DME checkout booth at 10:45... and waited an hour and fifteen minutes.

When we finally get to the counter, at 12:00, the frazzled woman tells us that we missed our boarding call by 15 minutes and that we SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN THERE EARLIER.

I think your situation was unacceptable and as you said not magical. 45 minutes to check bags and get boarding passes should be a reasonable cushion I would think. And when the RAC folk were having difficulty, they should have listened to your plea IMO...especially since members of the large party were wandering off.

Although the companies who operate the ME buses and RAC are different, I think it was WDW's intention to make the whole thing convenient and seamless for the guest. It certainly wasn't in your case.

 

[TDC Nala]

Agreed, the OP's experience with the resort checkin service is indicative of a problem with that service. The OP has a legitimate issue with the checkin service. They do not have an issue with Magical Express, which performed exactly the way it is supposed to perform, even beyond that because they were able to get on a later bus and make their flight.

Readers need to take note that the resort checkin for return to the airport does not work in concert with Magical Express (the OP apparently believed it did, and that the ME bus pickup would be altered to accommodate the length and delays in the luggage checkin line). I can see why they'd believe that it's the same service that you get on the incoming trip where ME is responsible for your luggage delivery (although in that case it is also transported by a third party), but it isn't.

 

[Disneypirate85]

I think that you have the story correct and you have covered everything. We fly SWA and we have no choice but to bring our bags with us on the ME and check them at MCO. We were hoping that SWA would be added on as a participating airline this year but so far it hasn't happened.

Us TOO! Have Been waiting for year and half, last year summer we were told that "it'll be any day now" and yes that is the exact quote.
Sorry ya had a less then Magical time tho....

 

[spiceycat]

I think that you have the story correct and you have covered everything. We fly SWA and we have no choice but to bring our bags with us on the ME and check them at MCO. We were hoping that SWA would be added on as a participating airline this year but so far it hasn't happened.

SWA does not want too.

they say it would overhelm dme - they don't seem to understand that SWA guests are already usind DME - just not the luggage on the trip back.

so write to SWA and get them to reconsider.

It would definitely made taking DME that much easier!!!!

Disney did try - and even changed their system. but SWA won't do it.