Disney News, Discussion & an Element of Fun - 2025 Edition

[afan]

Very surprised about this one: WDW testing the return of airline check-in. Only happening at Pop right now (and apparently rolling out to Values next month?) and only for Southwest.

This would be huge, not only for those staying on site but those just going through MCO. If you can get the on site people out of the check-in lines and straight to security that would help so much. MCO is so insane with lines.

 

[kylenne]

This would be huge, not only for those staying on site but those just going through MCO. If you can get the on site people out of the check-in lines and straight to security that would help so much. MCO is so insane with lines.

This is a really good point I hadn't considered. Shifting all those Disney resort guests to using the bag drop off counters at MCO had to suck for everyone.

 

[Duckbug.Ducktales]

How does the bag drop off work at the resort? We never took advantage of it before. Does Disney tag them and then take them to each airline at MCO?

 

[kylenne]

How does the bag drop off work at the resort? We never took advantage of it before. Does Disney tag them and then take them to each airline at MCO?

Back in the day you used to check in at the RAC counter, usually near Bell Services (iirc the one at the Poly was outside across from it), they would print out your boarding pass and tag your bags just like at the airline counter at the airport. You'd get the little stickers for tracking purposes and then you'd collect your bags at your home airport.

The vendor would take them to the airport. Idk how the logistics worked from there but I do know they went separate from DME.

 

[BrianL]

How does the bag drop off work at the resort? We never took advantage of it before. Does Disney tag them and then take them to each airline at MCO?

Basically yes. You would check-in and drop your bags with luggage services who could print the tags for your airline. Then they were sent along to MCO to continue to your destination.

 

[Ensusieasm]

Basically yes. You would check-in and drop your bags with luggage services who could print the tags for your airline. Then they were sent along to MCO to continue to your destination.

So nice! This means, if your flight is late afternoon, you could check your bags then go to a park and uber direct from the park to the airport.

 

[lowlight]

I wonder if Bag check in is in response to something Universal is preparing.

 

[jade1]

I wonder if Bag check in is in response to something Universal is preparing.

Maybe related to the train.

 

[sherlockmiles]

I wonder if Bag check in is in response to something Universal is preparing.

I doubt it.

 

[rstevens333]

Might be as simple as seeing if they can reinforce "the bubble" before Epic Universe opens. If it were me in charge, I'd bring back Magical Express "expressly" to reduce the number of people renting a car, just to make it a little less likely they will go AWOL for a day.

Interesting that they are testing this with Southwest. Change of ownership over there has SW about to charge for checked bags for the first time.

 

[kylenne]

I doubt it.

I don't think it's directly related but I don't think it's out of the realm of possibility that Disney is a bit concerned about keeping resort occupancy high. Uni is opening all these hotels and trying to position themselves as a true resort now rather than a day or two people tack onto a vacation they otherwise spend on Disney property, in Disney resorts. Shoring up the bubble is a smart move.

 

[BrianL]

I don't think it's directly related but I don't think it's out of the realm of possibility that Disney is a bit concerned about keeping resort occupancy high. Uni is opening all these hotels and trying to position themselves as a true resort now rather than a day or two people tack onto a vacation they otherwise spend on Disney property, in Disney resorts. Shoring up the bubble is a smart move.

Yeah, I don't really think it's the "Theme Park Wars" that matter much, but rather the Hotel Wars! Park attendance is likely to remain steady for Disney - but where people stay brings in the big bucks!

Terra Luna resort is the kind of place Disney should be worried about too.

 

[lowlight]

I doubt it.

Who knows, but I don’t believe that Disney just wants to restore some of that “bubble feeling”.

 

[Brian Noble]

I'd bring back Magical Express "expressly" to reduce the number of people renting a car

It would reduce car rentals. It doesn't reduce ride shares---and for someone doing "mostly Disney" one uber/lyft round trip to Epic is cheaper than renting a car.

 

[jade1]

Might be as simple as seeing if they can reinforce "the bubble" before Epic Universe opens. If it were me in charge, I'd bring back Magical Express "expressly" to reduce the number of people renting a car, just to make it a little less likely they will go AWOL for a day.

Agreed, although if the train goes back and forth from DSprings to Epic-I can see a lot of AWOLs for the day.

But as mentioned, keeping them in the WDW hotels would be something WDW would prefer.

If US starts a similar program, a lot of their guests would hit a WDW park as well IMO.

 

[BrianL]

Agreed, although if the train goes back and forth from DSprings to Epic-I can see a lot of AWOLs for the day.

But as mentioned, keeping them in the WDW hotels would be something WDW would prefer.

If US starts a similar program, a lot of their guests would hit a WDW park as well IMO.

Ideally, if the train goes to Uni, that would help keep people in their WDW hotels, as it would be easy to get there and back for a day.

 

[jade1]

Ideally, if the train goes to Uni, that would help keep people in their WDW hotels, as it would be easy to get there and back for a day.

Yep, my exact middle paragraph.

AWOL for the day, but not the night.

Similar to US guests visiting WDW.

Real win for us guests from either direction.

 

[LoveToDisney]

I noticed SWA had put in a bag check desk by Mears where they drop you off at terminal B. It allows one to not have to drag bags from Mears over to Terminal A before being able to check them.

 

[Naomeri]

I noticed SWA had put in a bag check desk by Mears where they drop you off at terminal B. It allows one to not have to drag bags from Mears over to Terminal A before being able to check them.

Oooh, that's good to know, that's the second worst thing about departure day (the actual worst being that it's departure day in the first place )

 

[wabbott]

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/04/01/disney-world-progress-report/

Progress report: Disney World execs talk theme-park projects

By Dewayne Bevil | dbevil@orlandosentinel.com | Orlando Sentinel
UPDATED: April 1, 2025 at 6:46 AM EDT

(toggle to the reader view, then refresh. the complete article should come up)