No luggage delivery for now with Magical Express

[VandVsmama]

I just saw this on the DIS's website this morning --> https://www.wdwinfo.com/news-storie...7k1tEdVIRoZHMt76ZvoYk6tdu9CBOkoFzaYY6Wy9rEvGU

No luggage delivery for now with Magical Express! And no luggage check in either at you're resort when you're departing on Magical Express.

 

[Dave006]

nd no luggage check in either at you're resort when you're departing on Magical Express.

The Resort Airline Check-in (RAC) service has not been available since the resort reopening began last month. The default when RAC is not available is that you put your luggage on the DME bus with you when you leave the resort.

The DME luggage change announcement is a new update and resolves some of the discussion about how DME would be working as more resorts open. While this news is not convenient, it does make sense for now. I hope DME gets back to full luggage service soon.

Dave

 

[ERED]

I feel like this is going to turn into another permanent cut to services without a drop in price.

 

[SL6827]

I feel like this is going to turn into another permanent cut to services without a drop in price.

Yes, and when the number of guest eventually return to normal there wouldn't be room on the bus for all the guest and their luggage, right? So then it will go back to the way it was before, but with a fee for it.

 

[Tormania]

This sucks. We've used DME on our previous two trips and it was GREAT, land at MCO, get on the bus, hop off at the first resort stop, grab a bus to the parks, and at the end of the day walk straight to our room, skip the front desk, open our door, and our luggage was there. And the return back was also great, drop luggage off the morning we leave, head off to the parks, come back to catch the DME bus back to MCO, go through TSA security, hop a plane, and our luggage comes off baggage claim at home.

At least we only have to deal with the return leg on this next trip as we arrive at MCO and go straight to USO this time so hadn't planned on using DME inbound, but for sure outbound. Now I have to allow for an extra 45 min minimum to wait in that stupid baggage check lines at MCO. Ugh.

PS - Another point, so much for limiting contact with cast members, cause now guests will HAVE TO STOP at the front desk / valet to drop bags off if their rooms aren't yet ready yet. That makes a lot of sense if their trying to employ so much social distancing. Someone didn't think this through fully.

 

[Jadyreen1282]

Yes, and when the number of guest eventually return to normal there wouldn't be room on the bus for all the guest and their luggage, right? So then it will go back to the way it was before, but with a fee for it.

I will pay that fee

 

[sponica]

Honestly I wonder if this is more of a staffing issue + low volume more than anything else. There must be a break even point where it's worth the cost of staff and volume.

 

[Dave006]

PS - Another point, so much for limiting contact with cast members, cause now guests will HAVE TO STOP at the front desk / valet to drop bags off if their rooms aren't yet ready yet. That makes a lot of sense if their trying to employ so much social distancing. Someone didn't think this through fully.

Actually they did think it though.

You don't need to go to the front desk. They can help you as the bus unloads for storage of your luggage or to arrange delivery to your room. You just will need to be in your room to receive the luggage unlike the usual magic delivery of your luggage to your room while you are out enjoying the resort or parks.

Dave

 

[chmurf]

Yes, and when the number of guest eventually return to normal there wouldn't be room on the bus for all the guest and their luggage, right? So then it will go back to the way it was before, but with a fee for it.

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.

 

[Melodious]

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.

 

[Tormania]

Actually they did think it though.

You don't need to go to the front desk. They can help you as the bus unloads for storage of your luggage or to arrange delivery to your room. You just will need to be in your room to receive the luggage unlike the usual magic delivery of your luggage to your room while you are out enjoying the resort or parks.

Dave

Why can't the valet at the resort deliver the bags to the room while the guests are out? It's actually "safer" to do that and eliminate extra interactions (both at the bus unloading and with the valet at your room door at delivery) to do so, and they will need to deliver the bags to your room anyway. I mean if Disney is gonna go "all in" for safety trying to prevent as many interactions between guests and cast members as possible, I still think this decision does the opposite, actually adding interactions. Either we need to eliminate all unnecessary interactions or we don't, no point in reducing some and adding others.

 

[sponica]

Why can't the valet at the resort deliver the bags to the room while the guests are out? It's actually "safer" to do that and eliminate extra interactions (both at the bus unloading and with the valet at your room door at delivery) to do so, and they will need to deliver the bags to your room anyway. I mean if Disney is gonna go "all in" for safety trying to prevent as many interactions between guests and cast members as possible, I still think this decision does the opposite, actually adding interactions. Either we need to eliminate all unnecessary interactions or we don't, no point in reducing some and adding others.

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?

 

[Disney Bubble Lover]

As much as I love the luggage delivery service and hope it’s a temporary change, I understand why it may be temporarily suspended. I’m guessing Disney is trying to limit the number of times staff are required to enter guest rooms to protect both staff and guests. The delivery service would be yet another person entering your room and if it’s handled by a third party vendor Disney may not have as much control as they’d like over the safety procedures/measures. After this is over I do hope luggage delivery returns as a standard service and not as an up charge option.

 

[Dean Marino]

Two things.... MDE is a bus. Fairly tight quarters.
Now? No luggage but carry-on....

While it costs? We are thinking of just using MEARS cab transport, to and from MCO. Just two of us... It allows further isolation from the Public. We used to do this DECADES ago.... we can do it again.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Yes, and when the number of guest eventually return to normal there wouldn't be room on the bus for all the guest and their luggage, right? So then it will go back to the way it was before, but with a fee for it.

There are three or four large storage compartments on any coach bus, under the passenger compartment. There is room on the bus for about 50-56 passengers. Even if the DME buses get filled to capacity - unlikely for the foreseeable future - there's plenty of room under the bus for luggage.

PS - Another point, so much for limiting contact with cast members, cause now guests will HAVE TO STOP at the front desk / valet to drop bags off

Clarity: handling luggage is neither a Front Desk nor a Valet service (except possibly removing your luggage from your trunk when you pull up to check in). Luggage is 100% handled by Bell Services/Luggage Assistance.

while the guests are out?

Because this is how Disney chooses to run Magical Express for now.

Why can't the valet at the resort deliver the bags to the room

It's not a Valet duty.

 

[WEDWDW]

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.

And with EVERYONE coming off the DME bus having Luggage and needing assistance,the line could be LONG.

Definite vacation time absorber.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I can't see them using more than about half the seats on any DME bus for now, to allow for social distancing. So, maybe 25-30 passengers. Typical party is four people, so did or seven parties (again, theoretical estimates). No, you may not be able to run right off to your room off the pool of a park bus, but even if everybody on a bus is going to the same resort and flew in on Southwest, is the five or ten minutes it takes for the bus driver to pull all 50 suitcases really a time absorber?

 

[starry_solo]

And no resort airline check-in either!

 

[Llama mama]

I will decide our travel to resort at the last minute. Since I will be grabbing our luggage from baggage claim. How long the ME line is will determine if we use it or jump into an Uber.

 

[Yensid 1928]

OK, Everybody just take a deep breath and calm down. Remember the new norm is not the new norm but just what is the norm for now. I am sure that after things get mostly back to normal Disney will see the advantage of handling the bags to streamline service. With the parks right now running at such low capacities its a smart move to have customers handle the luggage.