DME ? - Can you Pick you Luggage up At The AP and Take with you?

[Horace Horsecollar]

Waiting 8 hrs for luggage?? Do you know for sure the issue was with DME and not the airlines?? It is much more likely the airlines misdirected luggage and the luggage finally showed up and was delivered by DME...who got the blame.

Good point.

I've had one instance when DME didn't deliver our bags until about 7 hours (if I remember correctly) after our flight arrived. That was in 2005 when the DME service was fairly new. To this day, I have no idea if our bags were on a later flight or if the bell services staff at OKW was just incredibly backed up. In either case, it wasn't a problem for us.

The other times that I used DME, my bags either arrived about an hour after resort check-in or the bags arrived while we were out of the room (so I have no idea how long it took). Disney says to allow up to 3 hours after resort check-in. That should normally be the "worst case" if your bags are on your flight (rather than delayed and on a later flight).

People who choose to throw away the yellow tags and retrieve their own bags at baggage claim should consider what happens if their bags are on a later flight. It means waiting at baggage claim until you're sure there's not another load from your flight coming, getting in line at the airline's baggage office (behind a bunch of other grumpy passengers who didn't get their bags or received damaged bags), filling out a report with details about each bag with an airline employee (who's usually grumpy because of dealing with grumpy passengers all day), and eventually going to DME without bags anyway. Then, when the bags arrive on a later flight, the airline sends them to your hotel -- through the airline's delivery service that goes all over Orlando, not on DME's frequent luggage trucks to WDW. And those bags are delivered to bell services, not to your room.

Before someone claims that the DME passenger loses the ability to file a claim by using the DME luggage transfer service, allow me to point out that that's not true. According to the Terms and Conditions in the DME booklet that's mailed several weeks before travel, Disney provides exactly the same liability for loss as the airlines. In fact, the paragraph even starts off, "Consistent with airline baggage policies, Disney's liability for loss or damage..."

In other words, if luggage is lost or damaged, the DME passenger files a claim with Disney, not with the airline. Disney takes care of it from there. I'd rather deal with Disney than with the airline. How Disney eventually works things out with the airline doesn't matter to me, as long as Disney accepts responsibility (which they've done in writing) and reimburses me for the loss or damage.

 

[jimmyc0000]

I've used this service both ways and both worked fine. This time we'll be coming in late staying in one resort room only and transfering to another resort in the morning. I want the convience of having all of my luggage with me. Plus not really knowing what to wear with the unpredictable January weather we want it with us. It's depends on your circumstances. Do what makes you happy and just enjoy yourself !!

 

[kaytieeldr]

We will be heading down on Saturday!!! Using DME for the first time and have been hesitant with the stories I am reading.

I have also heard the horror stories with checking your luggage

How many horror stories? Two? Two - in over three and a half YEARS? Now, compare that number to the over nine MILLION Guests who've used Magical Express, including the luggage portion, with NO problems.

I think it works this way (someone correct me if I'm wrong) --- you will get your luggage faster without the tags. If you do not use the tags, you will pick up your luggage yourself at the airport, then you will give your luggage to the DME driver who will place it in the storage underneath the bus. When you arrive at your resort, the driver will then hand you the luggage when you get off the bus and you will check in with your luggage just as if you had a rental car, taxi, etc.

Your luggage will arrive in your room faster... IF your room is ready. If you arrive at 9 AM, and (while you can preregister on arrival) check-in is after 3, your luggage will not arrive in your room until after you do. Also, keep in mind it is customary to tip ANY service person who handles your luggage. The above scenario makes no mention of tipping.

The problem some people have had is that their luggage will not get to their room until a few hours after they check in, which can be a problem if you want to go to waterparks, etc., or basically need anything in the luggage when you immediately get there.

ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS pack a carry-on with whatever items you will need for the first 24 hours at your destination. Airlines have been known to annually "misdirect" a couple or three MILLION pieces of luggage.

We did not use the luggage tags when we went to WDW in October - mainly because our flight was so late and I didn't want luggage service knocking on our door at 3am.

Simple solution: Notify the Front Desk and Bell Services that you want your luggage held until morning. It's not a problem, since you would have the intelligently-packed carry-on with your immediate necessities.

I continue to be amazed at the number of guests who choose not to use the best part of DME which is not having to retrieve your luggage when they get to Orlando.

Exactly! I'm anxiously anticipating the day when the Las Vegas hotels in my price range offer Magical Express-like service!

Having to wait 8 hours for a piece of luggage...that's just ridiculous!

Asinine, I know. Imagine having to wait EIGHTEEN hours because the airline forgot to put your luggage on the plane, or THIRTY-SIX hours because you checked in at exactly 45 minutes prior to your flight, when that actually means 46 minutes or more - so it takes you all day to fly what normally takes five hours, and it takes the airline a day and a half to get your luggage to you. And yet... and yet... I still fly JetBlue, and my brother still flies American - and we still let them transport our luggage.

We arrive at 9:30 AM at the AP

So, it's likely your luggage will not go directly to your room because the room will not be ready for occupancy. You will either have to stay at the hotel with your luggage until your room is ready (e.g. no water parks, parks, off-resort shopping, miniature golf...) or you will have to leave your luggage with Bell Services. If you opt for the latter, you MUST be IN your room in order to get your luggage delivered. And you must tip. When Magical Express delivers your luggage, Disney tips.

 

[ilandrazdsw]

DME is one of the main reasons we are flying into MCO (otherwise we would have had to fly into FLL and drive up)! I am looking forward to not dealing with luggage and having it delivered to the room. I do plan on packing Toiletries (that can get through security), pjs, and the next days clothes in a carry on (we get 4, one for each of us) just incase Christmas crowds and airport hijinx hold up luggage until early morning hours.

 

[Pollyanna652]

I read on another thread about people sending their luggage directly to their hotel ahead of time via Fed-Ex (I think I read resorts can hold it for up to 72 hours). Not sure of the cost - it must be expensive - but it sounds like a viable option.

 

[kiford]

I researched this topic around a year ago for our vacation (DME was newer then, so I'm sure they were still working out issues).

DME and their luggage pick up has been around for many years. We did a land and sea package in 2000 and they had a crude and small version of it even back then (someone actually met you coming off the plane and walked you into the bowels of the airport where there was still construction going on to get to where the busses were). We've used them several times and always had a great experience. Once we didn't get our tags in time and had to go get our bags ourselves. No big deal, but we much prefer to just get off the plane and head to DME. Everywhere we travel, we always have a couple of changes of clothes in our carryon and anything we might need for the first two days that would be difficult to buy locally - I simply don't trust the airlines. We usually go to our room, freshen up and head to the parks for a few hours and come back to our luggage already in the room.

 

[siskaren]

DME and their luggage pick up has been around for many years.

This is a zombie thread - it hasn't been posted to since November 2008.