Disney's Magical Express to End in 2022, Extra Magic Hours to be Replaced with Early Theme Park Entry Later This Year

[RamblingMad]

I used to love having a rental car at WDW. You could use the parks transportation if you wanted to, but you could easily go out for meals. The free ME was nice while it lasted but I could go back to the old ways and probably save money.

Funny because 20 years ago renting a car was normal and I had to really adjust to using the free ME because I knew I was paying for it in my room rates anyway.

Remember the AM radio station for Disney when you drove into the park? That's what I remember from the car rental experience as a kid in the 80s and 90s.

 

[RamblingMad]

Right now, they seem impervious. They're building more Deluxe resorts and (when there's not a pandemic), packing the parks like never before. But this is a competitive industry and all it takes is one family telling another that they tried something else and had a blast. And suddenly people who previously never thought about doing anything but Disney are going to try something new, and realize they had just as much fun, while ending up with several thousands $ back in their pocket. It's fragile territory Disney is on.

They're impervious because Disney has become the default vacation for a lot of families. When COVID hit there were folks posting here trying to figure out what to do for vacation. When you're the default vacation for families, you can get away with a lot.

 

[CampbellzSoup]

There is literally 0 benefits for staying at a Disney resort now unless you just like paying more

 

[Tink-osophy]

... What they appear to be severely underestimating is the level to which reputation and experience has been a huge part of their success within the travel and tourism industry. ...

Well said! It's difficult not to see a lot of the changes over recent years as short-sighted.

How many more drops can they wring out?

How much longer can they ride the wave of an old reputation for exemplary customer service and a unique park experience, if more people go home not having been so smoothly looked after and having had to 'fight' to experience just a fraction of the attractions?

It just seems so sad ...in the world of Disney.

 

[jecarnl]

So glad we didn't buy DVC.

 

[Runnsally]

So glad we didn't buy DVC.

An evergreen comment since at least 2000

 

[Ninja Mom]

I'm thinking that there was too long an interval with Iger in charge. It got to the point where the Disney Parks are being hollowed out to support everything else, primarily the stock price (and thus the ever increasing executive bonuses) and Iger's "legacy" with Shanghai and turning the company into a media giant with acquisition after overpriced acquisition.

The domestic parks and especially WDW paid a heavy price for that with not much in return. When the stock price wasn't hitting it's target, the food prices along with many other things were increased to prop up that bottom line, which went hand in hand with a ton of stuff disappearing.

This transportation standoff with Mears is the ultimate in hubris on Disney's part. Disney has pulled something that the guests have found that they are unwilling to live without. I doubt that Disney, who outsources as much as they can, is willing to take on the Magical express service themselves, and, commensurate with that, any luggage delivery service that the guests have come to expect. (I'm fairly certain that Luggage service is not Mears and is outsourced as well).

I'd bet that these things will return as Ala (luggage*) cart (*pun) options at some ridiculously high price, which will simply be Disney taking the lion's share of the pricing and poorly paying the lowest bidder stupid enough to subcontract with them.

I think that this is the Disney 'wave of the future' under Bean Counter Chapek. Charge premium prices for inferior, subcontracted out crap, all while more and more beloved Disney essence is obliterated.

I think the backlash will be there. Remember, a Disney Parks vacation involves a significant amount of time standing in long lines, in the Florida heat and humidity, while significantly over paying for every aspect of that experience. I'm not seeing too many 1st timers that are clamoring to do that in the absence of a Frozen type blockbuster that their kids have fallen for.

Disney has constantly been poking the bear regarding it's park loyalists and that demographic has had just about enough of the ever upwards price increases and the disappearance of this or that.

The quality, which loyalists are acutely aware of, has also taken a noticeable dive. Rides break down frequently. Staffing has been reduced leading to longer waits. You get the joy of experiencing all that at premium prices.

I really think that this direction is a serious miscalculation on the part of Disney management. I'm just wondering which one of these many miscalculations is going to be the one that breaks the camel's back. The economy is going to take a long time to recover. Covid is continuing to be a bumpy road. Disney is not the value it used to be. Prices are too high already and getting higher.

This will not end well and management is placing their bets on a lame horse.

~NM

 

[Runnsally]

There is literally 0 benefits for staying at a Disney resort now unless you just like paying more

The 30 minute early entry is a huge disincentive for offsite stays (Machiavellian, but perhaps the point of the change). Imagine this - no matter how early you wake up as an offsite guest, you will start every day with a 3 hour wait to get on Tron.

 

[Starwarsfan2]

And the execs at Universal smiled...................

 

[CBMom01]

We always looked forward to ME the real start of out Disney stay, but on recent trips we mostly used Uber for our return because the pickup 3 hours before our flight bugged me. Still, it’s another nail in the coffin.

We were a 1 or 2x/ year family but I think Disney has finally made it so unappealing we’re done. Maybe one more “goodbye” trip if the stars align with a discount.

 

[SunnyBunny33]

This basically eliminates rope-dropping popular rides for off-site guests.

 

[MomOTwins]

My children actually cried when theyheard DH and I talking about this. I explained there will be another way to get to the parks. “But it won’t be magical” they said. Way to flippin go Disney.

 

[Aprilshack]

It was nice stepping off the plane into the Disney bubble. All Disney are doing is take, take, take. Yes it's a business blah blah blah but there is going to be less while the prices stay the same and i bet that prices will go up as well. What are Disney going to do to attract or make sure they get repeat business staying on site? You can be sure as hell other businesses in the area will take advantage. Lower prices more perks at Universal for example. There isn't any benefits for me staying on site at the moment if i hadn't already booked for December. Disney can come up with ideas for extras to attract customers that won't break the bank. All they are doing at the moment is giving the impression that they don't care about their customers.

 

[Eastern]

Disney has constantly been poking the bear regarding it's park loyalists and that demographic has had just about enough of the ever upwards price increases and the disappearance of this or that.

yes

 

[Tink-osophy]

I used to love having a rental car at WDW. You could use the parks transportation if you wanted to, but you could easily go out for meals. The free ME was nice while it lasted but I could go back to the old ways and probably save money.

Funny because 20 years ago renting a car was normal and I had to really adjust to using the free ME because I knew I was paying for it in my room rates anyway.

Yes, most of my trips have been with a rental car ...without paying a nightly rate to park at my resort, though!

I'd take a shift back in time to pre-ME days, if it would mean so many other benefits and details - big and small - would exist again.

30 minutes early entry for resort guests isn't much compared to the old EMH. Isn't it more of a penalty for their other paying guests? And if it also hints at more parties at the other end of the day...

 

[Tink-osophy]

My children actually cried when theyheard DH and I talking about this. I explained there will be another way to get to the parks. “But it won’t be magical” they said. Way to flippin go Disney.

 

[mom to minnie&mickey]

The 30 minute early entry is a huge disincentive for offsite stays (Machiavellian, but perhaps the point of the change). Imagine this - no matter how early you wake up as an offsite guest, you will start every day with a 3 hour wait to get on Tron.

Exactly! Offsite guests, and especially during all the busy holidays, will end up with huge waits for the main attractions at all the parks everyday of their vacation. Thirty minutes may not seem like much but it is huge watching thousands of guests enter the park before you. Disney anticipated the backlash of cancelling DME (everyone saying they might as well stay offsite) and so found a way to make offsite even less enticing. Now if free fp returns it may not be so bad for offsite but something tells me "free" is no longer part of Disney's vocabulary. We shall see.

 

[CampbellzSoup]

The 30 minute early entry is a huge disincentive for offsite stays (Machiavellian, but perhaps the point of the change). Imagine this - no matter how early you wake up as an offsite guest, you will start every day with a 3 hour wait to get on Tron.

My children actually cried when theyheard DH and I talking about this. I explained there will be another way to get to the parks. “But it won’t be magical” they said. Way to flippin go Disney.

Download the soundtrack on YouTube get the magic candle air freshener make your own magic!

 

[MomOTwins]

Exactly! Offsite guests, and especially during all the busy holidays, will end up with huge waits for the main attractions at all the parks everyday of their vacation. Thirty minutes may not seem like much but it is huge watching thousands of guests enter the park before you. Disney anticipated the backlash of cancelling DME (everyone saying they might as well stay offsite) and so found a way to make offsite even less enticing. Now if free fp returns it may not be so bad for offsite but something tells me "free" is no longer part of Disney's vocabulary. We shall see.

That’s a good point—if they find themselves needing to discourage offsite more they might give “free” FP to onsite guests but charge for offsite. It costs them next to nothing to do FP so it is pure profit from the offsite guests while keeping resort guests feeling like they are getting value.

Though who am I kidding, they will charge for everyone.

 

[Dave006]

I wonder what on earth they are thinking??? Taking away free transportation from the airport and EMH are two major perks that drew us into wanting to stay onsite. Now that those two things are gone and the fact that Disney will never drop their prices to make up for those lost perks makes it very hard to justify spending the money for a tiny room to stay on Disney property. Did Disney just shoot themselves in the foot?

I think so. Super disappointed.

Nope purely a business decision. 1000% Reduction in Cruise destination traffic from MCO and the Resorts and more and more customers have been bypassing the DME buses due to Covid-19 and as a time saving method vs multiple resort stops.

The luggage changes were due to Covid-19 and servery limited the bonus of the DME experience. And finally 6 years without a change is a key indications that some changes are is needed in the aging process with no quick Covid-19 luggage recovery changes scheduled for at least another year and a very slow Cruise recovery.

Dave