If you’re talking about the same buses Disney uses for resort transportation, those buses are not designed to carry luggage and won’t hold 100 people on a run from the airport to WDW. It would be an awesome idea to bring DME back though.
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is there a chance that the Magical Express will come back?
- Thread starter bjlc57
- Start date
LeighM
Well-Known Member
I remember reading somewhere that Disney said the changing way people get to the parks was a reason for ending the service as more people were using Uber/Lyft. That never made sense to me because most people I know who fly to Disney preferred the Disney buses. There was no hassle, luggage service, kept them in the bubble, and provided that sense of safety. The women I know who travelled alone for runDisney events weren't happy. I know others who couldn't afford the extra cost of the Mears buses for a family of 5 on top of other rising Disney costs so they had to limit the number of Disney trips they could take - every few years instead of every year. But the fact that Sunshine Flyer was able to begin from scratch and provide a themed bus transport to the parks with much success - so much so that Mears recently bought them - should show that there is still a lot of demand for the service, which is something that Disney is missing out on. Even with the operation costs, it should've been profitable in partnership with Mears.
Sirwalterraleigh
Premium Member
That was stupidity…one of the few things you really can hang around Chapek’s neck
Chef Mickey
Well-Known Member
My understanding is they have several motorcoach type busses in their fleet. They could even get creative and retro a couple "luggage carrier" busses to do the luggage service and run even more standard resort transportation busses for transporting people. There are many ways to get creative on it, but they just threw up their hands.
Sirwalterraleigh
Premium Member
At the end of the day…it’s not coming back
Just like “free fastpass”
Name one time in history where the customers get MORE for their money?
…I’ll wait
Just like “free fastpass”
Name one time in history where the customers get MORE for their money?
…I’ll wait
Restoration of free resort parking.At the end of the day…it’s not coming back
Just like “free fastpass”
Name one time in history where the customers get MORE for their money?
…I’ll wait
Some might say you're getting a little more in exchange for paying more then the benefit being given back is worth.
Sirwalterraleigh
Premium Member
Exactly. The kind of perk bean counters approve.
I used to think paid RAC might work. I realized if enough guests were willing to pay for that service hotels like the Dolphin would have offered it years ago.
RoadiJeff
Well-Known Member
Didn't Disney learn that doesn't work for very long when they tried it with the $6,000/two night Galactic Starcruiser?
Sirwalterraleigh
Premium Member
If not that…two quarters of declining attendance in Orlando in a non-recession economy should nail it home
jloucks
Well-Known Member
I'd like to add, car rentals aren't what they used to be. $19 a day? Pfft, Looooooong gone.
After hidden fees, a weekly car rental can be $700+ for a vehicle large enough to hold 4 people and all the luggage.
Yea, DME is missed more than ever!
Granted, a Mears black is $60-$70 before tip, but you would have to stay on site. "have to" like it is bad thing.
jloucks
Well-Known Member
I've said it before, but seems like a good time to mention again...
the $6,000 wasn't the problem. The one-and-done was the problem. Starcruiser was a LARP. The same LARP every time.
Secondary to that, the accommodations were ok, but not $3,000 a night ok.
I have zero regrets about dropping cash on the experience and recommending it to friends, but had no desire to do it again.
jloucks
Well-Known Member
Shoot, count me in. That price point is about right on the money.
Mears would be $60, and no luggage service.
DME would be a little more of a wait for the bus to run, and then maybe a stop or three. Those are the only downsides.
JMcMahonEsq
Well-Known Member
This times a thousand.
The experience itself was well worth the price of admission for us.
But there was no way in the world I would have ever been able to sell my wife, or kids for that matter, to do it again anytime "soon" with soon being let's say a 5-year period. Its a hill I will choose to die on in arguing that the implementation and experience itself was a glowing sucsess....but just in no way commercially viable.
Goofyernmost
Well-Known Member
Congratulations, anyone who can say, with a straight face" that $6000.00 wasn't the problem are well within Disney's target audience. And it also points to the declining attendance and exactly what Disney was hoping for. Eliminate the Po' folk and concentrate on the big spenders that can increase the profits with fewer sweaty bodies hanging around. Just exactly how the plan was supposed to work.
RoadiJeff
Well-Known Member
I've mentioned the company before but Turo still has good deals for car rentals. I rented a 2021 Dodge Charger a few weeks ago through them in Orlando. Including all taxes and fees, the total price for the week was a little under $400.I'd like to add, car rentals aren't what they used to be. $19 a day? Pfft, Looooooong gone.
After hidden fees, a weekly car rental can be $700+ for a vehicle large enough to hold 4 people and all the luggage.
Yea, DME is missed more than ever!
Granted, a Mears black is $60-$70 before tip, but you would have to stay on site. "have to" like it is bad thing.
About a month before that I rented a nice 2022 BMW in Orlando through them. It was slightly higher for the week but a whole lot less than going through one of the regular rental agencies.
They have lots of choices less than the $400/wk, depending on how new you want.
Phonedave
Well-Known Member
I for one would also welcome the return of DME, or more specifically the return of luggage service and RAC.
I don't need it to be free, I was fine with the Mears Express last time I went. Yeah, collecting and checking my own luggage is not THAT big a hassle but I did really like that service. I know that if you are cruising into Seattle, and flying out of SeaTac the same day, the port of Seattle runs a luggage check in service where you can check your luggage the night before on the ship and then take a transfer bus to the airport the next day - so other places can and will do it.
Now comes the part I cannot believe I am going to type - I was talking to the bus driver list time I took Mears (so yeah, this comes straight from the most reliable source of information, a bus driver). But he said, the reason that Mears is not doing the cruise transfers is because when the contract came up for negotiation, Disney took a hard line stance at no increase in revenue share for Mears. It was just no longer profitable for Mears to continue with the contract.
I don't need it to be free, I was fine with the Mears Express last time I went. Yeah, collecting and checking my own luggage is not THAT big a hassle but I did really like that service. I know that if you are cruising into Seattle, and flying out of SeaTac the same day, the port of Seattle runs a luggage check in service where you can check your luggage the night before on the ship and then take a transfer bus to the airport the next day - so other places can and will do it.
Now comes the part I cannot believe I am going to type - I was talking to the bus driver list time I took Mears (so yeah, this comes straight from the most reliable source of information, a bus driver). But he said, the reason that Mears is not doing the cruise transfers is because when the contract came up for negotiation, Disney took a hard line stance at no increase in revenue share for Mears. It was just no longer profitable for Mears to continue with the contract.
Goofyernmost
Well-Known Member
I don't think that it was much of a transition for Mears to take on the task. They are the ones that have been doing it since day one. They even own and operate the ones that were used to transport the people that did the Disney Cruise from Port Canaveral. Disney wouldn't tie up that much money for something that they had no constant use for as long as Mears was willing to buy them, operate them and even theme them as Disney's. Mears always owned them and that was stated on the side of each one. The difference now is that they are free to create their own schedule, charge what they like and it wouldn't even surprise me if Disney was paying them a certain amount of money to help them keep their head above water at least until Sunshine Flyer could become profitable on their own and no one can directly blame Disney for delays.
LeighM
Well-Known Member
I'm aware that Mears always owned them and that it was easy to take on the task. That's not what I've been saying. I just think its strange that Disney used a poor excuse over why they were no longer going to be using Magical Express, instead of charging for it first, or just saying there was a contract dispute. But saying that less guests were using the busses and using Uber just isn't true. More people were using ride shares than before but guests still prefer to take those buses and are willing to pay for them. Thus, the success of Sunshine Flyer - and it appears more people preferred to use them than Mears. And Mears was able to recently acquire Sunshine Flyer. The demand is there. Especially now that those buses will drop off at non-Disney owned resorts. Why would someone stay at the Boardwalk Resort when they can stay for cheaper at Swan and Dolphin? The perks of staying at Disney owned are fading through Disney's own actions. The result of that is that more people are staying at non-Disney owned resorts for their trip. Which is taking money out of Disney's pockets. It's an odd decision for a company that seems to like to nickel and dime their visitors these days and who used to want to keep guests on their property for the duration.
DME was a nice perk. Luggage handling was fantastic.
BUT I don't agree with many of your points
Many, if not most, guests like the non stop service offered by ride share
Charging for DME would likely reduce ridership. That would result in more stops or pax having to wait longer for bus to be dispatched.
Was Sunshine a financial success? I assumed Mears takeover meant there wasn't enough business for 2 companies