Disney World Expands Free Airport Luggage Transfer to Arrivals
After launching the pilot program earlier this year, Walt Disney World is expanding Airport Luggage Transfer for arrivals between Orlando International Airport and WDW on-site resort hotels, allowing guests to skip baggage claim at MCO. This covers the latest official details of the test, answers to common questions, and our commentary about the free guest perk for on-site resorts.
As basic background for those who missed the original coverage, the Return of Resort Airline Check-In Service at Walt Disney World as a Pilot Program occurred back this spring. Within literal days of launching, the service expanded the test.
Walt Disney World made it official shortly after that, dubbing the new program Airport Luggage Transfer. A similar service was previously known as Resort Airline Check-In prior to being discontinued in 2020. That was previously associated with Disney’s Magical Express, although the two interconnected offerings were run by two different third party partners. (Confusing and convoluted, I know.)
With the existing outbound service, guests staying at select Walt Disney World Resort hotels can drop checked baggage off with Luggage Assistance to be delivered directly to your flight. A new third-party service, known as BagCheck, will take your luggage directly to the airport for your Southwest Airlines flight.
Currently, this pilot service is available at all Value Resort hotels for Guests with Southwest Airlines flights departing from Orlando International Airport (MCO). The pilot program soft launched at Pop Century in late March, before expanding to the All Stars and Art of Animation and being officially announced by Walt Disney World about a week later.
It was our understanding at the time that the pilot program would be expanded based in part on positive guest feedback, utilization rates, satisfaction, and other metrics. Given its quick growth and the third party involved, we were incredibly optimistic that Airport Luggage Transfer would only continue to grow over the coming months.
To my surprise and disappointment, that still has not happened. It had been radio silence since, with no further expansion to the Airport Luggage Transfer service. No additional airlines or resorts at Walt Disney World are eligible. Nevermind ’round trip’ service for luggage transfers upon arrival, which was starting to seem like a pipe dream. Until today.Â
Here are details from the official announcement made by Walt Disney World…
Beginning November 18, 2025, guests arriving on domestic Southwest Airlines flights at Orlando International Airport (MCO) and staying at select Walt Disney World Resort hotels will have the option to skip baggage claim. They’ll be able to do so by checking their luggage at the Southwest bag drop area or ticket counter at their home airport for direct delivery to their resort.
BagCheck — a third-party provider — will facilitate transportation of the luggage from the airport, with delivery to the resort within approximately four hours of arrival.
Guests will begin to receive the following email about this service this week:
Dear Guest,
We’re excited to share a new pilot program for guests flying Southwest Airlines into Orlando International Airport (MCO) and staying at select Disney Resorts Collection hotels. This convenient service lets you skip baggage claim and have your checked luggage delivered directly to your Disney Resort hotel.The service will begin operating for flights arriving November 18, 2025 or later. If you’d like to take advantage of the service, your registration window opens 30 days prior to departure and closes 5 days prior to departure.
For more information and to register, click here.
Sincerely,
Walt Disney World Resort
Walt Disney World has not provided a link to the website where guests will pre-register for inbound Airport Luggage Transfer, but we believe it’ll be here. Our expectation is that’ll update overnight, as registration should open on November 13, 2025.
Airport Luggage Transfer for arriving flights is not a new or unprecedented service.
Old school Walt Disney World fans probably remember those magical yellow luggage tags that arrived in the mail. You’d attach those to your luggage, check it at your home airport, and it would magically find its way to your room at Walt Disney World. This was a big part of the beloved “Disney Bubble” that the company voluntarily punctured with the infamous end of Disney’s Magical Express.
This seamless service was truly magical. That’s a word we’ve already used three times in this post, and it’s not one this blog throws around lightly. You’ve never heard us describe a cupcake as magical, for example.
But in a world where airport and transportation logistics have become nightmarish, Walt Disney World had something special with this–which is a big reason why fans still bemoan the demise of Disney’s Magical Express. You were on vacation the moment you landed in Orlando, and Disney took care of the details.
We speak for most Walt Disney World fans when we say the true countdown to vacation started even earlier: when that envelope arrived with the Disney’s Magical Express booklet and those yellow luggage tags. If that envelope showed up in the mail today, I could still identify it just by feel without even opening it. And we haven’t used the service since ~2017. It’s silly, but there was something special about getting those yellow tags.
Walt Disney World has not indicated whether the yellow tags will make a return, but we assume there will need to be some way of signaling to BagCheck that the luggage checked at your home airport needs to be diverted from MCO’s baggage carousels to Walt Disney World. With modern technology, there’s presumably a way to signal this with electronically, but for that to work, they’d (presumably?) need Southwest to share data from its systems. So perhaps the low-tech yellow tags will make a return. We shall see!
Walt Disney World also has not indicated which resorts will be eligible for the Airport Luggage Transfer deliveries from the airport to their resort hotel. Here’s the current list of eligible resorts for the existing outbound version of the service:
- 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
It’s safe to assume that, at minimum, the same resorts will offer Airport Luggage Transfer for arrivals, thus creating a roundtrip version of the service for the first time in years. It remains to be seen whether the inbound (or outbound, for that matter) Airport Luggage Transfer will have an expanded eligibility roster of resorts.
Anecdotally, I’ve stayed at a few different Value Resorts since Airport Luggage Transfer returned. While I haven’t yet used the service (due to not using SWA or departing from the Value Resort…or both), it has seemed pretty popular. Whenever I’ve dropped off bags for transferring (to other resorts), there’s always been a modest crowd. Our reader responses to the service’s return were resoundingly positive, too.
It’s thus unsurprising that the Airport Luggage Transfer pilot program is expanding…even if it’s happening months later than anticipated and in a slightly different manner than we expected it’d unfold. Walt Disney World seldom does anything this quickly, even with the assistance of third party participants.
This nevertheless has us more optimistic that Airport Luggage Transfer will only continue to grow over the coming months. It’s like that they’re figuring out logistics at the Value Resorts because this tier is easier.
As for why Walt Disney World started the Airport Luggage Transfer pilot program at the Value Resorts, the best explanation is that it’s easiest. These five resorts are located in only two distinct areas, with over 10,000 rooms. That’s over one-third of all Disney-owned hotel inventory and in relatively condensed regions of Walt Disney World.
There’s nowhere else at Walt Disney World that offers this many rooms in this close of proximity–especially if Walt Disney World wants to pilot the program at an entire tier of resorts, as opposed to a hodgepodge of them in a resort district.
As for why it’s starting with Southwest Airlines, it’s the same explanation. SWA is the largest airline flying out of MCO and it’s safe to say that it has the highest percentage of checked bags by volume thanks to its “bags fly free” policy. That policy is now defunct, but it applied to bookings made through late May.
These are just guesses on our part, but those are the likely explanations for why BagCheck chose those Walt Disney World Resort hotels and Southwest Airlines.
It’s the easiest starting point for the service while testing logistics and iterating before scaling up. It allows Airport Luggage Transfer to make a relatively big impact with fewer resources as it onboards new employees and refines the service.
So it may not feel “fair” to guests paying big bucks to stay Club Level at the Grand Floridian and fly Delta One, but it likely comes down to scale and logistics as opposed to which guests are most “deserving” (air quotes) of Airport Luggage Transfer. This is more impactful than any other resort complex, tier, and airline combination.
The good news is that Airport Luggage Transfer will almost assuredly expand further. It’ll just take time. Admittedly, more time has passed than we hoped between the official launch and the first big expansion, but it’s not surprising.
This is a complicated service and the infrastructure for it has been dormant for over 5 years. It involves not just Walt Disney World Cast Members, but also BagCheck employees and vendors at MCO. There are a lot of moving parts, and it cannot go from zero to 100 overnight.
Beyond that, we’ll double-down on our perspective that this makes Disney’s Magical Express more likely to return. Orlando International Airport needs to improve its efficiency in multiple regards, and having passengers arrive and depart via higher-capacity buses is one such way. This feels like the stars aligning, as there’s a mutually-beneficial solution for both Disney’s and MCO’s woes.
The return of Airport Luggage Transfer/Resort Airline Check-In strikes me as Walt Disney World laying the groundwork for bringing back Disney’s Magical Express. The luggage handling is the more complicated piece of the puzzle that would need to roll out first.
The airport shuttle infrastructure already exists, just with different stickers on the buses. Unlike this, that changeover could be like flipping a switch. This is all great news, and seems like a perfect confluence of circumstances: Disney finally realizing the error of their ways in deflating the Disney Bubble and MCO needing relief from its high passenger volume.
What follows is details about how Airport Luggage Transfer currently works for departures. Obviously, it’ll be different for arrivals. We’ll share more details once they’ve been released!
How Airport Luggage Transfer Works
Save time at the airport by sending your bags ahead to the airline. Simply follow these steps:
- At the beginning of your stay, check in at your 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 (see below). 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.
When to Drop Off Your Bags
It is strongly encouraged that you drop off your checked bags the night before your scheduled departure. However, if you need some extra time, you can do the following:
- When Flying Before 1:00 PM:Â Drop your bags off by 1:00 AM the night before your flight.
- When Flying 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.
Airport Luggage Transfer FAQ
What do I need to do before dropping off my luggage?
You must complete your Southwest Airlines check-in online or through the Southwest Airlines mobile app. Check-in begins 24 hours before your scheduled departure. A boarding pass and valid ID are required when dropping off luggage. All relevant baggage fees, if any, will need to be paid before taking advantage of Airport Luggage Transfer at Walt Disney World.
Can I print my boarding passes when I drop off my bags?
No. Walt Disney World does not provide boarding pass printing as part of the Airport Luggage Transfer service. You should have your boarding passes ready before dropping off your bags.
Am I still eligible for the service if I removed the inbound tags from my bag?
Yes, you are still eligible for the service. While we recommend keeping your inbound Southwest Airlines tags on your bag for a smoother experience, it is not a requirement.
Can I see the location of my bags or get assistance?
You can track your bags using the Southwest Airlines app. For additional support with your bags, please contact Southwest Airlines customer service.
What happens to the bag if a flight is cancelled?
If your Southwest Airlines flight is cancelled, your bag will be automatically redirected to your new flight. For assistance, please contact Southwest Airlines customer service.
Where do I pick up my luggage after my flight?
You can pick up your luggage in baggage claim at your flight’s final destination.
Who should I contact if I have issues or questions about my luggage after drop-off?
You can contact or visit Luggage Assistance for any questions about your luggage after drop-off. Once the bag departs the Resort hotel, you can get information via the Baggage webpage for Southwest Airlines. You can also see a Southwest Agent at the airport for assistance.
Is this service available for all airlines?
This pilot program is only available for flights on Southwest Airlines.
Will this pilot program expand to other resorts or airlines?Â
At this time (operative words), Walt Disney World has only committed to this being a free perk for guests staying at the Value Resorts and flying Southwest Airlines.
Are there any size or weight restrictions for baggage?
Yes. Standard size and weight restrictions apply. Check with Southwest Airlines for details on specific checked baggage policies.
What happens if my luggage is missing, delayed or damaged?
If your luggage is missing, delayed or damaged, you can submit a report to Southwest Airlines.
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Your Thoughts
What do you think about the return of Airport Luggage Transfer/Resort Airline Check-In for arriving flights? Will you use this service from your home airport to Walt Disney World resort hotels? Think this paves the way for a comeback of Disney’s Magical Express, or is that still unlikely? Do you agree or disagree with our commentary? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
Hi Tom, I was just wondering if you had heard any rumors about this program expanding to include other airlines yet? My wife and I are going the first week in December this year and that would be a great additional perk. Thank you…ps, I sure miss Gus
If you leave your arrival tags on for your departure they have the possibility of being scanned and your bags incorrectly being directed back to your Resort instead of destination. Number one reason for lost bags is old tags and stickers on luggage which causes errors when scanning. Am I misunderstanding your directions for departure from WDW Resort?
If you leave your arrival tags on for your departure they have the possibility of being scanned and your bags incorrectly being directed back to your Resort instead of destination. Number one reason for lost bags is old tags and stickers on luggage which causes errors when scanning. Am I misunderstanding your directions for departure from WDW Resort?
After experiencing the Magical Express many time. We emulated it at a large State transportation conference. We received many positive comments about the conference, but the most positive comments (there were hundreds) was our transportation of people and luggage to and from the airport. It was a transportation conference after all. We had challenges but nothing we could not over come. Point is Magical Express isn’t easy or cheap to do but it is greatly appreciated. Their still talking about it at other conferences many years later when we did it at our conference. It was simply magical.
I just love the idea of even just luggage transport coming back. it makes me think there is at least someone thinking in a positive manner. This alone makes me hopeful that it will expand to other airlines and resorts (I’ll stay at any resort, but haven’t flown Southwest for years due to cost).
Since the airlines is charging for bags, yes even southwest charges, what happens if you havent paid for your bags or have a bag that is over weight when you use this WDW baggage transport to the airport?
I am soooo hoping that Magical Express is back before our trip in May! It would save us a few hundred bucks, and I think it’d be fun for the kids. As of now, considering paying for a Minnie Van for airport transport since we had a bad experience with Tiffany Towncar last time. I’m afraid of using Mears, not just because of delays/inconveniences/cost of using it for a family of four, but because we need car seats/boosters, and I don’t want to deal with what’ll happen if we get assigned to a van instead of a bus.
Maybe with all the construction and people clamping down on spending, Disney is thinking the time is right to bring back some of the extras and lure people in?
With the speed that the luggage service has been rolled out, I would not bet on it.
Surely some Disney MBA has modeled the return visits to WDW that DME generates. I for 6 (family size) know that I would probably make 2 more trips per year if DME is resurrected.
Let me know regarding the comments earlier
Are you going to expand the yellow tags with the other hotels and airlines like jet blue thanks Patricia wnek
I just got this email today for a short trip next week! Unfortunately, Southwest doesn’t operate out of our home airport. It is still another step in the right direction. Here’s hoping it expands to more airlines and resorts soon.
The best part of the traditional Magical Express was dropping your bags at your home airport, getting to skip MCO baggage claim, and your bags appearing in your hotel room.
So hopefully this expands to other airlines and all resorts.
I try to pack completely in carryons just so I can avoid baggage claim right now.
Missing the program by a day! Would have made arrival day so much smoother!
If they want my family to visit more than once, bring back the Magical Express, or work with Orlando to develop rail travel from MCO to WDW. We use carry-on bags with rollers. We don’t need this. What we do need is the transport of our actual bodies.
Thank you for this wonderful news.
I’d like to add this: For me, the magic began when I received the annual Walt Disney World vacation DVD in the mail, which I made a point of ordering every year. I can still picture myself snuggled up with my children, planning the next vacation. It truly was the start of the countdown.
You hit the nail right on the head. Getting the bag tags, the WDW DVD, and obtaining our wrist bands were all notable events, each serving as a pleasant reminder of the magical vacation that was still to come.
Ok, this is going to sound crazy, but what if — WHAT IF — they took the vehicles that are transporting the luggage, and added seats on top of the luggage storage compartments, and then the people whose luggage is being transported could also be transported to those resorts simultaneously. We could call those vehicles “omnibuses” (or “buses” for short).
In all seriousness though, that’s a model for an app-based Magical Express 2.0 that would share some components of ride share tech. Tag your bags (with RFID-embedded tags), and on arrival to MCO they’re brought to a holding area. When you’re ready, you hit a button on your MDE app and you’re assigned a specific bus number, and directed to its precise location, while your bags are loaded onto that same bus. Bags get scanned when they’re loaded onto the bus, and you scan a code on your app (or scan your magic band) when boarding that bus — you don’t depart MCO until both those scans have occurred. Then you scan that code or magic band again when picking up your bags at the resort (for security and validation).
At your resort, maybe the bags don’t arrive directly in your room, but they’re at least right there at the dropoff point in front of the lobby (which could be great if you want to change your clothes or shoes, but your room isn’t ready yet).
It wouldn’t have to be free like before — Disney could charge a small, reasonable fee and still have this be the cheapest and most enjoyable mode of transportation to resorts.
What am I missing? Why is this not a thing? Every logistical hurdle I can imagine has a logical solution.
This is the one feature I wanted most. I hate having to wait for my luggage and then get transport. I was so happy when I received the yellow luggage tags and put them on the luggage. I still have a set that was sent as an extra. OH those were good times. Waving by to your luggage before you got to your gate and then seeing it in your room when you go to the hotel. I am keeping my fingers crossed. I fly American Airlines and hope that it progresses to other hotels and airlines. Come on Disney bring back the magic.