Magical Express luggage delivery - disappointing experience.

[tjmw2727]

I reckon what baffles me is if you have what you need for the rest of travel day and the next day why does it matter how long the bags take to arrive? 2 hours or 12, makes no difference to me, in not going to need to get in them any way. So you sure save yourself waiting on bags and then waiting more if your bag was an unfortunate one that wasn’t in your flight. ME will get them to you no matter which flight they come in on

Agree - best case scenario your bags arrive with your flight that's still 10/20 minutes waiting.
Then
If you arrive during one of FL lovely thunderstorms then all luggage service stops until at least 30 minutes after the last strike; this happened to us the one time we didn't use the yellow tags because we didn't feel like packing our MSSHP outfits in our carryon bags
Or
If your bags are re-routed via the airlines then your waiting to be sure they didn't arrive with you and then filling out the necessary paperwork; if you used the tags DME does this for you.

If you arrive on the "wrong" side of the airport you need to go back up to the terminal level to cross and then down to DME...… Anyone with a lot of luggage and or children may rather avoid this part!

Personally I would much rather pack a smart carryon and let DME handle the bags!

 

[kaytieeldr]

Not to mention, how many times have people used the luggage delivery and not had an issue??? But people tend to focus on the bad, even if it is an outlier.

Figure two million riders a year, 14.5 years, even if ten people per day have issues (and remember, some of those are a misunderstanding of how DME works), 29 million riders, 52,925 - let's even say 60,000 for ease of calculation complaints... two tenths of one percent.

 

[linzjane88]

In our case what made it frustrating was we were waking up early to do EEMH so not only did we not have our bedtime things but we also didn't have stuff for the next morning. Bell services couldn't exactly tell me if they would even try to deliver it to the room that night (it was nearing midnight and it hadn't got to the resort yet) , just that if we wanted it held until morning we could opt for that. That would potentially held up our EEMH strategy and was sort of unsettling knowing you were going to bed without your stuff and you don't know how long it would take to get your things to your room at 0500 when you woke up but wanted to jet right to the parks.

Again, lots of stress could have been avoided packing the carryon with some essentials but having never seen the slow side of DME I hadn't lived and learned.

 

[Orionreplay]

Not to mention, how many times have people used the luggage delivery and not had an issue??? But people tend to focus on the bad, even if it is an outlier.

I can happily agree on this. We used to use Mears, but when Magical Express became available, I never looked back for our on-resort stays. Yes, I want to see my bags' progress to the resort and be able to tell my wife, "Almost here... I see them here at Art of Animation," but while that may be a pipe dream, I have never had an actual problem in all our trips.

It does seem that when a person has a problem they speak very loudly about the problem, but we forget the thousands who had no problem but never let anyone know. Why should they? Their MDE experience was completely uneventful. It just worked as advertised.

 

[Orionreplay]

My only reportable problem this past trip to Art of Animation was that 24 hours before I was to check out with my family, I had no notice hanging from my door with my departure "ticket" for the MDE the next morning. AKA the letter to give the driver the next morning.

I scratched my head at that one and got a little worried because 3 days earlier, I had a voicemail thanking me for my stay and due to express check out could just leave tomorrow. I was like, Uhhh... we check out Monday, not 3 days earlier. So I called the front desk and all was fine. Must have been a case of mistaken room identity. I agreed.

But now zooming ahead to 24 hours prior to my own checkout, I had no DME notice on my door. I called the front desk who forwarded me to DME. They had me in the system and all was well. OK. They promised me my packet would be on my door while we slept that last night. OK. I slept well.

I awoke to no packet. At 530 in the morning I was down at the front desk and they can print the Letter for DME to give the driver. I didn't know that and learned it this time. So in case any of you don't get that Magical Express "ticket" the front desk can produce it for you.

 

[Boardwalk III]

Thanks everyone, Original OP here. Wasn’t expecting this thread to go on for so long LOL. Most of the suggestions have been helpful and I also have responded several times that we had carry-ons, but had guests with who preferred not to carry-on, And they had to leave early the next morning for a funeral service in Florida unfortunately.

Again the issue was the fact that bell services at the hotel did not inform us we had the option of having them just hold it until morning. They just kept telling us to stay up and wait for the bags so that was the dilemma. I guess I should’ve known better and pushed them and asked them to hold the luggage, but lesson learned.

The Boardwalk manager was very accommodating, gave us a small room credit to be used towards charges and everything ended up fine. He also stated that a 5 hour wait is average at this point, thus I do think Disney should update their communications.

I also should say I absolutely love being able to check the bags at the hotel before heading home. That part of the service has always worked like a charm for us!

 

[kaytieeldr]

but we forget the thousands who had no problem but never let anyone know

Millions, not thousands 25 million plus, on average, since DME was introduced.

 

[Searc]

Your experience is definitely the exception. My favorite thing about DME is the luggage delivery.

 

[Searc]

Thanks everyone, Original OP here. Wasn’t expecting this thread to go on for so long LOL. Most of the suggestions have been helpful and I also have responded several times that we had carry-ons, but had guests with who preferred not to carry-on, And they had to leave early the next morning for a funeral service in Florida unfortunately.

Again the issue was the fact that bell services at the hotel did not inform us we had the option of having them just hold it until morning. They just kept telling us to stay up and wait for the bags so that was the dilemma. I guess I should’ve known better and pushed them and asked them to hold the luggage, but lesson learned.

The Boardwalk manager was very accommodating, gave us a small room credit to be used towards charges and everything ended up fine. He also stated that a 5 hour wait is average at this point, thus I do think Disney should update their communications.

I also should say I absolutely love being able to check the bags at the hotel before heading home. That part of the service has always worked like a charm for us!

Ugh. I hate when Disney caves to people who know better. Your traveling partners were in a bind because of their lack of responsibility, not anything Disney did. Next time, lesson learned for them ~ complain about something they were irresponsible about and they'll get money for it.

 

[georgina]

It's great when it works, except if it doesn't for you. I only used it once, as I mostly stayed onsite with a carry-on only, but I did come back to Pop one night after a long day at the parks to find someone else's luggage deposited in my room (same last name, different first name). I doubt Pop luggage services had any idea where the bags were and wonder how long those people were waiting for their bags.

 

[AngiTN]

In our case what made it frustrating was we were waking up early to do EEMH so not only did we not have our bedtime things but we also didn't have stuff for the next morning. Bell services couldn't exactly tell me if they would even try to deliver it to the room that night (it was nearing midnight and it hadn't got to the resort yet) , just that if we wanted it held until morning we could opt for that. That would potentially held up our EEMH strategy and was sort of unsettling knowing you were going to bed without your stuff and you don't know how long it would take to get your things to your room at 0500 when you woke up but wanted to jet right to the parks.

Again, lots of stress could have been avoided packing the carryon with some essentials but having never seen the slow side of DME I hadn't lived and learned.

Airlines don't have a giant Unclaimed Baggage resell store just off misdirected Disney bags, LOL
Just a hint, you can take it or leave it, you should pack all you need for the night and next day in your carry on (what I call essentials) no matter where you are flying. As someone who has to make connections and flies late at night I have learned to pack some essentials in my bag when heading home too. That one trip where we'd checked everything but then got delayed mid trip and had nothing for the next morning was enough for me to learn the lesson. Sure, if my bags don't make I have what I need at home but it's that during the trip time that had to be considered. Lesson learned
Airlines can misdirect bags at any point. We just returned from a trip to AZ and you can bet I had everything needed in my carry on bag, just in case my suitcase decided to take a different route than I did.

 

[Searc]

Airlines don't have a giant Unclaimed Baggage resell store just off misdirected Disney bags, LOL
Just a hint, you can take it or leave it, you should pack all you need for the night and next day in your carry on (what I call essentials) no matter where you are flying. As someone who has to make connections and flies late at night I have learned to pack some essentials in my bag when heading home too. That one trip where we'd checked everything but then got delayed mid trip and had nothing for the next morning was enough for me to learn the lesson. Sure, if my bags don't make I have what I need at home but it's that during the trip time that had to be considered. Lesson learned
Airlines can misdirect bags at any point. We just returned from a trip to AZ and you can bet I had everything needed in my carry on bag, just in case my suitcase decided to take a different route than I did.

 

[Uncle Coaster]

I have to admit I still go without essentials in my carry on. I’ve only run into an issue twice and both times I just stopped at a store and bought enough to get me through until the bags arrived. I’d rather die that once or twice than carry around a bag every single time.

 

[AngiTN]

It's clothes and most importantly, underwear that I found more important. Well, and make up. There's enough toiletries at most any hotel to get by but not clothing and make up. I've started traveling in what I could get by with sleeping in, if push comes to shove. Pull on pants and a t-shirt, that type of thing. It is easier flying to Disney in the summer when you don't need big/bulky clothes, less to worry about packing. And having had their leave my wheeled bag behind I don't even count on that making it now. My 1st tier essentials are in my back pack bag. My wheeled bag is 2nd tier essentials, LOL

But, if folks want to gamble then hey, more power to them. I'm just not built to do it.

 

[Boardwalk III]

Ugh. I hate when Disney caves to people who know better. Your traveling partners were in a bind because of their lack of responsibility, not anything Disney did. Next time, lesson learned for them ~ complain about something they were irresponsible about and they'll get money for it.

I have to respectfully disagree on this one. The service hassle was because Bell services pretty much indicated we needed to wait up all night for the bags, or risk having someone knocking on our door at any hour mid-sleep. Thus the communication from them at the Boardwalk on that particular evening was not up to their service level. Should I have known that this made no sense? Perhaps. But it was after midnight and I had stressed out guests and took them at their word.

FWIW One of our 2 guests requires a wheelchair in the airport and her husband did not want to have to deal with carry on bags for the two of them while also pushing her in the wheelchair.

 

[DrunkJam]

I worry about luggage way more than I need to. I ALWAYS have some spare undies, and bits and bobs in my carry on. My bigger concern is if they lose my souvenirs on the way home (and they don't fit in carry on / are only allowed in carry on) because I can buy new pjs or underwear, but, not new souvenirs!

 

[Searc]

I have to respectfully disagree on this one. The service hassle was because Bell services pretty much indicated we needed to wait up all night for the bags, or risk having someone knocking on our door at any hour mid-sleep. Thus the communication from them at the Boardwalk on that particular evening was not up to their service level. Should I have known that this made no sense? Perhaps. But it was after midnight and I had stressed out guests and took them at their word.

FWIW One of our 2 guests requires a wheelchair in the airport and her husband did not want to have to deal with carry on bags for the two of them while also pushing her in the wheelchair.

Then he should buy a backpack.

 

[Boardwalk III]

I worry about luggage way more than I need to. I ALWAYS have some spare undies, and bits and bobs in my carry on. My bigger concern is if they lose my souvenirs on the way home (and they don't fit in carry on / are only allowed in carry on) because I can buy new pjs or underwear, but, not new souvenirs!

I do exactly the same thing for the carry-on home. Too much time and decision making on picking out those souvenirs to have them get lost!

 

[kaytieeldr]

FWIW One of our 2 guests requires a wheelchair in the airport and her husband did not want to have to deal with carry on bags for the two of them while also pushing her in the wheelchair.

Understood, but for the record, there were likely other options. Have the person in the wheelchair hold or pull the luggage; use a duffel bag that the wheelchair rider holds in their lap; use carry on luggage with a strap that can be hooked over the wheelchair handgrips; the aforementioned backback; utilizing (and tipping for) RedCap services at the airport...

Ideally now this other party knows to bring 24 hours of needs ANY time they fly, anywhere.

 

[maxiesmom]

Again the issue was the fact that bell services at the hotel did not inform us we had the option of having them just hold it until morning. They just kept telling us to stay up and wait for the bags so that was the dilemma. I guess I should’ve known better and pushed them and asked them to hold the luggage, but lesson learned.

I also should say I absolutely love being able to check the bags at the hotel before heading home. That part of the service has always worked like a charm for us!

I would have been ticked about that too. You should have been told you could call down for them the next day. That way you could have gone to bed, and not have had to worry about being disturbed.

Just for clarity's sake, checking your bags at the resort is part of Resort Airline Check In. You don't have to ride the Magical Express bus to use that service. It is a separate thing. I love RAC too.