Magical Express Luggage Delivery

[Mich Mouse]

So how is this service working out?

When I made my ressie and they asked If I wanted this, I had visions of my luggage circling the baggage claim at Orlando airport for days.

Now I am thinking that with the trip being just DD and I for the first few days, it would be so nice to not lug the luggage.

Does this feature cost any extra $?

I am renting a car, Can I just send the bags, and I'll take the car?

When do the bags typically arrive at the resort? Our flight gets in at 10:30 am.

Also, Do the bags arrive in the room, or at bell services?

And finally, Can I take one suitcase with me, and send the others "Magical Express"?

The compulsive overpacker in me will likely pack even more if I know I will have assistance with this luggage!

 

[ajm1107]

I was there in June within a month of the roll out. I had no problems, everything arrived and was wonderful. We did get in late at night, around 11pm. My bags were to my room by 1 am. Which I thought was fabulous especially since I got to my room around 12:30-12:45. It takes a little time and you have to wait a little bit, but I can't imagine much more than getting your bags, renting a car, or getting Mears. I was thoroughly impressed with this free service

 

[CleveRocks]

Now I am thinking that with the trip being just DD and I for the first few days, it would be so nice to not lug the luggage.

Does this feature cost any extra $?

No, it's no extra charge, it's part of being a guest at a WDW resort.

I am renting a car, Can I just send the bags, and I'll take the car?

No, you can't use it as a luggage transfer service, only. If you want them to lug your luggage, you also have to take the bus.

When do the bags typically arrive at the resort? Our flight gets in at 10:30 am.

By my experience and by those posted by others, your bags will probably arrive 3 hours or so after you do. Pack your carry-on accordingly.

Also, Do the bags arrive in the room, or at bell services?

Part of the Magical Express is that your bags "magically" appear in your room. You don't have to be in your room for this to happen. The Bell Services CMs are already pre-tipped (by Disney) for this service.

And finally, Can I take one suitcase with me, and send the others "Magical Express"?

Sure, no problem there. Before you leave for WDW, you'll receive special DME luggage tags (made of yellow sticky paper) in the mail. Put these on the bags you want transported to your WDW resort room. Behind the scenes at MCO, workers pull all specially-tagged bags from the regular luggage stream; these specially-tagged bags won't make it to the baggage claim carousel, they are set aside for special delivery to your WDW resort.

Just put the special DME luggage tags ONLY on the bags you want them to handle and deliver. Any suitcases you want to pick up at the baggage claim carousel, just don't put the DME tags on them. However, this option seems kind of silly to me, as you'll be slowing yourself down by waiting at baggage claim. If you use DME as designed, you skip baggage claim entirely.

-- Eric

 

[Mich Mouse]

Thank you for the informative answers!

I am renting a car with my DD, and I thought "How nice if I don't have to lug the luggage around the airport" Since I am renting a car, I have to.

Oh well. Since I am going for two weeks, I'll just plan on doing laundry, rather than overpacking. (Like that will happen!)

 

[Lorix2]

So if you want to get you're own luggage, you can do so and bring it out by the bus for loading

Also, you probably have to check in somewhere for the bus. The bus probably doesn't leave until everyone is accounted for? (I mean within a reasonable amount of time).

I'm wondering if we'd still have time to get our own luggage and make the bus on time.

 

[Mich Mouse]

So if you want to get you're own luggage, you can do so and bring it out by the bus for loading
I'm wondering if we'd still have time to get our own luggage and make the bus on time.

I have read here on the boards that people do clain their luggage and then check in with Magical Express, with it. I think the buses leave literally all day, so if you missed one, there would be another one along soon.

I wish they would just let me put my luggage, and not my body on the bus.

It is all part of the master plan to not let anyone even stop for lunch off property...Bring them directly Disney, and all of the $$ will be spent on property.

Brilliant marketing!

 

[Goobergal99]

I called ME and they told me that you can get your own bags and take them with you on the bus you leave on. You just have to go through security with your bags first. They told me that if I get my yellow tags that I should not put them on my bags and instead should just use regular tags as per usual!

 

[Lorix2]

great! Thank you MichMouse and Goobergal for the info.

 

[BeckWhy]

Anyone knows what happens if your luggage gets lost?

 

[agnes!]

Thank you for the informative answers!

I am renting a car with my DD, and I thought "How nice if I don't have to lug the luggage around the airport" Since I am renting a car, I have to.

Oh well. Since I am going for two weeks, I'll just plan on doing laundry, rather than overpacking. (Like that will happen!)

Try this...
If you:
*rent from Alamo/National...
*with us picking up our rental car car from Magic Kingdom Car Care Center...
*using Magical Express to get from the airport - with those nice luggage transfers - to your WDW resort(free!)...
*getting the complimentary/free/almost-on-demand National/Alamo shuttle from your WDW resort to the MKCCC...
the car rental price is usually much lower!
By renting our car this way, we have cut over $100 from our rental price - no airport concession recovery fee, lower rental rates, being able to tailor our rental to one week(no extra days or extra hours). We like the price(free!) of ME from MCO to our WDW resort, then the next day we are picking up our car from the MKCCC & have the convenience of airport return when we leave WDW. (No being available for pick-up almost 3 hours prior to MCO departure for us, thank you!) If you like Alamo/National, try looking at your dates & renting from the MKCCC.

just an FYI,
agnes!

 

[Mich Mouse]

Agnes, You are brilliant!

I just called Alamo, switched my resservation, and my car rental price is one hundred dollars less!!

I can't believe what a great deal this is with the magical express!!

Free ride and no lugging the luggage!!

Woo-Hoo!

Thank you SO SO much Agnes!

 

[leanne11]

we need 1 only to go back to sanford, on our last day, how do we get to the car care center? and what is their (code) to reserve on the website...

 

[busykate]

Thanks for all the info on this post. Dh has been nagging me to rent a car when dd and I go by ourselves in Sept. I keep telling him that if I need to rent a car I can do it from the resort. He didn't believe me but when he read the post where I could save money he was all for it!

 

[Mich Mouse]

If you rent with Alamo/National, they will pick you up at your resort, and shuttle you to the car care center. I think that the Car rental is by the Race Track...In the MK area of WDW. Alamo gave me a phone # to call for resort pick up. They said I could even make a ressie the day before, and they will be waiting for me!

Don't reserve a car on the website, call directly. The phone agent told me they cannot accept coupons/discounts via the website, even though there is a place to put them. Alamo accepts AAA, Entertainment and AP Passholder Discounts. The entertainment rate with a coupon was by far the best rate.

Unbelievable that it will cost me $100.00 less than picking it up from the airport, on the same day, same time. Gotta Love the DIS.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

So if you want to get you're own luggage, you can do so and bring it out by the bus for loading

Also, you probably have to check in somewhere for the bus. The bus probably doesn't leave until everyone is accounted for? (I mean within a reasonable amount of time).

I'm wondering if we'd still have time to get our own luggage and make the bus on time.

Yes, you can:

• Check your bags at your home airport without using the DME luggage routing tags;
• Upon arrival at at Orlando Int'l, go to baggage claim;
• Wait for your bags;
• Carry your bags over to the Disney Welcome Center;
• Check in for a DME motor coach;
• Take your bags with you to the motor coach;
• Have the bags loaded into the hold of the motor coach by the driver (who should be tipped if he or she handles your luggage);
• Ride to your resort;
• Handle your own bags when you get to the resort (or use and tip bell services at the resort).

Guests are not assigned to a specific motor coach departure ahead of time, so you don't need to be concerned that "the bus probably doesn't leave until everyone is accounted for." You can have lunch, shop in the airport, go to baggage claim, or do whatever you want -- and Disney won't hold the motor coach at the curb for you. If you don't go directly to the Disney Welcome Center, you'll just get to your resort later, because you're likely to miss one or more DME coach departures to your resort.

As guests check in at the Disney Welcome Center, they are assigned to a coach that will go to 3 or 4 WDW resorts -- not on a set route, but on a demand basis, depending on where guests need to go at that time.

Or, you can use DME as designed:

• Check your bags at your home airport with the DME luggage routing tags;
• Upon arrival at at Orlando Int'l, go directly at Disney Welcome Center;
• Don't worry about your checked luggage; it will be retrieved behind the scenes and put onto a luggage truck to WDW;
• Check in for a DME motor coach;
• Ride to your resort;
• Check in at your resort;
• Go off and have fun; you don't have to wait in your room;
• Your luggage will show up in your room some time after you check in, with Disney taking care of the bell service tip; it could be a few minutes, or it could be a few hours, but it should be there when you get back.

If you're using DME as designed, it's a good idea to bring a small carry-on onto your plane so that you'll have what you need when you arrive at your resort (swim suit, or change of clothing for theme park).

To me, using DME as designed is much more appealling than having to wait for my luggage and handling it at the airport. In fact, I love the idea of not having to handle my lugguge after I check in at my home airport.

 

[kaytieeldr]

If you're using DME as designed, it's a good idea to bring a small carry-on onto your plane so that you'll have what you need when you arrive at your resort (swim suit, or change of clothing for theme park).

To me, using DME as designed is much more appealling than having to wait for my luggage and handling it at the airport. In fact, I love the idea of not having to handle my lugguge after I check in at my home airport.

GREAT post, Horace! And the carry-on suggestion shouldn't be limited to just those using DME. Anybody flying anywhere should pack all necessities and valuables in luggage they bring on the plane, as well as the other items listed, just in case the airline "misdirects" some luggage.

 

[DisneyaHolic23]

if we arrive in Orlando several hours prior to check-in time?? We are coming from Seattle on a red-eye, and so arrive in Orlando at 6:21 AM. Our thought was that we would go to our resort, drop our carry-ons, and go have breakfast and hang in the parks until check-in time. However, when will our luggage then arrive in our room? It couldn't be there before we check-in, could it?
This was a great thread, with a lot of really good information - thanks!

 

[kaytieeldr]

Your luggage probably would not appear in your room before you check in - although you could be surprised and there'll be a room available when you arrive!
But if you have to wait for a room and you head off to the parks, chances are excellent that your bags WILL be in your room when you get back (assuming, of course, that you've been assigned a room by then )

 

[katypop]

Anyone knows what happens if your luggage gets lost?

I used ME in May and it worked out fine, even though they didn't send me the tags. However, a friend of mine who was staying with me arrived a few days after me and NEVER got her luggage She did not receive the tags but was assured at the airport, as I was, that they would get her luggage and not to worry. We went out after her arrival at the resort so did not know until about 6 or 7 hrs later that her luggage was missing. The CM's had no idea it was missing either! To make a long story a little shorter, they have decided that the airlines lost the luggage, but disney dropped the ball too. If her luggage wasn't there to collect, someone should have known this and reported it to a supervisor who would have reported this to my friend. Instead, no one did anything until WE reported it missing. They did not decide until after she had returned home that it was the airline's fault. So my friend spent her one week vacation without her luggage. Disney did take us to a mall 2 days after her arrival so she could buy more clothes , etc and did reimburse her for the cost. They also supplied her with a tote bag to carry all the new stuff home. They also comped us for one night's stay.Of course, we lost a good part of a day shopping when we really wanted to be in the parks.
So now my dilemma is whether to trust them in Oct again. While my experience was great, I saw the other side of the coin as well. Throughout our stay we heard from CM'S and other guests many other horror stories where disney had lost their luggage. This was during the initial stages of the service though, so I'm hoping they've gotten better???!!!
Katypop

 

[BeckWhy]

Katypop,

Thanks for the info. I'm not sure how often luggage is actually lost (and I would have assumed it would be the airline's fault, not Disney's), but thanks for sharing your experience.




My uncle used the DME in July when he took his family. He said he loved it. He also said the luggage was delivered to their cabin with in an hour (he thought it was 30 min to 45 min).