Resort Airline Check-In Question

[Ms. Heimlich]

Does anyone know how the Resort Airline Check-In works?

Do we need reservations to use this service?

We are NOT using the Magical Express Service from the airport (we are renting a car), but this service sounds good to get our luggage to the airport and get our boarding passes at the resort. We are flying American, so I know we qualify.

Any help out there would be appreciated!!!

 

[CarolA]

The resort check in is open from around 6am to 2 pm. You just take your luggage to them and off it goes. I did tip since these aren't Disney employees (they have on ME uniforms, but I am pretty sure they are employed by a service that the airlines pay for this.) You must give them the luggage at least three hours in advance, but they won't take luggage a day in advance. (In other words if you have a 7 am flight you can't drop it off the day before you are just out of luck!)

 

[tam012864]

If I have a 6:40 p.m. flight...I should give my luggage to them by2 p.m. correct..what time do I have to catch the bus to get to the airport? Do they tell me a time or can I pick it myself? I wouldnt want to go before 3:30...
Thanks in advance for any help!!!

 

[brentalex]

If you use the ME, you will get a notification letter on the door to your room the day before you leave. It will tell you what time to catch the bus. I do not know how flexible they are if you don't like the time. If you have a flight in the evening and want to have them handle the luggage then you need to get it to the check in desk before they close for the day. When we were at the contemporary last month, they closed at 1, not at 2. Could be different resorts have different times. We also gave them a tip, just like we do when we check our bags at the curbside check in at the airport.

 

[CleveRocks]

If I have a 6:40 p.m. flight...I should give my luggage to them by2 p.m. correct..what time do I have to catch the bus to get to the airport? Do they tell me a time or can I pick it myself? I wouldnt want to go before 3:30...
Thanks in advance for any help!!!

The OP who will NOT be riding DME back to the airport but who is just using Resort Airline Check-In for luggage transfer does NOT need any sort of appointment or prior arrangement. Just show up with your luggage at the proper time. I thought I read the RAC desks close by 1:00 or 1:30 p.m., but I only "know" this from this board, so it'll be good for you to double-check once you get to town.

As for tam012864, since you plan to ride a DME bus back to MCO, YOU need to make a DME reservation. You will be assigned a bus time. Also, you can only check your luggage in at Resort Airline Check-In if you are flying a "participating" airline. Only a small handful of airlines participate in this resort-to-airport luggage transfer. But please don't confuse this with arrival at MCO. When you arrive at the airport at the start of your vacation, EVERYONE gets the free luggage transfer regardless of airline.

 

[yogibigdog]

We used the resort check in at the Poly last Dec. It worked really well. We just made the 3-hour cut off but our bags made it no problem. There were 11 of us 5 kids. It made it really easy dropping off the rental car and not having to drag all the bags around the airport. They gave us boarding passes so all we had to do is go through security.
The only problem was the cast member at the Poly who questioned us. We were not aware of the service (I thought it was only for ME)so we had already loaded the rental van. When I found out that we could check in my husband backed up the van to unload the luggage. Well this cast member came up and started to question us to see if we were guest. We still all had the flower lies on that they give you when you check in. Did he think we would be that calculated just to check in our luggage. He really gave us a hard time. He look liked he was either a valet or bell captain. After I explained that we had already put our luggage in the van he just walked away.
Otherwise the service was great!

 

[BCV23]

I think the hours have changed at all the resorts but I agree it is worth checking yourself at your resort. I would check with the desk itself a day or more ahead.

Anyway last week at the Y&BC/BCV, the hours were 5:30 am to 1pm. You can check in no more than 12 hours before your flight.

 

[sheryl0521]

So for an 11:00 am Delta flight - our plan is to use a towncar for transport which would be picking us up at 9:00. Would we use resort checkin at 8:00 am and then be "luggage free" for the towncar service?

The car would drop us off at our Delta terminal and we would already have our boarding passes and just go directly to the security lines?

This sounds too good to be true!

 

[goofy4tink]

So for an 11:00 am Delta flight - our plan is to use a towncar for transport which would be picking us up at 9:00. Would we use resort checkin at 8:00 am and then be "luggage free" for the towncar service?

The car would drop us off at our Delta terminal and we would already have our boarding passes and just go directly to the security lines?

This sounds too good to be true!

Yep, that's how it works. But, a few things.
I would try to get to the checkin desk before 8 am if at all possible. The lines start getting longish about that time.
As far as your pick up time with the towncar....you might want to move it up a bit. That time leaves you with 90 minutes at MCO, at the most. The security lines have been horrendous and you could find yourself in a very long line. But, if your luck is anything like mine is....I only get those long lines if I haven't allowed enough time. If I get to the airport 2 hrs beforehand, the line takes about 10 minutes!!!!

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

Just my two cents...


Resort Airline Check-In is open from 5am-1pm. Depending on the resort (like, values) lines probably can get a bit long, so plan ahead. Only one member of the airline reservation needs to be present. (Meaning, if you have multiple reservations, one person per reservation must be present)

It should be advised that if you check your bags at like, 8am for a 6pm flight, the bags could leave on an earlier flight, and make it home before you do.

You do NOT need to use DME to use the Resort Airline Check-in.

For more information, visit the Sticky post at the top of the Transportation Board.

 

[CarolA]

I agree with an earlier poster.. ARRIVE at MCO TWO hours in advance. If you get lucky and have no line then you can just get a snack or something.

If however, you get to deal with the TSA incompetence at MCO then you will be glad you got there early. (TSA seems shocked that there are lots of passengers... DUH!)

 

[BCV23]

Carol, I agree that security at MCO is a mess!

Tyler, I swear the sign at the BC said 5:30 not 5:00am.

It is good to know that all members of the party no longer have to be present for checkin although I'm surprised. On the other hand, do you need to have the ids for all adults?

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

It's not impossible that BC decides to be different... but they really should be 5am -- that's what all the global collateral says. I don't see any reason why they would be different... *shrug*

Next time I'm at BC I'll have to check.

 

[goofy4tink]

Tyler, I'm confused. Are you saying that when you go to check in, at the desk, only one person has to be there and can get everyone's boarding passes? The two times I have done this, people were turned away and told to come back with everyone in their party, just like at the airport. Said it was exactly the same proceedure as checking luggage at the airport..everyone who wanted a boarding pass had to show IDs first.
Just curious as to if maybe it had changed recently or if I was (as usual) not understanding.

 

[n2mm]

Tyler, I'm confused. Are you saying that when you go to check in, at the desk, only one person has to be there and can get everyone's boarding passes? The two times I have done this, people were turned away and told to come back with everyone in their party, just like at the airport. Said it was exactly the same proceedure as checking luggage at the airport..everyone who wanted a boarding pass had to show IDs first.
Just curious as to if maybe it had changed recently or if I was (as usual) not understanding.

I agree with googy4tink. I have used this service 3 times now. December at AKL; February at WL; and just last week at BWV. Everytime, we were ALL required to be there because in order to get your boarding passes, the rep needs to see adult IDs (and yes they asked each time). Maybe if you're just checking your luggage, but in order to get your boarding passes you must show your ID for all in your party. My daughter and family also used it in December and last week and everyone in her group had to show IDs too.

 

[brentalex]

When we used the resort check in last month, I was not asked for my ID. I was there, sort of standing away from the desk, but they only asked for my wife's drivers license. This was a good thing, because I had lost my wallet and had no license. They printed out all of our boarding passes with no problems. Had to deal with the no license thing at the airport.

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

In regards to the only one person needing be present... That's how we've been told it is at my resort. For a while, it was only for certain airlines. Then it became all airlines.

 

[Ms. Heimlich]

This sounds too good to be true!

That is EXACTLY what I thought when I first read about this service on the boards. Thanks for all the help!! These boards are so FULL of info!

Have a great trip!