New….. Resort airline check in returns!

[Lewisc]

I'm interested in the funding model, who's paying the bag company to take the bags from Pop to MCO?

My memory on past posts, not sure what is real facts vs internet facts.

Airlines and airport contributed at least as much as their contribution to curbside. Participating facilities offered check in location rent free. Passenger fees, NOT applicable at Disney,paid the rest.

Beginning of DME Bags Inc took over valet and bell services. Bags handled RAC below cost as part of the deal.

 

[gottalovepluto]

I wonder why Pop and why SW.

It’s been updated in news somewhere the test is supposed to roll out to all Values. So that would give Disney/MCO/whoever the biggest possible controlled test. Values = most rooms. WN = most bags (for now anyway).

 

[gottalovepluto]

I am SHOCKED.

I think this brings DME back in play. If this was at the back of the minds of Disney/airport/whatever execs, you know DME v2.0 has been dancing around in there too…

 

[PolyRob]

Or a nearby competitor getting lots of warm and fuzzy press / attention with one of the largest new theme park openings in decades opening soon.

This was my first thought... an article with quotes from executive leadership about the "Disney Bubble" surfaced just a few days ago. WDW must be afraid of guests looking to Universal with a burst "Disney Bubble." Adding resort perks would help encourage people to stay on property or at least end a trip with a WDW resort. DME may not be too far off.

https://blogmickey.com/2025/03/walt-disney-world-disney-bubble/

 

[gottalovepluto]

mic This was my first thought... an article with quotes from executive leadership about the "Disney Bubble" surfaced just a few days ago. WDW must be afraid of guests looking to Universal with a burst "Disney Bubble." Adding resort perks would help encourage people to stay on property or at least end a trip with a WDW resort. DME may not be too far off.

https://blogmickey.com/2025/03/walt-disney-world-disney-bubble/

I wondered why out the blue that phrase came out! In my head I was like “what? You didn’t care about the bubble when you killed DME?”

But I don’t wanna get too far ahead of myself. I’ll take luggage for now!

 

[WEDWDW]

I loved the PM EMH. You could get everything done as the waits were so low. I doubt Disney would ever bring back the 3 hrs EMH as that would make less people buy LLs.

No doubt!

Especially the LEGENDARY ones when Magic Kingdom would close at 1 AM.

There was nothing like walking out of MK at 4 AM,getting a couple of hours sleep and being back at MK for the 9 AM open!

Those were not good times,those were GREAT times!

 

[SL6827]

Does anybody think Disney has been keeping some of these pre-COVID benefits in their back pocket as a "lever" to pull if an economic downturn were to start impacting travel? It seems an interesting time to re-introduce this perk.

Yes. Absolutely.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

I think this brings DME back in play. If this was at the back of the minds of Disney/airport/whatever execs, you know DME v2.0 has been dancing around in there too…

Just the other day I was looking at all the MCO signs that still have what used to be the DME directional signage, just covered up. It's all still there!

 

[zdad59]

This is good news. We don't head to WDW until September, so I hope this proves a success and is expanded to all WDW hotels. I'd love to see MDE come back but I don't expect that will happen anytime soon. Even for a small fee the bag service or MDE service is valuable.

 

[PolyRob]

Just the other day I was looking at all the MCO signs that still have what used to be the DME directional signage, just covered up. It's all still there!

Same with the WDW resort maps only not covered up

 

[Lewisc]

I'm interested in the funding model, who's paying the bag company to take the bags from Pop to MCO? I

According to the article linked in this thread the airport will pay $6.75 for each bag delivered, by a qualified company, to a remote sorting facility.

 

[EACarlson]

According to the article linked in this thread the airport will pay $6.75 for each bag delivered, by a qualified company, to a remote sorting facility.

I would guess that would make critical mass about 100 bags an hour to break even without any other revenue source.

 

[Lewisc]

I would guess that would make critical mass about 100 bags an hour to break even without any other revenue source.

That means 800 SW pax a day to break even. Probably not realistic.

I'll speculate Craig wants the bell services contract and will include baggage check as part of the contract. Have some of the staff certified to reduce the number of extra staff.

I don't know what airlines pay for.curbside. I'm assuming that's a revenue source.

This appears to be bag drop. The clerk will check ID and weigh the bag. A few minutes longer then accepting the bag for storage.

 

[EACarlson]

That means 800 SW pax a day to break even. Probably not realistic.

I'll speculate Craig wants the bell services contract and will include baggage check as part of the contract. Have some of the staff certified to reduce the number of extra staff.

I don't know what airlines pay for.curbside. I'm assuming that's a revenue source.

This appears to be bag drop. The clerk will check ID and weigh the bag. A few minutes longer then accepting the bag for storage.

A lot cheaper to have a couple of people and only have to push the cart into the terminal than having to have a truck make at least an hour round trip. The curbside drop guys are getting minimum wage from their company but making a crap ton in tips.

 

[Lewisc]

A lot cheaper to have a couple of people and only have to push the cart into the terminal than having to have a truck make at least an hour round trip. The curbside drop guys are getting minimum wage from their company but making a crap ton in tips.

We may be the only posters who care about how the expenses are paid.

I'll speculate the money paid by the airport is more then enough to cover the cost of transporting bags to the airport.

The incremental time to check ID and weigh a bag is a few minutes more then the time it takes to tag bags for storage.

SW has long lines to check bags. It's possible they'll pay a per bag fee or at least pay for the kiosk and tag printer.

Without guest payment the service is unlikely to generate much of a profit. Break even is plausible.

I'll speculate Craig is hoping to get Disney's valet and bell services business. Leverage the Disney account in obtaining more lucrative accounts.

 

[Mouse Tracker]

Without guest payment the service is unlikely to generate much of a profit. Break even is plausible.

As with everything at Disney lately, I can see this as gauging resort guest interest with the ultimate goal of creating a "pay for perk", kind of akin to how FP+ has transitioned to what it is today.

 

[gottalovepluto]

I wanna play along! This week I am an entrepreneurship expert!

So he sold the og bag biz in ‘18 for $275 mil. To me that says it was successful even without a bell contract so that might be more of an icing on the cake situation. Whoever he sold it to must have had their shirt handed to them in Covid because they obviously are no longer in the picture. In the limited form I would expect it to lose money, but every biz expects to lose money for X amount of time as ops ramp.

As for who pays, I elect MCO, the airline and Disney. Disney at a minimum I expect pays facility support in exchange for happy customers spending more time and therefore money at Disney. MCO and the airlines save money avoiding the customer front end support so it would make sense they would each contribute a fee toward the service.

If this succeeds it would be even more interesting to see its future. The patent includes file sharing for airline, cruise, resort, TSA and even CBP so maybe he doesn’t just see this as a Disney service- or he’s setting the stage for a DCL bag contract too…

 

[Dave006]

In the limited form I would expect it to lose money, but every biz expects to lose money for X amount of time as ops ramp.

This is just a pilot at PoP only with one Airline SWA. I am sure that Craig Mateer has a business plan to make money, after all he is a serial entrepreneur.

Dave