Beginning May 19, Walt Disney World’s Airport Luggage Transfer service is expanding to include American Airlines and United Airlines, joining Southwest Airlines as eligible carriers for the offering. The expansion covers both arriving and departing eligible domestic flights through Orlando International Airport (MCO), and applies to guests staying at select Disney Resorts Collection hotels.
Disney’s Airport Luggage Transfer Covers Three Major Airlines
In This Article
- What the Airport Luggage Transfer expansion means for guests
- Which Disney Resort hotels are eligible for the service
- How the service works for arrivals and departures
- A look back at how the program has grown since launch
- What this could mean for the future of the service
What the Expansion Covers
Starting May 19, guests flying American Airlines or United Airlines on eligible domestic itineraries can use the Airport Luggage Transfer service in addition to those already flying Southwest Airlines. The service allows guests to have their checked luggage transferred directly between Orlando International Airport and their Disney Resorts Collection hotel, eliminating the need to haul bags through the airport on either end of a trip.
Disney noted in its announcement that the latest addition is designed to make travel to and from Walt Disney World Resort “even easier for Guests, while creating opportunities to grow the service over time,” language that suggests further expansion could be on the horizon.
How the Service Works
For departures, guests drop their bags at Luggage Assistance in the resort lobby at least four hours before their flight. A valid photo ID is required, and online check-in with the airline must be completed first. Luggage Assistance operates 24 hours a day, and Disney encourages guests to drop bags the night before a flight whenever possible.
For arrivals, guests register in advance at enroll.bagcheck.com/waltdisneyworld between 5 and 30 days before their flight. A Disney Resorts Collection hotel confirmation number and airline confirmation number are both required to register. After arriving at MCO, guests can head straight to their resort while their luggage is delivered separately.
The service is operated by BagCheck, a third-party provider.
Which Resorts Are Eligible
At this time, the Airport Luggage Transfer service is available at Disney Value Resort hotels. Guests staying at a Moderate or Deluxe Resort have the option to transfer to a Value Resort for their final night of the trip to take advantage of the offering.
How We Got Here
As we exclusively reported, the service first launched as a limited pilot at Disney’s Pop Century Resort in late March 2025, covering Southwest Airlines departures only. The service was officially named and expanded to all Value Resorts beginning April 3, 2025.
By November 2025, Disney expanded the program to include Southwest Airlines arrivals in addition to departures, giving guests a fully round-trip option for the first time. Now, with American and United added to the mix, the service is reaching a significantly larger share of Walt Disney World guests than it could before.
The addition of two large carriers operating out of MCO marks a meaningful step forward for a program that started just over a year ago as a single-resort, single-airline pilot.
OUR TAKE: From everything we’ve heard, the Airport Luggage Transfer is well received by guests. The service is similar to the former Resort Airline Check-in offering that was cut following the COVID-19 shutdowns. It’s so similar, in fact, that the owner of BagCheck was the former owner of Bags Inc., the company that operated the Resort Airline Check-In service.
Want to take it a step further? Craig Mateer, the owner of BagCheck, and former owner of Bags Inc., was also a short-lived member of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, only serving for a little more than half the year before he left the position. But we’re getting off track.
I think that the continued efforts by Disney to get a luggage transfer service in place bodes well for the return of other guest offerings. It’s probably too soon to start whispering Magical Express, but we’ve heard very early rumors that it was explored by some to bring that style of service back. As of right now, Disney has not formally announced anything as it relates to Magical Express – only the expansion of the Airport Luggage Transfer service.
As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!