Magicial Express or OKW Malfunction??

[iloveallthingsdisney]

As OKW bell services arrived at our room on the morning (Dec 10) of our departure, we were informed that we would have to bring all our luggage to the airport ourselves because "the system" was down. We had 14 bags!!!! Because there's no curbside luggage assistance at the airport dropoff area, my poor husband and my disabled FIL had to lug all of our luggage to the Southwest counter at the airport. Does this happen often? Did anyone else have this problem?

 

[seashoreCM]

A third entity, Resort Airline Check-in, run primarily by a company named BAGS, Inc., had a meltdown.

Could you have found a dolly from Smarte Carte at the airport to help roll the luggage around with?

 

[goofy4tink]

No, it doesn't happen often. At the risk of being accused of being 'out of line' (and that is most certainly not my intention)..if there were 14 bags, then one would assume that there were 7 people flying. In my experience, it's only the very smallest of kids that can't be expected to handle their own luggage..those older than 6 or so can be expected to take on some responsibility for their own bags. Everyone should always be responsible for their own baggage..that's the rule in our house. My dd has been schlepping her own bags since she was almost 5...and at 3 she pulled her own Barbie rolling carryon...too cute.

I'm sure that there are always extenuating circumstances....having babies/infants to hold, etc. But still....baggage handling shouldn't fall to just one or two people. It's always a good idea to plan on having to lug the bags, rather than be able to check them at the resort...just in case.
That must have been quite a shock for you guys. That is one of the reasons I didn't fly SW more often to WDW...absolutely hated having to bring my bags to that counter...yuck.

 

[DebbieB]

Were there any skycaps around? They usually hang around the bus area.

 

[delmar411]

Were there any skycaps around? They usually hang around the bus area.

This has been our experience as well. If we have to bring our luggage with us, we barely step off the bus and a skycap is ready and waiting to grab our bags for us.

If there was no one around, that must have been a fluke.

 

[canwegosoon]

It is very unusual- certainly not what you were expecting. But luckily it was on departure. There are usually a ton of sky caps near the bus or just inside, so the fact that you didn't see them leads me to believe it was a wide spread problem that day.

 

[n2mm]

It doesn't happen often, but it DOES happen. Seldom the entire system. I have been behind folks in the RAC lines many times and have heard them being told that their airline site was not working and they could not help them. I love using RAC so would be disappointed if our airline had a problem the day we went to use it. We have been told when approaching the podium that it was having issues, but luckily our process has worked when we used it. Wow, 14 bags....think of all of that tip money the RAC folks missed out on! I can't believe you couldn't find a porter....they are usually falling over themselves to help. That's alot of luggage!

 

[seashoreCM]

OT:
Me: What is this strap next to the handle up top for?
Brother: You line up the rollerboards (sic) and loop the strap from each one to the next and then you can pull them all like a little train.
hnnnn

 

[iloveallthingsdisney]

OP here. To answer some of your questions, our party consisted of two small children and four adults. My MIL had just had hernia surgery and I was in charge of holding backpacks,shopping bags containing Christmas ornaments and making sure our two little ones didn't get lost in the process!! So that only left my disabled FIL and DH to handle all the checked luggage.

When the Magical Express dropped us off at the aiport, it looked like a ghost town!! There was no one in sight! We just thought there was no one there because typically everyone's checked luggage has already been brought to the airport, so there would not be a need for Skycap assistance. Anyway, we paid for two carts and drug them across the airport. There were signs on the 1st floor that said there was a Southwest check-in desk on that floor. So, we walked and walked and walked until we got to the EMPTY Southwest desk!! Then we took the elevators upstairs to the correct Southwest check-in desk.

We've used Magical Express the past 6 trips and the whole process worked seamlessly but of course on the trip that I plan for my in-laws, this happens!! Also, because of the cold weather, we had twice as much luggage as we normally do. Oh well, we survived but from now on, I know to expect that this could happen.

 

[goofy4tink]

OP here. To answer some of your questions, our party constisted on two small children and four adults. My MIL had just had hernia surgery and I was in charge of holding backpacks,shopping bags containing Christmas ornaments and making sure our two little ones didn't get lost in the process!! So that only left my disabled FIL and DH to handle all the checked luggage.

When the Magical Express dropped us off at the aiport, it looked like a ghost town!! There was no one in sight! We just thought there was no one there because typically everyone's checked luggage has already been brought to the airport, so there would not be a need for Skycap assistance. Anyway, we paid for two carts and drug them across the airport. There were signs on the 1st floor that said there was a Southwest checkin desk on that floor. So, we walked and walked and walked until we got to the EMPTY Southwest desk!! Then we took the elevators upstairs to the correct Southwest check-in desk.

We've used Magical Express the past 6 trips and the whole process worked seamlessly but of course on the trip that I plan for my in-laws, this happens!! Also, because of the cold weather, we had twice as much luggage as we normally do. Oh well, we survived but from now on, I know to expect that this could happen.

Man, talk about everything going wrong that can go wrong. No, it doesn't happen often but when it does, it sure makes life difficult, as you can attest to. Not a fun way to end a fun trip. Hope the rest of your time there was good though.