News Disney's Magical Express to end after 2021

Goofyernmost

Goofyernmost

Well-Known Member
RoadiJeff said:
I guess I don't see the big deal with having to handle our own luggage, unless it's like my wife when we go on a week vacation and she packs like we're going on a 6 month African safari. :D

I also don't see a problem with driving on I-4 each day to the parks when staying at an off-site hotel, although I've read a lot of anxiety about doing that. I guess I'm used to the traffic here around St. Louis.
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I was used to traffic in Vermont, which compared to anywhere else is like having no traffic at all. I never had a problem driving around WDW area and, yes, there was a lot of traffic but all it required was paying attention and being aware of the area around you. My philosophy was drive like the locals and everything will be fine.
 
B

Beenhereawhile

Member
DCBaker said:
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I am sure many will thing its crazy, but this is just so sad, an end of a fun era for our family personally. We were there in the beginning with our 1-year-old (now 17) in tow and his excitement to ride that bus was the beginning of the fun. We even have the magical express toy bus we bought on his first trip. That feeling continued on with our other kids.

There have been infinite changes to Disney lately that have been the last straw for many. Sad to say honestly this might be the one for us. Sure, we could pay for a shuttle (not likely) or rent a car, but for our family renting a car is for other destinations like Hawaii and California, not Disney. Uber is for Paris and New York. In the end it makes other locations more appealing when Disney ease used to be the obvious choice.
 
larryz

larryz

I'm Just A Tourist!
Premium Member
A long, long time ago
I could take my fam'ly down to see the mouse.
And I knew that flying to McCoy Would bring my family tears of joy
'Cause we'd get driven to our short-term house.

But late last spring I heard some news
That made my blood freeze purple blues --
Bad news on the forums,
The bus would run no more-ums...

I can't remember if I cried when I
Read about how we could hide
But something in my brain just fried
The day... the transport... died.



So bye, bye Mr DME guy
Rent a Chevy from the Airport
And I think I'll just cry.

I schlepped my own luggage
Kissed my money good-bye
Saying "This is not the way I should fly...
This is not the way I should fly."

Did you book a trip next week
With a hope that you might take a peek
At the Star Wars Galaxy?

Or did you perceive another chance
Where your family might just get a glance
At the Dinosaurs or Everest fallacy?

Well I know you wanted them to say
"Just come on down, we'll pay your way!
We'll even grab your bags,
While you suffer from jet lags."

But the Chapek uttered his decree
"No more airport rides for free!"
And we thought it just couldn't be
The day, the transport died.

And we were singing...
(Chorus)

And then I heard to calm my fears
That I could schedule rides with Mears
For $20 bucks or so a head

But then came news of other ways
That I could use on transport days
But the transports would cost more and cause much dread

And on the roads the traffic stopped
The buses fumed and drivers hopped
All the lanes were crawling
The kids and wife were bawling

'Cause we just missed our ADR
That we'd have made without this car
And here we sit stuck in the tar
All thanks to Chapek's thing.

We started singing...
(chorus)
 
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S

Skywise

Well-Known Member
I still don't understand why they stopped this. Obviously it's a cost savings for them as they can now not only divest themselves of the bus contract but the added insurance and, I'm sure, they can save a few pennies on labor getting the luggage to the rooms.
But it further damages the "resort" experience. There was something truly awe inspiring of being pampered as soon as you got off the airplane and got into the "Disney bubble" and, again, I'd grudingly agree with that if they kept the prices reasonable. But they do this and then continue to jack up the rates!
It almost seems like they're trying to match Universal Studios these days - "Well universal doesn't have integrated bus-service and luggage handling so why should we be different?" - THAT'S THE WHOLE POINT!
 
Archie123

Archie123

Well-Known Member
Skywise said:
I still don't understand why they stopped this. Obviously it's a cost savings for them as they can now not only divest themselves of the bus contract but the added insurance and, I'm sure, they can save a few pennies on labor getting the luggage to the rooms.
But it further damages the "resort" experience. There was something truly awe inspiring of being pampered as soon as you got off the airplane and got into the "Disney bubble" and, again, I'd grudingly agree with that if they kept the prices reasonable. But they do this and then continue to jack up the rates!
It almost seems like they're trying to match Universal Studios these days - "Well universal doesn't have integrated bus-service and luggage handling so why should we be different?" - THAT'S THE WHOLE POINT!
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They stopped it because Disney knows that people will still go no matter what they do or what they take away.
 
W

WDWFanRay

Well-Known Member
This is true, but there is a tipping point and when that point on the graph gets below the “magic” line, it’ll costs BIG money for Disney to recover that “top tier” luster. Remember the sub ride at Disneyland? Paul Pressler (Disney CEO and former head of The Gap) decided during his cost cutting to eliminate the $250,000 a year maintenance of the non-operating ride. When Disney decided to reopen the subs with a Nemo theme, tens of millions were needed to make up for the missed maintenance. Saving pennies to lose dollars.
 
Wendy Pleakley

Wendy Pleakley

Well-Known Member
Magical Express is less beneficial for Disney compared to the past, based on personal experience.

It was put in place in no small part to keep people in the Disney bubble. With ME there's less need to rent a car which means less ability to visit other attractions.

At least that's how it used to be for me. Why bother trying to find a way to get to Universal when it's expensive AND Disney's pricing model meant I could just do a 7th or 8th day at WDW for almost no extra cost.

Today, with the advent of ride sharing day trips and split stays just seem more accessible. I'm more likely to get an Uber to Universal whereas 10 years ago it might not have been worth the time or expense.

DME is no longer as beneficial to Disney in terms of keeping people there.
 
MisterPenguin

MisterPenguin

President of Animal Kingdom
Premium Member
Disney doesn't need to offer 'free' perks since it is often trying to limit the guests that make MK overcrowded. They've found they can raise prices and take away the freebies and people still beat down their door.

The only hope is that EU is very, very, very good and eats into Disney's capacity. Then the 'free' enticements and perks will come back.

For now, the only perks you may see are for times of the year that are truly reduced attendance. And even then, that won't happen until the pandemic is over.

BTW, the pandemic is a world wide pandemic. And we're in the middle of it. The middle. Two more years to go before we're sure there won't be more Deltas and Omicrons (and much more deadly variants) coming from the unvaccinated of the world. The whole world.

So... we're looking at several more years of no more 'extras.'
 
S

Skywise

Well-Known Member
Wendy Pleakley said:
Magical Express is less beneficial for Disney compared to the past, based on personal experience.

It was put in place in no small part to keep people in the Disney bubble. With ME there's less need to rent a car which means less ability to visit other attractions.

At least that's how it used to be for me. Why bother trying to find a way to get to Universal when it's expensive AND Disney's pricing model meant I could just do a 7th or 8th day at WDW for almost no extra cost.

Today, with the advent of ride sharing day trips and split stays just seem more accessible. I'm more likely to get an Uber to Universal whereas 10 years ago it might not have been worth the time or expense.

DME is no longer as beneficial to Disney in terms of keeping people there.
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I disagree. The point of MDE is "staying onsite" not just being in the bubble. Sure you can Uber to Universal easier now but now it's just as enticing to flip the stay to Universal and Uber to Disney. MDE was one of the perks that I would use to stay onsite at Disney even if it meant spending a few hundred more for the room cost.

With that gone and I'm now forced to find my own way there from the airport - staying at Universal is now looking pretty good as most of the room rates are of a better value and then I'll just Uber to Disney.

On the flip side it's not like losing ME has made them lose people staying on-site (AFAIK) and maybe this is Disney's way of increasing revenue from resort parking fees too. Also factor in the shift to DVC space vs rooms (especially in the Polynesian and now the GF) and maybe they see this as a pure cost issue against DVC membership.

But I still think their math is off and they're not looking at the whole cost impact here. You're going to get a few quarters of "whoo - look at all the monies we got from parking fees and not paying for ME" and then the execs in charge will get their bonuses and then they'll move on and then suddenly Disney will be wondering why park attendance is flattening or even dropping off. Maybe if we just retheme Epcot again...
 
S

Skywise

Well-Known Member
MisterPenguin said:
BTW, the pandemic is a world wide pandemic. And we're in the middle of it. The middle. Two more years to go before we're sure there won't be more Deltas and Omicrons (and much more deadly variants) coming from the unvaccinated of the world. The whole world.

So... we're looking at several more years of no more 'extras.'
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And still interesting how the Spanish Flu of 1918 only lasted 2 years...
 
MisterPenguin

MisterPenguin

President of Animal Kingdom
Premium Member
Skywise said:
And still interesting how the Spanish Flu of 1918 only lasted 2 years...
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It was more deadly and deadlier quicker. And was spread through people traveling because of war (troops and the displaced).

Once the war was over, people went back to their relatively non-mobile lifestyles. They weren't jetting around the world for business and vacations. This was social distancing by way of a lack of easy and cheap transportation.

And when a disease is very deadly, people take distancing and mitigation very seriously. There was none of this "I'm young, so, I don't have to worry or change my lifestyle crud." The 1918 Flu was particularly bad for young people as well as the elderly.
 
TikibirdLand

TikibirdLand

Well-Known Member
Beenhereawhile said:
I am sure many will thing its crazy, but this is just so sad, an end of a fun era for our family personally. We were there in the beginning with our 1-year-old (now 17) in tow and his excitement to ride that bus was the beginning of the fun. We even have the magical express toy bus we bought on his first trip. That feeling continued on with our other kids.

There have been infinite changes to Disney lately that have been the last straw for many. Sad to say honestly this might be the one for us. Sure, we could pay for a shuttle (not likely) or rent a car, but for our family renting a car is for other destinations like Hawaii and California, not Disney. Uber is for Paris and New York. In the end it makes other locations more appealing when Disney ease used to be the obvious choice.
Click to expand...
When my 3 were small, we'd take DME from MCO. I don't think they loved the busses like yours did. But, as parents, we loved it for the convenience of knowing there wouldn't be a hassle with luggage or transportation. We'd get the tags in the mail and that would start our WDW trip planning. I appreciated dropping our bags off at the airport and not worrying about them until after dinner in the hotel that night. Fun times. Not sure what we'll be doing for transportation on our next trip. Last time, we rented a car so we could go to USO. If the cost of rentals are going to be so high nex time, we may have to just drive; if we decide to go again.
 
Wendy Pleakley

Wendy Pleakley

Well-Known Member
Skywise said:
I disagree. The point of MDE is "staying onsite" not just being in the bubble. Sure you can Uber to Universal easier now but now it's just as enticing to flip the stay to Universal and Uber to Disney. MDE was one of the perks that I would use to stay onsite at Disney even if it meant spending a few hundred more for the room cost.

With that gone and I'm now forced to find my own way there from the airport - staying at Universal is now looking pretty good as most of the room rates are of a better value and then I'll just Uber to Disney.

On the flip side it's not like losing ME has made them lose people staying on-site (AFAIK) and maybe this is Disney's way of increasing revenue from resort parking fees too. Also factor in the shift to DVC space vs rooms (especially in the Polynesian and now the GF) and maybe they see this as a pure cost issue against DVC membership.

But I still think their math is off and they're not looking at the whole cost impact here. You're going to get a few quarters of "whoo - look at all the monies we got from parking fees and not paying for ME" and then the execs in charge will get their bonuses and then they'll move on and then suddenly Disney will be wondering why park attendance is flattening or even dropping off. Maybe if we just retheme Epcot again...
Click to expand...

That's a good point.

Personally I prefer to stay onsite at Disney (but have shifted to doing split stays with Universal) and that has always been the case regardless of DME. It was a nice perk, but not the driving force for myself.

DME was clever in that the perceived value was much greater than the actual value in my view. The cost per person isn't that much but it was a driver for many people in convincing them to pay Disney hotel rates.
 
Casper Gutman

Casper Gutman

Well-Known Member
MisterPenguin said:
Disney doesn't need to offer 'free' perks since it is often trying to limit the guests that make MK overcrowded. They've found they can raise prices and take away the freebies and people still beat down their door.

The only hope is that EU is very, very, very good and eats into Disney's capacity. Then the 'free' enticements and perks will come back.

For now, the only perks you may see are for times of the year that are truly reduced attendance. And even then, that won't happen until the pandemic is over.

BTW, the pandemic is a world wide pandemic. And we're in the middle of it. The middle. Two more years to go before we're sure there won't be more Deltas and Omicrons (and much more deadly variants) coming from the unvaccinated of the world. The whole world.

So... we're looking at several more years of no more 'extras.'
Click to expand...
So I assume Disney will be limiting attendance to an absolute fraction of its current levels to ensure that there isn't any crowding either outdoors and indoors. No packing people into monorails or ride vehicles or indoor queues or restaurants. Strictly enforced social distancing everywhere. No massive crowds on NYE, just as we certainly saw none on Christmas. In fact, given how numbers are skyrocketing, WDW will probably shut down.

OR the pandemic is just being used as a disgustingly cynical excuse for all sorts of cost-cutting decisions that dramatically impact the guest experience while measures that might actually make a difference are ignored because they might cut into the profit. But that would be pretty ugly, So I'm sure its not the case.

Also, I'm glad to hear the pandemic will definitely continue for two years and then end. I missed that announcement. Do we have an exact date?
 

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