Virgin Check in Disney Springs.

[Silvercat]

We love this service, and have been using it for over 20 years now with no issues whatsoever, (fingers crossed we are not tempting fate though!). We drop off as early as we can, then head to Epcot for a last few hours in our favourite park, knowing we are not leaving a boot-load of luggage in the car park. Bliss.

[Kraken]

Originally Posted by DisneyCupcake

I suspect that when flights restart Virgin won't re-instate the Disney Springs check in - hope I am wrong but if they are looking for ways of cost cutting then it could be on their list.

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No-one knows on this one. I do know that during times of "irregular operation", i.e. when hurricanes are about to close MCO, so flights depart earlier, Disney Springs check-in is always suspended. (It was in the run-up to Irma hitting Florida).

Virgin switch aircraft in Orlando in order to send them to London where they have maintenance hangars. So an incoming aircraft from Manchester could be switched in Orlando to go back to London & the arrival from London does the Manchester return. This is normally why people scratch their head when the incoming Manchester flight was on-time, but the return picks up a big delay [as it's coming in from London].

If Virgin know your return flight is facing a serious delay, they may not let you bag-drop at Disney Springs - just in case the delay becomes a cancellation. Last thing they want is passengers stuck in Orlando with hand luggage only.

They are normally pretty on the ball when Disney Springs check-in is not available for your flight. I got a text message & email the day before when it had been suspended due to hurricane Irma.

Whilst Virgin Atlantic & Virgin Holidays are separate entities, they certainly work closely together. Virgin Holidays provide Virgin Atlantic with a LOT of passengers on the MCO route. Virgin Atlantic will obviously have access to all the Disney Springs check-in usage data & will be able to see how many people pay the $10pp & how many have the fee waived due to VHols / Upper Class / Flying Club Gold. If it makes financial sense to keep Disney Springs open, I am sure they will.

Do remember that the more passengers who use Disney Springs for check-in means fewer desks are needed at MCO itself - and Virgin will obviously be paying rent & staffing costs for the MCO side of things, so it's a balancing act.

[adamtoonarmy]

I am flying UC and booked through VH. Think they will pay me $10 to check in at Springs?🤣

[Kraken]

Originally Posted by adamtoonarmy

I am flying UC and booked through VH. Think they will pay me $10 to check in at Springs?🤣

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Nice try... but no!

Just in case you're unaware, you can decline your Delta Sky Club invite (as the club is nothing special) and get $20 of vouchers to burn in an airside food outlet. Outback Outpost or Bahama Breeze will both do a freshly cooked meal that will be better than anything you get served in Upper Class ex-USA.

[adamtoonarmy]

Originally Posted by Kraken

Nice try... but no!

Just in case you're unaware, you can decline your Delta Sky Club invite (as the club is nothing special) and get $20 of vouchers to burn in an airside food outlet. Outback Outpost or Bahama Breeze will both do a freshly cooked meal that will be better than anything you get served in Upper Class ex-USA.

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Thanks. Yes been in the Sky club a couple of times. Only good bit is when the cabin crew member comes and walks you down to the AC for boarding. Thats if they even still do that. Been a few years, 2015 I think...

[Kraken]

Originally Posted by adamtoonarmy

Thanks. Yes been in the Sky club a couple of times. Only good bit is when the cabin crew member comes and walks you down to the AC for boarding. Thats if they even still do that. Been a few years, 2015 I think...

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A member of the ground staff came to the Sky Club back in November 2019 to collect the passengers for each Virgin flight and escort them to the gate (or rather bypass the throng of passengers at the gate).

[tink66]

Last time we went (2 years ago) about 12 people mislaid their cases. They had been put on the later flight. They were delivered to our homes so no big deal but it was horrible when we landed and couldn't find our bags. We were so exhausted by the time we left the airport. Not an experience we would want to go through again.

[aprilshack]

Originally Posted by tink66

Last time we went (2 years ago) about 12 people mislaid their cases. They had been put on the later flight. They were delivered to our homes so no big deal but it was horrible when we landed and couldn't find our bags. We were so exhausted by the time we left the airport. Not an experience we would want to go through again.

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Nice to hear they were delivered to your home rather than having to go and pick it up.

[Stepaway]

Just to say we used it and loved it. No worrying on storing the cases in the hire car and made the last day a breeze

[Kraken]

Originally Posted by tink66

Last time we went (2 years ago) about 12 people mislaid their cases. They had been put on the later flight. They were delivered to our homes so no big deal but it was horrible when we landed and couldn't find our bags. We were so exhausted by the time we left the airport. Not an experience we would want to go through again.

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This *should* be impossible (in theory). When you are checked-in for your correct flight & boarding passes issued, the barcoded baggage tags are generated. As the check-in agent is "in" your booking at the time, they can only generate tags for the correct flight (the bag tags are actually generated before the boarding passes too).

The baggage trucks all leave Disney Springs not long after the check-in closes, so loads of time to get the bags into the MCO baggage system in time for early evening departures. Even if your bag gets put into the van for the "wrong" flight, it should be irrelevant as it's the barcode tag that determines where the bag goes through the MCO baggage system.

I can only concur that there was a serious cock-up by the MCO baggage system / Swissport ground staff that handle the baggage on this occasion. They realised the error too late and just sent the bags on the later flight to the same destination. I can only imagine how stressful it would have been at the arrival airport though when no bags turned up on the carousel.

There is also a security issue here, as bags should always fly with the passenger(s) they belong too - unless they are mis-connected bags [self-explanatory]. There is no way bags from Disney Springs check-in could mis-connect! Someone cocked-up at MCO.