Magical Express users....need advice

[badblackpug]

We are leaving Friday, Nov. 3rd after school. Our flight does not get in until 10:40P We are staying at ASMu. I had planned to have each child "carry on" a backpack with their pajamas and "night things" so they could go right to bed as soon as we got checked in, because I hear there is sometimes a delay in getting your luggage to your room. But, I have been hearing horror stories...I am afraid our "morning things" will not be there for us in the morning. Should I cram next day clothes into the backpacks too? What about toiletries? (I can't carry them on) I will be without my make-up *gasp!* Am I worrying needlessly? Please don't suggest I rent my own car...I am going with my sister, and niether of us drive!

 

[kaytieeldr]

Yes, you're worrying needlessly.
Where are you hearing these 'horror stories'?
And the only reasons your luggage wouldn't arrive in the morning would be (a) you requested that it be delivered when it got to your hotel, even if that's 3 AM; or (b) the AIRLINE misdirected it - in which case a call to Bell Services would initiate DME tracking your bag/s instead of you waiting in the airport.

 

[Bev J]

Pack up a small suitcase with what you will need for the night and DO NOT put on the yellow ME tags. when you get to MCO then go to baggage claim and just get that bag and take it with you when you check into ME. The driver will put in under the bus in the hold for you. That way you will have everything you need for the night and next morning. When you check in make sure to tell the front desk to hold your luggage till the next morning, that way you don't have to worry about being woken up in the middle of the night with the luggage delivery.

Bev

 

[badblackpug]

I have read in some guides that luggage has been delayed HOURS getting to the hotel. Our precise reason for leaving Friday as opposed to Sat. was to get the whole day in the park. Thank you, Bev, that is a great idea!

 

[Armandocme]

It took about 6 hours for our luggage to make it to our room. Our flight landed at 10:30am and we did not get it until 4:30pm that afternoon.

 

[DVC Grammy]

Another option is to send ahead a small package containing your essentials to await your arrival at the resort, thereby avoiding having to spend time at baggage claim, since your kids will probably be very tired . A call to your resort will get you the information on how to address it, and a call to any of the delivery services will let you know how much time in advance to send it.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Pack up a small suitcase with what you will need for the night and DO NOT put on the yellow ME tags. when you get to MCO then go to baggage claim and just get that bag and take it with you when you check into ME.

I agree that it's a good idea to pack a bag with anything that you need for the first 12 hours — regardless of your arrival time, regardless of whether you're using Disney Magical Express, and even regardless of your destination — any time you're flying, because airlines often delay (but seldom completely lose) luggage.

I disagree with advice to check such a bag. First, you won't have the things you need if your luggage is delayed. Next, Disney's Magical Express is great because you can bypass baggage claim entirely. You go from your arrival gate to the DME check-in and to the first motorcoach to your resort. You could be on the road while other people on your flight are still waiting for their luggage to emerge onto the baggage claim conveyor. So bring your "first 12 hours" bag as a carry-on, and use yellow tags on all your checked luggage.

With the new restrictions on liquids and gels in carry-on luggage, you can no longer carry on toothpaste. So bring tooth powder or buy toothpaste after you arrive in Orlando (at the airport or at the resort). Disney supplies shampoo in your room; it may not be as good as your favorite shampoo, but it should be fine until your checked luggage arrives.

With a late flight arrival (after 9 or 10 p.m.), I would request DME luggage delivery the next morning, rather that risking a knock on the door after everyone is asleep.

 

[HarryLeg]

I agree that it's a good idea to pack a bag with anything that you need for the first 12 hours — regardless of your arrival time, regardless of whether you're using Disney Magical Express, and even regardless of your destination — any time you're flying, because airlines often delay (but seldom completely lose) luggage.

I disagree with advice to check such a bag. First, you won't have the things you need if your luggage is delayed. Next, Disney's Magical Express is great because you can bypass baggage claim entirely. You go from your arrival gate to the DME check-in and to the first motorcoach to your resort. You could be on the road while other people on your flight are still waiting for their luggage to emerge onto the baggage claim conveyor. So bring your "first 12 hours" bag as a carry-on, and use yellow tags on all your checked luggage.

With the new restrictions on liquids and gels in carry-on luggage, you can no longer carry on toothpaste. So bring tooth powder or buy toothpaste after you arrive in Orlando (at the airport or at the resort). Disney supplies shampoo in your room; it may not be as good as your favorite shampoo, but it should be fine until your checked luggage arrives.

With a late flight arrival (after 9 or 10 p.m.), I would request DME luggage delivery the next morning, rather that risking a knock on the door after everyone is asleep.

The reason for checking a bag to pick up is that for the past few weeks you can no longer take toiletries on board (Toothpaste, shampoo, etc). When we arrived late last year (11:00pm) we picked up our checked luggage and they put it under the bus.

 

[seashoreCM]

Are you sure each person can't carry enough stuff for the next day (including the clothes they wore down)?

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

>>> So bring tooth powder or buy toothpaste after you arrive in Orlando (at the airport or at the resort).
(copied from another post) 1950's radio commercial:
"Powder your teeth, don't paste 'em."
(I forget the brand name.)

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

The reason for checking a bag to pick up is that for the past few weeks you can no longer take toiletries on board (Toothpaste, shampoo, etc). When we arrived late last year (11:00pm) we picked up our checked luggage and they put it under the bus.

Yes, I addressed toothpaste and shampoo in what I wrote (and in what you quoted).

If you check a "first 12 hours" bag, you're likely to get to your resort later than if you don't. You won't be able to go directly from your arrival gate to the DME check-in and motorcoach. And if your luggage is delayed, you won't have the "first 12 hours" bag until many hours later.

If I arrive late — in fact, if I arrive any time — the last thing I want to do is to spend an extra half hour or so at Orlando Airport, instead of taking the first motorcoach to my WDW resort.

 

[Lewisc]

My understanding is the luggage delivery service at the value resorts isn't on demand but is done on a schedule. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong but I think it could take over an hour to get your luggage after you call. Either carry on whatever you'll need the next morning or pick up all your luggage.

Not a problem if you're willing to accept a middle of the night delivery or if you can pre-schedule luggage delivery just after your Mickey Wake Up Call.

I wouldn't want to have to wait for luggage delivery before I could leave for a theme park.

 

[4shinystars]

It only took us an additional 5-10 minutes max to get one bag from luggage claim then go to ME. I waited longer in the ME line! We then went directly onto the bus and left less than 5 minutes later.

 

[Lewisc]

It only took us an additional 5-10 minutes max to get one bag from luggage claim then go to ME. I waited longer in the ME line! We then went directly onto the bus and left less than 5 minutes later.

The issue is if your airline uses the other side of the terminal. DME is moving to side B in October. I fly SW. After the move I'd have to pick up my luggage, go back up to level three, walk to the B side of the terminal, go down two levels to level one and then walk more than halfway down to the DME desk. Currently the DME desk is directly below SW baggage claim so getting your own bags is easy.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

It only took us an additional 5-10 minutes max to get one bag from luggage claim then go to ME. I waited longer in the ME line! We then went directly onto the bus and left less than 5 minutes later.

My experience with baggage claim has not been that favorable (and I fly frequently).

Baggage claim is one of my least favorite parts of travel. The time at baggage claim is variable. It depends on the number of baggage handlers working, and how backed up they are. I normally have to wait quite a while before any bags from my flight appear on the conveyer, and then it seems to take a long time for my bags to appear. Some airports are especially bad — Denver and La Guardia come to mind, with waits sometimes being an hour. Orlando isn't as bad. I don't think I've ever waited over 30 minutes at Orlando. The worst time at Orlando seems to be after summer thunderstorms.

Also, depending on the location of your airline's baggage claim in relationship to the DME check-in desk, the walk from baggage claim to DME (including going from level 2 up to level 3 and then down to level 1 on the opposite side of the airport) could easily be 5-10 minutes all by itself.

I stand by my position that if a DME guest chooses to claim their own luggage, there's an excellent chance that a motorcoach will be dispatched to that guest's resort while the guest is waiting at baggage claim or walking to DME after baggage claim — and that the guest could have been on the motorcoach, if not for the detour to baggage claim and waiting there.

 

[TheWog]

We are leaving Friday, Nov. 3rd after school. Our flight does not get in until 10:40P We are staying at ASMu. I had planned to have each child "carry on" a backpack with their pajamas and "night things" so they could go right to bed as soon as we got checked in, because I hear there is sometimes a delay in getting your luggage to your room. But, I have been hearing horror stories...I am afraid our "morning things" will not be there for us in the morning. Should I cram next day clothes into the backpacks too? What about toiletries? (I can't carry them on) I will be without my make-up *gasp!* Am I worrying needlessly? Please don't suggest I rent my own car...I am going with my sister, and niether of us drive!

We too our doing as you with a late Friday flight arriving at 11:15 p.m. We have decided however to stay at the MCO Hyatt that Friday night. We will grab our luggage stay onsite and then go down to DME Saturday morning after our "free" breakfast. We will have our bags with us, get there early and head over to the resort. Check-in, store our bags and then head out to get a full day at the parks.

 

[4shinystars]

We flew USAirways on B side, so we did have to get our bag, cross over to the A terminal for ME, and still it wasn't nearly as bad as people had warned me. In my case we didn't really have a choice, because one of the things in my bag was a medication I had to have (non RX). Of course it would have been much easier if we didn;t have to get that one bag but we did.