No More DME Baggage Delivery To Resorts

[IndyWDWDad]

Everyone, please just wait for you accounts to be credited, reflecting the loss of services. My guess is that the RAC wasn’t handled by a 3rd party, so it’s just a service they no longer want to offer. It’s getting harder and harder to rationalize spending 10k for 5 days and only getting Kings Island amenities.

 

[zoo2tycoon]

All Disney needs to do is to tell us why its been discontinued and whether its only temporary. All the speculation and complaining would go away if they just gave us a reason. Easy.

They made a decision and announced it. They owe no explanation. Yes it would be nice if the did say why but they don’t have to justify any decisions they make.

 

[Maniacmous]

Like others, I hope this is temporary. I suspect it is a combination of staffing and expense with the sheer difficulty of managing possible COVID contamination (both to employees handling the bags and for guests whose bags will intermingle). At least if we have to manage our own bags on our own Magical Express bus, it makes COVID tracing easier (if it came to that).

 

[Matty B13]

This loss of a great service will be a real pain for large families with small kids. Makes Disney Trips less magical, and this keeps adding up to finding another place to visit for a lot less money.

 

[Bjkandma]

This may be our breaking point! As a handicap person requiring asistance, Disney has no answers to my questions. I was told once I got my luggage to Magical Express, the bus driver will load it into the bus.

When departing MCO to home airport via Magical Express, you are stranded. There isn't a means to request assistance there. Magical Express just drops you off. (Magical Expreas says it's the airlines responsibility. The airlines says Magical Express could request assistance when pulling in.). Open to any suggestions, please.

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

The bag handling was done by a third party, right? Maybe they pulled out. FL isn't doing so hot right now.

It is handled by a third party. The bus drivers work for Mears and I think the baggage service and airline check in is MCO employees. Someone can correct me if I’m wrong.

i think this is temporary. I think the volume of people who would use the service is too low to justify the expenses to run the program.

 

[zoo2tycoon]

To the people complaining about it being the breaking point- for all the years prior to the Magical Express and RAC people managed to get their luggage, get to Disney, get luggage to room on their own. This applied to people with small children, elderly and handicapped. Disney is allowed to temporarily or permanently cut a service. Yes, it is an inconvenience, yes it forces people to pay a porter at airport or bell services but in the stone ages of Disney prior to Magical Express that’s what we had to do!

Growing up every year we went we’d lug our luggage to the room (we drove). When our kids growing up and we flew we used towncar and made our boys pull bags because they were able.

It is a hardship to those with disabilities but there are other ways to get bags to airport. To say it’s a breaking point seems extreme. Disney is a company like every other that had to make changes because of COVID-19, like most places. We are being charged for things we used to get for free. It’s a new world out there even at Disney.

 

[Moliphino]

Everyone, please just wait for you accounts to be credited, reflecting the loss of services. My guess is that the RAC wasn’t handled by a 3rd party, so it’s just a service they no longer want to offer. It’s getting harder and harder to rationalize spending 10k for 5 days and only getting Kings Island amenities.

According to the FAQ on this board, RAC was run by a third party.

 

[#1eeyoregirl]

Are they currently offering the luggage service and will stop on July 16th or have they not even offered it since they opened resorts back up on the 22nd? I ask because we arrive this Saturday (July 11) and they sent us the yellow tags. Will we still be able to use in on arrival?

 

[kaytieeldr]

Everyone, please just wait for you accounts to be credited, reflecting the loss of services. My guess is that the RAC wasn’t handled by a 3rd party, so it’s just a service they no longer want to offer. It’s getting harder and harder to rationalize spending 10k for 5 days and only getting Kings Island amenities.

Sigh. RAC is identical to curbside check in at any airport in the world that offers this service, the only exception being the curb is about 20 miles from the terminal.

• Bus transportation between MCO and WDW in both directions: provided by Mears under contract with Disney.
• Luggage transport: provided by BAGS, Inc., under contract with Disney.
• Resort Airline Check In: provided and started by MCO, under contract with Disney.

To the people complaining about it being the breaking point- for all the years prior to the Magical Express and RAC people managed to get their luggage, get to Disney, get luggage to room on their own.

Excellent point! 1971-2005 no DME. 2005-2020 DME. Twenty four years, guests were on our own. Compare to 15 years with Magical Express.

 

[tobikaye]

This may be our breaking point! As a handicap person requiring asistance, Disney has no answers to my questions. I was told once I got my luggage to Magical Express, the bus driver will load it into the bus.

When departing MCO to home airport via Magical Express, you are stranded. There isn't a means to request assistance there. Magical Express just drops you off. (Magical Expreas says it's the airlines responsibility. The airlines says Magical Express could request assistance when pulling in.). Open to any suggestions, please.

How would you travel to a non-WDW location?

I travel with my sister. She uses a mobility device and has developmental disabilities. I will be honest, if needing airport assistance at MCO, we would not have used DME. We would have just used a taxi, town car or uber/lyft like we do at other airports. We figure out the best options for us based on the airport setup and transportation options.

 

[IndyWDWDad]

Sigh. RAC is identical to curbside check in at any airport in the world that offers this service, the only exception being the curb is about 20 miles from the terminal.

• Bus transportation between MCO and WDW in both directions: provided by Mears under contract with Disney.
• Luggage transport: provided by BAGS, Inc., under contract with Disney.
• Resort Airline Check In: provided and started by MCO, under contract with Disney.

Excellent point! 1971-2005 no DME. 2005-2020 DME. Twenty four years, guests were on our own. Compare to 15 years with Magical Express.

No one is going to argue that the job cannot be done nor that it has always been offered. The problem is that when a service is offered for 15 years and then removed, it decreases the convenience factor a great deal, especially for families. Yes, if I went to another vacation spot we would have to carry my luggage, but most other places aren’t charging Disney prices.

 

[zoo2tycoon]

No one is going to argue that the job cannot be done nor that it has always been offered. The problem is that when a service is offered for 15 years and then removed, it decreases the convenience factor a great deal, especially for families. Yes, if I went to another vacation spot we would have to carry my luggage, but most other places aren’t charging Disney prices.

What about all the other places that have cut services? Airlines not offering drinks or food? Airlines making you pay for a seat, to carry on a bag, dentists now making people pay a surcharge for personal protection equipment. This is a new world than it was in March - every business is hurting and making changes. Disney has to that but people think Disney is pixie dust. They have to make changes and everyone demands to know why and complains. If people don’t like the changes they can stay home or go elsewhere.

Sadly a pandemic means our previous normal has changed and the new normal changes daily!

 

[JM23457]

And coming home it was sooooo nice to just go to TSA , not stand in lines to check in.

Resort Airline Check-In is still functioning.

 

[Matty B13]

We are being charged for things we used to get for free. It’s a new world out there even at Disney.

Was it really free? Or was it all part of the premium price Disney charged guests?

It also saved Disney from having to build a lot more parking lots at their resorts, and keep most guests completely in the Disney bubble.

 

[IndyWDWDad]

What about all the other places that have cut services? Airlines not offering drinks or food? Airlines making you pay for a seat, to carry on a bag, dentists now making people pay a surcharge for personal protection equipment. This is a new world than it was in March - every business is hurting and making changes. Disney has to that but people think Disney is pixie dust. They have to make changes and everyone demands to know why and complains. If people don’t like the changes they can stay home or go elsewhere.

Sadly a pandemic means our previous normal has changed and the new normal changes daily!

Sadly, Pixie Dust vacations is what set Disney apart from everyone else. Service was the best one of the best parts of Disney. Now it seems they becoming a little less special by the day. I think it’s our right to complain about changes that don’t benefit us if there is not a explanation as to why. Checking my luggage at my departing airport and then not worrying about anything until I came back to the resort room that night? Wonderful
I get it, you have an unconditional love of Disney...I can’t fault you for that. I too have had some priceless vacations with my family there, but now things are changing in the name of safety and COVID-19, but they really are just cash grabs.

So far Southwest hasn’t cut my flight experience. If they do, I will complain on the Southwest forums.

 

[DebbieB]

Resort Airline Check-In is still functioning.

Not after 7/15. See post #10.

 

[kaytieeldr]

No one is going to argue that the job cannot be done nor that it has always been offered. The problem is that when a service is offered for 15 years and then removed, it decreases the convenience factor a great deal, especially for families. Yes, if I went to another vacation spot we would have to carry my luggage, but most other places aren’t charging Disney prices.

The service wasn't removed randomly, and there is zero indication that it's a permanent

Was it really free? Or was it all part of the premium price Disney charged guests?

First, specific to luggage handling+RAC, is and will be (when they resume) optional perks of which the value was never separated out. But the poster you quoted with respect to "free" specifically and I believe intentionally used non-Disney examples:

Airlines not offering drinks or food? Airlines making you pay for a seat, to carry on a bag, dentists now making people pay a surcharge for personal protection equipment.

It also saved Disney from having to build a lot more parking lots at their resorts, and keep most guests completely in the Disney bubble.

Where are you getting the idea that Disney (a) eliminated parking spaces that would now need to be (re)built at additional expense and/or (b) ever built a resort with insufficient parking?

 

[chris abercrombie]

They made a decision and announced it. They owe no explanation. Yes it would be nice if the did say why but they don’t have to justify any decisions they make.

Could not have said it better myself! And for all of the people that are saying that this is “their breaking point” it seems like a reality check is needed. Yes, it was cool to have our bags “Magically” appear in our rooms and or “Magically” appear back at our home city airport when we returned home. But come on people! Our wonderful Amazing Happy Place is finally opened again!!!!! And for some of us that have had to deal with a ridiculous amount of stress over the last few months picking up OUR OWN luggage to bring it to our Resort is nothing at all. I am just beyond excited (like most of you) to walk through the gates and see the castle and for one brief moment in time forget that our world has been turned upside down!!

 

[zoo2tycoon]

So far Southwest hasn’t cut my flight experience. If they do, I will complain on the Southwest forums.

From screen name are you a Hoosier? Southwest is cutting flight experiences from Indianapolis if you are. I currently have 4 flights from Indy that have been changed (to Houston, from Phoenix to Indy and to/from MCO). Of course we will cancel if things are still bad there! But I’ve had to rebook as canceled and these have been 3 months prior to flights. Also SW currently has no drink service- you get a bag of snacks and a cup of water (that was current as of 7/5 flight my son took to Indy from Houston).

Things are crazy now- flight changes, rebooking flights, rebooking cruises, rebooking or canceling Disney trips and countless other trips.

Enjoy your trip if you are going to Disney!