BRING BACK MAGICAL EXPRESS!

[Cheburashka]

The waiting 5+ hours for ME to get you bags seems pretty challenging too. Surprised you didn’t find that to be an issue

You bring a carry-on bag with the stuff you need for the first night, so no, never had a problem with that.

 

[supersnoop]

May I ask what you find is a typical Uber/Lyft fee? I also do some solo trips and hate paying for transport for 1 that is the same as transport for 3 or 4

I’m showing between $30 and $40 each way; maybe $45 during peak times.

 

[sam_gordon]

The waiting 5+ hours for ME to get you bags seems pretty challenging too. Surprised you didn’t find that to be an issue

Unless you've got a late flight, what are you NOT carrying in your carryon that you need within 5 hours? And what would you do if the airline lost the bag? We've had DAYS before luggage was delivered on multiple trips, and none of them were utilizing ME.

You also had the option of getting your bags and taking them to the ME bus.

 

[Mousemom234]

When we first went to WDW we took the Mears bus, after collecting our own luggage. Did that for quite a few trips.

Once, we took the scheduled bus from our "overnight hotel" to the parks. Intended to get off at EPCOT and take an internal bus to our resort; our driver offered to take us there, even though he wasn't quite sure where it was. Fun start to a fun trip.

ME was nice, when they had it. But the first few trips with it, we were lucky to see the rest of out luggage by breakfast the next day. It got better, then worse. Long wait for the next bus if our flight was even a little late.

It's been a few years, due to interruptions from RL. But I think it's going to be back to the original - full circle, as it was. Mears, and hands-on luggage schlepping.
Could be worse. <shrug>

 

[Kae]

You bring a carry-on bag with the stuff you need for the first night, so no, never had a problem with that.

I didn't either, but boy did people complain about it or not realize that they would get their luggage right away

 

[MickeyMike87]

I do miss ME but miss the luggage transfer the most. It was soooo nice to tag your bag and then just freely travel to the resort without dragging baggage around. Airline check in at the resort as well took the stress out of standing in line and checking bags at MCO. When we brought friends it was a magical touch to start the trip. I would be willing to pay for a new version of ME with bag drop but who knows if we will ever see that.

Since it changed we have tried Mears, Sunshine Flyer, Uber and a car service. The buses are alright and we had no issues really just sometimes delayed. The car service was very nice but a higher additional cost. Uber is our preferred as it is about the same cost as the buses but direct to the resort without reserving in advance.

 

[georgina]

The waiting 5+ hours for ME to get you bags seems pretty challenging too. Surprised you didn’t find that to be an issue

I once came back from a day at the parks (staying at Pop) and found someone else's luggage in my room (same last name). It was quite late and I almost didn't notice them at first.

I only used ME a couple of times on solo trips, don't miss it at all.

 

[Mrs.AMC]

Unless you've got a late flight, what are you NOT carrying in your carryon that you need within 5 hours? And what would you do if the airline lost the bag? We've had DAYS before luggage was delivered on multiple trips, and none of them were utilizing ME.

You also had the option of getting your bags and taking them to the ME bus.

Who didn't know that?
But wouldn't that defeat what the person I quoted was trying to utilize ME for?

 

[Mrs.AMC]

You bring a carry-on bag with the stuff you need for the first night, so no, never had a problem with that.

Guess you never fly small aircraft that require you to gate check a carry on bag and then had that bag left behind. Even a back pack. Having a carry on is not certain to end up with you either. I can attest to it personally. Even my non rolling bag didn't fit in a very small commuter flight once. And it was left on the tarmac and I didn't get it till the next day. However, I've never had my checked bag not make it. Ironic huh?

 

[KrazeeK120]

Airline check in at the resort as well took the stress out of standing in line and checking bags at MCO. When we brought friends it was a magical touch to start the trip. I would be willing to pay for a new version of ME with bag drop but who knows if we will ever see that.

This was not part of DME. You could use this service even if you weren’t traveling on DME.

 

[NWOhiogal]

Does reputation matter as long as people are going to the parks? Sure, at SOME point, a poor reputation will hurt their attendance. Presumably, that hasn't hit yet. I haven't seen/heard of unusual "deals" or perks to fill up the park with guests. Yes, we *MIGHT* see attendance drop off in coming years, and then you'll see prices drop and perks return.

Either the prices will drop and the perks will return OR the management will continue to cut corners to keep their profit margins high and things will start skidding downhill. Maintenance and customer service will be cut (easy ways to save money. Do we need to empty the trash cans so often? Maybe instead of a customer service desk we just give them a 1-800 phone number). The parks will start looking unkempt and dirty. Families will start looking elsewhere (Universal is pretty close). The brawls and other bad behavior will increase. Families will start staying away. WDW will get a reputation as 'unsafe'. Something awful will happen (a murder or something else.) Management will slash prices hoping to keep WDW afloat, attracting a lot of jerks who will steal and cause trouble. At some point after that, WDW will crater.

Anyone who says "It can't happen" need to remember that in the 1980s EVERYBODY went to shopping malls and there was no reason to think that kind of shopping experience would be around forever. The path I described above is the life story of most of those shopping malls. Once the downhill slide started, it was almost impossible to reverse.

 

[sam_gordon]

Either the prices will drop and the perks will return OR the management will continue to cut corners to keep their profit margins high and things will start skidding downhill. Maintenance and customer service will be cut (easy ways to save money. Do we need to empty the trash cans so often? Maybe instead of a customer service desk we just give them a 1-800 phone number). The parks will start looking unkempt and dirty. Families will start looking elsewhere (Universal is pretty close). The brawls and other bad behavior will increase. Families will start staying away. WDW will get a reputation as 'unsafe'. Something awful will happen (a murder or something else.) Management will slash prices hoping to keep WDW afloat, attracting a lot of jerks who will steal and cause trouble. At some point after that, WDW will crater.

People have been complaining about the "decline of Disney" for decadeS. And the hotels are still booked and the parks are still crowded. Might it get to the point where enough folks start staying away? Possibly. But I doubt many (if any) of us will still be around. Of course, I might be wrong.

Anyone who says "It can't happen" need to remember that in the 1980s EVERYBODY went to shopping malls and there was no reason to think that kind of shopping experience would be around forever. The path I described above is the life story of most of those shopping malls. Once the downhill slide started, it was almost impossible to reverse.

A lack of customer service and perks isn't what killed shopping malls. If you don't know that a LOT of life is different now than 40 years ago, I don't know what to tell you.

 

[NWOhiogal]

A lack of customer service and perks isn't what killed shopping malls. If you don't know that a LOT of life is different now than 40 years ago, I don't know what to tell you.

What killed shopping malls, in part, was the demise of the major anchor stores: Sears, Montgomery Ward, etc. What killed them? The decision to cut customer service and cut back staff. I worked at Sears in the late 1980s and can state for a fact that the decision to get rid of all the commission salespeople and reducing the customer service department to a telephone on a wall killed them. People will go somewhere else if they think they aren't being valued.

 

[FCDub]

The internet killed malls.

 

[MouseyMin]

I think what's keeping Disney so crowded is the pandemic. Many people (myself included) are afraid to go out of the country for vacation because they don't want to chance getting sick in a foreign country. So instead of going to the Caribbean Islands for winter vacation and Europe for summer vacation, people are going to Disney instead.

 

[sam_gordon]

I think what's keeping Disney so crowded is the pandemic. Many people (myself included) are afraid to go out of the country for vacation because they don't want to chance getting sick in a foreign country. So instead of going to the Caribbean Islands for winter vacation and Europe for summer vacation, people are going to Disney instead.

Based on threads I've read on Cruise Critic, cruises (at least RCI) have also been at 100%+ for a while.

 

[gottalovepluto]

This was not part of DME. You could use this service even if you weren’t traveling on DME.

I’d pay for the bag drop service even if they didn’t bring MDE back. Alas I know the bag drop company was reported to have gone under in the pandemic

 

[Ursula J]

I LOVED the feeling of checking my bags in Chicago and being "on vacation " from that moment. No luggage carousel, no weird Uber guys. It was part of the bubble, and I miss it.

 

[Ralph&Pam]

I’d pay for the bag drop service even if they didn’t bring MDE back. Alas I know the bag drop company was reported to have gone under in the pandemic

Not quite the case. Both the remote airline check in/bag drop service at the WDW resorts and the baggage delivery service from MCO to the resorts were provided by Bags, Inc. They are still in business at MCO (https://www.bagsinc.com/bags-vip-luggage-delivery), but Disney did not resume the remote airline check in service post-Covid and the luggage delivery went away when Magical Express ended. Their VIP luggage services are pricey enough to make managing your own bags an attractive alternative for most of us.

 

[sam_gordon]

Not quite the case. Both the remote airline check in/bag drop service at the WDW resorts and the baggage delivery service from MCO to the resorts were provided by Bags, Inc. They are still in business at MCO (https://www.bagsinc.com/bags-vip-luggage-delivery), but Disney did not resume the remote airline check in service post-Covid and the luggage delivery went away when Magical Express ended. Their VIP luggage services are pricey enough to make managing your own bags an attractive alternative for most of us.

It looks like some airlines utilize Bags for luggage delivery at various airports.
United ($40 for 1-2 bags, $50 for 3, $60 for 4 and $10 increments for each bag)
American (can't find pricing)