ME Alert

[TikiGoddess]

Just got back 10/1-10/7 and stayed at ASMo. We liked the hotel and were very happy w/everything with the exception of ME upon arrival. In all fairness, I really believe the fault lies with the resort and not the ME service, but here's what happened. When we arrived to check in at 2:30, I asked the CM if we were in the Toy Story building per my request, she said no, but could move me there...great, I'm happy. When she called to check on availability the person she spoke to said to be sure to call ME and let them know of the change. Her trainer told her this was not necessary. We took our carry on stuff to our room and rested for a couple of hours. Our luggage was not there yet, but we had been told that it could take 3 or 4 hrs for it to arrive. We had a dinner reservation for 6:50 pm so we went to that and got a back around 9. Our luggage still wasn't there...6 1/2 hours after check in. We were tired and wanted to go to bed so we called and they said they located it and it would be there in a few minutes. 30 min later we called back to see what was taking so long and the CM we talked to then said it would be at least another hr. as they were out on rounds delivering luggage. We finally received our luggage at 10:30 (keeping in mind we left for the airport that morning at 4:40 am). Turns out our luggage had been sitting in our original room the whole time. Moral of the story, if they move you, make sure they call ME and let them know. Also, I think if your luggage has been missing for that long and they locate it they should bring it directly to your room or let you come get it so that you don't have to wait 1 1/2 hrs more for it to be delivered.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Well, that rots! It's too bad you had such a lousy experience with your luggage!!!!

Suggestion to future ME users, based on TikiGoddess's experience - rather than ask the ME CMs anything about your room, wait until you get to your resort and sort things out with the CMs at Registration.

 

[goofy4tink]

Sorry to disagree but this doesn't sound like a ME issue. They only drop your bags off with luggage service/bell service. Then the resort people take over. So, it would seem that ASMovies has a room 'preassigned' to you, which I understand is happening with DME, but when you got to the check-in desk, asked to have a different room. It looks like the front desk at Movies dropped the ball here and didn't notify the baggage people of the new room assignement. They should have been able to track your bags and realized that they had been delivered to the wrong room.
I just don't want to see DME taking a 'bum rap' so to speak. Once that luggage is off their truck, it is the responsibility of the resort people to get it to you.
Sorry it took so long to get your things. When I stayed at BCV in June, I asked them to move my luggage over to POR for our final two nights....3 bags total, not a big issue. I made this request at 8:30 in the morning, so imagined that I would have my stuff by the time I got into my POR room. Since they had a room for me but I asked if there was anything closer, I had to wait several hours for a room. I got exactly the room I wanted, but wasn't able to get into it until about 4:00. When I was able to get in, I walked over to the luggage people at POR and asked if I could have my bags. They had nothing for me!!! They called BC Bell Services and their answer was.."OH, we've been really busy today. Those bags are still here! We'll get on it." So, POR people told me to call them in an hour or so. I called at 5:15....nope, still hadn't sent them over. Now, we figured that we wouldn't need anything out of those bags since we should have been able to access them by mid-afternoon. So, no bathing suits, no fresh change of clothes to go to dinner in. Luggage services called again and got more attitude from the BC people. The thing I couldn't understand is that it was a Friday, I had given them my bags for transfer at 8:30 and was told that my bags would be at POR by 3:00...instead they just sat there.
So, please don't blame DME for luggage handlers mistakes, as well as the front desk for not alerting them to the new room assign.

 

[TikiGoddess]

Me again, Goofy4tink, actually if you read my post carefully you would have seen that I said, in all fairness the blame lies w/the resort and not the ME. I was just letting you know that if you do change room to make sure that the CM at the resort notifies ME of the change. My problem was with the resort and I thought that was clear. I was just bringing this up since ME is fairly new and I'm sure all the kinks are not worked out between the resorts and the new service. And ACTUALLY, the preassigned room # is given to ME, who does deliver the luggage as it was explained to me at ASMo. Please don't reprimand someone unless you've read the post thouroughly. Our return luggage ran smoothly and overall we were happy w/the ME. I'm just trying to help others avoid the situation we found ourselves in.

 

[goofy4tink]

Me again, Goofy4tink, actually if you read my post carefully you would have seen that I said, in all fairness the blame lies w/the resort and not the ME. I was just letting you know that if you do change room to make sure that the CM at the resort notifies ME of the change. My problem was with the resort and I thought that was clear. I was just bringing this up since ME is fairly new and I'm sure all the kinks are not worked out between the resorts and the new service. And ACTUALLY, the preassigned room # is given to ME, who does deliver the luggage as it was explained to me at ASMo. Please don't reprimand someone unless you've read the post thouroughly. Our return luggage ran smoothly and overall we were happy w/the ME. I'm just trying to help others avoid the situation we found ourselves in.

Sorry, but I don't believe I 'reprimanded' anyone. If you notice, the post after yours it is mentioned that you not ask the ME CMs anything and wait until you get to your resort check-in, which I believe you did. I'm not taking issue with what you said. I did reread, several times, your post before I posted.
As far as a room number being given to DME and your luggage being taken to your room by those DME people, I still believe that is incorrect. It is my understanding that your luggage is taken to the resort bell services area. Your luggage is then taken to your room by these Bell Services employees. The DME people are not Disney employees, but Mears employees. THere is no way that Disney is going to allow a Mears employee to deliver luggage to guests rooms! I've used DME several times now....in June and in August. Bell Services has always delivered my bags to my rooms. In fact, there are times that a room is assigned to you but you can't get into it for an hour or so. So, what happens to your luggage then? If it were the case that the DME people were taking bags to rooms, then it take them many hours to complete this task, since one truck brings bags to several resorts in one trip. I really don't want to be argumentative...just expressing the facts as I have either experienced them or been told several times.
Again, I apologize if I offended anyone. That was certainly not my intent. But there does seem to be a lot of misinformation regarding DME still out there. But, these are just my own experiences...obviously, yours could be different.

The one thing that does confuse me though is when you asked to be in Toy Story, the CM called someone to check on availability. I have never had someone pick up a phone and call anyone to check this. It is all in the computer, right in front of them. I wonder who they were calling. Just curious.

 

[TikiGoddess]

"So, please don't blame DME for luggage handlers mistakes, as well as the front desk for not alerting them to the new room assign."

I'm not trying to be argumentative either. I just felt like being told not to blame the ME when I didn't blame the ME was strange. I too thought it was weird that they had to call someone to see if there was availability in that building. I would have thought it would be right there in front of them on the computer, but that's what the CM did. I think maybe she was checking with housekeeping to see if that particular room was clean yet, but I'm not sure. I don't know who delivers the luggage, but I do know that whoever she talked to on the phone told her to contact ME and let them know of the room change and then her trainer told her she didn't need to do that. It may be that ME puts the room # on the yellow tag for whoever delivers it. That may be where the confusion happened if they did not get the new room number to tag the luggage. I never spoke to an ME employee about my room change if there was confusion on that part.
As someone fairly new to DIS, it is daunting to make a post because some of the people who post all the time and have been here awhile come in and tell you how you should have posted and how things actually work at Disney. I've been to Disney 6 times in the past and do a lot of traveling and while I am not an expert on all things Disney, I do understand what happened in my situation. I love ME, I think it's great....all I was doing was letting people know what happened in my situation as it was very inconvient for us w/2 small children. Even though I packed their toothbrushes and extra clothes and diapers, I wasn't planning on 7 + extra hours and did run out of diapers. I know this is not ME's fault, but if there was not ME in place, I would've already picked up my luggage and had it there w/me. I'm just saying there are some things that the RESORT and ME together have to work out.

 

[goofy4tink]

Please, I would hate it if a new person to the boards felt it was 'daunting' due to something I said. I really do try to be helpful and not overbearing. Nothing can make someone feel unwelcome faster than being told they have it all wrong and what do they think they're doing saying stuff when they are new to the DIS boards!!! Nothing could be further from the truth, at least as far as I am concerned. So, I so apologize if I made you feel that way...certainly not my intention.
I wonder if there are any CMs here, or that may know some...Hello Tyler, where are you??.....that might have a better handle on exactly what happens when you ride DME and therefore have a preassigned room, then ask for a different room..and what happens to your luggage upon it's arrival at the resort. Anyone????? Inquiring minds want to know.

I was under the impression that this is what happens..
1. DME system lets your resort know that you are indeed on your way
2. Resort assigns you a room, maybe ready or maybe not quite ready, but you are in the 'que' earlier than 'walk-up's not on DME
3. Your luggage arrives at the resort, via the DME luggage truck, is unloaded at Bell Services (or whatever)
4. Bell Services has your room number in their system and puts the appropriate markings on said luggage
5. When your room is readied, they bring your luggage to you

All this is determined on how long it takes the luggage truck to get to your resort and how long it takes for you to get into your room.

 

[TikiGoddess]

No problem, maybe I was too sensitive.
Really, the biggest problem I had was having to wait another 1 1/2 hrs. after they located it. And that is the resort's issue. I would've been more than happy to come get it myself so we didn't have to wait any longer....
Otherwise we had a wonderful trip! We're looking forward to going back soon. Maybe a cruise next time...who knows!

 

[CleveRocks]

It is my understanding that your luggage is taken to the resort bell services area. Your luggage is then taken to your room by these Bell Services employees. The DME people are not Disney employees, but Mears employees. THere is no way that Disney is going to allow a Mears employee to deliver luggage to guests rooms!

Actually, Mears has nothing to do with DME luggage, except of course for luggage that DME bus drivers might directly handle. DME luggage is handled by employees of a company called BAGS, Inc. They handle it and transport it. As to what happens once it reaches the resort, I have no idea. I would suspect it's Bell Services CMs, if I read between the lines from some of Tyler's former posts, he mentioned something about Bell Services CMs receiving something called a GTY rate (payment) from Disney in lieu of not getting tipped by the guest when the luggage is delivered to the resort room.

-- Eric

 

[goofy4tink]

Actually, Mears has nothing to do with DME luggage, except of course for luggage that DME bus drivers might directly handle. DME luggage is handled by employees of a company called BAGS, Inc. They handle it and transport it. As to what happens once it reaches the resort, I have no idea. I would suspect it's Bell Services CMs, if I read between the lines from some of Tyler's former posts, he mentioned something about Bell Services CMs receiving something called a GTY rate (payment) from Disney in lieu of not getting tipped by the guest when the luggage is delivered to the resort room.

-- Eric

Thanks Eric...I forgot about BAGS, Inc., I knew that. Guess I was just lumping them all together..not a good idea. I thought the same thing about the resort CMs from reading Tylers' posts also. I do realize that the BS CMs are unhappy about DME since they miss out on tips, but not if they get my dh!!! He tips them anyway!! We have yet to have our stuff in our room, so have had someone to actually tip!!!

 

[Lewisc]

BAGS, Inc handles the resort airline checkin and the resort luggage checkin. I'm not sure if they're responsible for the luggage transfer from MCO.

There are specific TSA requirements for remote luggage checkin.

Actually, Mears has nothing to do with DME luggage, except of course for luggage that DME bus drivers might directly handle. DME luggage is handled by employees of a company called BAGS, Inc. They handle it and transport it. As to what happens once it reaches the resort, I have no idea. I would suspect it's Bell Services CMs, if I read between the lines from some of Tyler's former posts, he mentioned something about Bell Services CMs receiving something called a GTY rate (payment) from Disney in lieu of not getting tipped by the guest when the luggage is delivered to the resort room.

-- Eric

 

[sluggo]

Please, I would hate it if a new person to the boards felt it was 'daunting' due to something I said. I really do try to be helpful and not overbearing. Nothing can make someone feel unwelcome faster than being told they have it all wrong and what do they think they're doing saying stuff when they are new to the DIS boards!!! Nothing could be further from the truth, at least as far as I am concerned. So, I so apologize if I made you feel that way...certainly not my intention.
I wonder if there are any CMs here, or that may know some...Hello Tyler, where are you??.....that might have a better handle on exactly what happens when you ride DME and therefore have a preassigned room, then ask for a different room..and what happens to your luggage upon it's arrival at the resort. Anyone????? Inquiring minds want to know.

I was under the impression that this is what happens..
1. DME system lets your resort know that you are indeed on your way
2. Resort assigns you a room, maybe ready or maybe not quite ready, but you are in the 'que' earlier than 'walk-up's not on DME
3. Your luggage arrives at the resort, via the DME luggage truck, is unloaded at Bell Services (or whatever)
4. Bell Services has your room number in their system and puts the appropriate markings on said luggage
5. When your room is readied, they bring your luggage to you

All this is determined on how long it takes the luggage truck to get to your resort and how long it takes for you to get into your room.

Goofy4Tink,

The procedure that you laid out is correct.
The company that brings the bags to the resorts from the airport is not Mears nor BAGS. It is a third company. That company also transports the bags from the airport to Port Canaveral for the Disney cruise ships and brings the bags back from the port to the airport for the airlines. Mears is responsible for the guests and BAGS is responsible to bring the luggage back to the airport from remote check-in at the resorts.

Sluggo

 

[goofy4tink]

Goofy4Tink,

The procedure that you laid out is correct.
The company that brings the bags to the resorts from the airport is not Mears nor BAGS. It is a third company. That company also transports the bags from the airport to Port Canaveral for the Disney cruise ships and brings the bags back from the port to the airport for the airlines. Mears is responsible for the guests and BAGS is responsible to bring the luggage back to the airport from remote check-in at the resorts.

Sluggo

Thanks for the input Sluggo.