Magical Express to end in 2022

[ChipnDale79]

You will NOT be sorry you made this decision. I was exactly like you. You couldn't even interest me in going to a state that didn't have a Disney park. Funny how disillusioned you can get when your regular twice a year get away gets so expensive that it's just not worth it anymore. I mean, it's fun but it ain't THAT fun. I had to retrain my brain to enjoy putting my feet up on vacations. Unheard of! lol Nothing like a cute cabin in the mountains of Gatlinburg, private with your own hot tub inside and out! Wandering around little shops and sampling moonshine all for under $500 for 4 nights! Sign me up! That's how I spent Christmas and I plan on doing it again this year.

You're speaking my language.

we did a weekend back in Sept in the Smokey mountains, camped right outside of Cherokee, we didnt have enough time to really enjoy it as much as we wanted too, and it was cheap.

There are too many places near us that are calling our name instead of driving 7 hours to hit Disney and spend so much money and not relax.

Almost nothing beats a mountain cabin in that area of the country, one of my favorite things to do as well.

 

[ford91exploder]

this.

and all of a sudden it will cost $500 round trip for airport transfers.

supply and demand, Rental cars will once again be expensive in MCO as everyone will need one, It was ME that drove the demand down

 

[Tiki Birdland]

supply and demand, Rental cars will once again be expensive in MCO as everyone will need one, It was ME that drove the demand down

Good news is that my family will be waiting a while to return. My DD wants Ohana. DS wants the train back. DW wants Nemo. I want the trolly show and Indy. Maybe we'll drive when / if we come again.

 

[ford91exploder]

I'm still confused as anyone else. Disney has spent the last bunch of years working on going "green" when it comes to traffic on property. Reducing buses, adding a skyliner, creating bus lanes. This kind of announcement is just going to create more traffic on property which goes against everything they were working on.

no confusion here this allows Disney to crow about reducing their carbon footprint. meanwhile the overall Orlando carbon footprint increases as visitors need to use less carbon efficient transport.

 

[going/again]

Before Magical Express was around Mears ran, for a fee to the guest, buses to the resorts from the airport. They ran the buses a round the clock for the most part.
They also ran buses to the other parks and shopping off property on a regular schedule.
This is what could probably return.
The buses may return however you the guest, not Disney will be paying for the service if you choose to use it.

Actually we will be paying for it twice if we choose to use it, ME was included in room price, really bad and cheap decision by Disney.

 

[ford91exploder]

For anyone that follows Jeff Vahle and Josh D'Amaro on IG, Jeff just posted a pic of the room at the Star Wars Hotel. I responded and let them know of my issues with the pricing and things being stripped. If anyone else that is upset about these things wants to join me maybe we can make a difference that way. I am sure they were both part of the decisions!

Does it really surprise you that things are being stripped, Disney is the master of the bait and switch, Look at the DVC at GF they did not even care enough to match the exterior style and architectural details of the main hotel and that would not have been a budget buster, Hey it's red and white good enough for the tourists. In this case Disney owns the IP so why do they insist in doing it in cheap chinese knockoff manner.

 

[ford91exploder]

Sure, they were there, but again, not to the extent promised. This was supposed to be the most interactive experience ever remember? At one point they were talking about building up reputation with either the first order or the Alliance and your experience and interactions changing depending on your reputation with each side.

Precisely. I'm the only trekkie in a family of rabid Star Wars fans who do cosplay every chance they get, So i'm familiar with names places etc but it's not my thing. But that family is BENT because of the bait -n- switch at Battu, Disney promised SWW on 'Roids for Battu (or SWL as I like to call it) instead the fans got a meet -n- greet in Lebanon. Note even I liked Star Wars Weekends because they were FUN even for a casual fan.

I've avoided joining the family in cosplay because I tell them if I do it I'm going as an Imperial officer... (I don't do Star Trek cosplay either)

 

[brockash]

no confusion here this allows Disney to crow about reducing their carbon footprint. meanwhile the overall Orlando carbon footprint increases as visitors need to use less carbon efficient transport.

Disney only claims themselves wanting to be more green or concerned about their carbon footprint when it financially benefits them.

 

[Katie & Glen]

The response I received was most likely still canned but a bit different that I’ve seen posted so far:

Kelly Zupan (Disney) Jan 19, 2021, 1:00 PM EST Dear XXXXXXX, Thank you for contacting the Walt Disney World Resort. I want to thank you for being such a dedicated fan of the Walt Disney World Resort. It is obvious that you care deeply about the Disney brand and how our changes may affect your family's visit. As you know, we strive to provide magical and unique experiences for all of our Guests and maintain our exceptional service throughout the years by evaluating and refining our offerings with new ideas every day. This philosophy is in keeping with Walt Disney’s vision for continuing to grow and evolve with providing similar and also new experiences with each and every visit. I am truly sorry to hear about your disappointment with the suspension of our Disney's Magical Express service. We pride ourselves on continuously maintaining our company's reputation for providing outstanding Guest service, and we are continually evaluating the different aspects of our operation to make it magical for everyone. In keeping these expectations and goals in mind, we know that Guests have far more options to choose from compared to when Disney’s Magical Express service was introduced more than 15 years ago. These options are becoming more popular for vacationers, providing more flexibility and saving time so they can better plan their day at their convenience. We sincerely appreciate your honest feedback, as we rely on our loyal Guests to help us determine when these changes should remain in effect or when we should implement something different. As we continue to evolve, we always keep in mind what is best for all of our Guests to create a seamless and magical experience throughout their visits. Please know, I have personally shared your correspondence with the appropriate Leadership teams for further internal review so we can continue to provide the magic for all of our future Guests. XXXXXXX, we hope to continue entertaining your family for years to come. Kindest regards, Kelly Zupan Guest Experience Services Walt Disney World Resort

Very similar

‐------------

Keith Secord (Disney) Jan 20, 2021, 12:53 PM EST Dear Cherished Guest, Thank you for contacting the Walt Disney World Resort with your concerns regarding the pending discontinuation of the Disney's Magical Express service in 2022. Many Guests, like you have said, have mentioned the feeling that the magic begins once they step on the Disney's Magical Express bus with Mickey Mouse on it. We do understand the disappointment the discontinuation of Disney's Magical Express in 2022 will cause our Guests and their families and the changes they will need to make in their vacation plans. Our Guests have far more options for transportation to our Resort from Orlando International Airport compared to when Disney's Magical Express service was introduced more than 15 years ago. As these alternative options have become more popular for our visiting Guests, they have added more flexibility and time savings to their trips. The Walt Disney Company is constantly reevaluating the changing tourism market and trends in how, when, and how often our Guests utilize our various services. As Walt himself said, "We keep moving forward—opening up new doors and doing new things—because we're curious. And curiosity keeps leading us down new paths." I am sorry for any disappointment this change will cause to you and your family. Please know I will pass along this feedback to the appropriate teams as we continue to explore new ways for Guests to enjoy their visits in the future. I am again very sorry to hear about your disappointment, but please rest assured that your voice will be heard and your concerns will be sent to the appropriate areas. I send my best wishes for a magical day. Kindest regards, Keith Secord Guest Experience Services Walt Disney World Resort

 

[mattpeto]

Here is an excerpt from my email and I might add, a little bit of hope of some assistance...

“As with every other change we’ve made in our history, we will help Guests navigate through these next steps and will continue to deliver on what’s expected from a Disney experience. We will continue to honor Disney's Magical Express Service for Resort arrivals through the end of 2021.”

 

[mshanson3121]

Disney only claims themselves wanting to be more green or concerned about their carbon footprint when it financially benefits them.

I don't think they're different from most other companies in that regard.

 

[hertamaniac]

no confusion here this allows Disney to crow about reducing their carbon footprint. meanwhile the overall Orlando carbon footprint increases as visitors need to use less carbon efficient transport.

I look at it that visitors should be encouraged to use more carbon efficient transport and less carbon-dependent transport. Maybe I'm missing the point.

 

[brockash]

I look at it that visitors should be encouraged to use more carbon efficient transport and less carbon-dependent transport. Maybe I'm missing the point.

Ppl. are explaining the fact that with the loss of ME (carpooling) more people will be renting individual cars. I'm not sure what carbon efficient transportation you think Disney is encouraging??? Taking away busing ppl. = more individual cars on the road. We used to fancy car-pool, now we'll have our own cars.

 

[hertamaniac]

Ppl. are explaining the fact that with the loss of ME (carpooling) more people will be renting individual cars. I'm not sure what carbon efficient transportation you think Disney is encouraging??? Taking away busing ppl. = more individual cars on the road. We used to fancy car-pool, now we'll have our own cars.

I didn't mention Disney. If you read my statement, it was in reference to a poster that said visitors "need to use less carbon efficient transport".

 

[brockash]

I didn't mention Disney. If you read my statement, it was in reference to a poster that said visitors "need to use less carbon efficient transport".

Oh, I guess I read your first sentence "I look at it that visitors should be encouraged to use more carbon efficient transport..." as you saying Disney stopping ME was somehow to encourage ppl. to use more carbon efficient transport?? So I guess, were you just saying that your opinion is that ppl. should be encouraged to use more carbon efficient transport by Disney's decision to discontinue ME???

What do you think would be those more carbon efficient transport options for visitors flying into MCO? ... I'm definitely more ignorant in this area and the only thing I could think of is if rental companies had electric cars to rent ...are there other options?

 

[hereforthechurros]

Funny that when you book DME online you get a confirmation email stating "We are currently experiencing a high volume of requests for Disney’s Magical Express®. Requests are processed by reservation arrival date. If your request is for future travel, please be aware there will be a delay with receiving a confirmation of your reservation, but our team will process your request before your reservation arrival date. We appreciate your patience!"

Yet lack of demand also calls for the service to cease to exist?

 

[sam_gordon]

The infrastructure is not currently in place for the volume as it was always Disney/Mears handling it. Someone will have to be willing to invest in the logistics side of things and then the labor cost will be a gamble due to an unknown volume.

Except WDW survived for how many years WITHOUT DME? People still found ways to get from MCO to WDW... rental car, taxi, or town car service. Now you can add in ride share.

Funny that when you book DME online you get a confirmation email stating "We are currently experiencing a high volume of requests for Disney’s Magical Express®. Requests are processed by reservation arrival date. If your request is for future travel, please be aware there will be a delay with receiving a confirmation of your reservation, but our team will process your request before your reservation arrival date. We appreciate your patience!"

Yet lack of demand also calls for the service to cease to exist?

It's very possible Disney has scaled back on the personnel assigned to DME scheduling. Just because they say they're "experiencing a high volume" doesn't mean they're getting the same number of requests they had before Covid.

Every business decision (ok, 99% of them) come down to money, and I'm sure this one is no different. Did Mears ask for a rate increase? Are less people staying on property (let's be honest, EVEYRONE staying on site paid for DME, whether they used it or not).

 

[hereforthechurros]

It's very possible Disney has scaled back on the personnel assigned to DME scheduling. Just because they say they're "experiencing a high volume" doesn't mean they're getting the same number of requests they had before Covid.

Every business decision (ok, 99% of them) come down to money, and I'm sure this one is no different. Did Mears ask for a rate increase? Are less people staying on property (let's be honest, EVEYRONE staying on site paid for DME, whether they used it or not).

Obviously. But the contradictions in their messaging are still ridiculous.

 

[sam_gordon]

Obiovusly. But the contradictions in their messaging are still ridiculous.

What's the contradiction? "High Volume" is subjective. If they plan on taking 10 calls an hour (for example), but take 11, they can claim "high volume".

If you take everything ANY company says with a pound of salt, then you're not surprised when they don't live up to your expectations. Sort of like PP mentioned where Disney tried "going green". They didn't implement DME because they're concerned for the environment. They (and other hotels) don't ask you to reuse towels to save the environment. They do it to save money.

 

[hereforthechurros]

What's the contradiction? "High Volume" is subjective. If they plan on taking 10 calls an hour (for example), but take 11, they can claim "high volume".

If you take everything ANY company says with a pound of salt, then you're not surprised when they don't live up to your expectations. Sort of like PP mentioned where Disney tried "going green". They didn't implement DME because they're concerned for the environment. They (and other hotels) don't ask you to reuse towels to save the environment. They do it to save money.

As a business owner myself I understand they can't say "we laid off 80% of our staff so your info will be delayed" but I am allowed to smirk at their playing of both sides here. Even Chapek himself says in every interview that the demand is still there. Just reiterating that the demand is not the issue for the cutting DME, it's financial.