If our carry on luggage is gate checked and we have the yellow tags on them, will they still make it to our hotel? I know checked luggage with the yellow tags is picked up, but I wasn't sure about carry on luggage that is gate checked by the airline.”

Welcome BACK, Kelly!

Oh, it's so great to see you asking another great Walt Disney World Resort vacation planning question to us hEAR at the Disney Parks Moms Panel. Guests of a Disney Resort Hotel receive many included perks to their stay, including complimentary transportation from and back to Orlando International Airport via Disney's Magical Express motorcoach. This service, like you mentioned, also includes complimentary baggage retrieval, which if you're an overpacker (me!) is very, very magical indeed! Yes, all luggage that is tagged with the yellow Disney bag tags and found on a baggage claim belt in the arrival terminal is picked up by a Disney Cast Member and delivered to your room.

I've gate checked quite a few things while flying all over, sometimes voluntarily and sometimes after I was voluntold. Really the answer to gate checking depends on the item that is being checked as well as how the airline is handling the process. Strollers and car seats are usually gate checked with a gate pick-up, meaning you'll get off the plane but hang out at the bottom of the jet bridge until your item has been delivered to you. If the item is a suitcase like what you'd stow in an overhead compartment, it will usually end up on the baggage claim pick-up belt with the rest of the bigger, traditionally checked bags. If the gate agent prints a scannable airline luggage tag and puts it on your bag then yes, your luggage is going to baggage claim. However, if you have a connection or they aren't printing a bag tag in front of you, it's a toss up as to what their plan is and you should absolutely ask where you are to retrieve your bag.

Do remember that bags picked up and delivered by Disney's Magical Express team can take a few hours to be delivered to you, so be sure to put all of your super important personal and vacation needs, like medications, swim stuff if you plan to jump in the pool right away, children's blankies or sleep pals, and most importantly your MagicBands, in the carry-on that definitely fits within the 'personal item' qualifications set by your airline. And if, just in case, your items are gate checked but those bags didn't have a yellow Disney Magical Express bag tag, you can always give those tracking numbers to the Magical Express check-in Cast Member and their team will be sure to look for your bags.

I hope this helped to clEAR things up a bit, Kelly, and We'll See You Real Soon!

~Kristen