ME bus or towncar?

[Edd]

Cleve,

There is a big difference in the two following statements you made. "What you are saying is contrary to everything we've been told," and "conventional wisdom we"ve developed." So have you developed these ideas about luggage or has someone in high places told you. If the luggage arrives with Disney tags and the passenger does not show up at DME, where does the luggage go to. If it stays at MCO they would have a huge pile of luggage hanging around. Has anyone reported they had to go back to MCO to pick up luggage? I saw the post that says it would cost $50. to go back and get it, but I don't think anyone has reported going back and picking it up. I am sorry I wouldn't spend the time to go back and find those other posts, but they are there.

"YES, you DO need to check in for DME and have your voucher scanned by the bus driver AND board the bus - otherwise your luggage will NOT, repeat NOT, be transported from the airport by Magical Express."

Why don't you provide some proof of the above statement. I don't think you are an authority on this. Let me see, you have to board the bus first before your luggage is sent off to Disney. Does the scanner specify how many pieces of luggage that go to Disney and how many you are carrying. So your luggage comes in on an earlier flight, where does the luggage go? A call to U.S. Air (MCO) baggage and the clerk verified the following: If a suitcase has a Disney tag it will get split off before it gets to the carrousel and sent to the Disney baggage people. Disney does not send the luggage back to U.S. Air after they receive it. If you want to do anymore checking call the luggage company (I don't have that companies name or I would do it) and find it what they do with the luggage. I will bet it is delivered.
Florida tours has reported that bags get to Disney even if you don't loaded on the DME? Must have been a Pixie Fairy who delivered them, as reported by Lewisc. Like I pointed out before. Disney does not have to pay the airport or Mears for the passengers who do not take the DME. They actually make out better.

 

[CleveRocks]

"YES, you DO need to check in for DME and have your voucher scanned by the bus driver AND board the bus - otherwise your luggage will NOT, repeat NOT, be transported from the airport by Magical Express."

Why don't you provide some proof of the above statement. I don't think you are an authority on this.

Well let me se, Edd, I would be happy to do what you ask, except that I NEVER WROTE THAT! You quoted kaytieeldr, not CleveRocks. Good going!

 

[CleveRocks]

Interesting debating style, Edd. I asked you to prove a statement that you made, and you responded:

I am sorry I wouldn't spend the time to go back and find those other posts, but they are there.

So you refuse to prove what you yourself wrote when I asked, but yet you have the NERVE to demand of me:

Why don't you provide some proof of the above statement.

I honestly can't tell if you're shrewd or dull. Especialy since the statement you asked me to prove was one I never made!

I know this seems almost perverse, but I am SOOO tempted, Edd, to reserve a one-way ride with you in November, MCO to POFQ, just to MEET you. I can't explain why. But if I do so, I'd do my earlier-proposed experiment of reserving but not checking in with DME, and checking a case of bottled water (or perhaps a well-packed box with inexpensive snacks and non-perishables) with the airline, a box/case that has one of my DME luggage tags on it. If I don't check in with DME and don't board the bus/get my bus voucher scanned, will my "luggage" get to my resort? Will my family get to my resort with Edd driving??? Of course I jest about the last one, you earn a living at it so I'm sure you're good at your job, and have been doing it for a long time. I just don't find you a helpful spokesman for your cause.

So what would happen if my checked box never makes it to my resort? Gonna go back and fetch it for me gratis???

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

I don't know anyone who has tried to get Magical Express luggage transfers without anyone in the party riding the motorcoach.

According to Disney, it's not allowed.

However, it may be possible — just as it's possible to do many things that are not allowed.

I would not be surprised if Disney would eventually end up delivering yellow-tagged luggage, even if guests went straight to a rental car or a towncar. But that doesn't mean it's allowed. Disney would know that the guests had not checked in for DME or boarded the coach. If only a tiny percentage of guests "cheat," Disney may just look the other way. If it becomes a problem, then Disney is likely to figure out some sort of way to discourage abuse.

I don't think it's good advice to suggest that people should abuse the system. It makes me wonder about the integrity of anyone who makes such a suggestion.

 

[CleveRocks]

TWO DISCLAIMERS:
-- I don't know the "hows" and "whys" of what I'm reporting here
-- We all know that WDW CMs can provide incorrect info from time to time

Anyway, here goes ....

I just called DME. I told the CM that I have DME reservations, and that I know I'll be receiving the yellow DME tags, and that I know to put one tag on each piece of checked luggage I want transported. I told her that I have a friend in the Orlando area who has offered to pick us up at the airport (oh, let's call him, I dunno, let's call him "Edd") but that I don't trust him to be reliable, so I'm hedging my bet by putting the DME tags on my bags just in case my friend doesn't show up. So I asked, let's say my friend actually does show up to give us a ride, what will happen to my luggage?

Her first response was to ask if I was traveling alone. When I told her I was in a party of 4, she told me that at least one person, "for security reasons," must ride the motor coach and that 3 of us could go with my friend. I asked specifically that if we had 8 bags among the 4 of us, will all 8 bags get delivered via DME if only one of us rides the DME bus, and she said YES. I asked, and she said it's tied to the reservation number and not the name on the tag. OK, one question answered, but not the one I was looking to get answered.

So I then asked her, what happens if we flake out and forget to have anyone in our party ride the DME bus, what happens to our luggage? I'm paraphrasing, but I'm VERY close to quoting her; she said something like, "Oh, you don't want to go there, we're not going to pay for you to get back the airport to get your luggage, that will be on you to pay for." I asked the obvious question, and she said that NO luggage from my party would be transported. I asked how they'd know whether or not anyone from my party was on the bus, and she said via the scanned transportation voucher. I asked if she was aware of it ever happening that luggage from a non-bus riding party was ever kept at the airport, and she said yes, and then went on to say that's why she told me a moment earlier that she's learned to tell people they will have to pay their own way to and from the airport to retrieve their luggage, because there have been guests irate about this.

So then I again asked what happens to our luggage if we don't ride the DME bus, and she said it remains at the airport. I asked whom I should contact, who then has physical custody of the luggage, is it DME, the airline, or the airport? She specifically said I would need to contact MY AIRLINE to get access to my luggage, and that I'd have to do so in-person at MCO.

She answered my questions quickly, she didn't seem to have to think about it for a while in order to answer me.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

I'm paraphrasing, but I'm VERY close to quoting her; she said something like, "Oh, you don't want to go there, we're not going to pay for you to get back the airport to get your luggage, that will be on you to pay for."

CleveRocks,

Excellent write-up about your call with DME! It seems that Disney has, in fact, figured out a way to discourage abuse.

(The only thing that bothers me is her explanation that the rule is "for security reasons" — that's an overused phrase in the travel industry that seldom has anything to do with real security considerations.)

 

[Lewisc]

The published information is DME keeps the luggage at MCO until the guest has his voucher scanned at the DME desk. The concern is the passenger may have been bumped and his luggage made it to MCO but not the passenger.

I tend to agree with your theory, Disney wants to move the luggage to the resorts and not worry about the few instances where the luggage made it to MCO but the passenger stayed home BUT I HAVEN'T READ ANY REAL CONFIRMATION that Disney is that flexible. FL Tours dropped the issue when I asked for clarification. I haven't read any $50 post and I can't picture Disney harassing a guest who said something like he saw a long line at the buses and decided to just grab a cab.

Cleve,

There is a big difference in the two following statements you made. "What you are saying is contrary to everything we've been told," and "conventional wisdom we"ve developed." So have you developed these ideas about luggage or has someone in high places told you. If the luggage arrives with Disney tags and the passenger does not show up at DME, where does the luggage go to. If it stays at MCO they would have a huge pile of luggage hanging around. Has anyone reported they had to go back to MCO to pick up luggage? I saw the post that says it would cost $50. to go back and get it, but I don't think anyone has reported going back and picking it up. I am sorry I wouldn't spend the time to go back and find those other posts, but they are there.

 

[jackmac]

In response to my having problems with luggage delivery being late. I did check with bell service and was quite impressed with the tracking system that DME has. It was able to tell me where all of my bags were. Some were at the resort and others were not. I was told that the 2 hour average was once the bags arrived at the resort. The times I had trouble were at POR. Usually I stay at Boardwalk villas but on both trips I stayed 1 night at POR to save money (coming in late, why waste a full days (Saturday) points on Boardwalk). The bell service at POR is much smaller than at Boardwalk (moderate vs. deluxe) and does take more time. Given all of that it still was excessive, arriving at MCO at 7 pm and not receiving my bags until 11:30 on one trip and another time arriving at MCO close to 8 pm and not getting the bags until after midnight. Next time, I will bring a carryon with overnight items and just leave my bags in baggage check and then have them transferred to Boardwalk without having to touch them.

In regards to using DME as a baggage only service. That cannot happen. It is my understanding that when your bag arrives at MCO it is pulled and placed in a separate warehouse. When you check in at the DME counter and they confirm the number of bags that you have they then schedule the bags to be pulled and transferred to the resort that you are staying at. If you don't check in the bags stay in storage until you do check-in. This insures that if your bags arrive first they don't deliver them until you arrive or if your bags arrive after you then can send them out immediately. If, for some reason, you arrive at the resort without checking in at DME there must be some way to get you your bags. But I bet it won't be quick.

I'm not knocking DME by saying that I've been disappointed with the speed of the service. I have been. But the service is still saving me over $100 per trip so it's worth it to me.

 

[lovesdumbo]

They actually make out better.

They don't make out better if the traveler takes a town car to the hotel and makes a stop to purchase cheap/nonDisney water and snacks. Or if the traveler rents a car and uses the car to visit (spend money at) non Disney attractions.

Disney offers DME for free because then they have you captive to spending all your money at Disney. I've had good service from DME and have always spent all my time at Disney anyways so it works out fine for me.

 

[Edd]

I will tell you what Cleve. I didn't mean to credit the statement you picked up to you. My mistake in not being specific. I was actually questioning that statement to Kaytieelor, How about answering this statement which was definitely made by you and you breezed over to get to my mistake.

There is a big difference in the two following statements you made. "What you are saying is contrary to everything we've been told," and "conventional wisdom we"ve developed." So have you developed these ideas about luggage or has someone in high places told you.

Why don't you go on the Disney Cruise ship Wonder in January. We could talk over our differences over a few, which would be on me.

 

[CleveRocks]

How about answering this statement which was definitely made by you and you breezed over to get to my mistake.

There is a big difference in the two following statements you made. "What you are saying is contrary to everything we've been told," and "conventional wisdom we"ve developed." So have you developed these ideas about luggage or has someone in high places told you.

Poor choice of words on my part, I understand the way you interpreted what I said. My fault. When I meant "conventional wisdom we developed" I meant that we developed by putting together all the information we've been told, gathered, etc. And I've been trying to "develop" even more info, such as by my call to DME earlier this afternoon. I hope this answer wasn't too breezy for you.

Why don't you go on the Disney Cruise ship Wonder in January. We could talk over our differences over a few, which would be on me.

Sounds great, but my wife might get jealous.

Seriously, I'll consider the idea of making a ressie with you for transportation, and just to keep you "honest," I'll make it in my wife's name or son's name or something like that, and I'll 'reveal" myself sometime during the ride. I'll bet it'll be a very pleasant, professional ride. As I've said, I don't question your ability to do your job and do it well, I just question your ability to serve as a helpful spokesman for your cause. But I do look forward to "chatting" with you again on these boards. I have a feeling this particular thread is going to wither away into oblivion pretty soon.

 

[Edd]

I appreciate you clearing up the statements you made. Yes, you were getting a little breezy and supplying me with facts not substantiated by proper authorities. That was great going directly to DME with your question. I certainly appreciated seeing the answer you gave. My side is the side to try to help passengers from the "local scene." Some of the advice that is given is stretched and I do not like that one bit. In fact I have jumped all over it, if I see that happening.

Passengers are trying to make decisions and they don't want to hear a personal prejudiced side of it. They are looking for an answer that works for their family. Some of the so-called moderators on these boards seem to be prejuiced to their own personal desires. Like in the case of one moderator still reporting a small incident that happened 5 years ago. Get real, that is archives, times change daily. In some other cases moderators trying to "baffle passengers with a whole bunch of, you know what." Those people should give unbiased help or stay out of the thread.

I have also found "posters" giving untrue accounts or exaggerated incidents of experiences and requested more information. In a few cases I have traced down the source on this end and tried to find the actual happenings. I can quarantee you "posters" also try to stretch the truth.

When it comes to Disney, the DME has not made a significant effect on any one company, in fact they have seemed to run off the people trying to operate illegally. They have replaced the passenger base of the Mears shuttle, Beeline Shuttle and the rental companies. As you know the same employees, once you leave the Disney welcome center, run the DME that run the Mears shuttle. Mears still gets the money but maybe not as much.

Orlando International lands 33 million passengers each year and Disney claims they will be able to handle 2 million passengers in the new contract. There is plenty of room for every one else to make a few dollars. It is a welcome relief to know the hordes of passengers taking the DME are qued in air conditioning rather than outside in the weather in the case of Mears and Beeline. So the DME is good for the airport and the airport traffic. There are many reasons to not use the DME and a lot of people will pay the extra to benefit from those advantages.

I have been to the Disney parks and I am not a beginner. I have been going since the first Sunday it opened, October 3rd, 1971. Over 350 visits to the parks. I will be in one of the parks this week. I will be cruising for the first time in January and don't expect it will be my last cruise with Disney. I am considering the Med cruise next year.

 

[Obi-Wan Pinobi]

First of all, thank you to CleveRocks for the call to the DME call center and his report. Obviously Disney recognizes that attempts to use DME solely as luggage transportation is an issue and has taken steps to discourage people from doing that.

Might things have fallen through the cracks and bags transported while guests took something other than DME? I'm sure there have been, and early on someone probably was successful in sending their bags on DME while renting a car or something, which might have lead to this whole issue.

There is something posted on this thread that I feel a need to address

Passengers are trying to make decisions and they don't want to hear a personal prejudiced side of it. They are looking for an answer that works for their family. Some of the so-called moderators on these boards seem to be prejuiced to their own personal desires. Like in the case of one moderator still reporting a small incident that happened 5 years ago. Get real, that is archives, times change daily. In some other cases moderators trying to "baffle passengers with a whole bunch of, you know what." Those people should give unbiased help or stay out of the thread.

I think that everyone has their own personal preferences or desires they are prejudiced toward or against. It could be town car vs. rental vs. DME, one town car company vs. another, Disney vs. Universal, fly vs. drive, Superman vs. Spider-Man, poodles vs. pugs, or what have you.

The moderators on this board are human, just like everyone else posting on here. Yes, we have preferences, and I for one do my best to remain impartial, but I do have opinions and will share them. If there's something controversial or questionable, we will consult each other and may even get outside opinions from mods from other boards or from the Webmasters.

Edd, if there is a moderator that you are having a problem with, please PM me with the information and I will pass it along to the Webmasters. If it's me or any of the other mods on Transportation, and you don't feel comfortable contacting me, please feel free to contact one of the WMs. Even if it is me or one of my co-mods here on Transportation, I hope you will still contact me anyway, and perhaps it's something that can be resolved without involving the Webmasters.

 

[Lewisc]

Edd--This is the link to the FAQ question that most of us refer to regarding luggage being held at MC0, by DME, until the guest actually checks in at the DME desk.

http://disneymeetings.disney.go.com/dwm/services/detail?name=DMEPlannerFAQDetailPage#C3Q5

I always question if that's what happens in the "real world" but I think it's dangerous to assume you can use DME to just transport your luggage without some posts from people actually doing it. Personally I question if Disney want to hold luggage at MCO and always suspected luggage got moved even if the guest hadn't checked in at the DME desk.

Do you have any real answers, either way, what happens to the luggage of guests who use the yellow DME tags but don't at least check in at the DME desk? This is a real question, I tend to doubt the offical Disney answer but I have absolutely no basis for that opinion.

I think this is one area the limo industry might have actually won. DME has exclusive access to the baggage claim area. Should Disney be forced to allow guests to use part of a free service? Maybe the industry would have had to collect the vouchers and given them to Disney to scan. Trying to ban DME was kind of lost cause.

 

[goofy4tink]

Hi Edd...hope I'm not the 'so-called' moderator in question. Yes, I have had some less than perfect experiences with a towncar company in the past. But, I have tried to be very honest and objective in my relating the experiences here on these boards....even if they were in the past. Have to tell the good as well as the less than perfect stuff.
I have used DME many times now (4 times I think at last count). For me, it's worked out just fine. I have been asked, every single time, how many bags, total, are expected for my entire party...obviously they are tracking them by numbers. Would I use a towncar again? Yes, I'm using one for my Dec trip, and looking forward to it. I'm booked for DME in Oct, but may change that too a towncar...not etched in stone yet. Depends on my finances at that point. But, I have to say...that for all intents and purposes, DME is not a luggage transferal service. If you want to split up your party, and have all but one person rent a car, or take a towncar, then fine. I just thinks that's a big hassle. But, that's just me. We all go together. I have no problem being on that bus with a lot of other people, in fact, I've had some terrific conversations with others during the ride and was able to give some info about WDW to some who were new to the whole thing..hopefully, made their trip a bit nicer and less hassle filled. But, as with all things Disney, there are always going to be people trying to twist things to better suit themselves. That's just 'the way of it' as my mom used to say.

I guess anyone is capable of giving in-accurate info here on the boards. If you find a moderator doing so, please, let one of the other moderators (on the appropriate board) know so that the correct info can be given out. Or, as is often the case, just post the correct info in a non-negative way. Things change so fast at WDW that it's good to have the right info....no matter who it comes from!!

 

[Edd]

Lewisc,

Today I visited the airport in search of answers. Talked with a Delta clerk and was informed that if luggage does not show up for a passenger, the first thing asked is "Did you put yellow Disney tags on your luggage?" The answer would normally be "yes." The Delta clerk would tell the customer the luggage will be at their resort. The people walked away okay with the answer. The Delta clerk said she is not aware of anything returned or passengers coming up and complaining she steered them wrong. Also questioned Linda at the U.S. Air baggage office. Her answer was basically the same. She did add that this is a common happening, with quite a few incidents like this a day. I asked her for an average and she said 2 or 3 times each day. Spoke with three skycaps and they informed me that many times they are hired and the luggage doesn't show up. The first question they ask is, "did you put yellow tags on your bags?" The answer was "is that what those tags are for?"

I also found out the baggage is not handled by Disney. They have hired a company to do this. The company is called Airport Bags, Inc. and has corporate headquarters in Orlando. To follow up, I e-mailed its CEO requesting an interview for the purpose of clearing up some questions about luggage and particularly like the ones you posed.

"Do you have any real answers, either way, what happens to the luggage of guests who use the yellow DME tags but don't at least check in at the DME desk? This is a real question, I tend to doubt the offical Disney answer but I have absolutely no basis for that opinion."

I was informed by the skycaps this also happens in the case of the Disney Cruise Lines. For some reason the passengers are not aware they tagged their luggage in a certain way and the luggage is taken to the ship.

I will let the boards know if I get an interview with the CEO.

 

[Lewisc]

Edd--The question woud be guests who found their own way to WDW but found their yellow tagged bags were being held at MCO.

The other side of the issue would be guests who were bumped, their yellow tagged luggage made it to MCO but the guests decided to cancel their trip. Where is their luggge and how long does it take to the get luggage home.

A guest uses the yellow DME tags, the flight gets delayed and the guest decides to take a cab. I don't know of any procedure for the passenger to retrieve their bags at MCO. It would probably easier for Disney to transport the bags to WDW than it would be to pull the bags. I don't think the airlines want, or will accept, Disney returning bags back to the unclaimed luggage office just because the guest didn't use the bus.

Lewisc,

Today I visited the airport in search of answers. Talked with a Delta clerk and was informed that if luggage does not show up for a passenger, the first thing asked is "Did you put yellow Disney tags on your luggage?" The answer would normally be "yes." The Delta clerk would tell the customer the luggage will be at their resort. The people walked away okay with the answer. The Delta clerk said she is not aware of anything returned or passengers coming up and complaining she steered them wrong. Also questioned Linda at the U.S. Air baggage office. Her answer was basically the same. She did add that this is a common happening, with quite a few incidents like this a day. I asked her for an average and she said 2 or 3 times each day. Spoke with three skycaps and they informed me that many times they are hired and the luggage doesn't show up. The first question they ask is, "did you put yellow tags on your bags?" The answer was "is that what those tags are for?"

I also found out the baggage is not handled by Disney. They have hired a company to do this. The company is called Airport Bags, Inc. and has corporate headquarters in Orlando. To follow up, I e-mailed its CEO requesting an interview for the purpose of clearing up some questions about luggage and particularly like the ones you posed.

"Do you have any real answers, either way, what happens to the luggage of guests who use the yellow DME tags but don't at least check in at the DME desk? This is a real question, I tend to doubt the offical Disney answer but I have absolutely no basis for that opinion."

I was informed by the skycaps this also happens in the case of the Disney Cruise Lines. For some reason the passengers are not aware they tagged their luggage in a certain way and the luggage is taken to the ship.

I will let the boards know if I get an interview with the CEO.

 

[CleveRocks]

I also found out the baggage is not handled by Disney. They have hired a company to do this. The company is called Airport Bags, Inc. and has corporate headquarters in Orlando. To follow up, I e-mailed its CEO requesting an interview for the purpose of clearing up some questions about luggage and particularly like the ones you posed.

Edd,

Thanks for looking into all this (regardless of your motivation to do so), as facts are always important to have. I'm eager to learn if you're successful.

And for the record, we've known about BAGS Inc. since before DME launched. It's never been a secret. In fact, in many of my posts over the past year or so I've mentioned what I've usually called "Disney subcontractors" pulling the bags behind the scenes and transporting them to the resorts because I didn't want to get bogged down with explaining all the little minutiae.

Disney also subcontracts out the driving (Mears), the computer technology (I forgot the name), the operation of the Resort Airline Check-In desks (I forgot the name) and the printing and mailing of the DME information packets (I never knew the name).

 

[Lewisc]

If anyone is interested the website for BAGS, Inc is

http://www.airportbags.com/

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

I'm not sure why Edd keeps arguing the point that guests' yellow-tagged bags are sent to their resort even if they don't ride the DME motorcoach.

There are two possibilities:

• Disney has a foolproof method to discourage guests from abusing the system.
• Disney doesn't have a foolproof method to discourage guests from abusing the system.

In either case, Disney's Magical Express does not allow inbound luggage-only service. And, in either case, Disney knows when a guest did not check in at the DME Welcome Center and did not have the transportation voucher scanned when entering the motorcoach.

Edd can keep advocating that guests should abuse the system, but that just reflects badly on Edd.