Disney's Magical Express/RAC - What "Participating Airline" Really Means!

[egile]

Originally Posted by acpalmer

I will fully admit I have not read all 74 pages, but I have read about 35 of them and didn't see this answered, so I'm going to go ahead and ask.

We are flying on United when we leave MCO (we are also arriving on United, but that's beside the point) and I understand they are a participating airline, so I can call BAGS ahead of time to pay my luggage fee and then check in at the RAC desk, etc. My question comes from the fact that United charges one fee per bag if you pay it at check-in, but a lower fee if you check in online (up to) 24 hours before your flight and pay it online. I would, as you might guess, like to pay the lower fee and am happy to check in online in order to do that. BUT, can I do this and still use the RAC desk to check my bags there all the way through to our final destination rather than having to deal with them on the ME bus myself? Or in order to use the RAC desk do I have to pay the fee through BAGS? And I'm assuming BAGS would charge me the higher fee--does that sound right? If I am able to do it online ahead of time (and still use RAC), will I need to print anything at that time to show to the RAC desk? And if I need to print, where could I do that?

Sorry, I know I have lots of questions stacked up in the one paragraph, but any help with this would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you!!

This. This is exactly my question. Flying United from MCO and want to know if I can check-in with United online, pay the lower bag fee, and still use RAC for luggage.

[Shelly888]

OK, just to clarify: Staying at caribbean beach and flying home on southwest we can NOT use DME, is that correct? THanks!

[Horace Horsecollar]

Originally Posted by Shelly888

OK, just to clarify: Staying at caribbean beach and flying home on southwest we can NOT use DME, is that correct? THanks!

Please read post #1 of this thread.

You CAN use DME for transportation both ways. You CAN use DME for inbound bag transfers.

You CANNOT use RAC for SW at CBR at this time, but that is expected to change once CBR can physically handle more bags.

[simba2]

We were looking forward to doing Resort Check in for our trip home from POFQ. DME paperwork does not mention Southwest. I thought it was a done deal that they now participated in the Resort Check in? We'll have to carry our luggage on the bus, again, if flying SWA?

[Horace Horsecollar]

Originally Posted by simba2

We were looking forward to doing Resort Check in for our trip home from POFQ. DME paperwork does not mention Southwest. I thought it was a done deal that they now participated in the Resort Check in? We'll have to carry our luggage on the bus, again, if flying SWA?

Please read post #1 of this thread.

You CAN now use RAC for Southwest Airlines at the majority of WDW resorts with the exception of OKW and CBR.

[simba2]

Great! POFQ is using it! Thanks!

[mickmom728]

Woohoo! Got my DME tags today but I have a question. I admit to not reading this whole thread so here goes: What does the AK on the green Mickey head stand for on the tags? TIA

[simba2]

Are you staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge?

[Horace Horsecollar]

Originally Posted by mickmom728

Woohoo! Got my DME tags today but I have a question. I admit to not reading this whole thread so here goes: What does the AK on the green Mickey head stand for on the tags? TIA

The code is used for sorting luggage onto the right truck.

For example, tags for the Epcot area resorts, such as the Beach Club, have a blue Mickey silhouette with the letters "EC" in it.

Tags for Animal Kingdom area resorts, including the value resorts, have a green Mickey silhouette with the letters "AK" in it.

[mickmom728]

Thanks Horace--we are staying at Pop so I guess that would be AK area!

[goofy4tink]

Originally Posted by mickmom728

Thanks Horace--we are staying at Pop so I guess that would be AK area!

It is indeed.

[LilBart]

Hi all, we are doing a split stay between Shades of Grenn and Wilderness Lodge. We originally booked at Wilderness Lodge for the whole trip but but then booked a split stay with Shades of Green. This all occurred after we already got our vouchers for Wilderness Lodge. Here is my question: Are we allowed to use the ME to take us to WL on the date of our arrival and then simply take our luggage and make our way to SOG using the Boat/monorail, etc or are we screwed because we are now starting our trip at Shades of Green and thus no longer get the benefit of using the Disney Express to get to WDW. We our still ending our trip at WL and thus can take it back.

Also, how would it work with out luggage under that scenario.

[CleveRocks]

Originally Posted by LilBart

Hi all, we are doing a split stay between Shades of Grenn and Wilderness Lodge. We originally booked at Wilderness Lodge for the whole trip but but then booked a split stay with Shades of Green. This all occurred after we already got our vouchers for Wilderness Lodge. Here is my question: Are we allowed to use the ME to take us to WL on the date of our arrival and then simply take our luggage and make our way to SOG using the Boat/monorail, etc or are we screwed because we are now starting our trip at Shades of Green and thus no longer get the benefit of using the Disney Express to get to WDW. We our still ending our trip at WL and thus can take it back.

Also, how would it work with out luggage under that scenario.

Unfortunately, in your language, you're screwed.

DME is a function of resort reservations. You no longer have a reservation at a Disney owned-and-operated resort on your arrival day in Orlando. You have a voucher for a DISNEY arrival day that no longer exists. You'll have to pay for your way from the airport to SoG. But you can certainly take DME back to the airport at the end of your Wilderness Lodge stay.

I don't know how it would work computer/voucher-wise if you tried to board a DME bus bound for Wilderness Lodge. I suspect it wouldn't compute, but I can't say with 100% certainty that you would be stopped and not permitted to board a DME bus.

What I DO know for sure is even if you were able to do that, you won't be able to have your checked luggage sent through to WL for you, since you don't have a reservation there yet. You'd have to take your luggage on the bus with you. And therein lies the next problem ... you can't take suitcases on the boats and monorails and buses. You'd have to take a taxi from WL to SoG.

[goofy4tink]

No way will you be able to use DME upon arrival. You aren't staying at a Disney owned resort to begin with. Then, you want to go to a different resort than the one you are registered at. Your reservation no longer says WL..it says SoG. That was your choice to switch resorts. When you get to the airport, your voucher would be scanned, twice. There is no way you could get on a bus...since there is no bus to SoG. And that's what your voucher will scan as. Although it is written in as WL, the actual reservation is now at SoG. This is why we tell people to just cross out the name of the resort they are going to and carefully write in the new one...the bar code, on the vouchers and tags, already have been changed to the new resort.

No way of getting around it. You will have to find your own transportation to SoG upon arrival.

Oh, by the way...there is some terminology used here that is right at the edge. Try to think before posting. While you may not have an issue with the terms you are using, others may. And then I am forced to start editing posts and that is something I don't like to do.

[howlongtillsummer?]

Hi

Does DME have to be booked for all members of the family - half of us are taking a hire car?

Can you elect to return to the airport at a variety of times on departure day - I think that three hours before wll be late for us - we would rather go sooner?

We can choose to take our bags on the coach with us - correct?

Many thanks