News Disney's Magical Express to end after 2021

Touchdown

Well-Known Member
Most of my visits occur during hurricane season, and after missing a close call with Otto (I don’t want to hunker down if I can escape) I always get a rental during hurricane season. I figure it’s worth the price to know I can get out of Florida and head north if a major storm targets it while I’m down there.
 

JMcMahonEsq

Well-Known Member
It 100% is connecting to WDW to be a day trip option. It’s wildly impractical as a airport connection option. You’re not allowed to bring luggage onto a Disney bus, so what are you gonna do, walk from sort-of-near Disney Springs to your hotel?
Did they actually revive the train project? The last I had read was that the project was on an indefinite suspension/delay as they were rethinking the route. I hadn’t heard they had made a decision on the final route and restarted the program.
 

Disstevefan1

Well-Known Member
The problem with that strategy is that it costs far more to get a customer than it does to retain them. Same with employees, they don't seem to understand that message as they focus on short term gains to boost their "numbers".
A quick Google search says the Magic Kingdom in WDW, even in 2020, leads the world in visitors.
No matter what the mix of new and returning guests that is, even in a pandemic, WDW is winning…
 

TrainsOfDisney

Well-Known Member
Did they actually revive the train project? The last I had read was that the project was on an indefinite suspension/delay as they were rethinking the route. I hadn’t heard they had made a decision on the final route and restarted the program.
Service to Disney isn’t expected until 2026 but it’s still planned.

Brightline service to the airport will begin next year hopefully!
 

kbmum

Well-Known Member
If anyone is planning to use Magical Express to the airport until January 10, have a backup plan ready. I just returned from a trip last night. ME to the airport, at least for my family, was a mess. We were supposed to get on a bus at 2 p.m. -- it didn't show up. A front desk CM tried to reach Mears for 10 minutes, but no one would answer the phone. They eventually gave us a taxi voucher and told us to call for a taxi. I wasn't too happy about that and asked which company we were supposed to call when a bell services CM ran outside and flagged down a paid Mears shuttle that was dropping off a family. The driver checked with dispatch, who told him to take us to the airport. We overheard the dispatcher tell the driver that they didn't know we were supposed to be picked up by ME, which is why the bus didn't show.

On the way to the airport, the driver told us that Mears and Disney have been feuding over the end of ME. I mentioned that when we arrived on December 22, the line for ME was absolutely huge and a CM there told us it would be hours before we would get on a bus. We opted to take a cab because we didn't want to miss our lunch reservations (or stand in line for hours for a bus). The driver said that Disney hadn't been giving Mears accurate passenger counts and was letting Mears take the heat from people who were angry about the long delays. Don't know how true this is, but there is no doubt that something was really wrong with ME on the 22nd.
 

flynnibus

Premium Member
I mentioned that when we arrived on December 22, the line for ME was absolutely huge and a CM there told us it would be hours before we would get on a bus. We opted to take a cab because we didn't want to miss our lunch reservations (or stand in line for hours for a bus).

Well that's why you didn't have a return pickup..
 

HauntedPirate

Park nostalgist
Premium Member
Time will tell. I will be watching from the sidelines; sidelines being Universa/IOA/SeaWorld/EPIC Universe…
So you claim there is a never-ending, infinite pool of guests for WDW, but “will be watching from the sidelines; sidelines being Universa/IOA/SeaWorld/EPIC Universe”? Not sure what your angle is here, troll or shill.
 

lewisc

Well-Known Member
The driver said that Disney hadn't been giving Mears accurate passenger counts and was letting Mears take the heat from people
Some of the issue is with airlines changing flights. We don't notify DME every time our flight changes, new flight # not an adjustment. Also canceled trips.. Long lines at DME results in guests bailing
 

lazyboy97o

Well-Known Member
Did they actually revive the train project? The last I had read was that the project was on an indefinite suspension/delay as they were rethinking the route. I hadn’t heard they had made a decision on the final route and restarted the program.
Central Florida Expressway Authority has delayed approving Brightline’s preferred FL-417 route to see if the FL-528 route might be made more viable.
 

JMcMahonEsq

Well-Known Member
Central Florida Expressway Authority has delayed approving Brightline’s preferred FL-417 route to see if the FL-528 route might be made more viable.
That is what I had thought that the project was in limbo pending route review. I had also read that universal was pushing a route that would allow a stop there
 

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