News Disney's Magical Express to end after 2021

[Jedijax719]

We (disney park fans) must be so addicted-
They know we will pay premium b/c of perks like DME, to stay on property for a room that isn’t any better than a Fairfield Inn. When TWDC takes said perk away, but doesn’t lower the premium price of the room, we all say “oh, ok I’ll still pay premium AND pay for that shuttle, no big deal!”
We are a silly breed, us fans.
I feel my brand loyalty is being abused a bit...

Thing is, they will charge the same, er, MORE, even after they take away perks like DME and EMH. So they will zap the perks but charge more. So it's not an addiction. I think people might understand a tiny bit if they used this as a way to reduce the cost of staying on site. Being upset by paying more for less return is not entitled. But, yeah, less people will be staying on site. I wonder if the money saved from cutting these services will be better than the money lost by people staying off site.

@JERiv or not go to Disney at all if we've already been. Unfortunately, a LOT of people will be making that decision. It's an expensive trip to add on your own headaches that weren't there before.

@SteveBrickNJ I saw the link to Orlando shuttle service. I noticed that they excluded the resorts and only had transports to the parks. That is still a big problem when you have a bunch of luggage. So, it doesn't help if it is as stated.

 

[lazyboy97o]

I imagine it's at least partially a result of Florida not having a state income tax. Those departments have to get money from somewhere.

CFX is not even a state agency, only being local to central Florida and in reality still only having roads in Orange County. It makes sense to want to replace revenue but a huge chunk of the route from Cocoa to Tampa is along highways so Brightline is paying rent to FDOT and CFX. It’s more the wording and charging Brightline with developing a solution to the “problem” of less traffic that just looks ridiculous. Even with the development of rail corridors it shows that FDOT is not very sincere about plans to develop rail in the state.

 

[nickys]

But, yeah, less people will be staying on site.

There will be just as many people staying onsite. For everyone who decides to stay offsite there will be others to replace them.

 

[Jedijax719]

There will be just as many people staying onsite. For everyone who decides to stay offsite there will be others to replace them.

Not if they don't have any way to get from the airport to the resorts. Some will choose to rent cars instead. Some will use other means. However, there will be an impact overall. The question is not whether there will be an impact. The question is whether the impact will be enough for WDW to come up with another plan.

Now, as someone pointed out, since this is a year out, there will clearly be services that fill the gap. Disney itself may even be looking at an alternative service.

It looks like the shuttle service only serves transporation from MCO to parks. I will assume that if nothing else comes up, they will extend this service to the resorts in 2022.

 

[nickys]

Not if they don't have any way to get from the airport to the resorts. Some will choose to rent cars instead. Some will use other means. However, there will be an impact overall. The question is not whether there will be an impact. The question is whether the impact will be enough for WDW to come up with another plan.

Now, as someone pointed out, since this is a year out, there will clearly be services that fill the gap. Disney itself may even be looking at an alternative service.

It looks like the shuttle service only serves transporation from MCO to parks. I will assume that if nothing else comes up, they will extend this service to the resorts in 2022.

Mears have already said they will run a bus service to WDW.

Disney won’t lose one room from the move. It may be more hassle but enough people already manage to get to their resort without using DME that people who want to stay onsite will do so.

Whether by taxi, ride share, private car / limo service, hiring a car - people will get to WDW. It isn’t rocket science. I know it will be more hassle for many people who currently use it, my family included. I love DME, I hate this move. But wherever people stay they have to get there, WDW is no different. The family that decide to stay offsite on International Drive or in Kissimmee because of this will be replaced by another family that simply book a private transfer with two car seats.

 

[Jenny72]

I agree that there are lots of people who will still book on-site, and it's not like the parks will clear out, but I'm not sure it makes sense to say that anyone who cancels will be instantly replaced. That's only true if there are waiting lists for hotels. I know Disney hotels are busy, but I'm not sure that they're going to be running at 100%+ capacity in 2022.

It's impossible to gauge the impact of one action, considering all the other issues going on in the past few years. But at a bare minimum, this has hurt their image. The response to this has been overwhelmingly negative. I realize that this may perplex some people who use rideshare or travel frequently, but I think the company is underestimating the damage. We're now looking at other vacation sites for our "post pandemic blowout trip." Is there another family drooling at this opportunity to take our place? I don't think it works that way. In other words, in this case there would have been two families; now there is one.

 

[Jedijax719]

I agree that there are lots of people who will still book on-site, and it's not like the parks will clear out, but I'm not sure it makes sense to say that anyone who cancels will be instantly replaced. That's only true if there are waiting lists for hotels. I know Disney hotels are busy, but I'm not sure that they're going to be running at 100%+ capacity in 2022.

It's impossible to gauge the impact of one action, considering all the other issues going on in the past few years. But at a bare minimum, this has hurt their image. The response to this has been overwhelmingly negative. I realize that this may perplex some people who use rideshare or travel frequently, but I think the company is underestimating the damage. We're now looking at other vacation sites for our "post pandemic blowout trip." Is there another family drooling at this opportunity to take our place? I don't think it works that way.

This is a good point. The pandemic is not going to have a magic switch that turns it off and everything suddenly goes back to normal. It is going to take quite a while and will move slowly to get things even remotely close to "normal". Many people will still be reluctant when/if things get better. Taking away a major convenience that has been around for 15 years will put doubt in many people's/family's minds. My wife and I went to WDW in 2003 for our honeymoon. I still remember bus transportation to the Polynesian. Yeah, we had to get our own bags from baggage claim, but didn't have to worry about transport. It was still included.

But when you couple this with the other things that have been taken away (with strong chance of not returning) it gives a very bad PR impression.

 

[Jedijax719]

Sorry for the double post. As of right now, Meres shuttle services from MCO do not go to and from resorts. Does anything think that will change in 2022 to accommodate the elimination of DME?

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I agree that there are lots of people who will still book on-site, and it's not like the parks will clear out, but I'm not sure it makes sense to say that anyone who cancels will be instantly replaced. That's only true if there are waiting lists for hotels. I know Disney hotels are busy, but I'm not sure that they're going to be running at 100%+ capacity in 2022.

There's no such thing. The "puzzle pieces" of booking room nights don't align perfectly. If I book Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday and somebody else books Friday and Saturday, you have to hope that somebody out there is looking for a Wednesday-Thursday reservation in order to hit 100%. Obviously a lot of this normalizes out when you have thousands of room nights in your inventory, but it's not perfect. 85 to 90% is considered "full occupancy" and the point when they would start looking to expand inventory. They were hitting those numbers fairly consistently pre-COVID.

 

[castlecake2.0]

All these “I’ll rent a car/go off site/eat off site/spend a day or two at universal instead” isn’t that maybe what Disney wants? I saw an interview where Iger talks about how the parks were becoming to crowded for their own good and they want a sweet spot where they can balance lower attendance with increased spending. Maybe it’s a calculation. Maybe now they DO want you to go offsite a bit and lower the overall strain on the property while raising prices a little here and there to make up for it.

 

[Jenny72]

Sure, amend 100%+ to 85%+, but the exact percentage is not the point.

Let's say this: they don't just want to fill hotels to capacity, but they want to fill them to capacity with high-spending guests. In that light, this decision seems like an odd departure from recent policy. In recent years, the approach has been to raise prices and charge for premium experiences (even at the expense of other customers). You can cut down on the overall number of guests without losing money if you keep raising prices. That's why it's mind-boggling that they didn't just charge for the service and spin it as new-and-improved for a premium experience. *That's* what I expect from modern Disney. And that's why this decision is just so odd.

 

[nickys]

Sorry for the double post. As of right now, Meres shuttle services from MCO do not go to and from resorts. Does anything think that will change in 2022 to accommodate the elimination of DME?

Yes, they have said as much in a public announcement, as posted in this thread.

Quote
Mears spokesperson Roger Chapin told Spectrum News, “Walt Disney made us aware of their decision. While we are disappointed Disney will no longer offer this service, we intend to continue offering transportation services between the airport and all area theme parks and hotels to meet the demand of our visitors now and in the future.”

NEWS: Mears Releases Statement on Disney's Magical Express Service Ending | the disney food blog

Mears has released a statement on Orlando-area transportation with the closing of Disney's Magical Express.

www.disneyfoodblog.com

 

[Jedijax719]

Yes, they have said as much in a public announcement, as posted in this thread.

Quote
Mears spokesperson Roger Chapin told Spectrum News, “Walt Disney made us aware of their decision. While we are disappointed Disney will no longer offer this service, we intend to continue offering transportation services between the airport and all area theme parks and hotels to meet the demand of our visitors now and in the future.”

NEWS: Mears Releases Statement on Disney's Magical Express Service Ending | the disney food blog

Mears has released a statement on Orlando-area transportation with the closing of Disney's Magical Express.

www.disneyfoodblog.com

Any idea on how much it would cost for just a basic shuttle?(not luxury). They had prices for the luxury but not the regular.

Sounds like it will be the way it used to be back in the early 2000's. The drawbacks are having to get your own luggage and paying for the shuttle (although I am guessing it can be done beforehand).

The excuse they are using that "there are so many other transportation options out there" is like an Italian restaurant not serving pizza because "there are so many places diners can get pizza." (btw, I say that and Carrabba's actually STOPPED making their pizza lol).

 

[Daily Magic]

I was this many days old when I realized that Magic Express doesn’t come with complimentary baggage transfer anymore. Was excited to ride it one last time this year but with now having to get my bag from baggage claim I wonder if I’ll just jump to an Uber/Lyft and get to the park even quicker.

 

[bcoachable]

I was this many days old when I realized that Magic Express doesn’t come with complimentary baggage transfer anymore. Was excited to ride it one last time this year but with now having to get my bag from baggage claim I wonder if I’ll just jump to an Uber/Lyft and get to the park even quicker.

But pay the same price for the stay...
(This is my rubbing point, I realize this may not bother most)

 

[bcoachable]

All these “I’ll rent a car/go off site/eat off site/spend a day or two at universal instead” isn’t that maybe what Disney wants? I saw an interview where Iger talks about how the parks were becoming to crowded for their own good and they want a sweet spot where they can balance lower attendance with increased spending. Maybe it’s a calculation. Maybe now they DO want you to go offsite a bit and lower the overall strain on the property while raising prices a little here and there to make up for it.

IF this is the reasoning- why not build a fifth gate or a third theme park in the US (Austin/San Antonio corridor maybe?) or just finish out the parks you have in order to accommodate the hoard? This would allow you to grab that revenue stream, and maybe even plus it some by adding guests, instead of allowing it to go to your competition?
I realize it is WAY easier to say this than to do it, but, they are a buisness, right??

 

[Jedijax719]

But pay the same price for the stay...
(This is my rubbing point, I realize this may not bother most)

Well and that may be the real sticky point. Not only are you not getting a discount, you will actually paying MORE for LESS.

It's like when cable companies shoot up their price by $20 a month and the only way to get it back to $10 more a month is to get a package with less channels.

 

[castlecake2.0]

IF this is the reasoning- why not build a fifth gate or a third theme park in the US (Austin/San Antonio corridor maybe?) or just finish out the parks you have in order to accommodate the hoard? This would allow you to grab that revenue stream, and maybe even plus it some by adding guests, instead of allowing it to go to your competition?
I realize it is WAY easier to say this than to do it, but, they are a buisness, right??

I think that was the one of the reasons DAK was built but it didn’t bring the financial results they wanted, it just spread the money out. I think DAK effectively ruined any chance of getting a 5th gate. Another option could be to add more non park recreation activities maybe?

 

[bcoachable]

I think that was the one of the reasons DAK was built but it didn’t bring the financial results they wanted, it just spread the money out. I think DAK effectively ruined any chance of getting a 5th gate. Another option could be to add more non park recreation activities maybe?

I get ya- but AK & HS are both under developed (still) and could use a people eater or three. Epcot is a half day park as well- there is no where for the hoards to go. Just spend a dollar or two today to accommodate your successful business model.
Idk- just a strange way to do business after all these years of mouse trapping us into the property, then do an about face, and want people to stay offsite.

 

[lazyboy97o]

I get ya- but AK & HS are both under developed (still) and could use a people eater or three. Epcot is a half day park as well- there is no where for the hoards to go. Just spend a dollar or two today to accommodate your successful business model.
Idk- just a strange way to do business after all these years of mouse trapping us into the property, then do an about face, and want people to stay offsite.

Cost and poor use of space. Disney cannot justify building attractions small enough that they add capacity but don’t induce more demand. A $100+ C Ticket makes no sense.