Magical Express without luggage tags or passes?

[HollyEpcot]

We have not yet received our special luggage tags or passes for the Magical Express bus. I called Disney & they said they will send it to us, but it is getting close. What happens if we do not receive the mailing in time? Will we have to wait for our luggage and bring it to Magical Express ourselves? Will we be permitted to board the buses? I guess I'm just nervous.....
Thanks!

 

[dudspizza]

We have not yet received our special luggage tags or passes for the Magical Express bus. I called Disney & they said they will send it to us, but it is getting close. What happens if we do not receive the mailing in time? Will we have to wait for our luggage and bring it to Magical Express ourselves? Will we be permitted to board the buses? I guess I'm just nervous.....
Thanks!

If you don't get the stuff in time, you will be fine as long as you have a DME reservation.

You can pick up your own luggage, but don't have to. If you choose not to, go to the DME desk and they will look up and print your bus boarding passes for you there. You will give them your luggage claim tickets and a description of your luggage. Maybe put something on each bag that is easily identifiable. I use a lime green Mickey Head that is laminated and hung on my luggage like a bag tag. They will pick your bags and deliver them to your room.

Enjoy!

Duds

 

[Tltorrez]

We booked a week before our trip so we had no tags or passes. And it wasn't a problem. As long as they have the reservation, just go to the desk and they'll take care of everything. No worries.

 

[HollyEpcot]

Whew! That is a relief! Thank you both very much!

 

[TinkerbellLuvr7]

When I was there last month, there were 2 people on both sides of me who didn't have DME reservations at all (were there for work related things I'm assuming) and they signed them up quickly and put them in the line for the bus they needed. They typed in their reservation number, departure, flight info, printed their tickets and sent them off to the line. They did have their bags with them from baggage but the CM told them they could have even gotten the bags with a bag description and without the tags so I guess it can be done even without a reservation but I'm sure they would rather know ahead of time.

 

[CleveRocks]

When I was there last month, there were 2 people on both sides of me who didn't have DME reservations at all (were there for work related things I'm assuming) and they signed them up quickly and put them in the line for the bus they needed. They typed in their reservation number, departure, flight info, printed their tickets and sent them off to the line. They did have their bags with them from baggage but the CM told them they could have even gotten the bags with a bag description and without the tags so I guess it can be done even without a reservation but I'm sure they would rather know ahead of time.

Wow. The cast member who did this broke the rules. It's in Disney's contract with the airport authority that they aren't permitted to accept walk-ups, that they can give a ride only to guests who have an already-made reservation for DME. This was a concession made to the local ground transportation industry, who fought hard to say that Disney's transporting of walk-ups for free was unfair competition, and Disney voluntarily gave in on that point.

 

[goofy4tink]

When I was there last month, there were 2 people on both sides of me who didn't have DME reservations at all (were there for work related things I'm assuming) and they signed them up quickly and put them in the line for the bus they needed. They typed in their reservation number, departure, flight info, printed their tickets and sent them off to the line. They did have their bags with them from baggage but the CM told them they could have even gotten the bags with a bag description and without the tags so I guess it can be done even without a reservation but I'm sure they would rather know ahead of time.

Are you sure they didn't have prior reservations, but didn't have the paperwork with them??? That proceedure sounds exactly like what happened to me when I packed all my DME paperwork in my checked bags. Everything had to be typed in, at the counter.

I wouldn't be happy to know that Mears employees were bending the rules for those who had no prior reservations. And it is, in fact, Mears people that are doing it.

 

[CleveRocks]

I'd always thought that the folks manning the DME counter at the airport were Disney cast members, and that the only Mears employees are the ones immediately outside the buses who scan the voucher before letting the person board the bus. Has this changed, or was I wrong to begin with?

 

[goofy4tink]

I'd always thought that the folks manning the DME counter at the airport were Disney cast members, and that the only Mears employees are the ones immediately outside the buses who scan the voucher before letting the person board the bus. Has this changed, or was I wrong to begin with?

I didn't think any DME employee was a WDW CM...but again, I could be wrong. I'll have to check in a few weeks. Wonder if I'll get a 'true' response from them.

 

[CleveRocks]

Thanks, I'll be eager to read your answer.

From the past, I recall that the Disney cast members are the ones (formerly) with the big Mickey hands, the folks at the counter, the person who shows you to the correct queue, and the person who scans your voucher before the queue (in lieu of checking-in at the counter). And the Mears employees were the driver and the person at the bus door who scans your voucher before boarding the bus.