Well, just got home yesterday and had another great trip, but not without some heartache this time.Just wanted to add my ME experience for those that are interested.
The Good- I arrived May 09 and returned home May 23. This was a solo trip for me, but I had a friend joining me for part of the time. I was in the group of people who had signed up for ME well in advance but did not receive the tags as expected. I made a few calls before I left for info and was told my tags would come and then no, not to expect them but disney would pick up my bags and not to worry about them, that they had been handling them without problem for the cruiseline for years. So when I arrived at MCO I was a little nervous about my luggage but found the Welcome Center without a problem and they assured me, even without the tags that they would collect my luggage. I was splitting my stay between POFQ and CSR. They had my info in backwards, that I was going to CSR first when in fact I was going to POFQ first. It took the CM about 10 min on the phone to someone to correct this. I again asked, since I knew by then my luggage would be on the carousal if I shouldn't go get my luggage myself, but once again was assured they would collect it. So off I went in line for my bus...and I walked right on just as it was preparing to leave
I arrived at MCO at 3:00. My bus stopped at SSR then OKW then we arrived at POFQ. I was checked into my room at 4:30
Since I went off to Epcot right away I don't know when my luggage arrived but it was in my room upon my return at 10:00.
On the return trip I was leaving from CSR. I never received a ticket or voucher as promised the day before, so asked at bell services the night before my departure. They got one for me and told me my bus would leave at 7:00 for my flight at 10:00. I asked to be picked up in my room that morning as I needed help with my luggage. They booked a time at 6:40 and were there right on time. My bus left right at 7:00, stopped at PC and was at MCO at 7:50. Everything worked like clockwork. I would be praising this new service except for the UGLY:
The Ugly-My friend arrived on May 12. I was a little nervous for her as she hadn't stayed on property before. I called before her arrival to be sure they had changed the wrong info they had when I had arrived and that they would know she was 1st coming to POFQ. They had in fact NOT corrected it when I had arrived and still had it as if she was going to CSR first, so another 10 minutes on the phone but they got all the right info into their system, I think
So she arrived at POFQ at about 2:30 from a 1:00 flight. We toured around and went out for dinner and back to the room at about 8:30. To our surprise, her luggage was not there
We went down to the ME luggage area and they asked us why were just reporting it then??? Well, we were told it could be 3 hours so were we expected to stay in our room waiting??? They could not find it so we were told to go buy the bare essentials for the next day. To make a very long story a little shorter, she went home 7 days later and they never found her luggage. They did take us shopping 2 days later to a mall so she could get some clothes, swimsuit, etc. Each manager we spoke to (there were numerous as we stayed at two resorts) was very nice, but nothing happened and they never informed the next manager to our situation as promised. They did reimburse her for her purchases, but seemed to want to blame the airlines. When we asked if the airlines lost the luggage why no one from ME reported that her luggage wasn't there to be picked up, they couldn't explain, and admitted they had not followed through appropriately. I can't tell you how many disney employees (although no one in management) referred to the magical express as "tragical" express and admitted to us that many luggage had been lost and much money was paid out because of this.
So...based on my experience I would be raving about this new service...but I have seen the other side too
I am returning to wdw in Oct and really don't know if I will be able to trust them again. Hoping I read lots of good reviews between now and then.
Kathe
The Good- I arrived May 09 and returned home May 23. This was a solo trip for me, but I had a friend joining me for part of the time. I was in the group of people who had signed up for ME well in advance but did not receive the tags as expected. I made a few calls before I left for info and was told my tags would come and then no, not to expect them but disney would pick up my bags and not to worry about them, that they had been handling them without problem for the cruiseline for years. So when I arrived at MCO I was a little nervous about my luggage but found the Welcome Center without a problem and they assured me, even without the tags that they would collect my luggage. I was splitting my stay between POFQ and CSR. They had my info in backwards, that I was going to CSR first when in fact I was going to POFQ first. It took the CM about 10 min on the phone to someone to correct this. I again asked, since I knew by then my luggage would be on the carousal if I shouldn't go get my luggage myself, but once again was assured they would collect it. So off I went in line for my bus...and I walked right on just as it was preparing to leave


On the return trip I was leaving from CSR. I never received a ticket or voucher as promised the day before, so asked at bell services the night before my departure. They got one for me and told me my bus would leave at 7:00 for my flight at 10:00. I asked to be picked up in my room that morning as I needed help with my luggage. They booked a time at 6:40 and were there right on time. My bus left right at 7:00, stopped at PC and was at MCO at 7:50. Everything worked like clockwork. I would be praising this new service except for the UGLY:
The Ugly-My friend arrived on May 12. I was a little nervous for her as she hadn't stayed on property before. I called before her arrival to be sure they had changed the wrong info they had when I had arrived and that they would know she was 1st coming to POFQ. They had in fact NOT corrected it when I had arrived and still had it as if she was going to CSR first, so another 10 minutes on the phone but they got all the right info into their system, I think


So...based on my experience I would be raving about this new service...but I have seen the other side too

Kathe