After testing at Disney’s Pop Century Resort earlier this week, Walt Disney World Resort has officially announced the Airport Luggage Transfer offering and expanded the service to all Value Resort hotels.
Airport Luggage Transfer at Walt Disney World
The service expands to all Value Resort hotels starting today, Thursday, April 3, 2025. Through Airport Luggage Transfer, guests can drop off their checked baggage with Luggage Assistance and have it be delivered directly to their departing flight. At this time, this complimentary service is only offered with Southwest Airlines departing from Orlando International Airport (MCO).
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. As part of these efforts, we are working with a vendor to pilot a new one-way service for guests at Disney Value Resorts to conveniently check their luggage prior to departure when flying out of the airport on Southwest Airlines. We look forward to sharing more information with guests soon.
Walt Disney World Resort, via spokesperson
The service began testing at Disney’s Pop Century Resort on Monday, March 31, with guests being informed of the option via word-of-mouth only to control demand. It appears that the test was successful, as Disney has decided to formally announce the program and expand the service to all Value Resort hotels.
Disney discontinued complimentary airline check-in and luggage delivery for those arriving and departing from MCO in 2022, shortly after ending the complimentary Disney’s Magical Express service, which offered free transportation to and from the airport for guests staying at any Walt Disney World Resort hotel.
With this official launch, there is now a dedicated page with an FAQ on the Walt Disney World website.
Here’s how the service 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.
Guests are strongly encouraged to drop off their bags the night before their scheduled departure. If extra time is needed, they can opt to do the following:
- When Flying Before 1:00 PM: 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 guests’ luggage any time from 5 a.m. to 1 a.m.
The following Disney Value Resort hotels are offering this 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
This service is only available for those checking out from one of the Value Resort hotels above, not for checking in. Guests staying at a Moderate Resort hotel or Deluxe Resort hotel can choose to swap hotels to a Value Resort for their final night stay to take advantage of the service.
Bags that are dropped off with Airport Luggage Transfer can be tracked using the Southwest Airlines mobile app. If your flight is cancelled after your bags have been collected, they will automatically be redirected to your new flight. Guests are encouraged to contact Southwest Airlines customer service for questions and support regarding bags.
What do you think of this service expanding to all Value Resort Hotels at Walt Disney World? Will you be taking advantage of this service on your next vacation? Let us know on social media.
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