ME and baggage

[Disneyfanfour]

Hi,

Would you rather have ME pick up your bags or just get them yourself? I'm trying to decide for my family, who will have 7-8 bags total between us, if not more! What's all your suggestions or preferences??

Thanks!

 

[KimAshton]

My friend has to get her bags due to the fact that they put us both on the same flight and well she is coming NC and I am coming from NJ. I had called numerous times and gave them our separate flight info and they still screwed it up. I am not going worry about it. I am seriously debating getting my luggage or no cause last year it took hours for me to get it. Although we arrive at like noon time. I am going to shove shorts in my suitcase I think.

 

[CleveRocks]

I can't imagine too many reasons to choose to get your own bags. SKipping baggage claim is a wonderful convenience.

They tell you it should arrive inside your room about 3 hours after you arrive at your resort. pack accordingly in carry-ons.

If you stop to get your luggage, you delay yourself getting to your resort. It's very likely that you'll miss the next available bus and have to wait for the next one to your resort. WHy delay yourself???

DME may be new to you, but it's 2.5 years old by now. Disney knows what it's doing. The barcodes on the DME tags are scanned 5 separate times between airplane and resort room, and the delivery trucks are scanned by GPS ... Disney knows where your bags are at all times.

 

[CarolA]

If I was going to get my luggage I would just rent a car and skip DME. IMHO the luggage delivery is one of the great features. It is great to avoid the wait at the baggage claims (and I have waited up to 45 minutes at MCO! And yes Edd I timed it. I am a professional traveler, I time everything LOL!)

 

[kaytieeldr]

Okay, well, my first suggestion is to rethink what you're bringing so you end up with fewer bags.

Let Magical Express handle and deliver your luggage. Why stress - and delay, as described by CleveRocks - yourself when this ultra-convenient option exists?

KimAshton: Your friend does NOT have to get her own luggage!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She merely needs to describe her luggage to the CM at the Welcome Center counter, and provide her claim check numbers.

As for it taking hours to get your luggage last year, that could VERY likely be due to an airline delay. Look at it this way - if that was the case, and you went to baggage claim, you'd have waited until the conveyer belt stopped (time), then proceeded to the Lost Luggage office (time), then filled out forms (more time), then finally headed to check in for Magical Express.

Also, it is advisable ANY time anybody flies ANYWHERE (i.e. not limited to Orlando) that they pack in their carry-on luggage: travel documents, medications, valuables - and whatever items will be needed for the first 24 hours of the trip.

 

[Mrs. Bee]

We are going to WDW and staying at POR in January. We are planning on getting our own bags. Mainly because I'm paranoid. I also don't want to have to wait hours for my bags. There will only be two of us so we won't have too many bags. My husband will probably have one. I'll probably have two.

 

[Mrs. Bee]

People are always talking about how if you get your own luggage you delay getting to the resort. Well, for us that's fine. We are in no real hurry. We'd like to be able to check into our room and stuff before we head to the park (if we decide to head to the park at all that day.) Besides...I've been to a million airports (including MCO) and I've never had to wait hours for my luggage. I'd rather wait 30-40 minutes for it at the airport than not know when it's arriving to my hotel.

I don't want to have to pack a million things in my carry-on. I already pack enough stuff in there as it is.

So for my husband and I...getting the bags ourselves works for us.

 

[Disneyfanfour]

Thanks for the varied advice, everyone. We aren't getting into MCO until after 5pm, so I want to be sure that we get the bags that night. Can I be pretty sure of this? Also, we only received two tags each for two of us, and we need 4 more for our daughters. Disney considers them adults, but didn't send any for them! What should I do? Oh, I also rented from the DVC board, so I don't have direct access to Disney reservations yet. Please advise me about this.

thanks again!

 

[goofy4tink]

My friend has to get her bags due to the fact that they put us both on the same flight and well she is coming NC and I am coming from NJ. I had called numerous times and gave them our separate flight info and they still screwed it up. I am not going worry about it. I am seriously debating getting my luggage or no cause last year it took hours for me to get it. Although we arrive at like noon time. I am going to shove shorts in my suitcase I think.

DME isn't really set up to set up different airlines for each reservation. I don't think it would be a problem is your friend just took two of the yellow tags, tagged her bags even though the flight info wasn't right, and just let DME get them to the resort. As long as she is on the same reservation you are she should be all set.

People are always talking about how if you get your own luggage you delay getting to the resort. Well, for us that's fine. We are in no real hurry. We'd like to be able to check into our room and stuff before we head to the park (if we decide to head to the park at all that day.) Besides...I've been to a million airports (including MCO) and I've never had to wait hours for my luggage. I'd rather wait 30-40 minutes for it at the airport than not know when it's arriving to my hotel.

I don't want to have to pack a million things in my carry-on. I already pack enough stuff in there as it is.

So for my husband and I...getting the bags ourselves works for us.

While I do realize that everyone likes to get started on their vacation asap, those that bring their checked bags to the bus are in reality slowing down the rest of the guests, who are using DME the way it was intended. I have routinely had times of 55-65 mins from deplaning to resort checkin. But the one time it took me close to 90 mins was the time the driver had to dig out tons of luggage at each stop before mine. Yes, we were the third of three stops, but I have been number three stop before. The difference? All that luggage. The driver has to take all those bags out, then stand, and hope, for a tip from the guests. Sure, it may only add 10 mins or a bit less at each stop, but if you're number three, that's a sizable chunk of time. And there seem to be more and more people doing this lately.

Thanks for the varied advice, everyone. We aren't getting into MCO until after 5pm, so I want to be sure that we get the bags that night. Can I be pretty sure of this? Also, we only received two tags each for two of us, and we need 4 more for our daughters. Disney considers them adults, but didn't send any for them! What should I do? Oh, I also rented from the DVC board, so I don't have direct access to Disney reservations yet. Please advise me about this.

thanks again!

You should get your checked bags within 3 hrs of resort checkin, usually much less than that. Just pack what you will need immediatly in your carryon bags..and each one of you gets one carryon so you should be more than fine.
Now, as far as your dd's not getting tags...there should be two yellow tags for each person on the room reservation. Did you book through the person renting you the points? If so, get in touch with them, have them contact MS to get DME to get you the tags for your dd's. Who is listed on the reservation info on your DME packet? If your dd's aren't listed, perhaps the DVC owner made a mistake and forgot to list them. Check today, asap.

 

[Disneyfanfour]

Thanks, Goofy4Tink! I love you moderators, you know so much!!

 

[bab31]

If I was going to get my luggage I would just rent a car and skip DME. IMHO the luggage delivery is one of the great features. It is great to avoid the wait at the baggage claims (and I have waited up to 45 minutes at MCO! And yes Edd I timed it. I am a professional traveler, I time everything LOL!)

Why would you want to get your bags?
vacation has already started- look at like you are someone important, who never goes to get luggage because you have someone to do that for you.- (well you are to the mouse )

I agree with Carol

 

[bab31]

Thanks for the varied advice, everyone. We aren't getting into MCO until after 5pm, so I want to be sure that we get the bags that night. Can I be pretty sure of this? Also, we only received two tags each for two of us, and we need 4 more for our daughters. Disney considers them adults, but didn't send any for them! What should I do? Oh, I also rented from the DVC board, so I don't have direct access to Disney reservations yet. Please advise me about this.

thanks again!

We landed around 6:15 pm and were at the resort checking in by 7:30 ish. After going to get a bite to eat (at the Pepper Market) we returned to find out luggage. No more than a couple of hours later. Unless the airline looses your bag I would be confident that your bags will be there.

 

[drew64]

I always let ME handle the bags and have had no problems. Wish everyone would as those with luggage slow down the whole process and the rest of us have to wait while their bags are loaded and unloaded from the bus.
I think they whould go with a no checke dluggage on bus policy, except for arrivals after 8PM.
To me, everyone use the system as intended, or don't use it at all.

 

[Mrs. Bee]

I always let ME handle the bags and have had no problems. Wish everyone would as those with luggage slow down the whole process and the rest of us have to wait while their bags are loaded and unloaded from the bus.
I think they whould go with a no checke dluggage on bus policy, except for arrivals after 8PM.
To me, everyone use the system as intended, or don't use it at all.

Well, that is YOUR opinion. I don't think they'll ever have a policy like that. People should be allowed to do as they choose with their own bags. Personally, I'm taking my own bags on the bus with me. And I am still using the bus. I don't want to pay an extra $100 or more to take a taxi. Big deal if it takes an extra few minutes for the driver to get my bags. I don't understand how everyone is in such a huge hurry than an extra 10 minutes is going to make a difference.

 

[drew64]

With a shared service such as this, it affects everyone. It may be a fe wminute sfor your bags, but cna also be a few more minute sfo rth enext person's bags, and so on. If 20 familes bring their luggage, it adds up. Then those of us who use the service to get out of the airport quickly are now waiting for others luggage to be handled.
I guess a syou can't understand why soemone can't wait a few more minutes, I can't understand why others can't just wait for their luggage to arrive later and pack a carry-on with a few things.

 

[tjmw2727]

Well, that is YOUR opinion. I don't think they'll ever have a policy like that. People should be allowed to do as they choose with their own bags. Personally, I'm taking my own bags on the bus with me. And I am still using the bus. I don't want to pay an extra $100 or more to take a taxi. Big deal if it takes an extra few minutes for the driver to get my bags. I don't understand how everyone is in such a huge hurry than an extra 10 minutes is going to make a difference.

If it were just you and just 10 minutes I would agree, however it isn't.

If I use ME as its intended, with all the features including (IMHO the best part) luggage delivery then why should I have to wait for you if you choose to modify ME to fit your needs?

No, I am not in a hurry but I do want to get to the resort, check in and begin my vacation. So while I would not mind an extra 10 minutes.. its often more than 10 minutes and if I happen to be the last stop it can take an extra 30 minutes or more due to unloading checked bags that could have gone via ME.

So while its not a big deal to you at least try and see both sides and why it does bother some.

TJ

 

[Mrs. Bee]

For me my carry-ons are already full with other things like cameras and video cameras. Also, the bad stories I've heard about ME were enough for me to want to get my own bags.

So if anyone here is at MCO on January 24th around 1:45pm or so...sorry in advance. I'm taking my own bags.

 

[Mickiethepooh]

Mrs Bee,
You don't think Disney will ever have a policy like that, guess what that IS the policy. you are suppose to use both parts of ME.
So say 20 people on the bus choose to bring their bags, well first that means probably 40 bags at least sitting on the sidewalk waiting for the driver to load it on the bus, everyone sits on the bus and waits while he does this. then off we go to hotel A, ten peopl get off, 4 of whom have luggage under the bus. They stand around next to the bus while the Driver opens it up, and starts removing bags only to find the the people waiting have bags in another section or behind a bunch of other bags etc. These bags sit on the sidewalk. At that point Disney has NO responsibility for those bags what so ever.
Meanwhile Drive finally gets everyone's bags for THIS stop and now is putting back the ones that were in the way, on to stop B, repeat steps from Stop A, on to Stop C.
Now can you see why people take exception to the ten minutes to get YOUR bags ONTO and then OFF the bus?
It seems that many people don't care about anyone else and rules are for others obviously.

 

[Mrs. Bee]

No, I understand that my ten minutes combined with other peoples can take time. But in the end...I am going to do what is best for myself and my husband. If it makes other people angry...so be it.

 

[bab31]

Maybe ME should consider using one bus for those who feel they must get their bags and put it on the bus and a differnt bus for those who dont.

Dont forget to tip the bus driver for handling those bags.

I trully have not read alot of bad reports. I bet the amount of satisfied customers runs 100 to one or maybe 200 , 500 to one, ok 1000 to one. Point is that... All those satisfied people dont post about how great ME treated them.