Need some DME advice

[Horizons16]

Hi Everyone,


We are doing the one week dance but I have a reservation regarding DME.

We are flying Boston to Orlando through Baltimore and won't be getting in to Orlando until 7:30 or so. Originally I had planned to yellow tag my bags and have them go straight through to our room. I am starting to second guess myself because of the late hour.

If YOU we're getting into MCO at 7:30 at night would you yellow tag your bags or just get them from the airport yourself and be done with it?

Thanks.

 

[goofy4tink]

This is a hard one for me. I love not having to worry about my bags. It's the best part of DME for me. BUT...if I had a flight that arrived at 7:30pm, that would mean I wouldn't be getting to my resort until close to 9pm. And that could mean that my bags might not be in my room until close to midnight!! Sure, they could come sooner, and probably would. But, I want to get settled, and get to bed!
So, if I were to arrive at any time after 6pm? I think I would be getting my own bags. Just easier in the long run. BUT...you do need to be prepared to tip people. The bus driver is going to be looking for a tip for baggage handling, as will Bell Services if they help you with your bags.

 

[sadossey]

Probably depends on your kid situation. If you have little ones and need stuff from your luggage for bedtime you might want to get it yourself. Last year we got to MCO about 7 pm and we did not get our luggage til nearly 11:00. I think the guideline is to give them at least 3 hrs from arrival to get it to your room. If you can pack bedtime stuff in a carry on I think you can ask them to hold your luggage til the next morning.

 

[kate2961]

Yes, I agree. When you check-in you can just ask the front desk to have your luggage held that first night. That way DME still handles your bags and you get to go to bed and not worry.

Just need to make sure you have an overnight bag with you.

Hope you have a magical vacation!

Kate

 

[maxiesmom]

If YOU we're getting into MCO at 7:30 at night would you yellow tag your bags or just get them from the airport yourself and be done with it?

Thanks.

I would pack what I need for 24 hours in my carry-on, and let DME handle the checked bags. To me, that is the best part of DME--not having to stop and get my luggage.

 

[debster812]

What we've done in the past with evening arrivals is this:

Use the yellow DME tags, and let them handle our bags.
When we get to our resort, ask at checkin that our bags be held until morning
When we get to our room call Bell Services/Luggage Assistance, and ask that our bags be held until morning
Put the Do Not Disturb/Privacy Please card in the key slot.

We have our carryons which have what we need for our 1st night, and 1st day. When we are up and ready for breakfast, we call and ask for our bags to be delivered.

 

[DisneyMagic3]

Our flight is arriving at like 630 I think and we chose to grab our own bags. We want to sit and chill after being on planes since 7am. Open a drink, change out of our travelling clothes and not worry about when the luggage will show up so we can do all our bedtime routines properly. I don't want to add that type stuff to our carryons. It's enough to have to bring 1 pair of extra clothes just in case of lost luggage. Now if we were arriving earlier and had the option to sit at the pool or head to a park we'd likely let them bring the bags to us as it wouldn't be as important to have them right away.

 

[sam_gordon]

Probably depends on your kid situation. If you have little ones and need stuff from your luggage for bedtime you might want to get it yourself. Last year we got to MCO about 7 pm and we did not get our luggage til nearly 11:00. I think the guideline is to give them at least 3 hrs from arrival to get it to your room. If you can pack bedtime stuff in a carry on I think you can ask them to hold your luggage til the next morning.

I think the guideline is 3 hours from check in at your resort, NOT 3 hours from airplane arrival.

Our flight is arriving at like 630 I think and we chose to grab our own bags. We want to sit and chill after being on planes since 7am. Open a drink, change out of our travelling clothes and not worry about when the luggage will show up so we can do all our bedtime routines properly. I don't want to add that type stuff to our carryons. It's enough to have to bring 1 pair of extra clothes just in case of lost luggage. Now if we were arriving earlier and had the option to sit at the pool or head to a park we'd likely let them bring the bags to us as it wouldn't be as important to have them right away.

Why do you assume the AIRLINE won't "misdirect"/"lose" your bag? IMO, that's exactly what a carryon is for. I bring a small roller suitcase with clothes/meds that I need for 24 hours, and a backpack that has my electronics (camera, Kindle, laptop, book, etc). The backpack goes under the seat.

 

[DisneyMagic3]

Why do you assume the AIRLINE won't "misdirect"/"lose" your bag? IMO, that's exactly what a carryon is for. I bring a small roller suitcase with clothes/meds that I need for 24 hours, and a backpack that has my electronics (camera, Kindle, laptop, book, etc). The backpack goes under the seat.

I don't assume that they won't lose it. But I'm taking the chance of mixing our luggage with the assumption that they won't lose all 3 of our bags. It's our first major vacation anywhere, with a layover and a 6 year old. I don't want to lug heavy carryon through the unfamiliar airports that has extra stuff when I feel I've taken other precautions with our checked luggage. I'm not saying DME will lose the luggage, I trust them more than the airline haha, it's the delay in getting it that I can/want to avoid with an arrival time that late.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I don't want to lug heavy carryon through the unfamiliar airports that has extra stuff when I feel I've taken other precautions with our checked luggage.

"What's needed for the first 24 hours at one's destination" doesn't require heavy carry-ons (unless the luggage itself is heavy. You could probably even get those necessities for all three people in one regulation carry-on.

When Magical Express handle the inbound luggage, Disney takes care of a tipping. It's customary to tip anyone who handles your luggage.

 

[Lewisc]

What airline? Southwest baggage claim and DME are at opposite corners of MCO. I'd let Disney get my bags. My answer might be different, probably not, if my baggage claim was just above DME.

 

[Horizons16]

We are flying AirTran with no children.

 

[ilovevacation]

My husband and i were there in October. We took the dme after or plane was delayed, etc... We got to our room by 9pm and our luggage didn't show by one am. We were trying to patient and allow the time window they recommend, which brought us to one. I called the bell desk and they told me it was delivered and the guys had gone home for the night. After much to do our luggage was found in another room. After getting up a 4am for work that morning and trying to track our baggage down in cbr, we said we will always take our own bags, way easier.

 

[Lewisc]

I just noted the OP is going BOS-BWI-MCO. Connecting flight? I'd definitely use the yellow tags.

Bags might misconnect. Why waste 45 minutes waiting for all the bags to appear on the carousel then wait on line to file preliminary lost bag report. OR

Bags could wind up on an earlier flight and get to MCO before you. You wait for all the bags to appear on the carousel, wait in line and find out your bag is in the unclaimed luggage office.

Exception--Your checked bags have something you'll need first thing in the morning and can't be carried on the plane. Golf clubs for example.

 

[Horizons16]

My husband and i were there in October. We took the dme after or plane was delayed, etc... We got to our room by 9pm and our luggage didn't show by one am. We were trying to patient and allow the time window they recommend, which brought us to one. I called the bell desk and they told me it was delivered and the guys had gone home for the night. After much to do our luggage was found in another room. After getting up a 4am for work that morning and trying to track our baggage down in cbr, we said we will always take our own bags, way easier.

But are these stories typical or was it just bad luck?

 

[Horizons16]

I just noted the OP is going BOS-BWI-MCO. Connecting flight? I'd definitely use the yellow tags.

Bags might misconnect. Why waste 45 minutes waiting for all the bags to appear on the carousel then wait on line to file preliminary lost bag report. OR

Bags could wind up on an earlier flight and get to MCO before you. You wait for all the bags to appear on the carousel, wait in line and find out your bag is in the unclaimed luggage office.

Exception--Your checked bags have something you'll need first thing in the morning and can't be carried on the plane. Golf clubs for example.

Good point on the earlier. We have 3 or so hours so I suppose that would be likely.

 

[goofy4tink]

But are these stories typical or was it just bad luck?

It is not typical. I'm going to assume that that particular poster was staying in a value resort. The other resorts don't shut down their Bell Services or Luggage Assistence. The values do. And yes, mistakes happen. And if you are the person it happens to, you're going to think it's a pretty miserable experience!

You said you're flying Airtran. I'm going to assume that Airtran is arriving on the same side (Side A) as SW. If that's the case, you are arriving on level 3 of Side A. If you choose to get your bags and bring them to the DME bus with you, when you get to the main terminal, you are going to have to go down to level 2 of Side A, get your bags, return to level 3 of Side A, cross the terminal to Side B, and then go down to level 1, ground transportation and DME. It's not an awful thing, but it does add time to your method. Figure on it adding about 15 mins, just to get down to level 2 and then back up to level 3 after getting the bags.

 

[Lewisc]

Good point on the earlier. We have 3 or so hours so I suppose that would be likely.

Yellow tagged bags which arrive on an earlier flight might be waiting for you in your hotel room.

 

[goofy4tink]

Yellow tagged bags which arrive on an earlier flight might be waiting for you in your hotel room.

But, they shouldn't be! Disney tells us that we are not allowed to have anything 'put' in our rooms until we have actually checked in, at the resort, and taken possession of the room keys. That the room assigned to begin with, may not, in all actuality, be the same room we end up in!
One would have to wonder that if, in fact, Disney is allowing bags to go into rooms that 'may' be assigned to a particular guest, that is how a previous poster had their bags delivered to the wrong room!!
And if they are going to allow for bags to go into a specific room, prior to guest checkin, why the heck can't a guest request a surprise gift to be left in the room for their child??

 

[Lewisc]

But, they shouldn't be! Disney tells us that we are not allowed to have anything 'put' in our rooms until we have actually checked in, at the resort, and taken possession of the room keys. That the room assigned to begin with, may not, in all actuality, be the same room we end up in!
One would have to wonder that if, in fact, Disney is allowing bags to go into rooms that 'may' be assigned to a particular guest, that is how a previous poster had their bags delivered to the wrong room!!
And if they are going to allow for bags to go into a specific room, prior to guest checkin, why the heck can't a guest request a surprise gift to be left in the room for their child??

It's been said rooms get assigned when you check in at the DME desk at MCO. Not sure if that's still true since we no longer check in at the DME desk. Posters have reported bags beating them to their room. I guess it's possible the bags don't get delivered until you check in. Take a minute to go to the bathroom, look in the gift shop, double check your ADRs ....and your bags could still get to your room before you.