Disney World Is Quietly Testing a GAME-CHANGING Hotel Perk

Sometimes, Disney World begins testing new products and services so quietly that most people don’t catch.

Thankfully, since we’ve got incredible reporters in the parks every day and an incredible writing team at home that scours the internet for news, we learn about these changes the moment they happen…which is exactly how we found out about this GAME-CHANGING perk that could be returning to Disney World!

As of March 31st, Disney’s Pop Century Resort is testing the return of airline baggage check-in service. Right now, it is only available for guests flying with Southwest Airlines. There is no signage for this new service just yet, and when we spoke with Cast Members, they told us they’re identifying guests flying with Southwest through “normal guest interactions” to offer this service to them. We haven’t seen a service like this since before the closures for COVID-19 so this is an exciting possibility!

So, how does it work? Well, Pop Century hotel guests who are flying out on Southwest can check their luggage in at Pop Century’s luggage assistance desk as long as you’re already checked in for your flight. Yes, that includes bulkier items (as long as they are packed/secured properly) like golf clubs, strollers, wheelchairs, etc., in addition to regular luggage. This will allow you to bypass the check-in counter at MCO Airport, which could save you TONS of time!

However, the cutoff time for checking luggage is very strict! Check-in hours begin at 7 AM, but if your flight leaves before 1 PM, you must check it the day before. If your flight leaves after 1 PM, you must check it at least four hours before, and you must check it by 1 PM for same-day. Sounds a little confusing, we know, so let’s do some practice scenarios:

If your flight leaves at noon, you have to check it the night before
If your flight leaves at 2 PM, you would have to check it by 10 AM the day of
If your flight leaves at 5 PM, you would have to check it by 1 PM the day of
If your flight leaves anytime after 5 PM, you will also have to check it by 1 PM the day of, because that’s the cut-off for same-day flights

This is a trial that started today, but the manager with the company handling this sounded like he expects it to be a permanent thing, and that it should be expanding to other Value Resorts soon! However, it’s important to note that you won’t have access to this luggage until you arrive at your DESTINATION airport, so don’t pack anything you’ll absolutely need for the remainder of your stay or your flight.

If you’re looking for a travel agent to help with your vacation, we recommend our friends at Mouse Fan Travel. They’re experts in the field with over 20 years of vacation planning experience, and they can help take a bunch of the stress out of the entire booking process for you!

As of right now, this service is only being offered to guests flying with Southwest Airlines, and when Southwest begins charging for checked bags, your bags will already need to be paid for before you check them in at the hotel — you won’t be able to pay for checked baggage there at the counter, that’s something you’d need to either do online with Southwest or at the airport check-in counter.