Night before Thanksgiving arrival - DME ?

[tinkerbell60]

We are scheduled to arrive around 10:20pm on Nov 21, the night before Thanksgiving. Would you recommend picking up our own luggage from baggage claim or leaving it with Magical Express? I wonder since that is such a busy travel day, but that late at night might make a difference.

 

[tinkerbell60]

Any thoughts?

 

[goofy4tink]

It all depends on what you have packed in your carryon. If you have everything you are going to need for the night, and first thing in the morning, I say let DME take the luggage. Because it is such a busy travel day you may actually find that DME is pretty quick. They will have more buses on, more frequent luggage trucks to the resorts.
If you arrive, on-time, at 10:20, you should be at your resort, checking in, by midnight at the latest..probably more like 11:30. If you need that checked luggage, then by all means, pick it up yourself. But I have to tell you...that's the thing I love most about DME...no lugging luggage around. In fact, a friend has offered to drop me at my resort next month, rather than taking DME...but I'm sticking with DME. I just love it.

 

[prncess674]

Definitely pack a carry on with toiletries, sleep clothing and park outfits for the next morning. Thankgiving is a huge travel day and luggage can be delayed. No sense in waiting at a crowded airport for luggage when you can let Mickey do it for you. Have bell services deliver your bags in the morning and get a good night's sleep.

 

[CarolA]

Actually the day gets worse as it goes on....

A couple of things happen.

One the afternoon, evening flights are actually more popular since folks can work part of Wed.

Two, if the AM flights were overbooked it just keeps pushing. If there is bad weather anyplace in the US ALL bets are off.

Three, it's LOTS of leisure travelers. AKA as LOTS of luggage. Far fewer one small bag folks and lots more "I packed everything I own" which slows down baggage handling.

For that reason I would probably just try to pack the first 24 hours in a carryon and let Disney deal with the luggage! Everything tends to back up on a busy day and baggage handling is no exception. EVENTUALLY it will come off, but eventually is the key word.

 

[tinkerbell60]

Thank - we have decided to let ME take care of the bags and we will pack a carryon for the night. It really does make more sense!

 

[Traveliz]

Well I would pick up my luggage - we arrived at 11 on Halloween and by the time we got downstairs and out of the restroom the carousel was starting to turn...grabbed our bags and went to ME.

Had we waited it would have been late late or even the next morning before we got all of our thing.

I know the "cutoff" time according to ME is 11 for taking bags -- they recommend arrivals after that time take their own and it worked out really well for us.

That way we were able to get up and moving the next morning without waiting on luggage.

Liz

 

[goofy4tink]

For that reason I would probably just try to pack the first 24 hours in a carryon and let Disney deal with the luggage! Everything tends to back up on a busy day and baggage handling is no exception. EVENTUALLY it will come off, but eventually is the key word.

Man, I hate that word...eventually!!!! You are so right!!

Well I would pick up my luggage - we arrived at 11 on Halloween and by the time we got downstairs and out of the restroom the carousel was starting to turn...grabbed our bags and went to ME.

Had we waited it would have been late late or even the next morning before we got all of our thing.

I know the "cutoff" time according to ME is 11 for taking bags -- they recommend arrivals after that time take their own and it worked out really well for us.

That way we were able to get up and moving the next morning without waiting on luggage.

Liz

You have been lucky. I have yet to get my baggage at MCO in less than 15 mins. One time, it took 25 mins....it was awful just standing there, waiting. No bags were coming out, my dh was just heading to the office, when we heard a bang, and out came about 15 bags....out of 5 bags, we had to wait for almost 30 mins for just one bag!!!
Last Dec, we were not able to use DME, so had to head to baggage claim for our bags....mine came out in about 15 mins, my friend's bags came out about the same time, but the third girl had to wait another 15 mins for her last bag to come out. Nope, I'm not getting my own bags. There's nothing in them that I have to have in order to start my vacation.
Now, if I were coming in after 10:00 pm, I just might go off and get the bags myself. I like to get settled before going to bed. But that would be about the only time I wouldn't tag my bags with those yellow tags and let DME take care of delivery.

 

[Traveliz]

Man, I hate that word...eventually!!!! You are so right!!


You have been lucky. I have yet to get my baggage at MCO in less than 15 mins. One time, it took 25 mins....it was awful just standing there, waiting. No bags were coming out, my dh was just heading to the office, when we heard a bang, and out came about 15 bags....out of 5 bags, we had to wait for almost 30 mins for just one bag!!!
Last Dec, we were not able to use DME, so had to head to baggage claim for our bags....mine came out in about 15 mins, my friend's bags came out about the same time, but the third girl had to wait another 15 mins for her last bag to come out. Nope, I'm not getting my own bags. There's nothing in them that I have to have in order to start my vacation.
Now, if I were coming in after 10:00 pm, I just might go off and get the bags myself. I like to get settled before going to bed. But that would be about the only time I wouldn't tag my bags with those yellow tags and let DME take care of delivery.

I have had longer waits but generally done pretty well - -but I would still advise coming in after ten at night to take the time to get the baggage then -- earlier - is different.

Although my husband flew in separately from me in Sept and arrived at 8:30 and when we got back from dinner at 1 AM still no bags and he was having to call around for them...not good.

Liz

 

[CarolA]

I waited 50 minutes one time at MCO for luggage.

The basic drill in a lot of cases is the same crew may load and unload......

So, the pressure is on to GET the plane OUT on time since that's what airlines have to report. So your luggage gets off loaded, they load the plane again and THEN they get around to getting luggage to you.

Now if it's real busy or a major airport that may not happen, but IMHO often in the late flights the airline has just kept ONE crew on hand.. So they wait to bring your luggage until the outgoing flight is dealt with.