Airport urged to halt Disney shuttle service

[brich]

Even some good companies that may have just recently started up too will be driven out. So how is it that good companies begin to compete with "free?" I am fully aware that it happens every day, but how will you feel when the DME starts charging for the service and is going to be more than it would if it were Mears.

Define good companies? Any livery service that has banked their entire business model on WDW guests will take a heavy hit. Unless they find a way to adapt. They may have to reduce their fleet, but that may only be temporary.
I have always rented a car. I hate doing the mass bus thing. This includes the parks AND the ride from the airport. The one time we did not rent a car, we opted against Mears and hired a stretch limo. For less than $100, we felt like royalty. We had a chilly air-conditioned ride, a stocked bar and our own space. We were greated at the baggage claim, the car was waiting just outside the door and we were brought right to the front door of the Poly. Effortless and a wonderful experience. So, I have to believe that there will still be some that will pass on free and hire a ride. I know I would. What these companies need to do is stop crying foul and improve their services for the Disney guest. If they don't make any effort, than they can't be considered a "good" company and will therefore fail.

It's really not much different than a Wal-Mart that comes into your small town. Unless you find a way to differentiate yourself, you mine as well pack it in...

 

[PigletIsMyCat]

And isn't that the point of running a great business? Making your offerings so good and so tailored to your customers that the customers feel like there is no other game in town? 'Why bother with those other companies, Disney and their Magical Express give me what I need AND want: transportation I need and FREE is what I want!'

 

[brich]

Disney's goal is that there be no other's in the market so you won't have a choice, they want to be the only game in town.

You truly think these other's are denting Disney's cash register? I see it more a way to entice people to stay on property. Call it a perk.

 

[wannab@dis]

Disney's goal is that there be no other's in the market so you won't have a choice, they want to be the only game in town.

Rightfully so! I hope they work it that way so they can continue to do what any business is supposed to do... make money!

 

[brich]

And isn't that the point of running a great business? Making your offerings so good and so tailored to your customers that the customers feel like there is no other game in town? 'Why bother with those other companies, Disney and their Magical Express give me what I need AND want: transportation I need and FREE is what I want!'

A Disney vacation is by no means cheap. I just question whether "free" is all that big here. :veryconfu Transportation from MCO is by no means going to break the bank in the grand scheme of a WDW vacation.

 

[Hakunamatata]

Define good companies? Any livery service that has banked their entire business model on WDW guests will take a heavy hit

I would not define any livery service that banked their entire business model on WDW guests as a good company. The fact that their sole target market is a Disney guest is a risk they are taking.

Lets look at it from a different angle. If I go into business making those little cup sleaves that Starbucks uses to keep their customers hands from getting hot, and my only client is Starbucks, I am a fool. If I were smart, I would get my major client, then market to a number of smaller clients to supplement my income in the event Starbucks decided to use cups that are so advanced they do not radiate heat.

 

[brich]

I would not define any livery service that banked their entire business model on WDW guests as a good company. The fact that their sole target market is a Disney guest is a risk they are taking.

Lets look at it from a different angle. If I go into business making those little cup sleaves that Starbucks uses to keep their customers hands from getting hot, and my only client is Starbucks, I am a fool. If I were smart, I would get my major client, then market to a number of smaller clients to supplement my income in the event Starbucks decided to use cups that are so advanced they do not radiate heat.

Agree...

 

[shoppingnut]

It's really not much different than a Wal-Mart that comes into your small town. Unless you find a way to differentiate yourself, you mine as well pack it in...

Exactly why many communities are voting Wal-Mart down and not allowing them into their town because it will drive every small business out since they cannot buy on the same scale. It's not a fair competition, it's monopolistic in nature. Perfect example was Home Depot, they drove every mom and pop hardware store out of business when they moved in and now it's either HD or Loew's. There service was so good in the beginning, but then after they were the only ones, things began to change and service is such that you are now wanting the mom and pop's back, but that isn't going to happen. Things just don't or can't always rise from the dead.

You cannot assume that every company that goes out of business is a bad company, that is just unrealistic.

 

[shoppingnut]

A Disney vacation is by no means cheap. I just question whether "free" is all that big here. :veryconfu Transportation from MCO is by no means going to break the bank in the grand scheme of a WDW vacation.

It has nothing to do with cheap, free or breaking the bank. It has to do with CHOICE, the consumer's choice and if there is no other game in town there WILL BE NO CHOICE and will ultimately limit the consumer's options.

 

[wannab@dis]

We have two local hardware stores that have survived the entry of Lowes and Home Depot. You know why? Service! They figured out that if they work hard instead of complaining, then they will still be in business and do quite well.

What is unrealistic is this common notion today that you don't have to work hard to get ahead. That's the problem... not the large companies that do work hard to make money for their shareholders. Small business owners (which I happen to be) have to stake out their market and then work to hold it with quality services. If you spend your time whining about the big boys, you will not make it.

 

[wannab@dis]

It has nothing to do with cheap, free or breaking the bank. It has to do with CHOICE, the consumer's choice and if there is no other game in town there WILL BE NO CHOICE and will ultimately limit the consumer's options.

Wrong... there will always be a choice. If not, someone will come along to fill the void and the cycle will start once again.

 

[nibblesandbits]

It has nothing to do with cheap, free or breaking the bank. It has to do with CHOICE, the consumer's choice and if there is no other game in town there WILL BE NO CHOICE and will ultimately limit the consumer's options.

But that's just it...as I stated earlier...these people ARE given a choice!! They do NOT have to use DME! Disney is not forcing it upon them. People have the choice to use other means of transportation to get to Disney...but they are choosing Disney because Disney is offering them what they want. (IE. free transportation)

 

[wannab@dis]

But that's just it...as I stated earlier...these people ARE given a choice!! They do NOT have to use DME! Disney is not forcing it upon them. People have the choice to use other means of transportation to get to Disney...but they are choosing Disney because Disney is offering them what they want. (IE. free transportation)

Exactly... and let's not forget the fact that Disney is not the only reason people go to Orlando and Disney resorts are not the only places that people stay. I believe it was mentioned earlier, but if a company based their business model solely on Disney, then they'll reap the problems of a narrow business plan.

 

[brich]

Exactly why many communities are voting Wal-Mart down and not allowing them into their town because it will drive every small business out since they cannot buy on the same scale. It's not a fair competition, it's monopolistic in nature. Perfect example was Home Depot, they drove every mom and pop hardware store out of business when they moved in and now it's either HD or Loew's. There service was so good in the beginning, but then after they were the only ones, things began to change and service is such that you are now wanting the mom and pop's back, but that isn't going to happen. Things just don't or can't always rise from the dead.

I still have mom and pop hardware stores around and I do shop there and I get great service at my local HD when I shop there. I do see the Wal-Mart issue here as they do gobble up a lot of the little guys but more so in a smaller market. MCO is not a small market for the livery companies. Not all arriving are staying at WDW resorts. And airport transfers are not the only business for a livery service in Orlando Florida. I just think if a smaller company can offer something desireable, they have a better chance of surviving than those who just complain that things are unfair. And by the way, I don't shop at Wal-Mart just because I don't agree with their practices.

You cannot assume that every company that goes out of business is a bad company, that is just unrealistic.

I'm not assuming anything. What I'm saying is, a "good" company in my eyes is one that is able to adapt to changes. If you think I livery company that only serves transfers between MCO and WDW is a good company, then so be it. That's your definition. But the reality in any "good" company is to be able to weather storms. Their services have a life cycle and when the service is faced with a decline, lack of adaptation or change is a death sentence. So if reality to you is a business mearly exhisting, having their service or product take a hit and not being able to respond and this being a good company, then I can't argue as I don't see the point. :veryconfu

 

[shoppingnut]

What everyone here defines as a "bad" taxi company is one with rude drivers, smelly cabs, etc. Therefore, my reference to a "good" company was one that had non-rude drivers and non-smelly cabs. Some of their unfair complaints are valid, like disney having access to the third level when no one else does, they should be on the second level like everyone else. The lack of parking spots for taxi services at the airport now that disney had taken over such a huge portion of it for their buses, the airport needs to find a way to rectify this, with maybe some creative ideas, so the driver's have places to park and can make a living (NOT THAT THAT LIVING IS SOLELY BASED ON DISNEY) but have the access necessary to get their passengers no matter where they are going.

Well count yourself lucky to have a hardware store, we have nothing buy HD and Loews here. They drove all of our hardware stores that were family owned and run for years right out, even though I refused to give HD or Loews my business, it didn't help in the long run and these were stores with great service but couldn't compete in pricing. The businesses here have learned a valueable lesson and we will never see Wal-Mart here. Every time the Walmart proposal comes up the business leaders band together and get it voted down.

People may be given a choice now, but that may not be so in the future.

 

[wannab@dis]

Every time the Walmart proposal comes up the business leaders band together and get it voted down.

Yeah, that's the way to do it. Keep those prices high. When your "business leaders" feel safe, they'll be the ones reaping the benefits of the lack of open market price controls.

 

[shoppingnut]

Yeah, that's the way to do it. Keep those prices high. When your "business leaders" feel safe, they'll be the ones reaping the benefits of the lack of open market price controls.

That is not true, they do have competition to compete with, namely stores in New Jersey that don't have sales tax and better prices, so it is an open market. Just because Walmart hasn't been able to get in doesn't mean it is a closed market, target is building a store and they were just better at convincing the business community that they would add to it, not destroy it.

 

[brich]

What everyone here defines as a "bad" taxi company is one with rude drivers, smelly cabs, etc. Therefore, my reference to a "good" company was one that had non-rude drivers and non-smelly cabs. Some of their unfair complaints are valid, like disney having access to the third level when no one else does, they should be on the second level like everyone else. The lack of parking spots for taxi services at the airport now that disney had taken over such a huge portion of it for their buses, the airport needs to find a way to rectify this, with maybe some creative ideas, so the driver's have places to park and can make a living (NOT THAT THAT LIVING IS SOLELY BASED ON DISNEY) but have the access necessary to get their passengers no matter where they are going.

I do agree that the airport should make it fair as far as pick up areas. As I posted earlier, I still don't see a majority of people arriving at the airport without a pre-arrainged means of transportation. I just don't see where Disney is taking away customers by being in the airport, 3rd level or 2nd level. They are only after WDW resort guests who for the most part have already made arraingements for transportation, whether it be DME, Limo, Taxi, Rental Car or Bus. The handful of WDW resort guests that arrive on their flight that have not previously booked their transportation can not be that many. I simply can't see it...
There are many places in the metro Orlando area that people need taxis. Not just at the airport. They can make a living outside of the airport.

People may be given a choice now, but that may not be so in the future.

Those companies that put all their eggs in one basket will be gone. The ones who will adapt to the changes will be there in the future when Disney starts charging for the service. There is business in Orlando to keep many of these companies in business. This is not the taxi apocolypse... I really don't think Disney is going to put a taxi company out of business given the amount of business there must be in a city like Orlando. Maybe a limo company but even so, there is wedding business, nights on the town, bachelor/bachelorette parties, special events yada yada, there is just far to much business in a city the size of Orlando for a handful of WDW resort guests arriving without DME booked to put them out of business... :hammer:

 

[frankd1962]

I've skimmed over some of the postings and I've done research into Magical Express because I want to use it when I go.

As far as I read, it is only available to those staying on property. There are going to be a group who will stay off property to save a lot more money. These bus will not take them to their hotels so the cabs and coaches will still have business unless these people rent a car.

I really don't see a problem except some people calling foul on something that they can find a way to make up for what they lost with the on property guest.

 

[brich]

I've skimmed over some of the postings and I've done research into Magical Express because I want to use it when I go.

As far as I read, it is only available to those staying on property. There are going to be a group who will stay off property to save a lot more money. These bus will not take them to their hotels so the cabs and coaches will still have business unless these people rent a car.

I really don't see a problem except some people calling foul on something that they can find a way to make up for what they lost with the on property guest.

Exactly !! :sohappy: