Disney's Magical Express will discontinue luggage delivery service

Jul 10, 2020 in "Disney Magical Express"

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Posted: Friday July 10, 2020 8:09am ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

Beginning July 16, 2020 Disney’s Magical Express service will not be providing luggage delivery service for those arriving to and departing from the airport.

Magical Express is still available but with modifications

Complimentary airport transportation via Disney’s Magical Express service for Guests arriving and departing from Orlando International Airport is continuing to operate during this period, with some modifications.

Guests who choose to use Disney’s Magical Express service will be responsible for picking up any of their checked luggage from the airport’s baggage claim area, so that it can be loaded onto the motorcoach to their Disney Resort hotel. Your luggage will travel with you to your Disney Resort hotel.

Luggage assistance will be available at the front of your Disney Resort hotel, including luggage storage and/or transport to the room.

Resort airline check-in service is also unavailable at this time, and on departure baggage will need to be loaded onto Magical Express for check in at the airport.

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jaklgreenJul 19, 2020

I am fine with this. They did not even offer DME at the time when our kids were little. I braved solo trips with 2 toddlers having to get my own bags and deal with arranging transportation. So this is really a non-issue for me. I am just happy that I don't have to pay for transportation any more. The last few trips I got my luggage and brought it with me on the bus anyway. I usually get there later in the afternoon and I like getting into my room, unpacking, and settling in before I head out for the evening. It makes it easier when I come back later in the night to have my room set up and ready. I can't imagine this being any kind of a "deal breaker" for a trip to WDW. It's my happy place and going there, even with the restrictions now, is still better then sitting at home. It's been a emotionally eventful year for me, so I need my Disney fix as soon as I can get it.

wendysueJul 19, 2020

I canceled our August trip today. Really went back and forth on doing it, but with the rising cases and nothing quite the same in the parks, I knew I had to. When they discontinued luggage service...it was just the last straw for us. To all who continue with their trips, I hope you have a magical time. :)

carriebethJul 18, 2020

Luggage service is amazing. With 8 kids and 14 day trips we have tons of huge suitcases. We would have to rent a large van which is usually over $1000 per week anyways plus it is really difficult to fit everyone in and the luggage in even in a van. We have a 12 passenger van at home but take out 2 seats to fit luggage on the way to the airport. So DME saves us lots of money and hassle.

wendysueJul 15, 2020

Yep, luggage service is a huge deal for us, having some rather nasty arthritis. We also now know that the bus service to the airport that we usually use won't be running, and I won't drive into Chicago for ANY reason. :).

DisneyJoeJul 15, 2020

I know that for many that are traveling with small children in strollers with diaper bags etc, having someone else take care of the luggage is a huge benefit. (oops - just noticed the poster before me said the same thing LOL)

slipperalwaysfitsJul 15, 2020

Thanks for the info @nickys ! I think it the luggage service will be back. First, the ride isn't "Free," they say it's complimentary, but let's be honest, it's built into the costs of rooms on property. As for free luggage service, that's a huge benefit. Since so many of WDW visitors have young children, it's one less things for parents to worry about, getting to bag claim, and maneuvering luggage to a car or the bus. It's a livesaver for many people.

nickysJul 15, 2020

As international guests we usually just bring our luggage with us on the coach when we fly direct into MCO. We have used the luggage delivery when we flew via Newark but it isn’t why we use DME. For us, we don’t like hiring a car at the airport because of the jet lag and general tiredness (it’s usually at least 15 hours from leaving the house to getting through immigration). But the vacation starts with settling into a DME seat and the video starting. No matter how tired I am, that makes me smile and I start getting butterflies with the excitement. 😊

MikeyK72Jul 15, 2020

For my wife and I, definitely the luggage service is the appeal. As mentioned previously, we usually bring golf clubs to Disney and the DME along with resort airline check-in make that super easy.

Shouldigo12Jul 15, 2020

This thread kind of has me curious on how many people use DME because of the luggage vs having a free ride. I always thought it was the free trip, but is the luggage really the big appeal for a lot of people?

nickysJul 15, 2020

No, nothing that confirms it’s a permanent move. The wording on the Disney site is ”During the initial reopening period, some benefits may be modified or unavailable” and then goes on to the changes to DME.

slipperalwaysfitsJul 14, 2020

Is there anything confirmed that Disney has discontinued the luggage service permanently? The thread title says "Disney Discontinues luggage service," true, but it seems to me like it's more a pause. Disney really wants us to "stay in the bubble" @MikeyK72 says and carrying our luggage is a major perk. If we get our own luggage, than more of us rent cars and go outside the bubble for longer periods, and the mouse loses money.

EdnaModeJul 13, 2020

We have figured out how to go anywhere for any length of time using a 21" roll aboard and a backpack (each.). So we don't normally check bags. But for our next Disney visit, I had planned to avoid handling the overhead bins and just quickly plop down in our seats. But now that we'll have to deal with either the bins or with the congregating that can happen at the carousels....we're probably back to carrying on. Although we don't normally have Disney handle our luggage logistics, I do think this is yet another degradation of the onsite benefits.