would like verification on me and resort airline check in

[buzz2400]

I would like verification from anyone who recently (this year) used me or the resort airline check in.

I know there is controversy re: sending your luggage through ME and not actually going on the bus. We are renting a car and will have a wheelchair. I already told the 2 people that I am traveling with that they will be taking the bus. I was going to have them come with me to the car and put the luggage in the car and then have them walk back to the bus and I would meet them at the resort. Then I started thinking, why don't I just put the tags on the luggage and let disney worry about that and then maybe the two people can just come in the car with me. Someone had posted (a long time ago) that you only have about 2 hours to put in a claim if your luggage is missing. But if you use ME, you might not get your luggage for many hours after that, so what difference does it make if you are on the bus or not. If your luggage is lost, it doesn't make a difference, correct?

Then I started reading about the resort airline check in but I am very very confused. Please correct me if I am wrong. My understanding is that you go to the lobby of your resort on the day you are leaving, check in with the airline and leave your luggage at the resort so that Disney will transport the luggage to the airport. Is that correct? We will be flying southwest.

I'm getting so worn out about planning this trip that I don't believe I will be going on another trip in a very long time. It is so much easier to just lie in my bed for a vacation and not worry about all the planning.

 

[wdwrich]

As far as luggage handling goes, arriving at MCO and using DME is different than departing WDW and using RAC. Upon arrival, you are not *supposed* to use DME as a luggage handler if no one in your party is actually on the DME bus. (See the sticky thread at the top of this forum about this.)

Leaving WDW, Resort Airline Check-in is a completely different animal and is separate from the DME service back to the airport. You can use RAC whether you use the DME bus service, taxi, or drive back to the airport.

 

[Hopefully]

I beleive the RAC check in desk hours are 5 AM to 1 PM and you must check your luggage and pay any related luggage fees at least 3 hours prior to your flight. You won't see your luggage again until the carousel at your home airport. It is great. I always tip those that handle my bags.

 

[goofy4tink]

I would like verification from anyone who recently (this year) used me or the resort airline check in.

I know there is controversy re: sending your luggage through ME and not actually going on the bus. We are renting a car and will have a wheelchair. I already told the 2 people that I am traveling with that they will be taking the bus. I was going to have them come with me to the car and put the luggage in the car and then have them walk back to the bus and I would meet them at the resort. Then I started thinking, why don't I just put the tags on the luggage and let disney worry about that and then maybe the two people can just come in the car with me. Someone had posted (a long time ago) that you only have about 2 hours to put in a claim if your luggage is missing. But if you use ME, you might not get your luggage for many hours after that, so what difference does it make if you are on the bus or not. If your luggage is lost, it doesn't make a difference, correct?

Then I started reading about the resort airline check in but I am very very confused. Please correct me if I am wrong. My understanding is that you go to the lobby of your resort on the day you are leaving, check in with the airline and leave your luggage at the resort so that Disney will transport the luggage to the airport. Is that correct? We will be flying southwest.

I'm getting so worn out about planning this trip that I don't believe I will be going on another trip in a very long time. It is so much easier to just lie in my bed for a vacation and not worry about all the planning.

Can you tag your checked bags, allow DME to move them to your resort, while you take a rental car to the resort? Sure, many have done it. Back in the early days of DME, when you checked in at the podium/counter, you were asked how many bags you had checked...that seems it would make it easy for them to know how many bags to look for. However, they no longer ask this.....so, I'm not exactly sure how they know if a guest has all their bags or not.....if they don't know that a bag is missing, they can't start a search for it. It's the airlines that have a time limit on reporting a missing bag. If you get to your resort room, 6 hrs after you arrived at MCO, and you find you have only 3 bags when you should have 4, I'm not sure who's now responsible for finding that bag. So, use DME as a luggage transfer service at your own risk. Of course, the same can be said for those that are on the bus!! Disney has stated that DME can not be booked as a luggage transfer service....so, if they find you weren't on a bus, but have a bag missing, they may not take responsibility for it.

As far as luggage service at the end of your stay...that is provided by RAC....resort airline checkin (or remote airline checkin). The counter is located close to the resort entrance...usually outside by Bell Services. It is open from 5am-1pm. You can check your bags at any time...but they must be checked in no less than 3 hrs prior to flight departure. So, if you have a 9am flight, you have to be done, and walking away, no later than 6am!!! The line can get lengthy around 8am...so plan accordingly. If you have a flight that is earlier than 8:20am, you won't be able to use RAC.
So, you go to the RAC counter, you give them your bags and your ID. They tag your bags (same as curbside at the airport) and print out your boarding passes. Then, you're good to go.