Disney News, Discussion & an Element of Fun - 2023 Edition

[Teamubr]

A clip from last night's Bastille Day drone show at DLP

https://twitter.com/x/status/1680223598072541185

We were at DLP a month ago and the drone show for the 30th was pretty cool, but this one is amazing. They really need to do something like this at one of the WDW parks.

j

 

[CarolynFH]

We were at DLP a month ago and the drone show for the 30th was pretty cool, but this one is amazing. They really need to do something like this at one of the WDW parks.

j

Yes, seems like it would be a fit for AK.

 

[Maleficent_Hades]

Exactly. For evidence, see below:

After reading years of posts that recommended using rideshare (with or without letting DME bring the luggage), I wasn’t surprised when DME ended.

Yeah, I like the convenience of just getting an Uber and going right to my resort without worrying if I have to stop at 3 others first. Also not having to walk all the way down to where the ME, waiting in the line to then wait for a bus is very nice. While it's cheaper to ride Mears, it's usually a $10 difference and I'd rather spend the extra to save time.

 

[CarolynFH]

Yeah, I like the convenience of just getting an Uber and going right to my resort without worrying if I have to stop at 3 others first. Also not having to walk all the way down to where the ME, waiting in the line to then wait for a bus is very nice. While it's cheaper to ride Mears, it's usually a $10 difference and I'd rather spend the extra to save time.

Yep, that’s exactly the kind of post that was repeated over and over pre-covid. My suspicion is that DME passenger numbers were dropping, and Mears wanted more $$ than WDW was willing to pay.

 

[dd316]

In that spirit, I think the demise was mostly driven by the easy ability to get an inexpensive ride share (uber, lyft, etc.)---once enough people started doing that, ME was no longer serving its purpose.

Were people actually choosing to pay Uber and Lyft over the complimentary ME service?

 

[LSUmiss]

Were people actually choosing to pay Uber and Lyft over the complimentary ME service?

We chose a car service when DS was younger b/c DME had gotten so bad timewise.

 

[Smugpugmug]

Were people actually choosing to pay Uber and Lyft over the complimentary ME service?

I did. It's way quicker to use a ride share than a service like Magical Express/Mears Connect.

 

[jlundeen]

I would love it if they could just find another luggage delivery and resort check in service. I would be happy to pay whatever DME charged just for that. Then, of course, I'd still find a more direct way to get to my resort, probably ahead of my luggage.... LOL

 

[Bibbidi_Boo]

Were people actually choosing to pay Uber and Lyft over the complimentary ME service?

A lot of people didn't like being stuff with whatever time they were giving to go back to the airport on departure day. If you were the first pick up of 3-4 picks it would easily add an hour or more which for some was the time they could enjoy a sit down meal, or an extra hour longer in the parks or at disney springs.

 

[jesskeys91]

Were people actually choosing to pay Uber and Lyft over the complimentary ME service?

Yes. We did several times because it was faster. Both to get to the parks faster and to leave later for the airport so we could stay in the parks longer.

 

[CarolynFH]

Were people actually choosing to pay Uber and Lyft over the complimentary ME service?

Yes, take the responses you received above and multiply them many times. There was even an entire sticky thread that discussed pros and cons of signing up for DME and then taking rideshare from MCO to WDW and assuming that DME would still deliver your checked luggage. As rideshare became more popular, the number of such posts increased steadily.

 

[Brian Noble]

Were people actually choosing to pay Uber and Lyft over the complimentary ME service?

Probably, but that's not what i meant. I did not explain myself well.

The presence of easy-to-book, clean, non-sketchy rideshares means that even if you are on property without your own car, it is very easy to go to Universal for the day, or go get groceries, or go to a cheaper restaurant off-property, or or or. In other words, the "captive" audience was no longer quite so captive, so ME was no longer accomplishing its goal.

Disney could not have cared less if you took a rideshare/cab/whatever between the airport and the property, even if you were also using ME for luggage. They cared very much if you leave property for something else in Orlando.

 

[CarolynFH]

Disney could not have cared less if you took a rideshare/cab/whatever between the airport and the property, even if you were also using ME for luggage.

Depending on how the Mears-Disney contract was structured (i.e., was Mears paid per passenger or per bus round trip or some other method?), this may or may not have been true. And maybe during negotiations for contract renewal, Mears wanted a new method, and Disney felt they wouldn't get enough bang for their bucks. I can't remember reading anything from anyone who claimed knowledge of that contract.

 

[Brian Noble]

I suppose so. But it seems as though Disney's financial model assumed all those people would be taking ME. They would be unlikely to pay more if some of them didn't.

Where Disney would be unhappy is if some of those guests rented cars and used ME for luggage. Then they were very much not captive.

 

[CarolynFH]

I suppose so. But it seems as though Disney's financial model assumed all those people would be taking ME. They would be unlikely to pay more if some of them didn't.

Where Disney would be unhappy is if some of those guests rented cars and used ME for luggage. Then they were very much not captive.

I think there were increasing numbers of people using DME for luggage and then taking rideshare for the convenience, rather than waiting to board the bus and potentially making several stops before getting to their resort.

 

[Disney Bobby]

A clip from last night's Bastille Day drone show at DLP

https://twitter.com/x/status/1680223598072541185

That is pretty amazing. Would be cool to have that going all night during park hours.

 

[Tigger's ally]

That is pretty amazing. Would be cool to have that going all night during park hours.

are you suggesting horrible working conditions for the drones?

 

[Gary Stocker]

I think there were increasing numbers of people using DME for luggage and then taking rideshare for the convenience, rather than waiting to board the bus and potentially making several stops before getting to their resort.

Understood but how did that impact the bottom line? If they used the luggage service but didn't ride the bus they still paid for it in the package..it was never free but included in your reservation.
I think it was just a way to cut costs...It was still very popular since it was a perk for staying onsite..which is always nice and rare..yeah we have the extra half hour early..but meh.

 

[CarolynFH]

Understood but how did that impact the bottom line? If they used the luggage service but didn't ride the bus they still paid for it in the package..it was never free but included in your reservation.
I think it was just a way to cut costs...It was still very popular since it was a perk for staying onsite..which is always nice and rare..yeah we have the extra half hour early..but meh.

Luggage service didn’t return when DME returned after Covid, so DME was transporting people only. Apparently Disney determined the program didn’t bring enough benefit for the price paid, or maybe it had to do with the price Mears wanted in the new contract rumored to have been in negotiations.

 

[Gary Stocker]

I used to hear people say that when they received their Magic Bands that would be the time to get psyched for the trip...for me it was the luggage tags with the name of the resort on them that got me pumped...also miss airport check in at the resorts...the little things that saved time.