Using bell services to store luggage prior DME

[Susiesnowflake]

Some bell service questions.... I've never had to use them before. However, I will need to store my luggage after check-out until my DME departure. Do I call from my room and they pick my luggage up or do I take it to them? And how long will it take me to later retrieve my luggage. Do I set up a time to pick it up later in the day?

Thanks for any help.

 

[klinlin]

You can call them to come pick it up before you check out and they will store it for you until it is time for your bus. It is a very simple process, because they give you luggage tags and a time to get on the bus the day before you leave. Last trip, our flight was at 6pm, and we checked out in the morning, and went to the parks. Came back to WL for I'm thinking a 3:30 pick up?

 

[MessyJ]

I have always taken my luggage to bell services at check out. The first time I did this, I called the front desk to ask what the protocol was. Although the CM didn't tell me that bell services would not come to my room, she made it very clear that protocol was to bring your own luggage to the front of the hotel. The moderate hotels I have stayed in always have a desk where, if you're early enough, you can turn in your tagged luggage, and you don't have to mess with it again until you get off the plane and pick them up at the end of your trip. I don't remember if this was available in the All-Star hotels. My DW and I have never quite trusted this arrangement (seems like theirs lots of opportunities to lose our baggage this way), so we've opted to turn our bags in to bell services, and they load it on your ME bus. Then you can pick them up when you get to the airport and check them yourself. There is also usually a REALLY long line to check your bags at the hotel, and you STILL have to leave your carry-on items with bell services unless you want to tote them around WDW for the rest of the day.

You can probably get bell services to come to your room if that is important to you, though you may have to verge on raising a (polite) stink. Stop by your resort's concierge near the beginning of your trip. If it can happen, they will make it happen for you.

 

[goofy4tink]

Every resort has the ability to take your luggage and print out boarding passes as long as the guest if flying out on a 'participating airline'. If you are not flying on one of those airlines, then you can leave your luggage with bell services. Now....how does it get to bell services?? Depends on what level resort you are at. If at a deluxe, just call down to bell services and they will ask what time you want the bags picked up. If at a moderate, you can call them and they will come get them but not quite as often. At a value, it's much easier to just take your bags to bell services. You can have them pick the bags up but if you are in a time crunch it may take too long. Even at the moderates I take my own bags down to them.

If you are able to checkin with your airline, and get your luggage tagged and taken right at the resort, be sure to realize that you can't wait until the last minute. You have to do it about 4 hrs before flight departure. I like to do it first thing in the morning and then I leave my carryon with bell services until I am ready to leave for the airport.

 

[klinlin]

I guess I should have asked what type of resort you are staying at. We fly SW, and they are not a participating airline, but I still found it easy. WL was happy to print out the boarding passes for me the night before. We stored all of our luggage that day, and we took it off the bus ourselves to check it in. It is kind of depressing waiting for ME to pick you up, but that was the worst part!

 

[Susiesnowflake]

Thanks, everyone! I am staying at the Poly and flying SWA, so I realize I will not have the option to do RAC with my luggage. Will bell services still load my luggage on the DME bus or will I have to retrieve it myself? I have no problem doing that, as I will want my carryon with me. I was just wondering how soon before my DME pick-up should I retrieve my luggage and carryon.

 

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

If you're going to have them come pick up your bags in your room, call them early and set up a time. We waited until everything was packed and we were ready to leave before we called. They told us they wouldn't have a bellman available for more than an hour.

Later that afternoon when we showed up for our DME bus, it just took a few minutes for them to bring out our bags.

 

[klinlin]

Thanks, everyone! I am staying at the Poly and flying SWA, so I realize I will not have the option to do RAC with my luggage. Will bell services still load my luggage on the DME bus or will I have to retrieve it myself? I have no problem doing that, as I will want my carryon with me. I was just wondering how soon before my DME pick-up should I retrieve my luggage and carryon.

They will bring it right out to where you wait for the bus. It only takes a few minutes.

 

[Hopefully]

We were at the BWV's 2 weeks ago, We were eligble for RAC, but we also stored our carryon's with Bell Services. We brought our bags down ourselves. We just had 1 bag and 1 carryon each, so it was easier. If you do have Bell Services come pick up your bags, be sure to tip them.
After checking our bags and carryons we went to Epcot for the day. We had a 4:30 DME pickup and got back to Bell Services a bit after 4. I thought it would take awhile, but they had our bags in a flash. I wouldn't take a chance though and would always be there at least 15 minutes before pickup.
Since you will have all of your luggage, the process is for you to pick it up from Bell Services and bring it to the bus stop yourself. These are usually very near each other. The bus driver will load your luggage under the bus and retrieve it for you at the airport. We always tip the bus driver if he handles our luggage at all.
HTH.