What happens if you have a late flight on your last day?

[ForeverAfter]

Trying to book flights today since SW just released their flights for May. One possibility is leaving on a 10:00 pm flight. How would that work if we spent that day at the parks? We would obviously need to check out before we left, but what about our luggage? Is this a bad idea?

 

[pooh4evr]

We have either had bell services keep the luggage or used the airline bag check stand (can't remember the name) at the resort take our bags. If we do the airport one we have bell services keep our carry on bags. Then we go to DTD or a park. Just be back at the Magical Express area 15 minuted before your time. SO leaving at 10 , ME would pick you up about 7 so you would want to be back about 6:30 so leaving a park by 5:30.

 

[niffer5150]

we always checked our bags and had bell services hold onto our carry ons. it was super easy.

 

[Donald - my hero]

We left MCO at 9:40 on Saturday and the Magical Express picked us up at 5:55. We didn't go to a park on the last day since we like to have a late breakfast and then do the "monorail loop" stopping at each resort one last time. But if you wanted to rope drop you can go settle your bill late the night before and then dump your luggage at bell services the next morning. This "end-run" lets you avoid the inevitably long lines that occur in the morning.

 

[nkereina]

We have either had bell services keep the luggage or used the airline bag check stand (can't remember the name) at the resort take our bags. If we do the airport one we have bell services keep our carry on bags. Then we go to DTD or a park. Just be back at the Magical Express area 15 minuted before your time. SO leaving at 10 , ME would pick you up about 7 so you would want to be back about 6:30 so leaving a park by 5:30.

This. We're doing this exact thing next week - will check out like normal in the morning, since it's Southwest we can do Resort Airline Check-in with our bags (open 5am-1pm), and then have bell services store our carry-ons. We'll do the parks during the day and just need to be back at the resort with enough time to pick up our carry-ons from bell services. It's a good option to get an extra day in. We always book one of the later flights.

 

[ForeverAfter]

Where would got on the Magical Express, at our resort? Will they hold our checked luggage and our carry-ons?

 

[figment_jii]

DME will pick you up about 3 hours before your flight, so I would expect a pick-up time around 7:00 pm. They ask you to arrive about 15 minutes before your scheduled pick-up time and you need to allow time to collect any bags left with bell services. I would plan on being back at your resort around 6:15 pm.

DME will only pick you up at your resort (these were testing a DTD pick-up, but that has been discontinued). Bell Services can hold any carry-on bags you have and your luggage if you opt not to use RAC (or are not eligible for RAC).

In terms of checked luggage, if you're flying on a participating airline, you can use RAC (Resort Airline Check-In), which is open from 5:00 am to 1:00 pm. You have to pay your luggage fees in advance and not all flyers are eligible (some folks get flagged by TSA and have to check in at the airport), but assuming everything goes smoothly, it's a great service). Given your flight time, you'll need to drop your luggage off at RAC before heading to the theme parks.
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/resort-airline-check-in/

 

[nkereina]

Where would got on the Magical Express, at our resort? Will they hold our checked luggage and our carry-ons?

Magical Express pick up is at your resort. Bell services will store your carry-ons. You can do Resort Airline Check-in with Southwest - they take your bags and deliver them to the airport, you don't see them again until you get to your home airport. If you don't wish to do Resort Airline Check-in, bell services can store these bags as well but you'd need to bring them with you on DME (stored underneath the bus) and then to the counter at the airport to check them.

 

[Arden01]

Trying to book flights today since SW just released their flights for May. One possibility is leaving on a 10:00 pm flight. How would that work if we spent that day at the parks? We would obviously need to check out before we left, but what about our luggage? Is this a bad idea?

We had a 9:30 pm flight home in August and I loved it. We did the airline check in and left our carry on bags with bell services in the morning. We went to MK from about 9am-3pm, came back to resort for a swim and QS dinner. Around 6:30 the bus picked us up. Very easy.

 

[chelseabun76]

So us being an international flight, I don't think we can do the RAC, but we aren't flying out until 7:40pm and we were hoping to get to the park in the morning and be back at our resort by 4pm. They will still hold all of our luggage after checkout even if we don't qualify for RAC?

 

[msb578]

So us being an international flight, I don't think we can do the RAC, but we aren't flying out until 7:40pm and we were hoping to get to the park in the morning and be back at our resort by 4pm. They will still hold all of our luggage after checkout even if we don't qualify for RAC?

Yes

 

[RejoyceoverDisney]

Just did this on Saturday. We left the room by 11am. Because we had a credit card on file, we didn't even have to go to the front desk. We went over to Airline bag check, weighed our bags to check them, and then went to Luggage storage area (POFQ has this area for carry on storage....we didn't use Bell services) and checked in 3 carry on bags. Then went to Epcot for lunch, returned about 1pm to the resort, went back to luggage storage to get our two back packs, left the 3rd carry on in storage, and changed into our bathing suits to sit by the pool until dinner time. Then after changing and eating, we picked up our final bag and was outside waiting for Magic Express. The earlier bus had not come yet so when it arrived before our scheduled one, we asked if they had room for us to take the earlier bus. The driver was very nice and let us do so.

Unfortunately, our flight was delayed 45 minutes, but it gave us time to relax at the airport before take off.

LOVE LOVE LOVE the way Disney helps us enjoy every minute of our time on the property. I can't say enough positive about how nice the people in the luggage area were to work with in keeping things safe while we continued to play. I'd do it all again. Better than rushing out of bed to get to the airport.

Happy Vacationing!!!

 

[RejoyceoverDisney]

So us being an international flight, I don't think we can do the RAC, but we aren't flying out until 7:40pm and we were hoping to get to the park in the morning and be back at our resort by 4pm. They will still hold all of our luggage after checkout even if we don't qualify for RAC?

Yes there is an area to store your luggage even though you don't use RAC.
And if you come back and need something out of it, you are allowed to get something. You get a tag that matches your bag tags and if you take a bag (like we did for pool) they just subtract it. That is at least what they did a POFQ.

Very accommodating.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Bell services will hold your luggage. Allow adequate time (maybe up to 30 minutes before your ME time) to retrieve your luggage to make ME on time.

 

[ForeverAfter]

That's great! You're allowed to use the pool after you check out?

 

[wdwrich]

So us being an international flight, I don't think we can do the RAC, but we aren't flying out until 7:40pm and we were hoping to get to the park in the morning and be back at our resort by 4pm. They will still hold all of our luggage after checkout even if we don't qualify for RAC?

For international flights, I believe DME picks up at your resort 4 hours prior to flight time. That being the case, and allowing that you need to be ready to board the bus 15 minutes prior to your assigned DME pick-up time, I think you should plan to be back at the resort by 3pm.

 

[emij]

I found the Resort Airline Check-in to be amazing - SO convenient. Also appreciated the bell services holding our carry-ons even though we were just swimming and eating. Really a great service (just tip appropriately )

 

[msb578]

That's great! You're allowed to use the pool after you check out?

Absolutely. We just did this a couple months ago. You can use the locker rooms adjacent to the pools to change clothes.

 

[msb578]

For international flights, I believe DME picks up at your resort 4 hours prior to flight time. That being the case, and allowing that you need to be ready to board the bus 15 minutes prior to your assigned DME pick-up time, I think you should plan to be back at the resort by 3pm.

I missed that part. That is true- 4 hours.

 

[ktlm]

We always try to get a later flight and go to the park part of departure day. Got to maximize that WDW time. We check our bags in to the airline at the resort airline desk, turn our carry ons over to bell services to hold (if you are not doing resort airline check in for your bags- bell services will hold all of them for you), and set out for the park. You do want to get back in time to give bell services time to pull your bags before Magical Express gets there. We get to bell services about 20 or 30 minutes before Magical Express is scheduled to pick us up.