NJDisneymom said:
I have no idea how this works, but our flight will be arriving at MCO at 10:30pm on Thursday night (may 5th). I was under the impression our luggage would be arriving the same time we were, is that wrong???
Your luggage will be intercepted by Disney's luggage handlers working behind the scenes at MCO, instead of going to the luggage claim conveyer. They'll load your luggage onto a luggage truck headed to WDW. The luggage truck will go to various WDW hotels, and your luggage will be unloaded at your hotel.
You'll be directed to the Disney Welcome Center on level 1, where you'll board the next motorcoach going to your hotel. It remains to be seen how frequently the motorcoaches will depart for each hotel zone at WDW, but I imagine your wait could be anywhere from 0 to 30 minutes. You'll stop at 0, 1, 2, or 3 other hotels before you get off at your hotel. (The stops will be brief because the only luggage on the motorcoach will be carry-ons. And the time between the hotels will be brief because the hotels will be near each other.)
By the time you check in and get your room key cards, your luggage may already be with bell services at your hotel, or it should arrive soon afterward. Bell services will bring the luggage to your room. Magical Express even pays the bell services gratuities.
The amount of time it takes from when you get to your room until your luggage gets there will depend on the timing of your luggage truck in comparison to your motorcoach. Then, it will depend on how busy the bell services staff is at the time.
We have a late arrival and ME planned for one of our upcoming stays at OKW. I plan to carry essential overnight things in our carry-ons. At the time we check in at OKW, I plan to ask the bell services attendant how long he or she expects it to take until our luggage can be brought to us. If it can be brought right away, we'll have them do so. If not, I'll ask to have our luggage brought the next morning so that we can go to sleep. It will be fine either way.
