Magical Express

[Hallomagic]

Hi,

Has anyone ever received their magical express transfers and they were incorrect?

We did and it is too late to get new ones. We were told just to board the plane without placing the tags on the luggage, go to the magical express booth when we arrive and that they still will be able to take care of our luggage without us having to go get it.

Has anyone ever had to do this? And if so, did you have any problems?

Thanks!

[faline]

I havent' done it but I have heard of many who have done it without any problems.

[CleveRocks]

Hi,

Has anyone ever received their magical express transfers and they were incorrect?

We did and it is too late to get new ones. We were told just to board the plane without placing the tags on the luggage, go to the magical express booth when we arrive and that they still will be able to take care of our luggage without us having to go get it.

Has anyone ever had to do this? And if so, did you have any problems?

Thanks!Unless there is something VERY wrong about your yellow DME tags, you got bad information.

My guess is that you called the main DIsney # at 407-W-DISNEY to get this info. I;m guessing you did not cal DME directly at 866-599-0951. After you read what I write, if you don't trust my info, call DME directly and they'll confirm it for you.

The reason I'm assuming you called the main Disney number is that they are famous for giving out bad info (except for what they're trained in, such as resort and dining information).

What is incorrect about the tags? I'm assuming you changed resorts at some point, and the tags you received have the name of the "old" resort instead of the new one.

Here's the most important question: Is your reservation number correct on the tags??? as long as your reservation number is accurate, then you can use the tags in total confidence.

Here's why. The tag has barcodes on it. The barcode is the "computerese" version of your reservation number. The tag gets scanned as the luggage is sent through the DME luggage sorting system. WHen the barcode is scanned, it gives the people and the computer your reservation information. So, for example, if you originally had a reservation at Wilderness Lodge and later switched to Animal Kingdom Lodge, you would have retained the same reservation number (as long as you didn't change from a room-only reservation to a package reservation or vice-versa).

Anyway, your barcode will get the bag sent to the proper place.

What DME recommends is that you take a black Sharpie marker and carefully cross out the name of the "old" resort, but they very strongly tell you to NOT TOUCH THE BARCODE. (If your resort is in a different "zone" [marked by the two-letter code inside the Mickey head at the top and bottom of the tag], then you should cross that out, too).

So if the only thing "wrong" with your tags is the wrong resort, then please trust me and follow the above instructions and go ahead and use those tags! And feel free to call DME (866-599-0951) to check up on me!

Here's the other bit of misinformation you received. Even if you don't have a DME tag on your checked luggage, you can still skip baggage claim and have DME automatically handle and deliber your bags for you. When you arrive at MCO, skip baggage claim and go right to the DME counter. They will ask you if you tagged your bags, and you'll tell them no. They'll ask for your baggage claim check numbers, as well as a physical description of each bag. They will dispatch a cast member to go to baggage claim and claim your bags for you. This CM will then take your bags back behind-the-scenes in the airport and print out DME tags for you (they will be white instead of the usual yellow). The CM will then bring the bags to the collection point where all of the "normal" DME bags are ... they will be loaded up and travel to the DME luggage sorting facility on the grounds of the airport, where they will be sorted by zone and then by resort, will be loaded into locked cages, the cages will be loaded onto GPS-tracked trucks,a nd the trucks will make their rounds to the resorts.

The barcodes are scanned 5 times along the entire route, and the trucks are tracked by GPS. In other words, Disney knows where your bags are at all times.

I realize this is a ton of information and might be overwhelming, but please feel free to ask all the questions you want!:mickey:

[Hallomagic]

Thanks for all the information!!

Here is a more detailed description of the problem... I am hoping it works the same as you just described:

We were upgraded to AKL (LOL..ironic you posted AKL in your example). The yellow tags correctly list the resort. However, Jetblue changed our flight #'s. Disney was notifed more than 45 days in advance but our Disney Magical express information book lists the confirmation # with the wrong (old) flight #'s.

So I am wondering since the tags list AKL, would we still be all set even though they have different flight #'s under the confirmation#?

I hope I didn't make this confusing... trying to explain something in writing instead of talking can be hard sometimes...LOL.

Thanks again for the help!

[CleveRocks]

Thanks for all the information!!

Here is a more detailed description of the problem... I am hoping it works the same as you just described:

We were upgraded to AKL (LOL..ironic you posted AKL in your example). The yellow tags correctly list the resort. However, Jetblue changed our flight #'s. Disney was notifed more than 45 days in advance but our Disney Magical express information book lists the confirmation # with the wrong (old) flight #'s.

So I am wondering since the tags list AKL, would we still be all set even though they have different flight #'s under the confirmation#?

I hope I didn't make this confusing... trying to explain something in writing instead of talking can be hard sometimes...LOL.

Thanks again for the help!

[By the way, I saw "AK" and "2009" in your signature and put 2 and 2 together ...] :D

Use those tags!

Whether or not the tags have the flight numbers correct will have NO EFFECT on the handling of your luggage. Any DME-tagged bag gets handled and delivered. They aren't waiting for an exact number of bags from each specific flight ... they just pull the DME-tagged bags willy-nilly and get them to the DME luggage sorting facility. Trust me, no one is looking at the flight number on a DME tag.

And since you already called and told them your correct flight #, then you are all set. I'll include the following info just in case anyone else is reading and might benefit from the following info:

People whose incoming flight number has changed, you DO want to call DME at 866-599-0951 and verbally inform them of your new flight number. You should do this only as a "just in case," but it still has NOTHING to do with your luggage. DME closes down at 11 p.m. unless there are flights arriving after that that have DME guests with DME reservations. DME will stay open as long as there are still incoming flights with DME guests on them. DME is tied into the airport's and airlines' computer systems. So let's say your flight is scheduled to land at 7 p.m. but due to an equipment problem or bad weather you don't actually land at MCO until 3:00 a.m. If DME knows you are on that plane (that is, if you have a DME reservation and they know your correct flight #), then the DME folks will wait for you because they know you are still scheduled to arrive. If they don't know you are on that flight, they'll just pack it in for the night when they think no one is left who has yet to arrive and who has a DME reservation.

Make sense? Like I said, making sure they have your correct flight # is just a "just in case thing, but will have nothing nothing nothing to do with your luggage.

[Hallomagic]

I feel much better now!

Thanks so much for your help!!

[DryCreek]

(If your resort is in a different "zone" [marked by the two-letter code inside the Mickey head at the top and bottom of the tag]

Hmm, just looked at our yellow DME tags. I would assume that since we are booked for the POR, the "DD" in white letters found inside Mickey's head would imply Downtown Disney?
Or do I just have an over-active imagination?

Lots of great information. The other half of our traveling party is flying in from Virginia, and I have yet to receive their DME tags. They DO however show up in our reservation, so all is good there.

I have already informed WDW via e-mail, but their response was the generic "you can still use the DME just......". I still would like to have the DMW tags for the in-laws. I want to show them how seamlessly a true Disney Vacation can be planned.

Last time they went we stayed OS at the request of the rest of the family members (they had never been before, and wouldn't listen to us). This time they are looking forward to a "Total Immersion" vacation! Lets hope that the mouse doesn't disappoint!

[brian2000boston]

just wondering or maybe i misunderstood but if the in-laws show up in you reservation then wouldnt all the ME tags show up in the same envelope?

[DryCreek]

just wondering or maybe i misunderstood but if the in-laws show up in you reservation then wouldnt all the ME tags show up in the same envelope?

I had made all of the arrangements at the same time. Since the in-laws live in Virgina, they were considering driving down, but later changed their minds when they saw an airfare deal (which, was surreptitiously e-mailed to them by me). It was about three days after we made our DME arrangements that I added them.

Our original goal was to stay in the Wilderness Campground as we have done before, but for some strange reason they are booked solid for the week of February 1 through 7! I have never encountered that before. Well, on the bright side, we will get to experience the DDP for the first time, and I have been visiting WDW since 1980 (since First Liberty at ONTC, RTC & NNPS-1981).