Magical Express

[Wackdawg]

I am coming close to our departure to WDW and have some questions about some things we haven't done before. We are using the Magical Express this time and have never done it before. I was wondering about people's thoughts about perhaps renting a car versus the ME. I was also wondering is it better to put the tags on your luggage for ME to deliver to POP or should we go fetch our own luggage and bring to the ME bus location ourselves? Any experiences to which was better would be helpful. Also our flight in will have us arriving at MCO by around 10am and I expect arrival at POP by 12. When arriving at POP after we check in which we did online already will they hold our luggage so we can go to MK or just bring it to our room waiting there for when we get back from MK?

 

[cjhudson]

We have done ME twice already and will do it a third time in May. I like the luxury of them picking up my luggage and delivering it into my room. If you did online check-in then you should get a text what room you are in so there is not really a need to check in at the hotel. We get to the resort, hop on the bus to whatever park we want, and go have fun. When we are ready to head back we go straight to our room and our luggage is always waiting on us.

 

[tlloftus]

What do you do with your carry on luggage?

 

[hamilkm]

What do you do with your carry on luggage?

If your room isn't ready yet, you can just leave it with bell services. Give them a call when you get back from the parks and they will bring it to your room, or you can stop by on your way in from the parks and pick it up!

 

[scrappinginontario]

I would recommend ME for sure! And, support the answers you've been given above.

 

[Nohal]

We weren't comfortable leaving things to chance so we used to get our own luggage and then head over to DME. We finally decided to give the luggage part a try as DME is an awesome perk of staying on property. It is so nice to get off the plane and head over to DME. We wasted a lot of time getting our luggage as it is on the opposite side of the airport as DME. We would get to the resort and either the room was ready and we dropped off our carry on or left it with bell services. Many years ago we drove to Disney but used Disney transportation the entire trip. I would not rent a car but there are those that would rather have a car than wait for the bus.

 

[Vernie822]

We rented a car once, all other times in recent trips we have done ME. For us, ME is so much easier and less stressful. We don't like to drive on vacation (we rented a car because we had some days offsite & finished our trip in Miami). We did fly in late last time, landing at 8:00 ish, so we took our bags ourselves as opposed to waiting for them, since we wanted to unpack and get to bed.

 

[Hopefully]

I recommend putting the yellow DME luggage tags on your bags and letting DME deliver them directly to you r room at POP. They will be delivered to your room approximately 3 hours after you checkin and you do not need to be present. Leave your Carry Ons with Luggage Assistance at POP and head out to a park. On your way back you can pick up your carry ons and take them to your room or call down to luggage assistance and ask for them to be delivered to you. The values do not have true "Bell Services" like at the Deluxe, and at POP luggage delivery by Luggage Assistance is scheduled in groups, I believe, rather than by individual guest demand. You may wait awhile for the next scheduled delivery run.
Have Fun

 

[brockash]

I am coming close to our departure to WDW and have some questions about some things we haven't done before. We are using the Magical Express this time and have never done it before. I was wondering about people's thoughts about perhaps renting a car versus the ME. I was also wondering is it better to put the tags on your luggage for ME to deliver to POP or should we go fetch our own luggage and bring to the ME bus location ourselves? Any experiences to which was better would be helpful. Also our flight in will have us arriving at MCO by around 10am and I expect arrival at POP by 12. When arriving at POP after we check in which we did online already will they hold our luggage so we can go to MK or just bring it to our room waiting there for when we get back from MK?

What are you wanting to do with the rental car? I guess what are your pro's for using/paying for it? Are you going anywhere else other than Disney? We always use ME and it works out well for us, however if our plan was to do more than Disney, or to save some money by going offsite to eat most of our meals etc., then I'd consider renting a car, but otherwise we're fine just relying on Disney transportation. I also love not having to deal with the bags. I always pack the swimsuits, pj's, and a set of clothes with our personal hygiene stuff in our carryon just so we have it in case there's an issue with the luggage, although that would most likely be from the airline, so really wouldn't make a difference as far as picking up at airport yourself or having it delivered.

 

[Wackdawg]

Thanks everyone. I just needed to hear some positives about DME. I was just unsure of the service having not done it before.

 

[Minnesota!]

Using ME is what keeps us at Disney. It is by the best “free” service you can get. Check your bags at your home airport and not see them again until they are in your room? Score.
Get off at your resort, check in, and if your room isn’t ready, leave everything with bell services and go. It’s practically seamless.

 

[maxiesmom]

If your room isn't ready yet, you can just leave it with bell services. Give them a call when you get back from the parks and they will bring it to your room, or you can stop by on your way in from the parks and pick it up!

And sometimes they will even have it waiting in your room for you.

 

[bumbershoot]

Sicne you're getting in during a really decent timeframe, I'd just let DME handle your checked bags. So put the yellow tags on at the originating airport and they will be taken directly to your room.

For carryons, you leave them with Bell Services when you get there. Things that we leave with Bell Services require us to be IN the rom when they are delivered, because they (unlike DME-delivered items) haven't had a tip given for them. They want to give you that opportunity to tip them.

If you do not tag the bags, collect them at the carousel, and bring your bags to the bus (the driver will put them under the bus and return them to you when you get off the bus at your resort), and when you get to the resort take all the bags to Bell Services.

If you did online check-in then you should get a text what room you are in so there is not really a need to check in at the hotel.

That isn't an absolute with online checkin.

And sometimes they will even have it waiting in your room for you.

Don't expect carryon bags to be delivered to the room. I could happen, but it's not what is supposed to happen.

 

[maxiesmom]

[QUOTE="bumbershoot, post: 55336699, member: 141567"

Don't expect carryon bags to be delivered to the room. I could happen, but it's not what is supposed to happen.[/QUOTE]

It happened to me during my last stay. Not only did they deliver my DME bags, but the bags I had dropped off at luggage assistance, and my Garden Grocer order was waiting in my room too.

 

[aggiedog]

We've never used ME before either. We don't have yellow luggage tags, but hard tags with various characters on them. Is this the same thing? Or will we need to get our luggage before going over to the bus?

 

[maxiesmom]

We've never used ME before either. We don't have yellow luggage tags, but hard tags with various characters on them. Is this the same thing? Or will we need to get our luggage before going over to the bus?

You should get yellow tags that look like long slips of paper. They are meant to go around your luggage handle. If you don't have them by the time your trip rolls around you will need the luggage tags you get at the airport in order for DME to grab your bags for you.

 

[aggiedog]

We leave tomorrow, so I don't think we'll be getting them! I called the beginning of the week for a room request and was asked if I wanted ME. We for sure had it prior to this, but there was a note in our file that it had been canceled?? So I reinstated it, but at this point I guess it's too late for tags. There's a post on another thread about giving the ME CM's our luggage receipts and they will get them for us?

 

[Gracie09]

We leave tomorrow, so I don't think we'll be getting them! I called the beginning of the week for a room request and was asked if I wanted ME. We for sure had it prior to this, but there was a note in our file that it had been canceled?? So I reinstated it, but at this point I guess it's too late for tags. There's a post on another thread about giving the ME CM's our luggage receipts and they will get them for us?

Yes you can do that.

 

[aggiedog]

Thanks for the prompt reply! Our trip will be fab, tags or not!

 

[kellyepp1]

Is there a way to add ME after already booking a room?