News Disney's Magical Express to end after 2021

[LSLS]

Something that makes no sense...
(Unless they are replacing it with some kinda of new "Paid" on demand service.. like Uber)

I mean, really, this makes ZERO sense for a few reasons.. Not the least of which is Disney wanted to keep people on the property, not encourage them to rent car's.

Unless it was never really about keeping people on property, it was about making more money off charging for parking. Or Disney specific paid transportation (want to be minnie vans are back by 2022?).

 

[Swarles Barkley.]

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Well, this sucks. The Magical Express was one of the best things about staying in-park. And what the hell is Disney going to do with those busses?

Raise prices and cut services - great business model, Chapek You idiot.

FTFY

 

[EPCOT-O.G.]

Many of their recent decisions seem and feel incredible short-sighted and ruinous in the long term, but this one especially so. Do the math on what this adds to a typical vacation (Uber to/from Resorts, or car rental + parking fee). I have no doubt they’ll fill the gap with some add-on, costly concierge service (like the transport from the resorts to Canaveral for the cruises), but this seems like a really, really terrible decision that will dissuade more than a few from paying the premium to stay at the park resorts.

 

[Brian]

This feels like a surrender to Universal and maybe a huge peek into the financials at the moment - ANY visitors on property are now preferable to CAPTIVE visitors on property.

Also, I'm sure Meers is so pleased with staring down the barrel of that loss of revenue. Will they institute a for-payment outside service using the infrastructure? And how does this impact WDW & Cruise transfer which used MDE infrastructure at MCO?

Good question. I wouldn't be surprised to see Mears and other companies in the area in a race to be first to provide/more aggressively promote a similar service on a cost per passenger basis.

 

[Lilofan]

Well, this sucks. The Magical Express was one of the best things about staying in-park. And what the hell is Disney going to do with those busses?

Raise prices and cut services - great business model, Iger. You idiot.

The Orlando yellow cabs and Uber drivers are probably jumping for joy.

 

[M:SpilotISTC12]

I'm waiting for DVC to take away my free parking benefit. There are no perks to being on site. The off site hotels that you can book for much cheaper (and on credit card points) that have the same value at this point.

 

[Mander]

In the past I've opted not to stay off property or at Universal because of the convenience of the Magical Express. This plus the elimination of Extra Magic Hours? I love being in the bubble but man even I have to look at that and wonder if it is worth it. I could easily book a Disney Springs hotel and get the same experience.

 

[MichWolv]

So to recap, in the last few years, Disney has:

• Given EMH & 60 day FastPass+ privileges to off-property hotels.
• Reduce evening EMH to 2 hours instead of 3
• Adding in "after hours events" so you can pay for more time than EMH would offer in the evening.
• Made the rooms arguably more generic and sterile.

And following COVID:

• Cut EMH & FastPass+
• Taken away free MagicBands (not a perk, but they acted like it was)
• Cut Magical Express
• Cut virtually all resort entertainment

So the question on my mind and probably many others' is: why stay at a Disney resort?

You forgot that they started charging for parking at the resorts.

I decided long ago that staying on site is almost never worth it and typically rent a house and a car for less than a room at a moderate resort.

That being said, Disney resorts were crowded before DME and I'm sure they'll be crowded after DME. When DME was started (2006 or so?), many (including me) called it a ploy to get people not to rent cars, thereby making them captive to eating, shopping, etc. on site. Back then, there were many fewer options for getting to WDW from the airport, and people sometimes rented cars because they were very cheap. Car rental prices are higher now, and Uber and Lyft make it much easier to get from the airport to WDW without a rental car. In addition, even if Disney convinces people not to rent a car, they aren't as captive, because calling an Uber to go off-site to eat is easy and not too expensive so there's less benefit.

 

[MagicWDI]

I would consider renting a car if they didn't add parking fees to the mix. As a matter of fact I would probably prefer it, other than for MK...

 

[HairyChest]

We have NEVER rented a car at Disney. One of the reasons we’d choose a disney vacation is not having the hassle of driving. This is a huuuge blow to our vacation perks. If Universal comes out and announces complimentary transportation from MCO to their property, we will always start our vacations with a few days there and stay less at Disney.

 

[bcoachable]

So to recap, in the last few years, Disney has:

• Given EMH & 60 day FastPass+ privileges to off-property hotels.
• Reduce evening EMH to 2 hours instead of 3
• Adding in "after hours events" so you can pay for more time than EMH would offer in the evening.
• Made the rooms arguably more generic and sterile.

And following COVID:

• Cut EMH & FastPass+
• Taken away free MagicBands (not a perk, but they acted like it was)
• Cut Magical Express
• Cut virtually all resort entertainment

So the question on my mind and probably many others' is: why stay at a Disney resort?

Can they lure you to the resort with a Max Pass, Sir? Asking for a friend... (whose first name may or may not be Bob)

 

[monothingie]

For this?

Extra Magic Hours News

Walt Disney World Resort hotels guests will now get less early access time, but with more flexibility.

www.wdwmagic.com

You should add another question mark for effect.

 

[dsinclair]

Good question. I wouldn't be surprised to see Mears and other companies in the area in a race to be first to provide/more aggressively promote a similar service on a cost per passenger basis.

If you go to Mears website it says they stopped servicing MCO on 12/31/2020.

 

[Brian]

Back then, there were many fewer options for getting to WDW from the airport, and people sometimes rented cars because they were very cheap. Car rental prices are higher now, and Uber and Lyft make it much easier to get from the airport to WDW without a rental car.

Good point! It's harder to be held captive like back then when now you can have a car pick you up in 10 minutes right from your phone.

 

[arich35]

Going to have to move down to Disney and start a good transportation business or just be an Uber driver

 

[HarperRose]

This news is a HUGE disappointment and takes away a major perk from staying on site.

It takes away my only reason for staying on site. If I have to rent a car anyway, I'm staying in cheaper, larger, much nicer accommodations with better, cheaper food options available.

I am extremely disappointed in this announcement. Does anyone have the WDW email address handy?

 

[Brian]

If you go to Mears website it says they stopped servicing MCO on 12/31/2020.

Indeed. But they are the largest in the area and I would be shocked to see them just throw their hands up in surrender.

Much like the companies that service Disneyland guests at LAX, I'd expect to see Mears and others come up with something similar for MCO.

 

[HarperRose]

This kinda sux, we didn't use the ME but I know a lot of folks here loved it. As long as they still offer Airline check in\ baggage check at the resorts, I won't be too disappointed.

RAC will also be gone.

 

[DisneyOutsider]

I'm sure that a lack of ridership due to the pandemic was the big blow that pushed this past the finish line. WDW knows that their parks are enough of a draw that they don't need to bus you in for free. They never needed to before either... but DME was low-hanging fruit for the axe in this environment.

 

[wendysue]

Good question. I wouldn't be surprised to see Mears and other companies in the area in a race to be first to provide/more aggressively promote a similar service on a cost per passenger basis.

I remember when we first started going to WDW and we had to get Mears transport to the resort. That was before ME. Guess what comes around goes around.