Not enough yellow Magical Express tags...need advice...

[lynnzrae]

Good Evening Everyone,
NSR but I need some advice. We leave for our trip Thursday morning. I have two pieces of luggage and a stroller I was going to check at the airport for the magical express. I went to put my yellow tags on and realized what I thought was two tags per person was reallly just one folded in half. Duh! I called Magical Express and it is obvioiusly too later to get another yellow tag mailed to us.

She told us we have two options...1. We pick up our own bag without a tag and take it with us on the Magical Express. 2. We give the Magical Express (at check in) the receipt for that one piece of luggage that doesn’t have a yellow tag and they pick it up using the airline receipt.

I asked if it is easier for luggage to not show up doing option #2 as it won’t have a yellow luggage tag on it. She did not sound worried in anyway.

Lindsey’s option 3 is that I take the stroller through the airport and check it at the plane gate and then and load it on magical express myself. Not a huge load but still not a preferred option.

Has anyone done option 2 where they just provided the airline’s receipt to the Magical Express at check in? If so, was it smooth sailing?
My baggage is too valuable to be worth it being too risky.
I don’t know if it too much of a risk to be worth it or not.

Thank you!

 

[starry_solo]

Cut one of the tags in half - the information is the same on both sides of the tag...that is, if you haven't already attached them.

 

[lynnzrae]

Cut one of the tags in half - the information is the same on both sides of the tag...that is, if you haven't already attached them.

I haven’t. Have you done this before?

 

[shoreward]

I have used option #2 with no issues. It may be a good idea to head straight to the Magical Express after deplaning, so they can promptly enter your airline claim check into the system, before your stroller or bag hits the baggage carousel.

 

[tjmw2727]

Personally I would not cut the yellow tag in half.

My sil has used her claim tags to have her bags delivered successfully when she booked a last minute trip.

In your case I would "gate check" the stroller, this way you have it in the airport for both legs and depending on the age of your child it can be very helpful. When you get to the gate at your departure airport just ask at the counter for a gate check tag, tag the stroller and leave it on the jetway just before you enter the aircraft, you then retrieve it at the same place when you land. This also minimizes any potential damage to the stroller in the cargo hold with all the other bags.

Edited to add: When you board the DME bus the driver will stow it under the bus for you and this way you will have it with you at the resort vs the 3 ish hours it may take for your other checked luggage to arrive at your resort.

 

[dvc at last !]

Agree - gate check the stroller.

 

[Alesia]

People use option 2 literally every day. I have never once seen a report of a problem with it.

Do not cut the tags in half.

Gate check the stroller. It will be less likely to be abused by baggage handlers that way.

 

[lynnzrae]

Thank you everyone!

 

[AngiTN]

The tags specifically say do not cut in half so I would NOT CUT them.
The instructions provided with your ME reservation do say if you do not have enough tags to take the claim checks to the staff and they will claim your bags for you

So that seems pretty clear to me what you should do, no?

 

[_19disnA]

Do not cut the tags in half.

I agree and the instructions from Disney say...... do NOT do that. The bar code is probably read by their baggage handlers for tracking purposes and an attempt to read a duplicate code that has already been scanned will likely cause an issue in their system.

 

[tink15823]

Use number two if you notice each one has its own code you do not want to cut it in half . We were able to call ahead of time and get them but the last trip we did not think we would need extra and did not call used opption number 2.

 

[Sandi]

I've done Option 2 and it worked fine. I just forgot to attach the ME tag to my bag before I gave it to our curbside service in DTW. Totally stupid -- especially after I'd reminded my DD a few times because she was flying from a different airport. The bag was in our room just like her properly tagged bag was.

 

[shocker]

I haven’t. Have you done this before?

Yes, two weeks ago, no problem at all.
Both halves have a barcode to scan & that's all they need. The printed info doesn't even need to be accurate, your current ressie info will be linked to the barcode.

 

[lancerx]

I have to admit that I cut the tags in half too (not knowing that it said not to do it), and my bags arrived to the room just fine.

 

[MinnieMSue]

I would do number 2 or 3. Prob 3 if my kid was relatively young because ME is a pretty far hike and it is easiest. I agree I would not cut the tags in half mainly because it tells you not to. You can do#1 but it isn’t necessary.

 

[seashoreCM]

THe biggest problem with cutting tags in half is there might not be enough of the tag ends to stick together and the tag becomes loose and falls off.

Proper adhesion is with enough sticky surface (I say 1-1/2 inches or 3-3/4 cm) of one end stuck to enough sticky surface of the other end with the yellow facing out.

The printed info doesn't even need to be accurate

I beg to differ. There have been sporadic trip reports including here on The DIS about Magical Express bags sitting for hours at the wrong resort, most likely due to a human error during sorting on the way from the airplanes.