Very Disappointed in Magic Express

[TinkMar]

ME was great from MCO to Riviera, they assigned seats and did everything I could think of. On the way from Riviera to MCO it’s a cluster. This is worse than a grocery store. People not wearing masks, (or if they are they’re using them as chin diapers) no assigned seats and NO DISTANCING! Good thing I can hold my breath for 45 minutes /s

Agree with you 100 percent! Disney ME caused us to run through Orlando twice due to cutting the time too close for departure, after our request to depart earlier. Then once they let a bunch of non-scheduled folks on the bus who took 20 minutes to load.
Disney is an epic fail when it comes to departing... their parks, especially magic kingdom; and the world via ME. What they fail to remember is that is the last memory...and how many negative last memories do we put up with?

 

[Magic Kingdom Park]

Disney started the ME shuttle service back in 2005, and I have always felt that it is a useful service to include with my resort package. I especially liked the luggage pickup/transfer directly to your resort from Orlando International Airport on arrival. I know that option has currently been discontinued, but I hope it returns.

 

[NelleBelle]

So are you disappointed in Disney's Magical Express or fellow riders for their irresponsible choices? They can require, remind, instruct, etc., but it's still up to people to make good choices.

Not sure if this is directed to me or not but since I've commented on both...I liked aspects of ME (e.g. transfer of luggage from airport to your room). But I've always hated the return trip back to the airport. I think that it's always been a waste of time from the scheduling of your return trip 3+ hrs to get to airport and then stopping at every resort to pick up more guests!!! As others have mentioned, we've had too many instances where we've nearly missed our flights. It's beyond stressful and air travel lately makes me stressed anyway, so I certainly don't need the additional stress of ME on our return to the airport.

As for riders and irresponsible choices, I'd say that if it's a rule that Disney requires for guests to be wearing masks on their transportation and to socially distance, then that should carry over to ME as well. This isn't a public city bus that these guests are riding. If they tried to ride without masks and crowd into other areas that were restricted on the park-resort buses, they'd be asked to comply or get off. ME should have the same requirements as they're still representing the "Disney" brand (and before anyone responds, yes, I am fully aware they are run by Mears, but they have Disney's name on the side of the darn bus).

 

[graphite1326]

Maybe if they start charging for ME they would enforce the rules. Could never understand Disney started resort parking fees (promptly raised them) yet ME is free

I think they will charge at some time in the future. Then I will go back to booking a town car.

 

[PTPGrad]

ME was great from MCO to Riviera, they assigned seats and did everything I could think of. On the way from Riviera to MCO it’s a cluster. This is worse than a grocery store. People not wearing masks, (or if they are they’re using them as chin diapers) no assigned seats and NO DISTANCING! Good thing I can hold my breath for 45 minutes /s

That's so odd. When I traveled from Yacht Club to MCO at the end of September, the driver spaced us out and told us where to sit, had everyone wearing masks the entire time, and people were extremely well behaved.

I had a worse time at Universal in June when the driver from MCO to the resort wasn't wearing a mask and on the way back, I had people directly in front and behind me as well as people eating and drinking on the vehicle and using the "chin diaper" as you described it.

It must be a specific driver and that's not Disney's Style

 

[Gojira ゴジラ]

So are you disappointed in Disney's Magical Express or fellow riders for their irresponsible choices? They can require, remind, instruct, etc., but it's still up to people to make good choices.

It sounds like the mask rule reminder/reinforcement didn't exist in that particular bus. Understandably the driver had to focus while driving but I wonder if he reminded people during onboarding.

 

[Disstevefan1]

Take the bus! Keep your Mask on, use your hand sanitizer often, try to minimise touching things on the bus, and the hardest step, try not to touch your mask while on the bus. We cant stay in the basement forever....

 

[Trackmaster]

Take the bus! Keep your Mask on, use your hand sanitizer often, try to minimise touching things on the bus, and the hardest step, try not to touch your mask while on the bus. We cant stay in the basement forever....

I think at this point you're probably better off just renting a car and driving, especially if you have the money to stay on site anyway. Otherwise, I guess just consider making the money up by staying offsite and helping one of those hotels that are bleeding. There's no reason to stay on site anyway without the Fast Pass window and the EMH's.

 

[Disstevefan1]

The poster was saying that people were not taking the precautions, the fact they are in WDW already makes the "can't stay in the basement" statement null. And while survival rate as improved, again I am saying that not everybody on a bus is at the same level of risk, and I certainly don't want people to have to spend a week or two at a hospital just because a bus rider would not wear a mask. This constant push back is what messes things up for everyone.

Everyone should wear a mask. I am surprised Mears, the bus company does not require their employees ( the bus driver) to wear a mask. But wait, maybe the company does and this employee is not complying?

This may have been covered earlier in this thread? If folks are concerned they should call Mears and inquire what the company mask policy is.

 

[Seanual757]

Remember ME is operated by a 3rd party vendor Mears Transportation not Disney.

 

[Trackmaster]

i usually dont comment on this but had to. Thats incredibly selfish of you. Wearing masks isnt about your safety.. i honestly could care less what happens to you. What i do care about is if you arent showing symptoms but give it to a 92 year old sitting near you or sharing the air with you. This isnt about you or if you want to wear a mask its about doing your duty as a human being and trying to keep others safe. Heres an example.... i could care less if you drive drunk, and die in a car accident. I do care about the 2 cars and family you killed on your way out.
"ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country"

Am i scared of it.. not really, but i will protect those around me, because its real and it kills.

Actually, the CDC is kicking the tires on the idea that masks actually do offer you some protection on top of the protection that you provide other people. Great news, its pretty unfair that the smart people wear the masks, and the idiots reap the benefits.

 

[EngineerMom]

I think they will charge at some time in the future. Then I will go back to booking a town car.

I will be surprised if Disney started charging for the ME.
The MAIN reason to have ME is to KEEP you AT DISNEY. Spending your money AT DISNEY!
If they started charging per person then families would say let's get a car. Oh, we have a car, let's go out to eat off property. Let's go to the grocery store. Let's go to Sea World, Universal, etc.

The first time we went back after years we thought WOW they have a FREE bus! Then realized wait then how do we get to Sea World. Yes you can go to other places, use UBER, etc but it's more of a hassle and you are more likely to stay on property.

 

[John park hopper]

I will be surprised if Disney started charging for the ME.
The MAIN reason to have ME is to KEEP you AT DISNEY. Spending your money AT DISNEY!
If they started charging per person then families would say let's get a car. Oh, we have a car, let's go out to eat off property. Let's go to the grocery store. Let's go to Sea World, Universal, etc.

The first time we went back after years we thought WOW they have a FREE bus! Then realized wait then how do we get to Sea World. Yes you can go to other places, use UBER, etc but it's more of a hassle and you are more likely to stay on property.

Think about it a one time ME charge back and forth to the airport verses renting a car ($$$) and paying a daily parking fee of $25 bucks a day at an onsite resort. IMO people would pay the ME charge

 

[ppete1975]

I will be surprised if Disney started charging for the ME.
The MAIN reason to have ME is to KEEP you AT DISNEY. Spending your money AT DISNEY!
If they started charging per person then families would say let's get a car. Oh, we have a car, let's go out to eat off property. Let's go to the grocery store. Let's go to Sea World, Universal, etc.

The first time we went back after years we thought WOW they have a FREE bus! Then realized wait then how do we get to Sea World. Yes you can go to other places, use UBER, etc but it's more of a hassle and you are more likely to stay on property.

you are 1000% correct, if people have to rent a car to get there, they wont stay there. I know it works with me, i love the relaxation of flying in, jumping on the ME (which ive always found easy and convenient), then to my hotel, where i can take a boat to disney springs or a bus to all of the parks (5 points if you can guess hotel). Once i park my car at the airport, i dont have to think about transportation and i can leave it to others (relaxing for me), until i get home. This has kept me from checking out other parts of florida or going to universal (although with uber more prevalent now I will prob check out universal next time). If they charged much at all, this would change my strategy. Also for how much i pay for my hotel, i almost expect it at this point. If you removed ME i might stay offsite since i already have a car.

 

[Trackmaster]

I will be surprised if Disney started charging for the ME.
The MAIN reason to have ME is to KEEP you AT DISNEY. Spending your money AT DISNEY!
If they started charging per person then families would say let's get a car. Oh, we have a car, let's go out to eat off property. Let's go to the grocery store. Let's go to Sea World, Universal, etc.

The first time we went back after years we thought WOW they have a FREE bus! Then realized wait then how do we get to Sea World. Yes you can go to other places, use UBER, etc but it's more of a hassle and you are more likely to stay on property.

No, I think it makes more business sense to keep it free. When it comes to public transportation, the more people who use it, the better. If barely anybody uses it, its not very economic, so the frequency that you offer is very limited, so the utility gets worse and worse. Which makes fewer people want to use it, so it becomes a vicious cycle. If tons of people use it, you can beef up the van stock and run trips all the time, guaranteeing that people can hop on as needed.

Why would Disney give it for free? They don't want locals. They don't want people who are tourists but close enough to drive. They want people on week long vacations from far away, and preferably international. To the extent that they create one fewer excuse for not going, the better for Disney.

 

[EngineerMom]

No, I think it makes more business sense to keep it free. When it comes to public transportation, the more people who use it, the better. If barely anybody uses it, its not very economic, so the frequency that you offer is very limited, so the utility gets worse and worse. Which makes fewer people want to use it, so it becomes a vicious cycle. If tons of people use it, you can beef up the van stock and run trips all the time, guaranteeing that people can hop on as needed.

Why would Disney give it for free? They don't want locals. They don't want people who are tourists but close enough to drive. They want people on week long vacations from far away, and preferably international. To the extent that they create one fewer excuse for not going, the better for Disney.

That is what I said. They will keep it free as it keeps you onsite and gets them MORE money.

 

[EngineerMom]

you are 1000% correct, if people have to rent a car to get there, they wont stay there. I know it works with me, i love the relaxation of flying in, jumping on the ME (which ive always found easy and convenient), then to my hotel, where i can take a boat to disney springs or a bus to all of the parks (5 points if you can guess hotel). Once i park my car at the airport, i dont have to think about transportation and i can leave it to others (relaxing for me), until i get home. This has kept me from checking out other parts of florida or going to universal (although with uber more prevalent now I will prob check out universal next time). If they charged much at all, this would change my strategy. Also for how much i pay for my hotel, i almost expect it at this point. If you removed ME i might stay offsite since i already have a car.

I agree. Our first few trips we didn't get a car but my dad who met us there did so we used the transportation a bunch but also went to Sea World for the day and Universal for the day.

These days the family wants 2 days at Universal. We have gone to Universal 1st (need a car as the price for the shuttle for 4 people is MUCH more expensive than renting a car.) Then stop at the grocery store on the way to Disney. This last trip we had our car at Disney for 2 days so we could drive to Animal Kingdom Lodge for dinner then dropped off the car. That was a bit of a pain but we did it to save on the cost of renting the car. We had to go to the Hilton Hotel then walk back to Disney Springs and take the bus back to the hotel. Many people would not want to do this.

We were fine with the Disney transportation except for the transportation to Animal Kingdom. We go up early, got to the bus stop and watched the arrival time change again and again. We wanted to get there for rope drop. Next time I would take an UBER.

 

[Club Cooloholic]

This has been mentioned before but ME is as "free" as the towels you get in the room. It is all included in the cost, averaged out over all the guests. If anything they should give you a credit for NOT using it like they do house keeping, but that isn't going to happen because they want the illusion it is free and would never want to encourage renting a car.

 

[graphite1326]

you are 1000% correct, if people have to rent a car to get there, they wont stay there. I know it works with me, i love the relaxation of flying in, jumping on the ME (which ive always found easy and convenient), then to my hotel, where i can take a boat to disney springs or a bus to all of the parks (5 points if you can guess hotel). Once i park my car at the airport, i dont have to think about transportation and i can leave it to others (relaxing for me), until i get home. This has kept me from checking out other parts of florida or going to universal (although with uber more prevalent now I will prob check out universal next time). If they charged much at all, this would change my strategy. Also for how much i pay for my hotel, i almost expect it at this point. If you removed ME i might stay offsite since i already have a car.

I went to Universal from my resort once. It was a long trip and a little expensive ride. The park tickets were expensive too. $300.00 (for both parks) for 2 people one day and they closed a 7:00 PM. For those who complain that WDW is expensive. I think that WDW is so much better it is worth it to me. I will never go to Universal again.

 

[unmitigated disaster]

Agree with you 100 percent! Disney ME caused us to run through Orlando twice due to cutting the time too close for departure, after our request to depart earlier. Then once they let a bunch of non-scheduled folks on the bus who took 20 minutes to load.
Disney is an epic fail when it comes to departing... their parks, especially magic kingdom; and the world via ME. What they fail to remember is that is the last memory...and how many negative last memories do we put up with?

The first time we used Magical Express our luggage decided to stay and chill at the airport. When they hadn't arrived by 10 PM - six hours after arrival - I went to the front desk about it. He looked up where they were and visibly paled and apologized. I asked for them to be delivered after 8 AM the next morning and they were there when we got back since we both carried changes of clothes in our carry ons we could hit the Park at rope drop - always carry a change of clothes with you!

The next two times we were chilling at the pick up area enjoying the nice weather and got approached by the Mears people who wondered which bus we were waiting for and though it was for later buses they were all "we have room; do you want to go early?" We jumped on the chances since security can be so miserable.