magical express questions

[sherrycurl]

i will be staying at pofp. my question is on check out will me take our luggage to the airport? if so how do we check in our luggage to swa for our return flight? a friend told me that they do not drop off your luggage that you have to find it to check it in. any help would be greatly appreciated.

thanks,

sherry

 

[RJD]

If you are flying Southwest, you just bring your luggage with you to the ME bus when you board. When the driver lets you off at the terminal, you need to take your luggage and check it in at Southwest just as you normally would. Some of the airlines have check in right at the resorts, but SWA isn't one of them. Just got back last week flying SWA and using the ME and everything worked out fine.

 

[munchie22]

any other magical express comments? we are flying on continental in October and am curious how well it works. This is the first time I will not be using a rental cal.

 

[kroddy]

Magic Express is great. Let me tell you the mistake we made so you don't do it. At checkout, you need to go to the airline check in location at your resort WITH YOUR LUGGAGE. I didn't realize you had to have your bags with you. If you have your bags, they tag them and give you a boarding pass. You then board the ME to the airport. They take care of getting your bags checked in and you see them when you land at home. We got our boarding pass but had to get our bags off the bus and check them in at the airport.

 

[goofy4tink]

Let's not get things confused here. DME is a wonderful service and one that works quite well. BUT....DME is not the same thing as the RAC system at the resorts. This (RAC) is a system where you can check your bags through to your home airport, right at your resort, on the day you checkout. Then, they will print out your boarding pass at the same time. It is the exact same thing as checking in at the airport! BUT...it is only open to people flying on a select group of 'participating' airlines. These can be found over on the Transportation board, in a stickie at the top of the board.
If you are not flyng home on one of those 'participating' airlines, you will just take your luggage with you to the DME bus. The bags will be stowed underneath the bus and you will take it to the appropriate airline counter to be checked and to get your boarding pass issued.
Although the CM's working the RAC counter wear outfits that say DME on them, they are not truly DME. In fact, anyone can avail themselves of this service...even if they are not using DME. You just have to be flying home on one of the participating airlines.
HOpe this helps a bit.

 

[sherrycurl]

thank you so much. that answered all my questions and eased my mind. i was worried about my luggage getting on the right plane. you guys and gals on this board are great.

thanks again

sherry

 

[TxRabbit]

any other magical express comments? we are flying on continental in October and am curious how well it works. This is the first time I will not be using a rental cal.

We flew continental and it works great! Like the poster above stated, just take the baggage you want to check with you to the airline check in at your resort...they will print your boarding passes for you and will check your bags for you...then...if you have carryon baggage that you don't want to keep with you for the rest of the day until you board the ME bus...take those over to luggage services for the resort and they will store them for you...they will ask you if you are checking in or out...then...when it is time to meet your ME bus...you take your luggage check tag to the valet services and they will bring you your carry on bags that you stored earlier...couldn't be easier...this was our experience at BC...

NOTE: your flight cannot be before a certain time in the morning in order to use the airline check in services at the resort...if it is...even if your airline participates in the check your baggage at the resort program...you will have to take your baggage to the airport yourself to check...

 

[spiceycat]

no - if you have the yellow tag on your luggage you won't even be able to find them at the SW luggage thing.'

now coming back you definitely need to get your luggage - but going to WDW (the service) will get it for you.

It won't even appear in the luggage area. It goes directly to the WDW area.

at least that is how magical express was explained to me. I will call them later and ask.

but as I say coming back is a different story - then you have to get them from either your room or bell services and take them with you on DME. then you need to check in at the airport with your luggage.

remember to go to the DME 24 hours before your plane leaves to get a boarding section.