Magical express luggage question

[maxiesmom]

Dh said today that he would rather just go ahead and get our bags. I think that’s what we will do this trip. We would have to pack a lot of things in our personal item for the next day (sunscreen, hats, sunglasses, etc) that we wouldn’t have to pack if we get our own luggage.

I have to say, I'm a bit confused by why you would have to pack stuff in your personal item you wouldn't normally. You can call down and get your bags brought to you before you head out for the day. We've called down super early and had them show up straight away! I always pack for the first 24 hours in my carry-on, in case the airline mishandles my checked bags.

Not that getting your own bags is somehow wrong, but like I said, I'm a bit confused as to how the packing thing ties in.

 

[Haley R]

I have to say, I'm a bit confused by why you would have to pack stuff in your personal item you wouldn't normally. You can call down and get your bags brought to you before you head out for the day. We've called down super early and had them show up straight away! I always pack for the first 24 hours in my carry-on, in case the airline mishandles my checked bags.

Not that getting your own bags is somehow wrong, but like I said, I'm a bit confused as to how the packing thing ties in.

I’m packing clothes and bath stuff in my personal item but I won’t be putting sunscreen or anything like that in the bag. We don’t have carryons, we only have personal items which is like a backpack. I’m not sure how much stuff I can shove into my backpack.

I don’t really want to deal with calling them in the morning either. For us personally, it makes more sense to get the bags ourselves. Everyone has their own preference.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I’m packing clothes and bath stuff in my personal item but I won’t be putting sunscreen or anything like that in the bag

What's your plan it your checked luggage gets misdirected?

 

[grahamharvey1982]

We leave in 3 days and I have a question about magical express. We were planning on getting our own luggage but it sounds tempting to just bring our stuff for the next day in our personal item bags. Will Disney bring the luggage in the middle of the night or will they leave it at the luggage area at our resort for us to pick up?

Hi Haley! Hope you guys have a great trip! About a year ago, I worked in bell services at one of the resorts and handled all the Disney's Magical Express luggage throughout the day. Like another poster mentioned, the quoted time is 3 hours after your arrival at the resort, not after your flight's landing time. If you would like to use the service and you're worried about your bag not arriving before you're ready for bed, I would just make sure you have everything you need in your carry-on for overnight and the next morning.

If the procedures are the same as when I worked there and your bag hasn't come by the time you are ready for sleep, call bell services and ask them to hold it in the luggage room for you until the next morning. That shouldn't be a problem at all. When you're ready for it in the morning, you can call for a bellman to bring it to your room or even pick it up from the bell services desk yourself if you'd prefer.

Have a great time!!

 

[grahamharvey1982]

We leave in 3 days and I have a question about magical express. We were planning on getting our own luggage but it sounds tempting to just bring our stuff for the next day in our personal item bags. Will Disney bring the luggage in the middle of the night or will they leave it at the luggage area at our resort for us to pick up?

Oops...I just read the rest of the thread and realized you decided to pick up your own bags. Tried to delete my comment but couldn't figure out how. I suck at technology. Haha!

Have a great time!!!

 

[Haley R]

What's your plan it your checked luggage gets misdirected?

I’ll have anything with me that I absolutely need like medicine and contact stuff.

 

[Haley R]

Oops...I just read the rest of the thread and realized you decided to pick up your own bags. Tried to delete my comment but couldn't figure out how. I suck at technology. Haha!

Have a great time!!!

Haha that’s okay I still enjoyed reading your response.

 

[Surgie2]

According to the map they gave us with our magic express tags, it looks like frontier is on the opposite side of the airport. We are still going to get our bags because no matter what we will still be at Disney!

When do you receive this map? Is there a way to find one online? I'm curious to know where Southwest and United are.

 

[Haley R]

When do you receive this map? Is there a way to find one online? I'm curious to know where Southwest and United are.

It’s on the letter that came with my magic express lugagge tags. Have you gotten those yet?

 

[dansdad]

When do you receive this map? Is there a way to find one online? I'm curious to know where Southwest and United are.

Here you go.

 

[gdrj]

We always do that - does not take much longer at all. Some people say the walk is "so far" to ME from baggage claim, but we never found it to be long at all!

We've flown a too many times to remember, and cannot tell you how many times we start to go to the wrong side for ME. Doesnt matter if I remember its on side A... or wait is it side B....definitely side A....I think, anyway you get the point.

 

[kaytieeldr]

We always do that - does not take much longer at all. Some people say the walk is "so far" to ME from baggage claim, but we never found it to be long at all!

Not "so far." It's the down up across down down annoyance.

 

[goofy4tink]

You should always have anything you may need for the first day of your stay in a carry on bag. Airlines misdirect bags all the time. So, if you get to baggage claim, and your bag doesn't show up, it could be the next day before they find it...or longer! So, you should have a change of clothes, meds, toiletries to get you started on your vacation. There are plenty of travel sized toiletries out there,, sunscreen included, that you can bring. Each person with a paid seat gets that 3-1-1 baggie to carry stuff in.
As far as the lay out at MCO goes, I 'think' SW is on Side A. I know JB is! So, if you don't tag your bags, this is what you'll have to do. Get off your plane, take the tram to the main terminal. You are on level 3. You will go down to level 2, Side A, to baggage claim. Get your bags, return to level 3 of the main terminal. Then, cross over to Side B and go down to level 1, ground transportation, to get to DME. If you don't get your own bags, and you arrive on Side A, tram to the main terminal, cross over to Side B, go down to level 1, to DME.

If you arrive, ontime, at 5:30, you should be at your resort by 6:30-7 latest. That means your bags will most likely be in your room by 9-9:30, depending on your resort. The value resorts tend to have much slower luggage delivery, especially later in the day!

 

[sponica]

We have had them hold our luggage many many times. They do so without issue. It's something they are very used to doing for guests.


However, with the addition of online check in and straight to room texts this is now a very blurry timeline. If you stop at the airport to eat and wait on a friend and take 2 hours to get on ME, your bags aren't going to be another 4 hours after that. There is not anything that actually tracks what time you arrive at the resort now. Not like when they had someone greet guests coming off the bus or when you had to go to the check in counter. Things have changed, and the luggage timeline is one of them.

I had one stay in 2010 where my bag beat me to my room. I got off my plane, got on my bus (and don't remember waiting long for the bus to depart), we stopped at CBR, I got off at Pop, checked in (line wasn't that long), went to my room and my luggage was there. I know luggage delivery is totally one of those your mileage may vary experiences but I'm still flabbergasted it was there that soon.

 

[tjmw2727]

I’m packing clothes and bath stuff in my personal item but I won’t be putting sunscreen or anything like that in the bag. We don’t have carryons, we only have personal items which is like a backpack. I’m not sure how much stuff I can shove into my backpack.

I don’t really want to deal with calling them in the morning either. For us personally, it makes more sense to get the bags ourselves. Everyone has their own preference.

Just a another word of caution to have everything you need for the first 24, prescriptions and a change of clothes, I bring travel size toiletries and when traveling to FL I would include sunscreen unless you want to purchase all of the above at a premium if needed.

My most recent flight was just last Tuesday and this was one of those rare occurrences where my bags got to take a different trip than I did, I was thankful that I had what I needed for the first day. TBH I was tempted to skip the extras as I fly often and hadn't had a mishap in several years but in the end I just decided better safe than sorry - so glad I did

 

[nkereina]

Three times now I would swing by the washroom on the way to baggage claim, and by the time I arrived I only waited maybe 5 minutes before our bags came.

At MCO?! Curious what airline? We fly Southwest almost every time and have NEVER had that experience! We always visit the restroom and still have a solid 15-20 minute wait before we see our bags, while loitering at the baggage carousel.

We land at 5:30 so not too late, but I’ve read stories of people getting bags much later than 3 hours after landing. We want to get a good night sleep since we will rd the next morning. So I would rather not have them knocking at 9 pm if we might be asleep.

I agree with PP. Average DME time is 90 minutes, so if you get to your resort by 7pm, I would expect luggage delivery 10-11pm.

 

[jaiminee krikit]

At MCO?! Curious what airline? We fly Southwest almost every time and have NEVER had that experience! We always visit the restroom and still have a solid 15-20 minute wait before we see our bags, while loitering at the baggage carousel.

Southwest. The first flight landed at 1215am and I don't think we even waited 5 minutes. The flight after that landed around 9am and I waited just a few minutes. And our most recent flight landed around 7pm and we didn't wait more than 10 minutes. Even 15-20 minutes I wouldn't mind. I like having my luggage with me, especially with later flights.

 

[Haley R]

You should always have anything you may need for the first day of your stay in a carry on bag. Airlines misdirect bags all the time. So, if you get to baggage claim, and your bag doesn't show up, it could be the next day before they find it...or longer! So, you should have a change of clothes, meds, toiletries to get you started on your vacation. There are plenty of travel sized toiletries out there,, sunscreen included, that you can bring. Each person with a paid seat gets that 3-1-1 baggie to carry stuff in.
As far as the lay out at MCO goes, I 'think' SW is on Side A. I know JB is! So, if you don't tag your bags, this is what you'll have to do. Get off your plane, take the tram to the main terminal. You are on level 3. You will go down to level 2, Side A, to baggage claim. Get your bags, return to level 3 of the main terminal. Then, cross over to Side B and go down to level 1, ground transportation, to get to DME. If you don't get your own bags, and you arrive on Side A, tram to the main terminal, cross over to Side B, go down to level 1, to DME.

If you arrive, ontime, at 5:30, you should be at your resort by 6:30-7 latest. That means your bags will most likely be in your room by 9-9:30, depending on your resort. The value resorts tend to have much slower luggage delivery, especially later in the day!

We aren’t flying with southwest, we’re flying with frontier but I think it’s still on the opposite side of dme according to the map.

 

[Haley R]

Just a another word of caution to have everything you need for the first 24, prescriptions and a change of clothes, I bring travel size toiletries and when traveling to FL I would include sunscreen unless you want to purchase all of the above at a premium if needed.

My most recent flight was just last Tuesday and this was one of those rare occurrences where my bags got to take a different trip than I did, I was thankful that I had what I needed for the first day. TBH I was tempted to skip the extras as I fly often and hadn't had a mishap in several years but in the end I just decided better safe than sorry - so glad I did

I have a change of clothes and toiletries but I might have dh stick our travel sized sunscreen in his bag. Other than that I think we will be good.

 

[Haley R]

Southwest. The first flight landed at 1215am and I don't think we even waited 5 minutes. The flight after that landed around 9am and I waited just a few minutes. And our most recent flight landed around 7pm and we didn't wait more than 10 minutes. Even 15-20 minutes I wouldn't mind. I like having my luggage with me, especially with later flights.

That’s how I am. I would rather just get it myself and not have to worry about it. I’m kind of anal about these things and it eases my peace of mind. We go tomorrow so I’ll let everyone know how it goes!!