The first week in May for an economy car at Alamo arriving at MCO for $345 for the week is not that bad.
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Understanding Why Disney's Magical Express Is Ending
- Thread starter ParentsOf4
- Start date
JoeCamel
Well-Known Member
I just paid $134 for a six hour compact Budget rental in the middle of BF Tennessee. The shortage is real but they are shuffling cars around
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HarperRose
Well-Known Member
Because there is a rental car shortage.
I agree with you too. Times, needs, and technology changed. People have ride share, taxis, rental cars, private shuttle service all conveniently available on a cell phone. Landing at the airport without a clue on how to get to a hotel is no longer the situation with most adults. While I liked ME I recall wondering if I’d get back to my room and if my luggage would be there so there was that worry. But ultimately, I kept thinking of how it must be a colossal pain in the neck for Disney to manage and with with little upside At this point. As you said the headache and complaining of people needing help changing their bus schedule, lost bags, late bags, long waits, leaving too early from the resort, etc. was not worth it. At this point, they can just manage the resorts, their internal transportation, and the parks and leave everyone’s travel plans to them.
LetsTalkWDW
New Member
The demise of DME is disappointing but our family has a plan. I don’t know if this will work for other families but it works for us.
Bags Inc. VIP baggage delivery service and Uber/Lyft. Yeah there is a cost but the experience should be similar, if not better than DME.
Baggage delivery should be about $50 (for our 3 bags) and ride share another $30. So for $80 we get a private ride directly to our Disney hotel ( private/direct = better ) and our bags will arrive in less than 4 hours, which is about the same as DME.
We never use DME on the way home as we always spend 4 or 5 days at Universal after Disney. So that remains the same.
We probably won’t get to try this plan until our next visit, which won’t be until 2022 but that’s another story.
Bags Inc. VIP baggage delivery service and Uber/Lyft. Yeah there is a cost but the experience should be similar, if not better than DME.
Baggage delivery should be about $50 (for our 3 bags) and ride share another $30. So for $80 we get a private ride directly to our Disney hotel ( private/direct = better ) and our bags will arrive in less than 4 hours, which is about the same as DME.
We never use DME on the way home as we always spend 4 or 5 days at Universal after Disney. So that remains the same.
We probably won’t get to try this plan until our next visit, which won’t be until 2022 but that’s another story.
WallyWorld
Active Member
Why not just get 2 Ubers and keep your bags?
jt04
Well-Known Member
You will change your tune as more and more up charges and cuts to free services occur.
My only hope is Disney will be imaginative with how the bring new revenue streams online. Because I think most people are willing to pay more if they are getting value.
And no excuses. Disney is in the imagination business.
Changes will be implemented as the wage increases take effect. Business 101.
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Jrb1979
Well-Known Member
I think it's already happening with losing loyal fans. I know it's anecdotal but I have seen more people on Disboards who used to be hardcore Disney people going to the dark side in Universal.
jt04
Well-Known Member
Gotta give the parks to the north credit, not just Uni. They are finally offering a competitive product. Mostly. Ride thru N.Y. and F&F appear to be misses. But the trend lines are very good.
peter11435
Well-Known Member
I will not change my tune because you will still be wrong. Wage increases and no impact on DME. None. Zero.
Also Disney started the process of raising starting pay to $15 four years ago.
jt04
Well-Known Member
Since Disney will never admit whether the rising cost of labor had any impact on recent changes to services and offerings, I think we can best just agree to disagree and move on.
peter11435
Well-Known Member
I’ll agree that you’re wrong.Since Disney will never admit whether the rising cost of labor had any impact on recent changes to services and offerings, I think we can best just agree to disagree and move on.
The employees involved with DME are largely already making over 15.
LetsTalkWDW
New Member
We could do that. But with baggage delivery, we check the bags in at our home airport and then don’t need to stop at baggage claim at MCO. The bags go right from check in to our hotel.
peter11435
Well-Known Member
You need to stop trying to pretend you know how things work
UNCgolf
Well-Known Member
The $30 estimate for Uber/Lyft could be much too low. There are already times now where an Uber/Lyft from the Orlando airport to Disney costs $60-70, and I'm expecting rates to go up since demand will increase with the elimination of DME.
dovetail65
Well-Known Member
Looking at current rentals and comparison with my Budget account "past rentals" the current pricing is 2 to 3 times more than I ever paid before depending on car and exact dates! Even with 60 day leads.
I love using the rental cars, but I just figured out I could buy a 3000.00 beater, park it at my FL home and break even after two 30 day rentals, less than that depending on car chosen. !
From my home to Animal Kingdom a Lyft is 13.99= right now, pricing goes from 8.99 to 39.99 each way depending on service and time appt made. Using the cheapest service with Lyft to and from airport and going to each park once as an example someone going all over the place can still save 50%,up to 75% less over these super high rentals right now. Mix Lyft it with the buses that look to have no line or easy to use and heck it may be the way to go for many.
I never paid more than 635.00 a MONTH for A Rental at MCO for a Tacoma and 835.00 for a mini van. Many people don't go that long so they never realize a 30 day Budget rental many times cost same cost as 14 day rental, a few times my 30 day rental was as cheap as a one week rental depending on time of year! of course I have the luck of being able to go for 30 days, still the current rental pricing today surprised me. 60 days ago I checked and that Tacoma was around that 635.00 a month, right now near 1500 with my discounts!
Anyhow, the next trip and unless Budget comes to their senses no way I am paying 1500 plus for a 30 day rental. We will use Lyft while I look to buy a cheap car to keep down there. At 8.99 to 13.99 each way depending on park I want to go to from my home, heck even for me it may not be worth driving much anymore. The 8.99 pricing is generally the morning or, even the day before appt so any newb to LYft if you wait until an hour before you want pickup or until right when the park closes surge pricing can make the Lyft cost 4 times more. I would try to plan ahead with Lyft. If you know you are staying until a certain time just book the Lfyt as soon as you wake up or even days before. With WDW's new Reservation rules it's even simpler to know when to book the Lyfts. We are so much more limited from doing things on the fly like we used to. Buses are still probably better for on the fly with a rental being the best for your own control, for me anyhow.
Lyft works so great down there, when I traveled alone or with just the wife we used Lyft many, many times rather than use our rental. I still prefer driving myself and being in control. Am I one of the few that want to be in control of the wheel when my family is in the vehicle? In the back of my mind maybe that's a large reason why I prefer the rentals most. Anyhow, once I went alone to WDW and didn't even rent a car, a first for me and Lyft was great. AT MK Lyft can only go to T&T, but everywhere else they drop you so close. One hint is to know Lyft can go to almost any hotel or resort and so far only one time did the Contemporary not allow our Lyft through. They were super busy with an event, enough complaining did get our Lyft through. My wife having a disabled tag in her purse may have won that battle.
My advice now, people that did like or used DME and do not want or like to use a rental I would suggest a mixed use of Lyft and buses rather than just all buses. Most on this forum are fans so likely that is dumb advice that most already know. Lyft probably played in the demise of the DME as many have stated here already. In retrospect my last "Lyft only" trip To WDW in Dec 2018 did go extremely well for me, even from the airport.
I love using the rental cars, but I just figured out I could buy a 3000.00 beater, park it at my FL home and break even after two 30 day rentals, less than that depending on car chosen. !
From my home to Animal Kingdom a Lyft is 13.99= right now, pricing goes from 8.99 to 39.99 each way depending on service and time appt made. Using the cheapest service with Lyft to and from airport and going to each park once as an example someone going all over the place can still save 50%,up to 75% less over these super high rentals right now. Mix Lyft it with the buses that look to have no line or easy to use and heck it may be the way to go for many.
I never paid more than 635.00 a MONTH for A Rental at MCO for a Tacoma and 835.00 for a mini van. Many people don't go that long so they never realize a 30 day Budget rental many times cost same cost as 14 day rental, a few times my 30 day rental was as cheap as a one week rental depending on time of year! of course I have the luck of being able to go for 30 days, still the current rental pricing today surprised me. 60 days ago I checked and that Tacoma was around that 635.00 a month, right now near 1500 with my discounts!
Anyhow, the next trip and unless Budget comes to their senses no way I am paying 1500 plus for a 30 day rental. We will use Lyft while I look to buy a cheap car to keep down there. At 8.99 to 13.99 each way depending on park I want to go to from my home, heck even for me it may not be worth driving much anymore. The 8.99 pricing is generally the morning or, even the day before appt so any newb to LYft if you wait until an hour before you want pickup or until right when the park closes surge pricing can make the Lyft cost 4 times more. I would try to plan ahead with Lyft. If you know you are staying until a certain time just book the Lfyt as soon as you wake up or even days before. With WDW's new Reservation rules it's even simpler to know when to book the Lyfts. We are so much more limited from doing things on the fly like we used to. Buses are still probably better for on the fly with a rental being the best for your own control, for me anyhow.
Lyft works so great down there, when I traveled alone or with just the wife we used Lyft many, many times rather than use our rental. I still prefer driving myself and being in control. Am I one of the few that want to be in control of the wheel when my family is in the vehicle? In the back of my mind maybe that's a large reason why I prefer the rentals most. Anyhow, once I went alone to WDW and didn't even rent a car, a first for me and Lyft was great. AT MK Lyft can only go to T&T, but everywhere else they drop you so close. One hint is to know Lyft can go to almost any hotel or resort and so far only one time did the Contemporary not allow our Lyft through. They were super busy with an event, enough complaining did get our Lyft through. My wife having a disabled tag in her purse may have won that battle.
My advice now, people that did like or used DME and do not want or like to use a rental I would suggest a mixed use of Lyft and buses rather than just all buses. Most on this forum are fans so likely that is dumb advice that most already know. Lyft probably played in the demise of the DME as many have stated here already. In retrospect my last "Lyft only" trip To WDW in Dec 2018 did go extremely well for me, even from the airport.
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Chase Sapphire Reserve customers receive 15% off Lyft rides plus 10× points. That really adds up to big savings especially if you use your points on the Chase travel sight which gives a 50% bonus on points making the 10x worth 15x so the cost to WDW is in the 30's and less if you figure out how much the points are worth. Even a $60 ride would be $45 and then take off $4.50 for the 10x points and anothet $2.25 for bonus and you are at $38.25.
Right now I just looked up a regular Lyft from MCO to thr Grand Floridian and it was $39.95 after the 15% discount. Deduct another $5.99 for the 15x points and it comes to $33.96 plus tip for my wife and I. BTW the tip also earns 15x points so you can be a big tipper.
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dovetail65
Well-Known Member
Yes, Lyft is a great way to plan our WDW trips with these super high car rental rates. It is probably what we will do when we go this upcoming May30th. I should of booked that Tocoma for 635.00 for 30 days at Budget 8 weeks back, I just can't get over the huge price jump in 2 months. Thanks for the tip I checked and it appears a couple of my CC cards have Lyft deals.
dovetail65
Well-Known Member
The only people paying 60 or 70 are people waiting until day of to make the pickup time or paying during surge. I never paid more than 44.99 on day of and ahead of time, less, which used to be 34.99.
Now the base price appears to be 44.99(that's MCO TO My home which is a bit further than most places in WDW) and I can choose that now or a week ahead of time. The way Lyft works as Orlando get busier more drivers will jump back in so I disagree with you.
Covid made tons of drivers jump out. In my opinion the price won't go up becasue of DME in any way and DME will not effect Lyft in any way. Covid is and will be the factor. If and when Disney and Orlando gets more busy Lfyt drivers will come back in force seeing a more constant income that was lost during Covid. So my prediction as has been the case as I most of the last year or so the price will remain stable. The price may even go down as the drivers come back. I seem to have a more Rosy outlook than so many here. Lyft can't survive if the non surge price trips are 70 plus from the airport, especially when the car rental prices go back down to where they were before Covid.
