From 2005 through late 2021, Walt Disney World (WDW) offered a free service called Disney’s Magical Express (DME). It was a fleet of full-sized passenger buses, provided by long-time local Mears Transportation, that brought theme park guests and their bags between Orlando International Airport (MCO) and Disney-owned hotels at the WDW Resort.
Of course, Disney didn’t offer the service out of the goodness of their hearts. Utilizing DME meant that guests who might otherwise rent cars (and therefore go off property to visit other theme parks, eat at local restaurants, etc.) would typically stay on property for their entire vacation, and therefore spend more money at the resort instead of outside it.
Anyway, with some corporate-speak as to why, the service was discontinued after December 31, 2021. From that point onward, guests staying on property were on their own to find transportation between the resort and the airport (there were and are still are a lot of options).
That’s remained the case ever since. However, Disney is now piloting a new transport system between the resort and the airport. They’re still not transporting people, but are bringing their bags to the airport, at least to a small sampling of guests staying at select WDW resort hotels.
A New Pilot Program for Luggage Assistance
The 90-day Luggage Assistance pilot program started last week, on April 3rd. With it, guests who are (A) staying at several Disney value resorts and (B) flying on Southwest Airlines can drop off their checked bags at their hotel’s luggage service when their vacation ends.
Their bags will automatically be checked in for them at Southwest. This way guests won’t have to drag their bags to the airport, will be able to avoid the queues at the check-in counters and can simply pick up their luggage at baggage claim when they arrive at their destination.
Where the Service Is Available
The service is available at the following Value Resort hotels:
- Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort
- Disney’s All-Star Music Resort
- Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort
- Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
- Disney’s Pop Century Resort
You must be departing MCO on Southwest Airlines to take advantage of the pilot program.
Here’s how it works:
- At the beginning of your stay, check in at your Disney Value Resort hotel and call or visit Luggage Assistance to take advantage of this service. For a smoother experience, leave your inbound Southwest Airlines tags on your bags.
- The day before your departure, check in for your Southwest Airlines flight online.
- Drop off your bags at Luggage Assistance in the Resort hotel lobby area by the required drop off time. Please be aware that you will need to provide a valid form of photo identification in order to drop off your bags. You can also call Luggage Assistance from your in-room telephone to ask for help with your bags.
- Head to the airport, skip the check-in line, enjoy your flight and pick up your bags at baggage claim when you arrive at your destination.
WDW strongly encourages that you drop off your bags the night before your scheduled departure, but if you need extra time, you can also:
- When Flying Before 1:00 PM: Drop your bags off by 1:00 AM the night before your flight.
- When Flying at or After 1:00 PM: Drop your bags off at least 4 hours before departure or no later than 1:00 PM—whichever comes first.
Luggage Assistance is available to receive luggage any time from 7am-1pm and 4pm-1am daily.
The Company Behind the Service
According to the Orlando Sentinel, the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority (GOAA ) signed an agreement with Bag Check LLC for the pilot program. Bag Check LLC was founded by Craig Mateer, an Orlando entrepreneur.
Mateer’s previous company, Bags Inc., previously handled baggage transport for Disney’s resort guests, back in the day. In 2018, he sold Bags Inc. to a national parking conglomerate for $275 million.
Why Offer This Service Now?
Good question. Of course, it surely isn’t altruism. The Sentinel suggests that this system, “could reduce pressure and frustrations at baggage claim carousels — comes as airport leaders concede Orlando’s two older terminals, A and B, face “operational challenges” related to an aging baggage-handling system that needs upgrades as the nation’s seventh-busiest airport gets ever busier.”
Of course, if all they’re doing is bringing bags from the resorts to the airport, that won’t affect the MCO baggage carousels at all. But it could potentially decrease the strain at the Southwest check-in kiosks.
And who knows – if the system works well, it could be expanded to more airlines and/or more resorts. However Disney isn’t yet saying if they plan to expand or keep the system once the 90-day pilot program is done.
“We continue to work with Orlando International Airport on ways we can help manage the high demand for travel to Central Florida and improve the experience for our guests and other airport passengers,” said Avery Maehrer, a Disney spokesman.
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This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary
