New Security Restrictions/Magical Express

[shellbelle1971]

Just wondering whether the new security restrictions will make you more likely to use DME? I know that DH has changed his mind for our next trip and now wants to check his bag. (Although he still won't ride the bus--he'll go straight from the airport to pick up the rental car, while I take ME to the resort with all the kids.)

 

[kathleena]

I voted No, but not really sure if that is what your survey is asking.

No because I don't use DME because of airline security. I use it because of the cost savings and convenience. So any changes with airline security will have no effect on my use of DME one way or the other.

 

[theblackbird]

we're just going to drive instead.

 

[bobbiwoz]

We plan to use ME on Sunday, but I think we'll get our bags off the carousel. There will be things that have been checked, like sunscreen, that we would have just been carrying on before this.

Bobbi

 

[RobDoc]

We've used ME 8 times now and , until this week, have always just had carry-on bags. We flew to MCO on Thursday when the new rules went into effect - so I bought a small duffel to carry our shampoo, toothpaste, lotions, etc and it was delivered right to our room by ME. The luggage didn't arrive for 7 hours- but that was NOT the fault of ME- it was due to storms in Atlanta that delayed flights for hours and caused us to miss a connection and take a later flight. We arrived at the GF at 5:30am on Friday instead of our original midnight arrival- luggage (just the small duffel) was delivered after noon on Friday.

We returned this afternoon and used the same duffel for the stuff no longer allowed in carry-ons. It is certainly an inconvenience to have to wait thru a line to check the bag and then wait for the carousel at arrival- but it appears we'll be having travel inconveniences into the future.

On a side-note- MCO now has a security service where they will expedite clearing security. It will be expanded to other airports in the coming months. Looks like it's about $80 per person/per year to belong. You can check out the details at www.flyclear.com . MCO is presently the only airport offering this program. Looks like it's a FastPass/FOTL type of program.

 

[JimC]

...On a side-note- MCO now has a security service where they will expedite clearing security. It will be expanded to other airports in the coming months. Looks like it's about $80 per person/per year to belong. You can check out the details at www.flyclear.com . MCO is presently the only airport offering this program. Looks like it's a FastPass/FOTL type of program.

It is particularly useful since MCO has done away with the priority lanes for preferred status flyers. You must submit to full fingerprinting, eye scans and a background check. It is a great program so far. But it would be better if: 1) you could forgo the removal of laptops, shoes and the like; and 2) if it was accepted at all airports.

I did not vote in the poll because now I am a local and drive

 

[shellbelle1971]

Doc,
I love the flyclear idea...but for $80 per person, I'd have to fork over $640 for our family...so I guess that makes our hourly rate for standing in line look more reasonable.

 

[crisi]

We plan to use ME on Sunday, but I think we'll get our bags off the carousel. There will be things that have been checked, like sunscreen, that we would have just been carrying on before this.

Bobbi

What about sending a small box to be there on arrival? I can't think of much we need that first few hours - sunscreen and swimsuits.

Honestly, we'll probably buy sunscreen at the resort - yeah, its expensive, but when we look at $ per hour, the kids would much rather be in the pool for an hour than waiting for luggage.

MCOs luggage is so efficient however, that picking up your former carryon - and letting the rest go with the ME handlers - might be an option as well.

 

[shellbelle1971]

MCOs luggage is so efficient however, that picking up your former carryon - and letting the rest go with the ME handlers - might be an option as well.

This has not been our experience at MCO at all! Every time anyone from our family has been through MCO either direction the last year (and DH flies A LOT) bags have been lost. We're very much hoping to have a more reliable experience with Magical Express.

On the other hand, maybe DH is just some kind of MCO-bad-luck charm. I haven't had any luggage problems on the rare occasions that I've flown in/out of there without him!

 

[NMW]

We have never used ME and don't plan to. We have a pretty good relationship with a limo driver that we use every trip. It's really so nice seeing him standing there with that sign with our name on it. He helps us get our checked bags off and has a luggage cart waiting.

I guess the only thing that will effect us is that we will put all lotions, gels, etc. in one of our checked bags. We ALWAYS have several checked bags. DH and I do take the small easy to wheel suitcases on the plane with us, but they just have our clothes. We may even check them this trip. We each carry the small bag that goes with our luggage sets and we put cell phones, tickets, any medicine, my make-up...stuff like that. I guess some of that will have to go in checked bags now-not a big deal. Each of my kids has a back-pack with stuff for them to do on the plane-books, game boys, ipods. I'm not sure if we can still take eletronic devices on-we will check before we go. My sons may have to *gasp* read the entire 2 1/2 hour flight.

We usually check 3 large suitcases. The two real big ones with our luggage sets and another large one. I don't know how people travel with 3 kids without checking bags! The first time we went to Disney with our youngest DD she was under 2 and we had 7 or 8 checked bags, a stroller, and a bunch of carry-ons. When the limo pulled up at the BC, the bell-hop had to get 2 luggage carts-thank God our room was ready!

We arrive early, try to check-in, and then go straight to an early lunch at ESPN (my DS's favorite). After lunch we go into Epcot for the rest of the day. So, we don't need bathing suits. I suppose if we need sunscreen (I have never gone in Oct-only Dec and March-Oct may be hotter/sunnier ) we can always buy at on the boardwalk or in Epcot. I know we will have our checked bags with us, but I wouldn't want to waste time digging through them for sunscreen while the bellhop was waiting to store them.

One of my neighbors is leaving for Disney next week and she said she plans to sunscreen her kids at the airport before security screening and then throw it out. She plans to just buy new sunscreen when she gets to the POLY. I told her I think her kids would be fine with out sunscreen until then, but she is a little bit fanatic about it! Plus, we are only like an hour from the airport...I don't see why she can't do it at home! I think people panic too much about these things.

I think Crisi's idea of sending a box UPS or FEDEX there is a good idea for people worried about ME. I also think she's right about how fast the luggage comes out. I'm sure you could grab your smaller bags and take them on ME with you.

 

[crisi]

This has not been our experience at MCO at all! Every time anyone from our family has been through MCO either direction the last year (and DH flies A LOT) bags have been lost. We're very much hoping to have a more reliable experience with Magical Express.

On the other hand, maybe DH is just some kind of MCO-bad-luck charm. I haven't had any luggage problems on the rare occasions that I've flown in/out of there without him!

Wow. Everytime I fly into MCO, by the time we get to the luggage carrosel, the bags have started coming through. This compares with a 45 minute wait at 11pm before I saw bags at Logan and an hour wait in SLC. Maybe we are lucky - or maybe Northwest has better handlers at MCO than they do anywhere else.

 

[NMW]

Our bags have always been spinning around by the time we've gotten there at MCO. We've never had stuff lost and as I've said, we check a lot of bags!

In contrast to our MCo experience, we've waited 30-45 mins every time for our bags at either JFK or Newark. We've flown Delta, Song, Continental, Jet Blue-it didn't matter. We still waited.

 

[shellbelle1971]

Wow. Everytime I fly into MCO, by the time we get to the luggage carrosel, the bags have started coming through. This compares with a 45 minute wait at 11pm before I saw bags at Logan and an hour wait in SLC. Maybe we are lucky - or maybe Northwest has better handlers at MCO than they do anywhere else.

That sounds reasonable to me. We're always on Delta. For us the problem hasn't been a long wait for bags to start coming off the carousel, though. It's been that our stuff just never arrived (until the next day.)

 

[shellbelle1971]

I don't know how people travel with 3 kids without checking bags! The first time we went to Disney with our youngest DD she was under 2 and we had 7 or 8 checked bags, a stroller, and a bunch of carry-ons. When the limo pulled up at the BC, the bell-hop had to get 2 luggage carts-thank God our room was ready!

The big advantage to having six kids? Built in slaves! They save us so much time and $

Seriously, we don't check bags if we can possibly avoid it! And we can often avoid it this way:...6 kids, (5 ticketed, 1 lap child) + 2 adults=7 carry-ons, 1 laptop computer bag, 1 diaper backpack + 4 more childrens' backpacks. DS13 can pull 2 rolling bags plus wear diaper backpack if a younger child is having trouble. Everyone ages 3 and up pulls their own. Gate check double stroller w/ infant carseat.

Rely on DVC washer/dryer in unit so children don't need many changes of clothing. Because we're using DVC kitchen facilities anyway, we'll be stopping at store anyway, so adding a few "space-consuming" items at that stop (full week's worth of diapers, cheapie pool toys, etc.) is not difficult.

Coming home we tend to check bags more often because we've added souveirs, new clothes, etc. So we have more bags. (We take a few empty duffels in our carry ons on the way out in anticipation of having more "stuff" of our way home.)

Like everything Disney, it's all about having a good plan in advance!

 

[bobbiwoz]

What about sending a small box to be there on arrival? I can't think of much we need that first few hours - sunscreen and swimsuits.

Honestly, we'll probably buy sunscreen at the resort - yeah, its expensive, but when we look at $ per hour, the kids would much rather be in the pool for an hour than waiting for luggage.
...

We are doing this. Just heading out to the bus. As it is, we will have 3 car seats and at least one stroller, and a carryon with books. We just want to get to VWL!!

 

[Parker1028]

I checked out this past weekend and used the Airline & Baggage check in at SSR. Flawless. I didn't have to lug my stuff around all day and to the airport as I waited for my late afternoon flight and everything arrived in NY as I did.

Also SSR left a note in our room on consecutive days before leaving giving us a daily update of the airline situation and what to expect at the airport.

I was impressed by that.

jp

 

[mbhoxsie]

We were down at OKW when the new rules took effect...

After finding everything out, we checked just about everything with ME... The only things we carried on for the return trip was wet bathing suits and valuables....

There were two things that did affect us though.
1) We checked our bags at 10:00am and our ride didn't arrive until 14:50.. The original plan was for all of us to swim and then clean up before the flight home... Once DW found out that she'd have to throw away her hair spray, gel, etc., she decided to sit out...

2) From what we had heard on the news, everyone was recommending to get to the airport 3-4 hours ahead of time... ME was only originally getting us there 2 hrs ahead... We had the front desk call ahead, and we bumped up our pickup time by 2 hrs so that we were there 4 hours ahead of time... (Not that we needed it... Lines were short, and our flight was late..)

 

[tomchris]

We've always had carry on luggage and would then rent a car at the airport.
In September we'll check-in the luggage and take ME to BWV. We made
arrangements to rent the car at the Swan/Dolphin this time around.
Tom and Chris