ME for bags but other transportation to parks

[rroberts]

Hi all. Does anyone know if it is possible to use ME to get your bags to your resort but take a separate transportation right to the parks? We would have an annual pass so we wouldn't need to check in at the hotel to get a pass.

 

[AJKMOM]

Guess I was wrong. Won't be the first time. haha

 

[Jestocost]

I'm sure someone else will be sure, but I think they won't take your luggage unless they see that you have taken a bus from the airport.

No, they probably will but it's not a simple answer. See the entire giant sticky thread on this issue here.

Cliff Notes:

If I tag my bags will DME take them to my resort even if I don't ride the bus? Probably.
Does Disney want me to do this? No.
Does Disney policy allow me to do this? No.
Can Disney do anything to enforce that policy? Probably not.
What's the downside? If the airline loses or delays your luggage and you don't check-in for and ride the DME bus, DME will have no reason to know that your bags didn't make it and you will have to fix that (at a considerable waste of your time) when you finally figure it out.

 

[MinnieLovesMickey12]

When we stay on property we use DME to take our bags to the airport and then we rent a car at the airport, go make a Walmart stop then go check in to the hotel and our bags are usually already there by the time we get there about 2 hours after the plane lands.

Ppl will tell you you are not suppose to do that but they do not check to see if you took the bus before during or after getting your bags from the airport.

Then on your return take your bags to the resort RAC desk to send your bags back to the airport for you. No bag hassle coming or going.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Magical Express isn't a luggage transport service. It's a Guest transport service with the bonus of not having to claim your luggage at the airport. Do people use it to suit their personal wishes? Apparently, but the terms and conditions specifically address/prohibit that.

Best solution? Have some members of your party use Disney's Magical Express as designed (including luggage moving), while one person gets the rental car and drives to the resort.

 

[Sue M]

This makes me very uncomfortable that someone can send their luggage on DME but not actually board the bus. Airlines don't allow un-accompanied luggage on flights, for a good reason. Who knows what kind of crazies are out there I am surprised Disney security isn't tighter.

 

[momto3gr8boys]

This makes me very uncomfortable that someone can send their luggage on DME but not actually board the bus. Airlines don't allow un-accompanied luggage on flights, for a good reason. Who knows what kind of crazies are out there I am surprised Disney security isn't tighter.

The bags go on a truck...they don't actually travel with guests on the bus.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[Sue M]

The bags go on a truck...they don't actually travel with guests on the bus.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

thanks! Now that I think about it, I remember that fact I usually fly into Lauderdale first, to visit, then drive up to wdw, so only have flown into MCO twice. But I always use DME back to MCO. And your right, luggage isn't on bus unless people bring it on.

 

[bumbershoot]

The bags go on a truck...they don't actually travel with guests on the bus.

And those bags have been taken directly from the airplane (or behind the scenes of the airport) after being ON a plane after going through security at the previous airport.




OP here's the official thread from the Transportation forum about this topic, here.

Aha, I missed that part of jestocost's post. Whoopsie! : )

 

[goofy4tink]

Disney will tell you no...and that is 'the' official word. People here, on the DIS, will tell you sure, go ahead. Will anything awful happen? Probably not.
I have to wonder why Disney doesn't do something in the way of offering bags only transport, for a charge. They would clean up. It would be simple. Your bags are scanned at the airport as they go through different areas. Your voucher is scanned as you reach the bus line. These are tied to your room, supposedly. If your bags are scanned, but a voucher isn't? Disney could add a charge to your room account. Simple. Will they? Probably not.
And I for one would prefer to see people sending their bags with DME and then renting cars vs people bringing all those bags to the bus with them, and then riding the bus. That slows down the whole deal for everyone on that bus.

 

[momto3gr8boys]

Disney will tell you no...and that is 'the' official word. People here, on the DIS, will tell you sure, go ahead. Will anything awful happen? Probably not.
I have to wonder why Disney doesn't do something in the way of offering bags only transport, for a charge. They would clean up. It would be simple. Your bags are scanned at the airport as they go through different areas. Your voucher is scanned as you reach the bus line. These are tied to your room, supposedly. If your bags are scanned, but a voucher isn't? Disney could add a charge to your room account. Simple. Will they? Probably not.
And I for one would prefer to see people sending their bags with DME and then renting cars vs people bringing all those bags to the bus with them, and then riding the bus. That slows down the whole deal for everyone on that bus.

I think the main reason is that the original impetus for DME is to entice people to use the bus and not rent a car, thus making it much harder for guests to spend their money outside of the world. If they charge for a bag service, it would have to be cost effective enough to risk losing those car rental guests to eating off property, spending a day of more at other Orlando attractions, buying merchandise at the outlet stores, etc. Given that potential loss of revenue, they would have to charge a fortune to transport the bags, and I'm not sure how many people would pay a high rate for that convenience.

 

[momofkids]

Mears provides the service for ME; they are a contracted vendor for Disney. If you are having your bags transported and not riding the bus, Mears probably isn't get paid for the work. I am thinking that Mears likely gets paid per person from Disney. I would expect it is Mears that transports the baggage also. I wouldn't want to trick a hardworking company into providing a service for free. That just doesn't seem right to me.

 

[thisismyusername]

Mears provides the service for ME; they are a contracted vendor for Disney. If you are having your bags transported and not riding the bus, Mears probably isn't get paid for the work. I am thinking that Mears likely gets paid per person from Disney. I would expect it is Mears that transports the baggage also. I wouldn't want to trick a hardworking company into providing a service for free. That just doesn't seem right to me.

I doubt Mears gets paid per person.

 

[kaytieeldr]

And Mears usually isn't transporting yellow-tagged bags.

 

[goofy4tink]

Actually, Mears does get paid pp. They both know how many guests are running through MCO....Disney pays Mears, basically.
As far as who is transporting the bags? Not technically DME, but perhaps RAC? I have to imagine it's the RAC luggage trucks that are moving the bags to the resort since they move them back to the airport.

In all reality, Disney wants you to stay onsite. So yes, that is one big reason they implemented DME. If too many people start tagging bags, and allowing DME to move them (for lack of a better phrase), then go off in a rental car? They may very well change how they do things. Disney is very good at closing loopholes that take money out of their pockets! Baggage delivery is one of the best things about using DME!!! So, it's no wonder that many people find a way around getting that perk without riding the bus and taking a bit longer to get to their resort.

 

[DebbieB]

This makes me very uncomfortable that someone can send their luggage on DME but not actually board the bus. Airlines don't allow un-accompanied luggage on flights, for a good reason. Who knows what kind of crazies are out there I am surprised Disney security isn't tighter.

They don't bag match anymore on domestic, just international.

 

[rroberts]

Thanks for all the information. That link was really helpful. I read the whole thing and know more than I ever wanted to .

 

[Sue M]

They don't bag match anymore on domestic, just international.

I guess I was on an international flight, they were getting ready to take the luggage off cause passenger couldn't be located, turned out it was an elderly woman who got lost in the airport, and was located at the last minute. Meanwhile about 15 or more people on that flight now missed their connections, incl me .