Minnie Van Service to Airport - How long until Magic Express Costs $$$ ?

[Dean Marino]

So here is what Dear Wife and I would buy into....

1) ME is free. And they do a GREAT job with our bags .
2) MINI VAN - Yes, at $50 over "Free", Party of 2, and I STILL get ME bag delivery.

So WDW - notice that you MIGHT be eating your own lunch? Given current offerings, for on-site guests? WHY in the name of God would anyone pay $150 per leg for MCO-DW transportation? Perhaps I am missing something?

Give us a Premium Service over "free".... I MIGHT be interested?

 

[HopperFan]

Who thought it would stay free this long? Not me. Not sure how Disney will look at it.

I wouldn't exactly call it "free" now. The rooms at Disney World cost a whole lot more than what you'd get elsewhere in Orlando. I don't think they'd risk popping the Disney Bubble.

I think the Minnie Van thing at MCO is just them trying to get more use out of their Minnie Vans.

Right now you keep hearing lots of folks researching or choosing to move offsite ... this could be the next round of Disney losing returning guests if they were to start charging. Even renting a car and paying for theme park parking ........... you can still come out ahead financially while getting more space and amenities depending on what you look at.

That's the way I thought about the likelihood of WDW letting offsite hotels buy into EMH & 60 day FP: "They'll never do that because they want to lock guests into onsite resorts." But then it happened. And then the resort guest parking fees happened.

I now put nothing past Disney's quest to maximize short-term profits.

But I compare the Disney Springs hotels to the Swan & Dolphin but not as deluxe. Disney has a vested interest in those hotels, it owns the land, it wants those hotels full too .......

....... Disney Springs is now huge and has lots of empty seats at restaurants and shopping (already some have closed) ... filling hotels in walking distance is important.

....... Disney is getting out of the moderate and value hotel business. Their only investments at that level is to upgrade amenities and likely will follow with higher prices. These rooms would be a nice alternative for these folks and keeps them from fully moving off property. Note that Universal has/is building LOTS of moderate priced rooms that are bigger and nicer than Disney's. Disney doesn't want guests looking their way.

 

[writerguyfl]

I remember taking Mears Shuttles before Magical Express showed up - was that at cost or free? I can't recall.

I used to work at the Disney Reservations Center. Prior to Disney's Magical Express, we sold the Mears products (shared ride, town cars, SUVs). They definitely weren't free, although I have no clue what they cost.

 

[tlmadden73]

So .... how long (IF) until we see a fee (nominal at first $5, $10 pp) for ME ? Justified by "You will save much more on parking, and don't have to pay $150 for a minnie van" ???

Agree . .I mean right now .. Magic Express guests are able to "skip out" of that resort parking fee altogether. How can Disney just leave money sitting on the table like that? A segment of their guests not paying a fee? Preposterous!

What some of us forget though is there is a growing segment of Disney World guests that have a lot of disposable income. They don't care if something is free. The Minnie Van is for them.

 

[Farro]

I used to work at the Disney Reservations Center. Prior to Disney's Magical Express, we sold the Mears products (shared ride, town cars, SUVs). They definitely weren't free, although I have no clue what they cost.

I have vague memories, this was back in 2000 - I think we booked the Mears Shuttle (it was a shared bus) through Disney for a fee right?

I can't remember, I'm turning 45, I get to say that now...

 

[1GoldenSun]

I would never have thought this until they started charging for resort parking. After everyone gets "used to" the idea of resort parking, I would not be at all surprised if they started charging for DME. If they keep the price nominal, they can cover their costs associated with DME and people will still use it, because it will seem cheap compared to the costs of renting a car coupled with paying for resort parking. Then Disney can gradually raise the price over the years until it is a money-maker. Can you imagine the high-fives in the boardroom when an expense becomes a profit source?

Sure, people will be disgruntled, but not deterred. Not enough people will change their plans to make it worth it to Disney to keep it free.

I live less than an hour and a half from Disney so I'll never be flying there. Now that they charge for resort parking, I will no longer stay on property (unless I rent DVC points and get DVC free parking) and a lot of my fellow Floridians feel the same. And if I'm staying at the Marriott Courtyard down the road you can bet I'm eating the free breakfast included with my stay rather than wait and eat at the parks. And I'll probably stop at Publix or a convenience store to grab a few drinks and snacks to bring to the parks. And at the end of the day, we might pass over the park QS in favor of swinging through a drive-thru on the way back to the hotel. If we were staying onsite, Disney would have gotten our money for all of these.

But enough people will pay the parking fee to have the convenience of staying on site, so Disney doesn't care if they lose a few people like me. If they charge a fee for DME, some may stop using it. Some of those will then rent a car and pay for resort parking, so Disney still wins. Not enough people will decide just to not go at all.

I would not be at all surprised to see them start charging for DME. It is a legitimate expense of theirs. One of Disney's pat responses regarding paid resort parking was that it is "industry standard." Well, it's industry standard to have to arrange/pay for your own transportation to and from the airport.

 

[tlmadden73]

I would not be at all surprised to see them start charging for DME. It is a legitimate expense of theirs. One of Disney's pat responses regarding paid resort parking was that it is "industry standard." Well, it's industry standard to have to arrange/pay for your own transportation to and from the airport.

Sure .. I have gladly paid for 3rd party shuttle buses to get from an airport to a downtown area -- a 20+ minute drive away or more. Cheaper than a Taxi by far.

Disney seems to focus on the "new" guests. And "new" guests eventually won't know that Magical Express used to be free. (Just like most new guests won't know that parking WAS free at the resort). When they see a $50 fee(each way) to take a Disney-themed shuttle bus from the airport they will think it is such a sweet deal compared to renting a car or even taking an Uber (considering an Uber may not be able to handle your family and your luggage.

I see the resort parking fee (moreso than the Minnie Vans going to the airport) helping justify a ME fee. The parking fee makes it even MORE expensive (significantly) to just have that rental car sit there in a lot. So even if they charge $50 each way (per family) .. most would easily pay it. And for those that get the vacation packages .. it will just be another line item that will be ignored and be part of the total cost. Once it is bundled in, people care less about individual costs and fees (I mean look at the popularity of the dining plan).

The parking fee seems like Disney basically wanted to get an extra $15-20/night out of each driving resort guest without "technically" raising their hotel rates. So .. a ME fee would also "cover" the guests who fly in and don't pay that parking fee. Thus raising their hotel prices a decent amount but still able to advertise a lower "rate".

 

[writerguyfl]

I have vague memories, this was back in 2000 - I think we booked the Mears Shuttle (it was a shared bus) through Disney for a fee right?

I can't remember, I'm turning 45, I get to say that now...

I wasn't working there until a few years later. But, yes, Disney sold transfers operated by Mears. You could do a private vehicle, but most people did the shared-ride shuttle. It was similar but smaller in scale to Disney's Magical Express, which is still run by Mears.

By the way, I'm a year older than you and I forget stuff ALL THE TIME now. haha

 

[Mikey15]

Agree . .I mean right now .. Magic Express guests are able to "skip out" of that resort parking fee altogether. How can Disney just leave money sitting on the table like that? A segment of their guests not paying a fee? Preposterous!

What some of us forget though is there is a growing segment of Disney World guests that have a lot of disposable income. They don't care if something is free. The Minnie Van is for them.

I think you and I have a different interpretation of the resort parking fee. The resort parking fee is to discourage people from renting cars at MCO. They'd rather people take ME and be 'captive' (not really, but in a way) on Disney property, spending more money there. If all they wanted was every onsite guest to pay more per day, they'd just up the room rates. This is about keeping people in the Disney ecosystem. (I think the fee is punitive towards guests who drive instead of fly, but that's another tangent).

 

[tlmadden73]

I think you and I have a different interpretation of the resort parking fee. The resort parking fee is to discourage people from renting cars at MCO. They'd rather people take ME and be 'captive' (not really, but in a way) on Disney property, spending more money there. If all they wanted was every onsite guest to pay more per day, they'd just up the room rates. This is about keeping people in the Disney ecosystem. (I think the fee is punitive towards guests who drive instead of fly, but that's another tangent).

I understand that . .I was being sarcastic.

Yes .. the parking fee is meant to discourage car rentals .. but that gives them a "cushion" now to charge a fee for Magic Express. By charging a parking fee, they have made it more expensive to drive and park. If they charge a ME fee it will STILL be less desirable to rent a car because of that parking fee (that probably adds (on average) $75-125 per trip)). So charging a ME fee less than the average parking fee will still make using ME "worth it" AND still make Disney more money.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

I can see them adding a fee for ME. I won't pay it though. I would rather get an Uber and pay someone else instead of giving even more money to WDW. Especially something that used to be free!

 

[sndral]

Any DME fee would most likely be per person not ‘per family group’ since that is industry standard for shuttle bus services. Taxi/Uber/Lyft/Towncar/Limo/Minnie Van are a set price for the vehicle whether you have one or several riders.
We fly and use DME for us and our luggage, if there was a charge for the service then I would expect a better experience than is currently offered. Since it’s free I tolerate and usually laugh at the WDW hotel tour we often get w/ all of those stops before ours (my personal record was POP, AOA, All Stars Sports, Music, Movies, CBR, & CSR before the bus finally reached AKL Jambo - I wasn’t laughing after that one!)
If I had to pay I’d be much more likely to just order up an Uber/Lyft and avoid the wasted time on DME.

 

[peabody58]

As a DVC member who's Annual Dues includes 'transportation' costs (including DME), I would expect a reduction in fees, or the service to be free for DVC, similar to how parking is now. DW and I no longer use DME as we drive from GA, but every 3 yrs our DD/SIL's fly in and use DME for our Family vacations. Should be interesting to see all the changes coming before SW:GE opens.

 

[Dean Marino]

As a DVC member who's Annual Dues includes 'transportation' costs (including DME), I would expect a reduction in fees, or the service to be free for DVC, similar to how parking is now. DW and I no longer use DME as we drive from GA, but every 3 yrs our DD/SIL's fly in and use DME for our Family vacations. Should be interesting to see all the changes coming before SW:GE opens.

ehhhh...... read that CONTRACT. Also DVC owners. Not sure there is anything in the CONTRACT around this?

 

[Kazrak]

I think that a fee on DME would push us (back) toward a towncar service. We had great luck with the towncars before DME - the big wins for DME (to me) are the cost and the baggage convenience. (Flip side: towncar is much faster. No waiting around for the bus to arrive, no waiting for the bus to fill, no waiting while the bus hits three resorts before yours.)

Charging for DME would make the tradeoff into luggage convenience vs. wasted time on the bus, and that's a much closer call.

 

[johnnyr]

Am I the only one that thinks with the outrageous price Disney charges for a hotel room, they already passed along the DME cost to me somewhere in a room or package price? Disney doesn't give anything out for free. Kind of like Southwest says they don't charge for bags but somewhere deep in the cost of a ticket, you are paying for it.

 

[Kazrak]

Am I the only one that thinks with the outrageous price Disney charges for a hotel room, they already passed along the DME cost to me somewhere in a room or package price? Disney doesn't give anything out for free. Kind of like Southwest says they don't charge for bags but somewhere deep in the cost of a ticket, you are paying for it.

The DME advantage, for Disney, is that it only takes you to and from WDW.

Their goal is keeping people on property - that's why the ticket pricing is what it is, for example. Your first few days are $100ish each; after that, $10 each. So, do you want to spend $10 each for another day at Magic Kingdom, or $100 plus transportation to get to Universal or Sea World?

It's not so much that the fee is baked in elsewhere as that they're making that money up in other places (meals and souvenirs) from keeping you at WDW.

 

[EveDallas]

Hey all, so the interwebs are all a buzz with news that Minnie Van Service is now available for MCO, at a price of $150 ???

Just wondering how long you think until Magical Express costs something, or if you think it will remain free ???

I had said early on when Minnie Vans were introduced that they would be rolled out much further, that the price would increase, that they would offer transit to the airports, and that ME would eventually cost you $$$ as well.

When the parking fees were introduced, I though, oh yea, here is another nail in the coffin of free ME.

Now I know people like to argue about the "captive" guest on WDW property, but I don't know if that is actually working these days for one, but even if it is, Disney seems pretty dedicated to monetizing every aspect of the experience they can.

So .... how long (IF) until we see a fee (nominal at first $5, $10 pp) for ME ? Justified by "You will save much more on parking, and don't have to pay $150 for a minnie van" ???

It will definitely happen eventually. The days of free fastpass are also numbered. Disney is determined to squeeze out every dime they can.

 

[1GoldenSun]

The days of free fastpass are also numbered.

I'm not sure they'll do away completely with free fastpasses. But I do think they'll come up with some upcharged special fastpass program--similar to what they're already doing with club level--and it'll get to the point where so many people are buying fastpasses that there will only be crappy ones left as freebies. Maybe you could purchase fastpasses at 90 days out or wait until 60 days for your free ones and take a chance on what's left. Better hope you like the teacups and Dumbo. Then more people will be driven to buy fastpasses so their vacation won't be a complete bust, and that'll drive up the competition and hence the price.

I think something similar is happening with all the Halloween and Christmas parties and after hours/early morning magic. The more of these "special paid events" there are the fewer hours are available to the regular ticket holders. Even events that are held during hours the park would not normally be open lessen the availability of the free to resort guests extra magic hours. For some weeks in October this year, there are so many parties (which makes the non-party days super crowded) that people vacationing those weeks will either experience a packed MK on a non-party day or come on a party day and be forced out at 7:00. Or...what I assume Disney is hoping you do...pay for a party. I've seen posts on these boards from people who feel compelled to attend a party because that's the only way they'll be able to see and do everything they want. Then the parties get more crowded, and Disney both sells more tickets to each party (negating some of the low-crowd advantages of the party), and/or adds more party dates, exacerbating the problem.

 

[Doug M]

I'm not sure they'll do away completely with free fastpasses. But I do think they'll come up with some upcharged special fastpass program--similar to what they're already doing with club level--and it'll get to the point where so many people are buying fastpasses that there will only be crappy ones left as freebies. Maybe you could purchase fastpasses at 90 days out or wait until 60 days for your free ones and take a chance on what's left. Better hope you like the teacups and Dumbo. Then more people will be driven to buy fastpasses so their vacation won't be a complete bust, and that'll drive up the competition and hence the price.

I think something similar is happening with all the Halloween and Christmas parties and after hours/early morning magic. The more of these "special paid events" there are the fewer hours are available to the regular ticket holders. Even events that are held during hours the park would not normally be open lessen the availability of the free to resort guests extra magic hours. For some weeks in October this year, there are so many parties (which makes the non-party days super crowded) that people vacationing those weeks will either experience a packed MK on a non-party day or come on a party day and be forced out at 7:00. Or...what I assume Disney is hoping you do...pay for a party. I've seen posts on these boards from people who feel compelled to attend a party because that's the only way they'll be able to see and do everything they want. Then the parties get more crowded, and Disney both sells more tickets to each party (negating some of the low-crowd advantages of the party), and/or adds more party dates, exacerbating the problem.

With all the late paid events they have now days I am shocked normal park hours make it past 6 on most days. You want fireworks? Pay 100 for afterhours events or watch from the parking lot. It definitely is different than years ago, and will probably be much different in 3 years when I go back from what it is today. Hope I can afford and get my money's worth.