Magical Express - Claim your luggage?????

[crazyfordisney2000]

Anyone use Magical Express lately? I'm confused. I read on the transportation board if you use this service and tag your luggage appropriately, you skip baggage claim and go directly to the ME check in counter. My TA just told me that because we are flying Westjet we have to claim our luggage then take it to a separate counter to re-check it for ME then go to ME check-in for the bus ride?? Which is right??? Thanks, Tracey

 

[stefanospops]

We flew with Air Canada twice last year and both times we did not have to claim our luggage first. We just went straight to ME and away we went. I think your TA is mistaken. But to be sure I would suggest you either contact Disney or Westjet (or both) directly to be sure.

 

[Tinkershelly]

Is this a direct flight from a Canadian airport without US customs preclearance? That's what it seems to me. If so then you do have to pick up your luggage in order to "cross the border" and then you can drop it back on the conveyor belt for transportation to the hotel by Magical Express.

If your airport has US customs preclearance then you "cross the border" before getting on your plane at your home ariport and then don't have to claim the luggage in Orlando. Just deplane, check in with the Magical Express desk and go directly to the resort without touching your checked bags.

Where are you flying from?

 

[purplepeg]

Your TA is mistaken. We have mostly flown with WestJet, including last year. Put your ME tags on prior to checking your luggage because you will be going through customs before you leave Canada and then the luggage will be delivered to you at your hotel. We usually don't put our ME tags on until after we have cleared customs because we have connecting flights and want to make sure the tags don't come off during that first flight. Enjoy this service!

 

[Mickey's Best Girl]

We always fly with Westjet out of Toronto. We clear customs in Toronto so we can use the full benefits of ME. You only need to collect your bags in Orlando if you have to go through customs in the US.

I am assuming since you are in Kingston you are flying out of Ottawa? Or Toronto? To my knowledge, you will clear customs in Canada in each of these cities so you will not have to claim your bags unless you need them immediately (it can take up to, or sometimes in extreme cases, more than 3 hours for your luggage to arrive in your room.)

Now, when you return home, your TA is right. WestJet is not one of the participating airlines for airline check-in. You can use ME transportation but you must take your luggage with you.

HTH!

 

[crazyfordisney2000]

Thanks for all the info!! We are flying out of Toronto (I did call Westjest after I had spoke to my TA and they told me I do go through customs in Toronto). I will certainly correct her (nicely)on this info she gave me. Thank goodness for the dis!!

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Don't forget to add the Magical Express tags onto your checked bags because if you don't then they won't be taken with all the other bags that are meant for Magical Express. For example if you forgot to add them then they would come out onto the baggage claim carousel with all the other checked bags and you would not be there to pick them up.

Also the one thing you can not do with WestJet or any airline that flys to Canada is the Resort Airline Check-In for your flight back to Toronto, because it's an international flight. So you will need to check-in for your boarding pass and get your checked bags taged at Orlando International Airport.