I'm curious about how the ME works when you arrive in Orlando. I just read that you don't get your luggage, you just go straight to the ME area and that your luggage will be at the resort within 5 hours??? That's a long time. Can you pick up your luggage at the bag claim area and bring it to the bus? Or are they saying 5 hours as a really big cushion?
Magical Express
- Thread starter mamamac
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MinniesYooHoo
With the cows and the chickens, they all sound lik
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Yes you can pick up your own luggage. This way insures that you have it with you right away. Just be sure to tip the ME driver as he will be placing your luggage on the bus for you.
Yes you can pick up your own luggage. This way insures that you have it with you right away. Just be sure to tip the ME driver as he will be placing your luggage on the bus for you.
Is that pretty normal for people to do that then? Walking with only our carry-on's sounds really nice, but waiting for 5 hours for the rest of our luggage doesn't seem really nice.
silmarg
SIL
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If you arrive after 10PM you must get your luggage from the carousel and bring it to the bus. This avoids a 2AM knock on the hotel room door.
I'm not sure about 5hrs... I always thought it was 3hrs, but I cant vouch for how long it really takes.
Personally, dragging luggage to the busses can be a bigger hassel than waiting the few hours (it was for us when we landed past 10PM in August). It was a pleasure not to worry about it when we were there last week.
I'm not sure about 5hrs... I always thought it was 3hrs, but I cant vouch for how long it really takes.
Personally, dragging luggage to the busses can be a bigger hassel than waiting the few hours (it was for us when we landed past 10PM in August). It was a pleasure not to worry about it when we were there last week.
We love Magic Express 
/
MinniesYooHoo
With the cows and the chickens, they all sound lik
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Lots of folks on here get their own bags, but it's all your own preference. I don't mind getting my own. For me just having a ride from the airport is enough. We pack light, DD and I usually share a suitcase, so we only have two bags. It's not like we are trucking along several suitcases to the busses. And as a past poster stated, if your flight is late, you need to get your own or you will get a knock on the door in the wee hours of the morning.
When I visited in August with my girlfriend, we let DME handle the bags. We just checked in to our hotel, dropped our carryons off in the room and ran off to DHS for our Sci-Fi Dine-In reservation, came back and the bags were there. The only thing we needed for the park were the clothes we were wearing since we were getting there just in time for dinner.
Really, its worth it, Orlando International is an obnoxiously big airport
On checkout day we just let them handle our luggage (which entailed standing in what should be a short line to hand over your bags for DME, but we got stuck behind someone who just did not know where they were flying or when or what airline!)
Really, its worth it, Orlando International is an obnoxiously big airport
On checkout day we just let them handle our luggage (which entailed standing in what should be a short line to hand over your bags for DME, but we got stuck behind someone who just did not know where they were flying or when or what airline!)
lllGurulll
On hiatus from the World
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AFter reading the a post in another ME thread about their luggage getting lost and ME blamed the airline and the airline blamed ME, I am actually rethinking having ME handle my luggage. It really isn't that big of a deal to get it yourself anyway.
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DME is a very efficient operation.
Last year on the day that we arrived, DME processed 24,000 people. That could be 24,000 bags. You can see why it could take 5 hours to get your bag delivered, in our experience it takes less than 3.
DME processes millions of bags per year, a missing bag or 2 is bound to happen.
Bill
Last year on the day that we arrived, DME processed 24,000 people. That could be 24,000 bags. You can see why it could take 5 hours to get your bag delivered, in our experience it takes less than 3.
DME processes millions of bags per year, a missing bag or 2 is bound to happen.
Bill
goofy4tink
No tags...not needed! Transportation moderator
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DME info packets tell you to expect your checked luggage, in your resort room, up to four hours after resort checkin. Only one time has it taken longer than that for me.....and I've used DME many times to date.
Do a lot of people not tag their bags and then go to baggage claim to get it and bring it to the DME bus with them? In a word, no. Luggage delivery is one of the best things about DME.
Pack anything you are going to need for the first day of your stay in your carryon bags. I usually have some small toiletries (3oz size for TSA regs), a book, my swim suit, teeshirt and shorts, underwear and some snacks. That way, I can do one of several things when I get to my resort...
1. I can change and go for a swim and grab a bite to eat
2. Change, if needed, into shorts and hit a park.
It really is a good idea to pack your carryon like this in any event. Airlines do misdirect bags, so it's good to have what you will need with you.
When a lot of people do not tag their bags, and get them at baggage claim, it bogs down the whole system. If the driver has to stow a lot of luggage, it delays departure from the airport, not by much, but a bit.
The big holdup comes at the resort level. That driver is going to stand there, waiting for his tip, from each person who has stowed baggage. That means that rather than a 3-5 min stop at each resort, it can be close to 10 mins...that really adds up, especially if you're the last stop of three resorts.
This is one reason I hesitate to continue using DME. It 'should' take about 55-70 mins to get from the plane to your resort. But, with more and more people choosing to get their own luggage, it changes that timing..making it closer to 90 mins.
Do a lot of people not tag their bags and then go to baggage claim to get it and bring it to the DME bus with them? In a word, no. Luggage delivery is one of the best things about DME.
Pack anything you are going to need for the first day of your stay in your carryon bags. I usually have some small toiletries (3oz size for TSA regs), a book, my swim suit, teeshirt and shorts, underwear and some snacks. That way, I can do one of several things when I get to my resort...
1. I can change and go for a swim and grab a bite to eat
2. Change, if needed, into shorts and hit a park.
It really is a good idea to pack your carryon like this in any event. Airlines do misdirect bags, so it's good to have what you will need with you.
When a lot of people do not tag their bags, and get them at baggage claim, it bogs down the whole system. If the driver has to stow a lot of luggage, it delays departure from the airport, not by much, but a bit.
The big holdup comes at the resort level. That driver is going to stand there, waiting for his tip, from each person who has stowed baggage. That means that rather than a 3-5 min stop at each resort, it can be close to 10 mins...that really adds up, especially if you're the last stop of three resorts.
This is one reason I hesitate to continue using DME. It 'should' take about 55-70 mins to get from the plane to your resort. But, with more and more people choosing to get their own luggage, it changes that timing..making it closer to 90 mins.
bear_mom
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We let ME handle our bags on our last three trips. We pack the few things we will need when we get to DW in our carry on bags - sunscreen (in travel on sizes of course), a change of clothes, etc. Once we get to our hotel we leave our carry on bags with luggage services if our room isn't ready or make a quick stop by our room if it is.
Then we head off to the parks. When we return from the parks our bags are there.
As for the person's who luggage was lost, who knows who lost it. Airlines are known for losing/misdirecting luggage. ME has probably lost a bag or two along the lines. But when you check in at the ME desk, they ask how many bags you have and if they can't find them, THEY start the lost luggage process with the airline.
Emily
Then we head off to the parks. When we return from the parks our bags are there.
As for the person's who luggage was lost, who knows who lost it. Airlines are known for losing/misdirecting luggage. ME has probably lost a bag or two along the lines. But when you check in at the ME desk, they ask how many bags you have and if they can't find them, THEY start the lost luggage process with the airline.
Emily
kaytieeldr
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A single second- or third-hand report would never affect my decision to use Magical Express exactly as it's designed.
Not counting today, Magical Express has been operating for 1,754 days. Using disneynutz's number, that would mean they've moved over forty-two MILLION bags (42,096,000). Even one of our DME experts much more conservative estimate is 10,000,000 bags since Magical Express's inception.
If a thousand bags were lost/delayed in ONE day, and all the airlines blamed Magical Express and DME blamed the airlines, that might cause me some hesitation. ONE second-hand report? Nope.
Exactly. Disney takes care of the tip. You don't have to be in the room. Most of us don't know exactly how long it took to get our luggage. We're at the pool, having lunch or in a theme park when it's delivered.
Value resorts deliver luggage on a schedule. It take a little longer to get your luggage.
Yes, if you allow ME to take your baggage, then it will be delivered while you are not there.
If you bring your baggage to the resort, and your room is not ready yet, you will have to store your baggage with guest services. When your room is ready, you can return to your resort and request guest services to bring your bags to your room, but you must be in the room to receive your bags.
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Just a side note.
Do you know why you don't have to be in your room for a luggage delivery from DME but you do from Bell Services?
Disney included the tip in the contract price for DME.
Bell Services wants you to be in your room because they can't get a tip if no ones home.
Bill-
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