Magical Express - Luggage problems?

[kaytieeldr]

including people feeling that it is inconveniencing others by using bringing your own bag to the

It inconveniences other momentarily, because the driver has to exit the bus and pull suitcases from underneath.

My personal objection has nothing to do with time. It's the seeming lack of - knowledge? caring? concern? willingness? - regarding tipping. Especially because DME transports luggage as part of the program, few people tip the driver.

 

[brksmith]

It’s a fair point, and for the record I do tip the driver in these circumstances. Just going to put this out there though, and I am playing Devils advocate here rather than criticising anything. Does it make sense to single one person out for a tip in a process that involves so many people working to make DME work, including the airport baggage handlers, bus queue management team and the bell staff at the hotel who have your bags waiting on your room without you evening seeing them? All parties are working equally hard and probably get a comparable salary. The bus driver handles the bag for perhaps a total of 15 seconds in my estimation, so my tip is for the drive to the resort really. I would argue that at least the bus driver gets a thank you unlike the behind the scenes team.....

 

[Asnell]

You can get on the bus whenever. Your luggage doesn't travel with you, they grab it before it gets into the public area. It will sit in a holding area until you have checked in to your room.

If our luggage is going separately from us, would it matter if we decided to grab an Uber? I'm concerned that we might get to the DME lines and find they are long. Since we have plans that day, I could see us deciding to ride Uber or Lyft but allowing DME to still take care of our bags. Is that allowed?

 

[kaytieeldr]

Does it make sense to single one person out for a tip in a process that involves so many people working to make DME work, including the airport baggage handlers, bus queue management team and the bell staff at the hotel who have your bags waiting on your room without you evening seeing them?

It's customary to tip anyone who handles your luggage, so we can eliminate the bus queues management team (unless you notice one of them actually handling your luggage to assist the bus driver.)

Airport baggage handlers also do not provide a personal service to/for the passenger, and do not encounter the passenger - no tip possible.

Bell staff at the resort delivering your DME truck-delivered luggage to your room is tipped by Disney as part of the DME process.

Skycaps/Redcaps at the airport do assist with your luggage when requested = tip.

Bus driver, taxi driver, livery driver, rideshare driver handling your luggage = tip.

Bell Services delivering your non-DME luggage to your room with you present, or storing and retrieving your luggage, or delivering anything to your room = tip.

If our luggage is going separately from us, would it matter if we decided to grab an Uber?

See the pinned thread on this exact topic on the Transportation forum.

 

[Disneypro1]

I will get our luggage from the carousel prior to getting on the bus. Thanks for the responses!

This is by far the easiest and really best way to make sure you get your luggage and not wonder when it will get to the resort. We have always done it this way. Unpack and hit Disney Springs or whatever. Sure it can always get lost by the airlines. But you’ll know right then also. We have always taken luggage with the bus to resort.

 

[MickeyWaffles]

We’ve used Magical Express luggage delivery at least 20 times since it launched and never had an issue. Has always arrived within a few hours of our arrival. We always take morning flights when we are WDW bound, so no experience with later arrival flights.

I worked bell services dispatch at a deluxe the year DME launched. Very few bag issues, even right after it had just launched. Most issues had to do with people not tagging their luggage properly.

 

[Dean Marino]

Deleted

 

[dansdad]

In a good 24 trips, we've had two issues...

1) Luggage overlooked in MCO Warehouse - got it next day. 3:30 PM MCO arrival.
2) Luggage sent to FORT Wilderness, with clearly marked WL tags. 3:30 PM MCO arrival.

BOTH times? Bell Services at the WL JUMPED on the issue, and resolved it. You just need to know what THET will need....

1) KEEP THOSE AIRLINE BAG CHECK TAGS.
2) TAKE PHOTOS of your bags, showing your ME tags.
3) TAKE PHOTOS of the ME tags, for THIS TRIP.

Take this WITH you to the Bell Services Desk. Armed with data, these folks are ruthless - in a very GOOD way .

This. One of the biggest perks to us is IF the airline misroutes or misplaces your bags, the Magical Express/Bell Services folks do all the leg work for you if you have the above info that @Dean Marino mentioned. We arrived at MCO on a 7:30AM flight but our luggage took a trip to Dallas. We got to CBR and headed off to MK for the day. Bell Services at CBR called me and let me know our luggage was put on another plane and they were on it. We were able to enjoy our day without being on the phone trying to track down our stuff. When we got back to our room around 10PM all our luggage was there waiting.

 

[DisSurfer878]

This. One of the biggest perks to us is IF the airline misroutes or misplaces your bags, the Magical Express/Bell Services folks do all the leg work for you if you have the above info that @Dean Marino mentioned. We arrived at MCO on a 7:30AM flight but our luggage took a trip to Dallas. We got to CBR and headed off to MK for the day. Bell Services at CBR called me and let me know our luggage was put on another plane and they were on it. We were able to enjoy our day without being on the phone trying to track down our stuff. When we got back to our room around 10PM all our luggage was there waiting.

I will say this is another reason we fly Delta to MCO. They're one of the few airlines that not only tracks your flight, but tracks your luggage from the moment you leave the counter until it's back in your possession. Never a question of "did my bag end up on the right plane?" Because i can see that it did lol

 

[Orionreplay]

Though the MDE driver doesn't touch my bags due to them going to the room, like my trip in November, if I am highly entertained by the driver I will give over a small tip for making the trip to the resort fun for myself and my two kids. Our driver to AoA last November was like a Jungle Cruise skipper. He was hilarious. The entire darkened bus seemed to be laughing at the same time as we drove. I can't recall any specifics right now, but he had us in stitches.

And then upon arrival at AoA and the familiar Art of Animation sign appeared, he stopped the bus ever so briefly so people could lean in a grab photos. Just a small nice touch to cap off his entire laugh filled trip to AoA from MCO.

 

[disneyfanlincoln]

It inconveniences other momentarily, because the driver has to exit the bus and pull suitcases from underneath.

My personal objection has nothing to do with time. It's the seeming lack of - knowledge? caring? concern? willingness? - regarding tipping. Especially because DME transports luggage as part of the program, few people tip the driver.

ive not seen this mentioned but just in case people are not aware, UK guests have to bring their suitcases on board. It is not a choice , the service is not extended to UK guests, and we tip......

 

[kaytieeldr]

If international travellers really don't want to haul their luggage all the way to the resort, it's possible to hand it over at the DME counter and have it delivered.

Not especially convenient, you've already hauled it about halfway to your room by then, and it delays your luggage longer than the three hours.

Doesn't seem to make much sense, but if you have a lot of small kids to wrangle, or you're traveling alone with a mobility device, or probably a few other situations, it might.