Magical Express Ending Service

[CatsnDogs]

When people asked why we like Disney and visit so often it was because we don't drive and loved once we were at the airport, we were set until our return. We enjoyed Disney Transportation and our bags taken handled which is especially important with children or for older visitors. Check In when leaving was also a great service.

Disney hotel prices are high and have gone up substantially over the past 4 years. Now, add in the costs to get to your home airport and another $100 for an uber round trip to Disney. We have always stayed on site but that benefit is gone. We have enjoyed Universal added on to vacations, but came back for the ease of travel for Disney.

I assume that Disney is doing away with evening hours to just upsell extended hours. A half hour early entry is not a benefit. We paid for extra hours when they cut back on hours in the summer since we rather visit when its less hot. If i am going to pay for extra hours, i am going to find a better value

 

[DisneyRunner2009]

Sure they'll make more money on parking fees, but they can't afford more traffic nightmares. More people will stay off site and make their way to Universal. The way the busses are set up now at DS can't handle train service. Disney changes things to get you used to a new way that is coming down the road. Fastpass is a good example. It went from paper and ingnore your return time, to paper and return within an hour of your time, to magicbands.

 

[thatgirl]

That was the last straw for me. I'm a female who travels solo. Ride sharing can be super creepy when you're traveling alone, depending on who you get. ME gave me and my husband (who doesn't travel to Disney with me) peace of mind that I was going to be safe going to and from. If I'm stuck with a ride share, I might as well stay somewhere else with better accomodations and better perks. And if I'm doing that, you'd better believe I'm going to start visiting the other attractions orlando has to offer. Disney is about to see significantly less of my $.
30 min early entry is laughable. The spin they try to put on things that are actually cuts is insulting. The writing is on the wall, this is only the beginning of the changes for the worse. Bob Chapek is the killer of magic.
I have two more trips booked with this annual pass. I was debating renewing but this made my mind up for me. I realize it's a business, but it always has been a business-that's not changed- and they still managed to heep it magical in the past. It's just not there any more.

 

[ENJDisneyFan]

Bob Chapek is the killer of magic.

My favorite quote of the day

 

[SamIAm21]

For a company so focused on climate change and conservation, they will be putting thousands of additional vehicles on the road. If each bus held 100+ people, imagine how many more cars will now be on Orlando Highways.

 

[zebrastreyepz]

Every time I'm thisclose to taking the plunge for another trip, they yank something away.

Silver Dollar City Season Passes are $250 for me and DH, it's 4 hours from home, I get 8 one day passes to share throughout the year, and parking is free.

 

[MiraclesTakeTime]

Universal's Response

https://twitter.com/x/status/1348679255874531332

That is hilarious. Well played.

 

[lampshadehead]

This reminds me of the time we had arranged with a private car service for a ride from our Disneyland hotel to LAX. I had 5 people, 2 adults and 3 teens. They sent an older Kia Sorrento, bald tires (I always check them) and it had the third row somehow removed! Not folded down, but just not there. The woman said something to the extent of one of us can fit in the space in the back where the seats were supposed to be. We ended up calling an UberXL. It made me think how much I appreciated knowing the ME was there when we went back to WDW.

 

[VandVsmama]

If this is any indication, they're moving toward the Disneyland way of doing things. Wouldn't surprise me if we see their version of same-day FastPass and MaxPass announced next.

That would be pretty darn great in my opinion! I hate FP+.

 

[Chrisvee]

Getting rid of the Magical Express is one thing... getting rid of the airport check-in is absolutely absurd. This is a service that's offered at a lot of top resorts. This totally downgrades the efficiency of staying on-site

it’s what I will miss the most

now I will be back to just a carry on

 

[lampshadehead]

That would be pretty darn great in my opinion! I hate FP+.

I don't hate FP+, but did love MaxPass. That is one thing I am willing to pay to get at WDW.

 

[TammyLynn33]

As a new DVC member and a single mom to 4 who bought in 2019 and hasn’t stayed yet ( our trip was two weeks before riviera opened And I couldn’t switch ).
I feel like honestly I’m better off renting my nights out and staying elsewhere at this point

 

[dez1978]

Every time I'm thisclose to taking the plunge for another trip, they yank something away.

Silver Dollar City Season Passes are $250 for me and DH, it's 4 hours from home, I get 8 one day passes to share throughout the year, and parking is free.

I'm about 3 hours from SDC too. We go several times a year.

 

[SealedSeven]

I don't hate FP+, but did love MaxPass. That is one thing I am willing to pay to get at WDW.

Especially if its included in Memory Maker (Disneyland has both connected, why cant WDW?)

 

[JakeAZ]

I was just thinking about phrase "you get what you pay for". Wonder when this will start being true of a WDW resort stay.

It was never really true once they started offering most of the same benefits to all the surrounding hotels.

 

[SealedSeven]

Can someone create a "SAVE GUS" shirt for people to wear to the park this year?

 

[Kimpossible1]

Then also factor in all the other losses
Fireworks
Shows
Meet and Greets
Experiences

I'm sure I left some out

But Contemporary is still $600 + per night during heavy crowd times.

You left out all the CM's that got laid off (myself) and all the other CM's that had to transfer into other roles they didn't want.
Also does anyone realize the train will cost money? So you are going to pay for the train and be dropped off at DS with all your luggage?? They aren't thinking this one out to even suggest the train will be a solution.

 

[KGolf31]

You left out all the CM's that got laid off (myself) and all the other CM's that had to transfer into other roles they didn't want.
Also does anyone realize the train will cost money? So you are going to pay for the train and be dropped off at DS with all your luggage?? They aren't thinking this one out to even suggest the train will be a solution.

Not to even mention, a build timeline on a train from ground break (assuming they start tomorrow) to fully operational is outside the realm possibility for a Jan 1 2022 transition. Zero site prep work, station buildings not constructed, bridges will eventually need to most likely be made to span over roads and other obstacles. Etc Etc

 

[Sarahraegraham]

My husband and I are eligible to stay at shades of green, but we almost always stay on property because we love the magical express and feeling like we’re in the Disney bubble. We love the theme of the resorts, but with cutbacks like this it’s very hard to justify those prices. And I can only imagine the disappointment for some people who don’t have a viable option on property other than staying on site.

I know Disney has done a lot of things in the last several years that people haven’t liked, but this is the first time they’ve done something that truly made *me* feel sad about being a Disney fan. Disney was the only vacation we took where we could actually be on vacation start to finish. Now those days are gone.

 

[TropicalDIS]

This is very short sighted from Disney. Having MDE almost guarantees that guests will spend all of their time and money in the Disney bubble. You cancel this, and open guests eyes to renting cars or ride sharing? You are just asking for your guests to head to Universal, to head off-site for dinner, etc, and eventually stay off site altogether. Not smart!!