We are big fans of anything that removes friction from a Disney vacation, and this one is genuinely useful.
Disney World’s Airport Luggage Transfer service just expanded to include American Airlines and United Airlines, which means the service is now available to a significantly larger portion of guests than it was when it launched as a Southwest-only pilot program in 2025. The service is operated by BagCheck and lets guests at five Value Resort hotels skip baggage claim at Orlando International Airport on arrival and drop bags at the resort on departure, with BagCheck handling the transfer in between.
If you have been flying American or United and watching this service from the sidelines wondering when it would apply to you, it applies to you now.
Let us walk through exactly who can use it and how it works, because the details matter.
Who This Is Actually For
The service is available to guests staying at Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort, Disney’s All-Star Music Resort, Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort, Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, or Disney’s Pop Century Resort. If you are staying at a Moderate or Deluxe property, this service is not available to you yet. Disney has indicated the program is ongoing and that more airlines and potentially more resorts could be added over time.
Your flight must be domestic. American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines are the three participating carriers right now. International flights are not covered. If you booked through a travel agent, you can still sign up, but you will need to get your Disney Resort reservation number from your agent to register.
The Arrival Experience and Why It Is Worth Using
This is the part that makes the biggest practical difference, especially if you are traveling with kids.
Register for the service between 30 days and 24 hours before your flight. You will need your Disney Resort confirmation number and your airline confirmation number. After registering, you get a confirmation email with a luggage tracking link.
Tags are mailed to you if you register more than seven days before your flight. Register within seven days and no tags arrive in the mail, but your bags are still delivered. If you registered with more than seven days to spare and your tags have not arrived within 72 hours of your flight, call BagCheck at 407-505-7443. At the airport, drop your bags with your airline the normal way.
Here is the part that makes it worth doing: when you land at Orlando International Airport, you do not go to baggage claim. You skip it entirely. You get on Disney transportation, you arrive at your resort, and then you contact Luggage Assistance at the hotel either from your room phone or in person at the lobby desk. Your bags will arrive within four hours of your flight landing.
Four hours sounds like a lot, but in practice it means your bags show up while you are checking in, heading to the parks, or eating a first-day meal. They are waiting in your room by the time you are ready for them. That is a different vacation experience than hauling a luggage cart through a crowded terminal after a long flight with tired children.
One timing thing to know: if your flight arrives after 11 PM, you have two choices. You can collect your bags at baggage claim at the airport, or you can wait up to four hours for BagCheck to deliver them. Gates-checked bags, like strollers or car seats that did not fit in overhead, are also delivered to your resort unless you specifically request to pick them up at the destination airport. Gate-checked bags do not need luggage tags.
If you want to keep a stroller or car seat with you rather than having it transferred, check it at the departure gate and tell the gate agent you want to collect it at the gate of your final destination.
The Departure Experience
This one matters too, even though it gets less attention than the arrival side.
Starting 24 hours before your departure, check in for your flight online and pay any baggage fees through your airline’s app or website. Then drop your bags at Luggage Assistance in the resort lobby at any point between 24 hours and 4 hours before your flight. Bring a valid government-issued photo ID. Luggage Assistance is available around the clock, so early morning departures are covered.
Once your bags are dropped, you head to the airport and skip the check-in counter entirely. Go straight to security with your boarding pass ready. Your bags will be at baggage claim at your final destination when you arrive home.
A note: boarding passes are not printed at bag drop, so have yours ready on your phone before you arrive at the Luggage Assistance desk. If your flight is cancelled, your bag is automatically rerouted to your new flight. For any issues after bag drop, contact your airline directly.
What to Keep With You
Disney is clear about this and we want to repeat it because it matters. Medications, electronics including laptops, tablets, power banks, and cameras, perishable or heat-sensitive items, and important documents including passports and travel itineraries should all stay in your carry-on. Do not put medications or your passport in the transferred luggage. Keep them with you.
Why We Are Telling You About This
We cover the Disney vacation experience from a food and lifestyle angle and the luggage transfer service fits squarely into how a Disney trip actually feels to live through.
The arrival experience at Disney World sets the tone for everything that follows. If you land, fight your way through baggage claim, load a shuttle with suitcases, and arrive at your resort exhausted before the vacation has even started, that drains something from the day. The luggage transfer service removes that drain. You land, you move, you arrive, your bags find you. That is a better start.
The departure side is the less talked-about benefit. The last morning of a Disney trip already has its own melancholy. You are tired, the kids are tired, and nobody wants to leave. Not having to manage bags to the airport reduces the friction of that final morning and lets you stay a little more present in the resort instead of shifting into logistics mode.
If you are eligible for this service and you are not using it, you should probably start.
Register at disneyworld.com or contact BagCheck directly at bcsupport@bagcheck.com or 407-505-7443, available between 7 AM and 11:30 PM Eastern Time. You need your Disney Resort confirmation number and your airline confirmation number to sign up. Register at least 24 hours before your flight and up to 30 days in advance. If you are flying American, Southwest, or United domestically to Orlando and staying at one of the five Value Resorts, this is the move.
