No luggage delivery for now with Magical Express

[MomOTwins]

I'm not the least bit phased by this. I liked the convenience of luggage delivery, but it's not as though we can't handle our own bags--we certainly do it at our home airport to get from the parking lot to check in. And on any non-Disney vacation handling our own bags is the norm. It actually might be kind of nice to have our bags with us as soon as our room is available--we've sometimes had to put the kids to bed in their undies because there were luggage delivery delays and we didn't get our bags with pajamas until 10pm or later.

 

[Disneyfan754321]

I think we are just going to rent a car.. i will leave the bags in the trunk. We are going on a weekend trip i need every minute i can get in... i was already worried about long wait/lines for the bus.

 

[lfracas1]

A 3rd party transports the bags, and I'm going to hazard a guess they don't have enough staff for the increased volume as more resorts reopen? Or have a lot of staff out with covid, being quarantined for covid, caring for someone with covid?

Or there workers won’t come back because of the extra $600 they’re getting in their unemployment?!

 

[kaytieeldr]

we've sometimes had to put the kids to bed in their undies because there were luggage delivery delays and we didn't get our bags with pajamas until 10pm or later.

General, all-purpose, whenever-you-fly travel tip: Always always always always pack everything you need for the first 24 hours in your carry-on luggage. Always. While airlines have improved, you never know when your checked luggage might be misdirected.

Or there workers won’t come back because of the extra $600 they’re getting in their unemployment?!

You lose both the $600 and any basic unemployment when you refuse to return to work or to accept a reasonable job.

 

[cedricandsophie]

I always got my luggage anyway since I don’t like to wait for it. So it doesn’t matter to me. But also we are driving down from Chicago for a trip to DW I. September. We have another trip planned March 2021. We will likely fly. I’m happy to get my own luggage. If the lines are really long I’ll just jump in a cab.

 

[MomOTwins]

General, all-purpose, whenever-you-fly travel tip: Always always always always pack everything you need for the first 24 hours in your carry-on luggage. Always. While airlines have improved, you never know when your checked luggage might be misdirected.

More of a nuisance for me to have to pack a carryon bag for five people and then navigate an airport and boarding with two strollers and a large carryon, than it is to risk the off chance that we have to go without pajamas one night and buy contact lens solution at the gift shop. Most lost luggage arrives later that night or the next day at the latest, and if our luggage is lost permanently one night's worth of stuff won't help much. I pop medications in my diaper bag to carry on with me, but that's about it.

 

[smallworldnh]

Shoot, with my mom in a wheelchair it would have been nice to not worry about luggage. oh well.....

 

[kylenne]

This is the thing that's really disappointing for us and kinda breaks the bubble. It will mean that we have to interact with some castmember upon arrival at the resort to hand off our luggage before we are able to continue with our day, then we will have to interact with another castmember when the luggage is delivered to our room.

I guess so, but if you bring carry ons it's always been like that. And Bell Services will still deliver to your room, you just have to be in it.

The only thing that's really annoying about this to me will be dealing with baggage claim at MCO. The amount of liquids I bring make carry on only a non-starter and I get free checked bags with JetBlue so I always check a small bag. If it wasn't for that dumb liquids rule I wouldn't tbh.

 

[kaytieeldr]

More of a nuisance for me to have to pack a carryon bag for five people and then navigate an airport and boarding with two strollers and a large carryon,

Is it that you're the only one of the five able to carry or pull a maximum 21" suitcase? Could you pack for 2 4 hours in the diaper bags?

Most lost luggage arrives later that night or the next day at the latest,

Well, not exactly. Lost luggage is never delivered. Misdirected luggage could arrive on the next flight, or not until the next day, or for a few days, or in rare cases, it doesn't catch up with the passenger until they get home.

 

[Katie Count]

I'm waiting until we actually see the Disney website updated with this new information for Magical Express. I'm sure the blog post is correct, as most of them always are, but it would be nice if Disney could put out an official statement on their website before you read about it in a blog post. I have no problem with retrieving my own luggage if need be. Any word if they will be still be sending luggage tags out if they are no longer going to collect the bags?

 

[kaytieeldr]

Over about the last three weeks:
No they won't.
Yes they will.
They have been very recently, or claimed to be, sending out DME tags.
No they won't.

 

[Naomeri]

I'm waiting until we actually see the Disney website updated with this new information for Magical Express. I'm sure the blog post is correct, as most of them always are, but it would be nice if Disney could put out an official statement on their website before you read about it in a blog post. I have no problem with retrieving my own luggage if need be. Any word if they will be still be sending luggage tags out if they are no longer going to collect the bags?

Ask and ye shall receive:

 

[Dave006]

I'm waiting until we actually see the Disney website updated with this new information for Magical Express. I'm sure the blog post is correct, as most of them always are, but it would be nice if Disney could put out an official statement on their website before you read about it in a blog post. I have no problem with retrieving my own luggage if need be. Any word if they will be still be sending luggage tags out if they are no longer going to collect the bags?

This new modified policy is not scheduled to start until next week. The basic Experiences page has been updated with the details.

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/experience-updates/resorts/
Disney Resort Hotel Guest Benefits

During the initial reopening period, some benefits may be modified or unavailable.

Disney’s Magical Express® Service
Complimentary airport transportation via Disney’s Magical Express service for Guests arriving and departing from Orlando International Airport is continuing to operate during this period, with some modifications. Beginning July 16, 2020 Disney’s Magical Express service will not be providing luggage delivery service for those arriving to and departing from the airport.

Guests who choose to use Disney’s Magical Express service will be responsible for picking up any of their checked luggage from the airport’s baggage claim area, so that it can be loaded onto the motorcoach to their Disney Resort hotel. Please know that your luggage will travel with you to your Disney Resort hotel.

Luggage assistance will be available at the front of your Disney Resort hotel, including luggage storage and/or transport to the room.

Upon your departure, please ensure your luggage is with you and is loaded onto the motorcoach, so you can check it in with your airline once you reach the airport. The resort airline check-in service will not be offered at this time.

Many airlines have modified their flight schedules, so please confirm your flight information. If you plan to use Disney’s Magical Express service, contact your room reservation booking agent, or call (407) 939-1936 to make any updates to your flight information on file.

Dave

 

[Melodious]

I guess so, but if you bring carry ons it's always been like that. And Bell Services will still deliver to your room, you just have to be in it.

Yes, but that's why we choose not to bring large carry-ons when traveling to WDW. We instead check our bags because we are used to Magical Express and only have a small park bag on the plane. When traveling to other destinations, I often travel carry-on only and ask the front desk to hold it until my room is ready. At WDW, I enjoy not having to deal with a carry-on bag in the plane and airport, especially if members of your party have mobility issues or are overpackers.

But also, I was planning this trip to skip interacting with the front desk or valet as Disney suggested by pushing online check-in. This just makes that kind of a moot point as I will need to interact with a castmember upon my arrival to the resort since we arrive before 3pm (as do plenty of people). It does seem to be a problem with the third party, because Disney is not trying to prevent castmembers interacting with multiple guests' bags since they will hold your bag, bring them to your room, etc.

Everyone gets to be disappointed by different things. For whatever reason, I was okay with all of the other changes without much whining, but this is the one that gets to me. Also, none of us know what the future will bring or how temporary this will be.

 

[Jillianna]

Magical Express phone # 407-566-7035. This number goes directly to ME no waiting on hold for long periods. You can use it to update flight info. I just called and canceled my ME. It is too hard for me to get my luggage across the airport. So I will be taking a town car to the resort. It is a little more money, but worth it to me.

 

[Dave006]

Magical Express phone # 407-566-7035. This number goes directly to ME no waiting on hold for long periods. You can use it to update flight info. I just called and canceled my ME.

You can also use an online form to make or update your DME reservations.

https://secure.reservations.disney.go.com/ibcwdw/en_US/dme/dmeform
Dave

 

[Dean Marino]

We're just going "old school". MEARS taxi or shuttle. We did this decades ago, before ME existed.
ME dead? We will revert to what worked, until ME exists again.

 

[Lsdolphin]

max size suitcase is about 7.000 cubic inches.
Van Hool buses used for DME have a hold that's roughly 1 million cubic inches, or 150 max size checked luggage. That's room enough for 3 of thosehuge cases for each passenger on that bus.

The main issueI can see here is not hold capacity, it's an issue with loading and unloading times.

This could result in a lot of luggage for a single driver to have to load and unload during the course of a day!!! I hope they all have strong backs!

 

[kaytieeldr]

We're just going "old school". MEARS taxi or shuttle. We did this decades ago, before ME existed.
ME dead? We will revert to what worked, until ME exists again.

Mears Shuttle will not take reservations to go to any Disney resort. They will accept walkup requests. They will then very likely put you on a Magical Express bus - so you're paying about $20 pp each way, that you would otherwise be using free. Also, the Mears desk may have moved, but more likely it's on the same level as Magical Express.

edited to correct Meats to Mears (x2) and his to bus

 

[seashoreCM]

One of the advantages of Magical Express bag delivery to your room without your being there is reduction in the quantity of bags held down at Bell Services. (Split stay bag delivery has always been, and remains, a call, wait, and tip operation after you get back from the park although a few of these guests have reported such bags delivered before they got back to their rooms.)

No advantage over DME going old school back to Mears's shuttle when staying at a Disney's resort. Dealing with bags, for the time being, is the same for both. Go to the carousels, bring your bags to the bus, etc.