Question about DME

[Disneyfn420]

I am going down to Disney with 5 adults and an infant. We will be renting a car but also using DME as we won't all fit in the car with all of us, the baby stuff and our luggage. My question is, can we tag all of our checked bags with the DME yellow tags to be taken to the resort, even for the people who will be going in the car? Some of us will take the DME and some will be in the car but we want to send all of the luggage to the resort via DME. I'm just not sure if they gather the luggage based on the yellow tags alone or if it goes by who gets scanned getting onto the bus.

 

[chartle]

There is a sticky at the top of this forum that fully covers this. I'd point you there but it tough on my phone.

 

[goofy4tink]

Yes you can. As long as some of you ride the bus, it will be fine. No need to worry.

 

[seashoreCM]

Here's the link to the sticky: http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2015788

At MCO, Magical Express yellow tagged bags are summarily removed to the resorts unsynchronized with guest movements.

 

[Disneyfn420]

Thanks so much. I looked for a sticky about this and must have missed it...lol

Here's the link to the sticky: http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2015788

At MCO, Magical Express yellow tagged bags are summarily removed to the resorts unsynchronized with guest movements.

 

[goofy4tink]

That thread is only partially applicable. Because some of the people in the group are traveling on the DME bus, it should be no issue. As long as there is at least one person checking in for the bus, all will be as usual.

 

[sam_gordon]

Does DME still ask at checkin how many bags they should be looking for? If so, OP, make sure whoever is riding the bus accounts for ALL bags with yellow tags.

 

[Disneyfn420]

Thanks...I'll be sure to let them know the total number of bags we have. Thanks for all of your help!

We should have 2 or 3 people taking the bus out of the 6 of us so we should be ok.

Does DME still ask at checkin how many bags they should be looking for? If so, OP, make sure whoever is riding the bus accounts for ALL bags with yellow tags.

 

[bumbershoot]

Does DME still ask at checkin how many bags they should be looking for? If so, OP, make sure whoever is riding the bus accounts for ALL bags with yellow tags.

I wasn't asked anything like that in October.

 

[goofy4tink]

I'll let you know in 12 days. Sometimes I've been asked, other times not.

 

[sam_gordon]

I wasn't asked anything like that in October.

This brings up another question though. If DME doesn't find out how many bags a guest has checked, how would they know to originate a "lost baggage claim"?

 

[bumbershoot]

I wouldn't have thought it would be their responsibility to get that ball rolling.

 

[goofy4tink]

I wouldn't have thought it would be their responsibility to get that ball rolling.

Here's the issue. Your family has 6 bags total. You tag them as instructed and expect to see them in your resort room a few hours after you checkin at the resort. So. It's about 11am when you get there, so you drop your carry on bags in your room, or with bell services, and head to a park. You return later in the day, maybe even in the evening, pooped from your day. You expect to see your bags in your room... But when you get there, you find only 5 bags! Well, it's now been hours since you left the airport. The airlines have time frames in which they will accept lost luggage reports. If DME knows how many bags to expect they will know if one isn't there, and can then start the ball rolling. But they can only do that if they know how many bags you've checked.
So now.....it's maybe 7pm, you are missing a bag, and DME is going to tell you it's the airlines issue, the airline is going to tell you that it's DMEs fault and that they weren't notified of the missing bag in a 'timely fashion'.
Someone has to take the responsibility here. If you contract with DME/Disney to get your bags and deliver them to the resort, they should be responsible for tracking any missing bags.

 

[bumbershoot]

I know the issue. But since DME isn't asking everyone, obviously our luggage becomes our responsibility. I googled and looked at one random result, and while Jet Blue says to contact them within 4 hours it doesn't go on to say "or when we find your bag we'll just sell it immediately".

DH has been on some long, connecting, flights, where a bag disappeared on the first leg. It's been far longer than 4 hours from it disappearing (known in retrospect, once they locate it and see where it went awry) when he knew it was gone. Yet each time they (Delta, the only one so far that this has happened with) got it to him within 24 hours.

If DME isn't asking the question and any given person is too nervous to deal with the possibility that they'll be calling, for example, 6 hours after the flight landed, that given person shouldn't be using a luggage delivery service. Most definitely.


The other thing I was thinking of as I posted the feeling that it's my responsibility is that it would be possible for a bag to slip through DME's tracking system (I've read they scan bags too?) and be delivered but not show as such to them. If a bag can slip through being tracked by the airline, surely DME can miss one too. So they start a lost bag claim, meanwhile the person has it. Just seems to be a better idea that the traveler is involved.


Obviously the BEST thing to happen would be for the tracking systems to become totally transparent, so we can actually follow our bags along their way. For MCO as a "host" to this company, the airlines whose paying guests use these services, and Bags/DME to become true partners instead of adversaries pointing fingers. That's the best solution.

 

[goofy4tink]

I know the issue. But since DME isn't asking everyone, obviously our luggage becomes our responsibility. I googled and looked at one random result, and while Jet Blue says to contact them within 4 hours it doesn't go on to say "or when we find your bag we'll just sell it immediately".

DH has been on some long, connecting, flights, where a bag disappeared on the first leg. It's been far longer than 4 hours from it disappearing (known in retrospect, once they locate it and see where it went awry) when he knew it was gone. Yet each time they (Delta, the only one so far that this has happened with) got it to him within 24 hours.

If DME isn't asking the question and any given person is too nervous to deal with the possibility that they'll be calling, for example, 6 hours after the flight landed, that given person shouldn't be using a luggage delivery service. Most definitely.


The other thing I was thinking of as I posted the feeling that it's my responsibility is that it would be possible for a bag to slip through DME's tracking system (I've read they scan bags too?) and be delivered but not show as such to them. If a bag can slip through being tracked by the airline, surely DME can miss one too. So they start a lost bag claim, meanwhile the person has it. Just seems to be a better idea that the traveler is involved.


Obviously the BEST thing to happen would be for the tracking systems to become totally transparent, so we can actually follow our bags along their way. For MCO as a "host" to this company, the airlines whose paying guests use these services, and Bags/DME to become true partners instead of adversaries pointing fingers. That's the best solution.

There is a huge difference between a connecting flight losing/misdirecting a bag and not having your bag in your room 7 hrs after you arrive at your WDW resort. With the misdirected bag on a connecting flight, it is quite obviously the airline's fault...so they will find it. When a bag goes 'missing' when using DME, there is usually a big issue as to who 'lost' it...Disney or the airline. No one seems to want to take the responsibility.
And I'm not sitting in my room, for hours on end, waiting to see if all my bags get there. If I have DME take control of my bags, it is their responsibility to get them to me. If they know how many bags I have brought, it is easy to track them. All they have to do is ask how many bags, and plug it into the system. Then, when they scan my bags it will show 1 of 3, 2 of 3, 3 of 3. If they get only two bags, and there are no other bags there, they will start a search with the airline.
I'm almost at the point of not tagging my bags, getting them myself, and taking them to the bus with me. The only thing stopping me is how much longer it then takes to get to resorts. All those bags now have to be off loaded and handed to the guest, and that takes time. If you have no stowed luggage, it is really annoying to sit there while the driver takes the time time to unload bags and give them to the guests.

 

[sam_gordon]

DH has been on some long, connecting, flights, where a bag disappeared on the first leg. It's been far longer than 4 hours from it disappearing (known in retrospect, once they locate it and see where it went awry) when he knew it was gone. Yet each time they (Delta, the only one so far that this has happened with) got it to him within 24 hours.

I don't think the time limit (assuming there is one) starts from when the bag goes "missing", but when luggage from your last flight is delivered to baggage claim.

Let's say you're flying JFK -> ATL (3 hour layover) -> MCO. If your bags get left on the tarmac at JFK, but you don't notice until you get to MCO, the 4 hours would be expired. I think the "clock" starts when your flight arrives at MCO, which is why it would be important for DME to file any "missing bag" claims.