Magical Express desk question

[casjen72]

Does your entire party have to be at the Magical Express desk when you check in? I am asking b/c we are landing late and plan to pick up our one suitcase at baggage claim and carry it on the Magical Express. I was going to wait in line while DH got the bag. Doable or not allowed? I would have both of our vouchers with me.

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

Actually, the DME folks will only allow one person to enter the Welcome Center check-in line. So you'll be all set.

 

[dudspizza]

Does your entire party have to be at the Magical Express desk when you check in? I am asking b/c we are landing late and plan to pick up our one suitcase at baggage claim and carry it on the Magical Express. I was going to wait in line while DH got the bag. Doable or not allowed? I would have both of our vouchers with me.

As Chip said, they only allow 1 person to go to the desk while they point the rest of the group to the waiting area where there are chairs. Also, keep in mind that the line should go fast. We landed at 6pm and there was NO line. We were checked in and headed for the bus line before the anyone could even sit down..... FAST! We boarded immediately and the bus left about 7 minutes later....

Have a great trip!

Duds

 

[goofy4tink]

Absolutely doable!! Don't worry about getting through the line before your dh gets there with your bag. Checkin at the desk, get the vouchers stamped. Then just head over to the waiting area and sit down and relax. When dh gets there, just head to the bus lines.

 

[Princess Erin]

Does Disney pick up your luggage for you and put it on the bus?

 

[seashoreCM]

Does Disney pick up your luggage for you and put it on the bus?

Going to Disney, yes and no.

If you choose not to get your luggage yourself or if you use the yellow tags, then Disney will pick up your luggage but it goes separately, on a truck. You will almost always get to the resort first, and you do not have to go to the room and wait for the luggage.

If you did not get yellow tags you would need to show (at the welcoming area) the claim checks of checked baggage baggage you did not bring to the welcoming area yourself.

Baggage you do bring to the welcoming area is loaded underneath the bus passenger cabin. You would tip the driver as you would tip a bellhop.

Going home, no. You may tip a bellhop to bring the luggage down from the room not as a part of Magical Express.

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

 

[Goofy_4_WDW]

We will arrive around 11:30 pm. I think it would be best to grab our luggage also, the kids will be really tired and will need pj's etc. With the carry on restrictions, last time we flew we found it so much faster and easier not to have carry-on, so I won't have the opportunity to pack the things We would need before our luggage would arriive.
So would I still put the yellow tags on our luggage?

 

[goofy4tink]

We will arrive around 11:30 pm. I think it would be best to grab our luggage also, the kids will be really tired and will need pj's etc. With the carry on restrictions, last time we flew we found it so much faster and easier not to have carry-on, so I won't have the opportunity to pack the things We would need before our luggage would arriive.
So would I still put the yellow tags on our luggage?

No, do not use the yellow tags that you get in the info packet. If you put those tags on, your luggage will be pulled out before it gets to the baggage carousel!!! Leave the tags off, head to baggage claim, grab the bags and then go to the DME desk to checkin. Get on the appropriate bus and head to your resort.
I agree by the way....if I were arriving at that time, I would get my own luggage rather than have DME take it.

 

[Princess Erin]

I agree, I am going to pick up our luggage. Then what do we have to do?

 

[sewer]

No, do not use the yellow tags that you get in the info packet. If you put those tags on, your luggage will be pulled out before it gets to the baggage carousel!!! Leave the tags off, head to baggage claim, grab the bags and then go to the DME desk to checkin. Get on the appropriate bus and head to your resort.
I agree by the way....if I were arriving at that time, I would get my own luggage rather than have DME take it.

I didn't know you were allowed to do that! What stops everyone from doing that, and loading the bus up?

 

[kaytieeldr]

Common sense? A desire to use the service as designed? The ease of NOT having to haul one's luggage around the airport? Wanting to take advantage of the best added perk of Magical Express? Speed?

Guests can absolutely pick up their own luggage - as long as there are no yellow tags attached, since THAT luggage gets pulled before any bags appear on the carousel - drag it to the bus, drag it from the bus to the Front Desk, then to the room... remembering to tip anyone (bus driver, Bell Services) who handles it, per bag.

 

[Princess Erin]

I didn't know the luggage gets pulled first, so I guess that is the best way to go.

 

[Lewisc]

I'd bring a small bag with your kids PJs. DME is now located in the "'B" side of the terminal. If your airline is an "A" airline, including SW and JetBlue, you'll have to walk to the A side, go down one level, get your bags, go back up to level three, walk across to the far side of the terminal and then go down to level one. The process will take at least an extra 30 minutes, maybe closer to an hour. I'd rather get to my resort an hour earlier.

We will arrive around 11:30 pm. I think it would be best to grab our luggage also, the kids will be really tired and will need pj's etc. With the carry on restrictions, last time we flew we found it so much faster and easier not to have carry-on, so I won't have the opportunity to pack the things We would need before our luggage would arriive.
So would I still put the yellow tags on our luggage?

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

I didn't know you were allowed to do that! What stops everyone from doing that, and loading the bus up?

Most people who understand how DME works prefer to use the wonderful inbound luggage service.

It's absolutely great checking our bags at our home airport and having them delivered to our Disney resort a few hours after we check in — with Disney paying the bellman tip, so we don't even have to be in our room when the luggage is delivered.

The best part is being able to go directly from the arrival gate to the Disney Welcome Center, without having to make a big detour to baggage claim, where others are waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting...

I chuckle when I read about people planning to "quickly grab" their luggage — as though the luggage is somehow waiting for them on the way and won't slow them down at all. The reality is that it's likely that those people will be waiting for their bags to emerge on the conveyor, while others on their flight (who used the yellow tags) are already on a motorcoach to their resort.

It's a pleasure breezing through the airport with only small carry-on bags (with valuables, medicine, and anything we'll need right away). And it's a pleasure checking in at the resort and going to the room without the burden of luggage.

The inbound DME luggage service is especially good for families with young children. Families tend to have a lot of luggage, but little kids can't carry their own bags. Especially if we were arriving late at night with young children, I'd want to be on the first motorcoach to my resort; I'd have carry-ons with overnight items, and I'd have our bags delivered to our room (for free) the next morning.

"What stops everyone from doing that, and loading the bus up?" The answer is that most people enjoy saving time and money (tips), and appreciate the terrific convenience of DME's inbound luggage service.

 

[Lewisc]

Other posters have explained that most guests like using the DME luggage delivery program. No waiting at the baggage claim. No waiting in the room for a bellhop to deliver the bags. No need to have bell services store luggage if your room isn't ready.

The buses are deluxe motor coaches. There is more than enough room under the bus for luggage, even if the bus was filled and everyone brought their luggage.

I didn't know you were allowed to do that! What stops everyone from doing that, and loading the bus up?

 

[havencruiser]

YOu will get to the resort much quicker if you do NOT get your luggage. If you just pack PJs in a bag, the kids will get to the resort (and bed) much quicker than having to wait at the luggage carousel and then get everything over to DME, onto the bus, off the bus, and to your room.

 

[goofy4tink]

I've used DME about 4 times now. Never have I gone to the baggage carousel area and retrieved my own luggage. Only, and that's only, if I were arriving late at night, would I grab my own bags..no yellow tags on them. I love not having to worry about dragging them down a level to the DME desk, then lugging them to the bus, then lugging them into the resort..having to tip the bus driver as well as Bell Services...it's a pain. That's the beauty of using DME. Once your room is ready for you, your bags will appear in the room. That could be in an hour or it could be in 4 hours. Doesn't matter to me. I always have a carryon bag packed with a change of clothes so I can put my 'warm weather' clothes on when I arrive at the resort.
I can't imagine anyone actually wanting to drag their bags around if they didn't have to. Are you allowed to? Sure, but most of the time, it's a huge pain.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Only, and that's only, if I were arriving late at night, would I grab my own bags..no yellow tags on them.

That's where you and I disagree.

If I were arriving late at night, I would be especially eager to be on my way to my resort as quickly as possible. The last thing I'd want to do is to detour to baggage claim and to wait (and wait and wait) for my luggage — and then to deal with that luggage at the airport and at the resort.

I'd go straight to the Magical Express service with my small, carry-on, overnight bag. I'd arrange to have my checked bags delivered the next morning.

 

[Lewisc]

I fly SW. I would have at least considered getting my own bags, with a late flight, when the DME desk was located directly below the SW carousels.

Now the desk is on the exact opposite corner of the airport. Getting my own luggage now requires going back up to level then not only crossing over to the B side but also going to the other corner and then going down to level one.

I'd follow HH suggestion and make sure my carryon luggage has everything I need for my first night.

Only, and that's only, if I were arriving late at night, would I grab my own bags..no yellow tags on them. I love not having to worry about dragging them down a level to the DME desk

 

[Firedog]

I was going to drop off a rental car at MCO after our cruise, and use ME for the rest of our stay at CBR, as well as returning to the airport.

Is this a stupid, time consuming move?