News Disney's Magical Express to end after 2021

[Disstevefan1]

So you claim there is a never-ending, infinite pool of guests for WDW, but “batching from the sidelines; sidelines being Universa/IOA/SeaWorld/EPIC Universe”? Not sure what your angle is here, troll or shill.

Just to be clear, I purchased 3 platinum passes for many years up till park pass reservations, at which point, the value was lost for my family. We still buy merch and watch the movies.

My point is, in my opinion, TWDC and it’s theme parks are too big to fail, there are plenty of returning guests and new guests, my money will make no difference; I will be watching from the sidelines; sidelines being Universa/IOA/SeaWorld/EPIC Universe.

For the Disney parks to feel anything there would need to be something even bigger than a global pandemic apparently.

Before the pandemic, I would have bet a global pandemic would have either killed the Disney theme parks, or would have forced them to put their guests first to survive…. Nope.

 

[TransportationGuy]

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.

Without going into too much detail, there’s substantial tension in the air between the two organizations.

 

[kbmum]

Without going into too much detail, there’s substantial tension in the air between the two organizations.

If the driver we had is to be believed, he said that getting rid of ME will cost Mears $70 million per year.

 

[lewisc]

Without going into too much detail, there’s substantial tension in the air between the two organizations.

Academy is one of the bus companies being used for Sunshine Flyer. Disney already contracts with Academy.

How long before Disney lets guests book Sunshine as part of a package

 

[Sir_Cliff]

My point is, in my opinion, TWDC and it’s theme parks are too big to fail, there are plenty of returning guests and new guests, my money will make no difference; I will be watching from the sidelines; sidelines being Universa/IOA/SeaWorld/EPIC Universe.

No-one needs to go to a Disney theme park, and I certainly hope Disney themselves don't have this same vision of their parks being failure-proof. Nothing lasts forever.

They did over-play their hand with Galaxy's Edge's first summer at Disneyland when they offered too little and charged too much leading to one of the most hyped and expensive additions in the park's history being greeted by the quietest summer in years. While it certainly didn't tank the park, it showed people won't just show up whatever Disney serves up and chooses to charge them.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Academy is one of the bus companies being used for Sunshine Flyer. Disney already contracts with Academy.

How long before Disney lets guests book Sunshine as part of a package

I had mentioned previously that it seemed there was a…special…relationship with Sunshine Flyer.

 

[Rich Brownn]

Disney: We can build anything and people will arrive in droves.
Original California Adventure: Hold my beer.

Its probably the best example of how much it costs to get business back: $400 million to build, more than twice that to fix

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

Disney: We can build anything and people will arrive in droves.
Original California Adventure: Hold my beer.

Its probably the best example of how much it costs to get business back: $400 million to build, more than twice that to fix

The irony being they‘ve done it several times and never seem to learn, DCA, MGM Studios, AK, studio park in Paris, Hong Kong… every time they try to do something cheaply it costs them a fortune in the long run.

It would cost less just to do it right the first time, even if that meant offering less quantity but a higher quality at the beginning and then expanding.

 

[HauntedPirate]

The irony being they‘ve done it several times and never seem to learn, DCA, MGM Studios, AK, studio park in Paris, Hong Kong… every time they try to do something cheaply it costs them a fortune in the long run.

It would cost less just to do it right the first time, even if that meant offering less quantity but a higher quality at the beginning and then expanding.

Then they went and spent $2 billion on GE between the two coasts with no real way of expanding without big additional costs, at least in Florida. They still haven’t learned the lesson.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

Then they went and spent $2 billion on GE between the two coasts with no real way of expanding without big additional costs, at least in Florida. They still haven’t learned the lesson.

They’ve got an expansion pad at each coast but the fact they’ve put back of the house buildings on them leads me to believe we won’t see anything built on them for many years.

 

[lewisc]

I had mentioned previously that it seemed there was a…special…relationship with Sunshine Flyer.

Your point was regarding photos of the buses on Disney property. My point was an extension. An existing business relationship exists between Disney and the bus company

 

[Disstevefan1]

No-one needs to go to a Disney theme park, and I certainly hope Disney themselves don't have this same vision of their parks being failure-proof. Nothing lasts forever.

They did over-play their hand with Galaxy's Edge's first summer at Disneyland when they offered too little and charged too much leading to one of the most hyped and expensive additions in the park's history being greeted by the quietest summer in years. While it certainly didn't tank the park, it showed people won't just show up whatever Disney serves up and chooses to charge them.

I remember when they opened GE in DLR. I did wonder if folks got scared of the usual mobs that come when something is initially opened and did not show up for that reason.

After a while they were back to normal and folks who specifically visited DLR (including getting a room) to ride Rise for example, could not get a boarding group.

As for attendance for the sake of attendance, it feels like to me, Disney is moving away from that and will be happy to charge more money and serve less people.

Lower crowds, spending more is better for Disney and it (should) improve the guest experience.

Lets see what happens.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Your point was regarding photos of the buses on Disney property. My point was an extension. An existing business relationship exists between Disney and the bus company

It is interesting to watch them largely cut ties with Mears, but pre-DME, I always found Mears to be awfully-managed. No big loss for me. I hope Sunshine Flyer is better.

 

[John park hopper]

This could be a business opportunity for some one to get a bunch of school buses and take over the runs from the airport to WDW ?

 

[lewisc]

This could be a business opportunity for some one to get a bunch of school buses and take over the runs from the airport to WDW ?

Do you really think there is demand for a third company? I've never seen.a school bus with areas to stow luggage. Have you?

 

[JoeCamel]

Do you really think there is demand for a third company? I've never seen.a school bus with areas to stow luggage. Have you?

Let the other companies carry the people, use the school buses to do door to door luggage service. That is what people want and will pay for plus the insurance is a small fraction of what a passenger carrier is.

 

[Ayla]

Let the other companies carry the people, use the school buses to do door to door luggage service. That is what people want and will pay for plus the insurance is a small fraction of what a passenger carrier is.

Box trucks are much more practical for moving luggage, like Bags, Inc used.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Let the other companies carry the people, use the school buses to do door to door luggage service. That is what people want and will pay for plus the insurance is a small fraction of what a passenger carrier is.

How did DME move bags? I assume trucks. While luggage delivery to your room is unlikely, delivery to luggage services at the resort should be possible. They do this with stroller and wheelchair rentals.

 

[ImperfectPixie]

How did DME move bags? I assume trucks. While luggage delivery to your room is unlikely, delivery to luggage services at the resort should be possible. They do this with stroller and wheelchair rentals.

Why would they use separate trucks when every bus has storage compartments for luggage and the buses are/were already making the trips?

 

[peter11435]

Why would they use separate trucks when every bus has storage compartments for luggage and the buses are/were already making the trips?

With Magical Express they used separate box trucks to transport luggage.