News Disney's Magical Express to end after 2021

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Obobru

Well-Known Member
Just working out the costs on this.
Last figure I can find is 2.3m users from 2013 and I expect it increased since then.

Mears offers $39 RTN from the airport to Disney. Let's say Disney pays half this cost do $19.50 that's $44,850,000

Now that's not including the bags service which is provided by Bags Inc. let's say Disney is paying $2 per bag each way (low estimate) and every one has just one bag that's $5.2m. This company laid off almost 600 people in Orlando which were handling this and Disney's valet parking which they also have the contract for so they must have plenty of people working on it plus all the trucks, scanners for baggage, etc.

We are now at $50m+ and that's without any increase in users.
 
D

doctornick

Well-Known Member
UNCgolf said:
I think $35-50 is might be a low estimate if you're talking about a family of 5 with all their luggage. You'd have to use an XL, which ups the price, and my guess is they'll be hiking up the price in general if they see a huge influx of people wanting/needing to use their service at the airport.
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I just looked it up and we paid $70 for a van for a family of 5 (included one car seat and two boosters) one way to Universal in 2017. Probably a bit more now but it was cheaper to do round trip too (we went from Uni to WDW and then took MDE back to the airport). Also going to WDW versus Uni might be a little more since it is further.

Most of these services also make a free stop at a store so you can buy water or other sundries for you hotel room.
 
UNCgolf

UNCgolf

Well-Known Member
Obobru said:
It's going to be sold out for years. You misjudge the target audience and their willingness to pay for experiences. These are the exact customers Disney wants, time poor cash rich people who want something different and is more premium.

People think if their personal circumstances are maybe worse that everyone's are, they aren't. Some people have become even wealthier during this pandemic.
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The problem with that line of thought is that the really wealthy people are used to getting much more for their money than Disney is offering. Why stay at a Disney resort when you could stay at the Four Seasons and have an experience that dwarfs Disney's current offerings in every way?

And that's if those people are going to Disney at all. Just because they have plenty of money to spend doesn't mean they don't care about value -- in fact, they're often far more discerning about how they spend money than the people who can't really afford it.
 
Disney Analyst

Disney Analyst

Well-Known Member
I'm awaiting to see how they handle this. Perhaps they will create a hub of transport to resorts from the drop off are of the future train station?

I can't jump to conclusions as so much is unknown.
 
IanDLBZF

IanDLBZF

Well-Known Member
Disney Analyst said:
I'm awaiting to see how they handle this. Perhaps they will create a hub of transport to resorts from the drop off are of the future train station?

I can't jump to conclusions as so much is unknown.
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Disney Springs already serves resort buses.
So chances are that resort buses will also serve the new rail station.
 
Figments Friend

Figments Friend

Well-Known Member
wdwmagic said:
I can't really think of an occasion in the last 25 years that I have been doing this site that guest pushback on a major decision has made a difference.
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Steve, you are forgetting the Epcot 25th Anniversary.

The thread I started on this very Forum changed history.
Disney had nothing planned for the 25th , but all of that changed dramatically thanks to fellow fans on this Forum and that thread.

It all started here....and it all started with a dragon.
All it takes is one person to start the ball rolling.....

;)

-
 
Disney Analyst

Disney Analyst

Well-Known Member
IanDLBZF said:
Disney Springs already serves resort buses.
So chances are that resort buses will also serve the new rail station.
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They could very well institute some system with busses better equipped for Luggage from the station, built around the arrival time of trains.

So again, I chose to await and see what the end game is here. Especially once travel starts to resume.
 
lazyboy97o

lazyboy97o

Well-Known Member
Disney Analyst said:
They could very well institute some system with busses better equipped for Luggage from the station, built around the arrival time of trains.

So again, I chose to await and see what the end game is here. Especially once travel starts to resume.
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And you’ll be waiting for at least a year after Magical Express stops. If this is about switching to Brightline then that service should actually be up and running first, not still in early planning and design.
 
flynnibus

flynnibus

Premium Member
Obobru said:
Your thinking is way out of date, that bubble burst years ago. Rideshares easy to get, cheaper than a taxi, no need for cash, safe with tracking, etc. We use Lyft and Uber when we are in Orlando and speak to the drivers, many day most their work is ferrying people around the theme parks and hotels including Disney's hotels. You only have to stand outside any Disney hotel and see the endless stream to rideshare cars.
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No, because as stated before... it was never 'no rideshare' before, the difference is the interia that DME built up by keeping people 'in Disney mode' all the time. Once you pierce that bubble, it's easier for people to repeat. The difference is your situation (and trust me, I know.. I'm one of those people using rideshare!) is for a portion of patrons have made that cross-over... where as when you take DME away EVERYONE has popped that Disney bubble.

Honestly Disney has been feeding this problem themselves with the crap bus service and then giving in and actually running their own ridesharing program. Basically Disney has been encouraging, and then training their own customers to defect from the bus service. Doesn't take much more to keep 'giving up on Disney' in other areas once you've done so in one.
 
Po'Rich

Po'Rich

Well-Known Member
While this perk probably isn't the one that breaks the camel's back for me, it is one more perk gone. It definitely seems like Disney has been in subtraction mode for the last several years. I've been trying, but I can't think of ANYTHING that has been added (without cost) without something else being subtracted (and in many cases, several things being subtracted).

When I bought into DVC (2014), it was these "extras" that really sold me. It was these sorts of things that made Disney stand out and helped me fully relax during the vacation (I didn't have to worry about transportation, luggage, etc. All I had to worry about was trying to make it across the park in time for my next fastpass). For a while, it seemed like Disney was focused on how to make a better vacation experience for people. Some of that seems to have been lost.
 
Giss Neric

Giss Neric

Well-Known Member
So they are discontinuing the Magical Express DURING their 50th Anniversary? I wonder if that plays a role.

Is the new train system part of the 50 new things they are doing for their 50th?
 
TheDisneyDaysOfOurLives

TheDisneyDaysOfOurLives

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
Yes
This really reeks of being cheap (for Disney) for the sake of being cheap. I can't wrap my head around who thought this was a good idea and the reason behind it. Obviously, Disney won't lower the cost of hotel prices to offset this. This is purely someone looking at the balance sheet, finding something to gain a quick decrease in their expenses, and made it seem like a way to 'save $50 million' and look good while doing it. This is the kind of short-sightedness that got Disney into trouble before and will get them in trouble again.

Was this some kind of deal they made with Orange County in return for being able to open in July? That they would end this program and thus the county could rake in the toll fees?

Such a weird move.
 
Giss Neric

Giss Neric

Well-Known Member
disneyglimpses said:
The train has nothing to do with the Magical Express decision. Guests going from MCO to Disney Springs solves absolutely nothing.
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Well, if they build a huge central station in Disney Springs, drop off the passengers from the train and then from the station buses or other modes will take them to their resorts. The train's purpose is to cut the traveling time in half. Anyways, it might be but still not also.
 

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