Disney Tips Your Guide To A Great Disney Vacation
For a while, it looked like the Disney bubble might never bounce back. Once known for its seamless, all-inclusive feel, Walt Disney World Resort has spent the last few years peeling back the perks that once defined a stay on property, with the Magical Express and Extra Magic Hours bowing out in the years since the pandemic.
Even so, change has been happening. Just days after Disney brought back its long-retired Resort Airline Check-In service at Pop Century, the company expanded it to four more resorts. The move signals something more than just operational convenience. It’s a rare case of Disney undoing a pandemic-era cutback and returning a guest-facing benefit that many thought was gone for good.
Credit: Disney
Disney Restores a Guest Favorite
Resort Airline Check-In, once a staple of on-property travel, let guests flying select airlines skip the airport check-in process by dropping their bags at their Disney hotel. From there, the bags were transferred directly to the airport and loaded onto the plane—no additional steps required. It was free, efficient, and one of the few remaining perks that made staying on property feel different.
That service was quietly discontinued in 2020, one of many Disney resort offerings shelved during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, it’s back—sort of. Rebranded as the Airport Luggage Transfer program, the service is currently being piloted for guests flying with Southwest Airlines out of Orlando International Airport (MCO).
Credit: Disney
Initially tested at Disney’s Pop Century Resort, the program has already been expanded to four additional hotels: Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort, All-Star Music Resort, All-Star Sports Resort, and Art of Animation Resort. For now, it’s limited to these five Value Resorts.
A Limited Pilot With Broader Implications
The service is operated by a third-party vendor called Bag Check, led by Craig Mateer, who previously founded Bags, Inc.—the original operator of Disney’s earlier check-in program. In a statement, a Disney spokesperson said the revival aims to “manage the high demand for travel to Central Florida and improve the experience for our guests and other airport passengers.”
While it hasn’t been widely promoted, Disney has added a dedicated page to its website that outlines the steps for using the service. Guests are asked to check in for their Southwest flight online the day before departure, then drop off their bags at the hotel lobby by the required time. Guests flying before 1 p.m. must drop bags by 1 a.m. For flights after 1 p.m., bags must be dropped off either four hours before departure or by 1 p.m.—whichever comes first.
Credit: Disney
Luggage Assistance is available for help, and guests can also request support through their in-room phones.
Though it’s currently restricted to Value Resorts, the structure of the rollout suggests Disney is testing interest and logistics before considering expansion. If the pilot succeeds, it’s likely the program could return to Moderate and Deluxe resorts, too.
For Disney World, which has faced criticism in recent years for removing many of the services that once set its resort experience apart, the return of Airport Luggage Transfer is a notable shift. It may not be the full restoration of the Disney bubble, but it’s a step in that direction.
Are you excited about the return of this service at Walt Disney World Resort?
