ME- only for you bags??

[Minnie's Northern Friend]

We are considering renting a car... But not sure if we will have the room we need with all the luggage to and from the airport... Can we use it just for the luggage?? and rent our car at the airport??

[SBETigg]

For safety and security reasons, you're not supposed to use DME as a bags-only transport service. I'm not sure how thoroughly they police this, but you do have to check in at the DME counter and line up to board, and I assume they would notice the disparity between bags being picked up and the number of passengers on the bus. Maybe not. But it's still not supposed to work that way, to my understanding.

[eandrsmom]

I asked the reservationist about doing the exact same thing on our last trip. She told me that they did not transfer the just the luggage. It was due to security.

[Flower]

You can rent at vehicles AT WDW thru National/Alamo! This way you can take advantage of DME and rent a car once you arrive on-site as opposed to an airport car rental.

We actually flew into St Petes, rented a car and dropped it off at WDW when we checked in - the experience was seamless and no more expensive to pick up and drop off in 2 different locations.

When we arrived at Fort Wilderness with our rental, we checked in and drove to the on-site rental lot. They then shuttled us back to our resort, it was quick!

Here is more info on the on-site car rentals.
http://www.intercot.com/infocentral/transportation/transoffsite.asp

[Fangorn]

One thing we've done when going with our DD and her husband, is to have them use ME and take the luggage, while I pick up the car and drive to the resort.

Steve

[chick20679]

We are considering renting a car... But not sure if we will have the room we need with all the luggage to and from the airport... Can we use it just for the luggage?? and rent our car at the airport??

I think the onsite rental option mentioned is your best bet. That way you can use DME and then only rent (and pay for) the car the number of days you'll really use it.
:twocents:

[Cheloconnell]

I'm confused - it is not like they figure out who is on which bus and wait for the luggage to arrive and then go to the hotel with you and your luggage. You get on a bus and they have other vehicles that come and pick up the luggage at certain times. That is why they tell you your luggage may not arrive till after 3:00. :confused:

[Piglet822]

I'm confused - it is not like they figure out who is on which bus and wait for the luggage to arrive and then go to the hotel with you and your luggage. You get on a bus and they have other vehicles that come and pick up the luggage at certain times. That is why they tell you your luggage may not arrive till after 3:00. :confused:

Everything, luggage and passengers, are checked and cross checked.
It is my understanding that DME will not deliver luggage if there are no passengers checked in on their computer system that correspond to those bags.
This is for security reasons.

[thrillme]

I tried this route before too and was told "no body...no bag":)

Somebody had to be aboard to escort the bags.

[LynneM]

Everything, luggage and passengers, are checked and cross checked.
It is my understanding that DME will not deliver luggage if there are no passengers checked in on their computer system that correspond to those bags.
This is for security reasons.

This is what I've heard as well. I've also read that if you don't check in for the bus, they remove your bags from the truck and leave them at baggage claim at the airport.

[CleveRocks]

It has NOTHING to do with security. At the airport, the DME luggage is loaded into cages and the cages are loaded into DME luggage delivery trucks. The DME-handled luggage doesn't go on buses. So like I said, it has NOTHING to do with security. Whether or not you ride a bus doesn't make luggage on a separate truck any safer or any less secure.

[CleveRocks]

I'm confused - it is not like they figure out who is on which bus and wait for the luggage to arrive and then go to the hotel with you and your luggage. You get on a bus and they have other vehicles that come and pick up the luggage at certain times. That is why they tell you your luggage may not arrive till after 3:00. :confused:
I'm afraid you must have read something incorrectly. They don't tell you your luggage will be delivered after 3:00 p.m. They tell you your luggage should arrive inside your room about 3 hours after you arrive at your resort.:puppy:

The luggage has to come in from the aircraft, be pulled aside (that's why the DME tags are bright yellow, so they're easily spotted), be transfered to Disney's luggage sorting facility on-site at the airport, be sorted by resort, be loaded into cages, the cages are loaded onto trucks, then the trucks deliver luggage to several resorts (divided by zones), then each individual resort's Bell Services department (or Luggage Assistance at the Value resorts) is responsible for delivering the bags to the inside of the rooms. This all takes time.

[Cheloconnell]

I'm afraid you must have read something incorrectly. They don't tell you your luggage will be delivered after 3:00 p.m. They tell you your luggage should arrive inside your room about 3 hours after you arrive at your resort.:puppy:

The luggage has to come in from the aircraft, be pulled aside (that's why the DME tags are bright yellow, so they're easily spotted), be transfered to Disney's luggage sorting facility on-site at the airport, be sorted by resort, be loaded into cages, the cages are loaded onto trucks, then the trucks deliver luggage to several resorts (divided by zones), then each individual resort's Bell Services department (or Luggage Assistance at the Value resorts) is responsible for delivering the bags to the inside of the rooms. This all takes time.

Thanks for clarifying - my point wasn't that it gets there after 3 or whatever time, it was that your luggage is not put on the same bus that you are. Either way, obviously everyone has heard that this is against policy and shouldn't be done. And we all now have a lesson on what it takes to move luggage....:sleepin: