Disney's Magical Express to End in 2022, Extra Magic Hours to be Replaced with Early Theme Park Entry Later This Year

[GADisneyDad14]

Some rather significant WDW resorts updates to start the week....

Per Disney Parks Blog - https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2021/01/a-look-ahead-at-walt-disney-world-resort/

DME to End in 2022
Vacationers have more options to choose from than ever for transportation, including ride-share services that save time and offer more flexibility to go where they want, when they want.

In light of this shift, when Disney Resort hotel bookings open for stays in 2022, we will no longer offer Disney’s Magical Express service for airport transportation, starting with arrivals Jan. 1, 2022.

We will continue to operate the service for new and existing reservations made at Disney Resort hotels for arrivals throughout 2021.

Additionally, complimentary transportation options – such as buses, monorails and Disney Skyliner – will continue to be available within Walt Disney World Resort for Disney Resort hotel guests, including to and from all four theme parks.


Coming Soon - Early Theme Park Entry
We know how much guests enjoy extra park time, so coming later this year as part of our 50th anniversary celebration, Disney Resort hotel guests and guests of other select hotels will be able to enjoy more fun with 30-minute early entry to ANY theme park, EVERY day.

It’ll be a great way to get a jump start on your Disney day, no matter the day!

As a reminder, the Extra Magic Hours benefit was suspended when Walt Disney World Resort reopened last summer, and as we continue to manage attendance with health and safety top of mind, Extra Magic Hours will not return.

The new early theme park entry benefit helps us better spread visitation across all four theme parks, while providing added flexibility by giving guests extra early park time on each day of their vacation and in the park of their choosing.

Please note that guests need valid admission and a park reservation made via the Disney Park Pass system to enter a theme park.


Other Links:

https://www.wdwinfo.com/news-stories/disneys-magical-express-extra-magic-hours-to-be-discontinued/

 

[mrsap]

The elimination of EMH makes me SO sad. I planned my park days around them! I truly hope they at least extend evening park hours a bit later at some point, but I can’t imagine that will happen anytime soon.

 

[kylenne]

I actually don't mind EMH going away because it was such a headache trying to plan around them. This way is how it was years ago when you could just get in an hour earlier regardless of park daily. I will miss the later hours though, I love being in the parks at night.

DME is what really hurts me especially as someone who travels as a solo female frequently...I was looking at maybe a NYE weekend trip and I'm wondering if Tragical Express would be available, it sounds like it would from the verbiage but who knows? Definitely ensures that we will use it on our trips this year, if only to say goodbye. But I kinda saw the writing on the wall when they nixed the baggage handling.

 

[Br'er Rabbit is the Best]

So right now and going forward there are no fastpasses, extra magic hours, or magical express benefits to stay on site. If they are trying to entice people to stay onsite instead of offsite, I don’t see how this does that. For the first time ever, I’m going to consider staying offsite.

 

[tubiemom]

I normally just flow with Disney's changes of plans however for us this will change things and how often we go.

I have two daughters who are disabled and one uses a wheelchair. Having the magical express was one of the main reasons why we go to Disney, because it makes the airport and getting the the resort with medical needs so much easier. Renting accessible transportation is not always easy or cheap... this will mean we either stay at a cheaper hotel to off set that cost (because I have a feeling Disney is not getting rid of the parking fee so now my trip is going to have a significant increase in price renting an accessible vehicle and paying for parking) or look at staying off site because for us this was one of the biggest reasons we stayed on site and our trips will become farther in between because now Disney is less accessible making other places look more attractive, if I have to get all of my stuff to and from the airport and rent a car I might as well fly anywhere else. For this mom this is a huge blow, I used ME many times before becoming a mom and I like the convenience but for us now it has a huge reason of what makes Disney vacations doable for our family.

The EMH is a bummer, I remember being in high school and staying at MK until late in the night with my parents and that is a memory we still talk about, so its a bummer but wont effect our discussions.

 

[trvlgirlmq]

That has to be one of the worst decisions they have made lately. They charge a premium to stay onsite and then you have to pay to get there. This might be the biggest push to get us offsite forever.

 

[Lesserlion]

This is an interesting, but I guess not surprising, announcement. Not suprising because of the November deal between Disney and Brightline for a station @ WDW.

Regardless of that rail deal, I noticed another announcement about the retiring of Extra Magic Hours and replacing with a 30min early entry benefit every day for resort guests.

With Magic Express and EMH going away, will Disney replace these resort guest benefits with something similar (post-COVID and rail stop completion)? I have to imagine they will. Maybe complementary rail passes (to replace ME) for example.

If not, what exactly would the cost-benefit be for staying on-site?

 

[Bianca and Bernard]

Some rather significant WDW resorts updates to start the week....

Per Disney Parks Blog - https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2021/01/a-look-ahead-at-walt-disney-world-resort/

DME to End in 2022
Vacationers have more options to choose from than ever for transportation, including ride-share services that save time and offer more flexibility to go where they want, when they want.

In light of this shift, when Disney Resort hotel bookings open for stays in 2022, we will no longer offer Disney’s Magical Express service for airport transportation, starting with arrivals Jan. 1, 2022.

We will continue to operate the service for new and existing reservations made at Disney Resort hotels for arrivals throughout 2021.

Additionally, complimentary transportation options – such as buses, monorails and Disney Skyliner – will continue to be available within Walt Disney World Resort for Disney Resort hotel guests, including to and from all four theme parks.


Coming Soon - Early Theme Park Entry
We know how much guests enjoy extra park time, so coming later this year as part of our 50th anniversary celebration, Disney Resort hotel guests and guests of other select hotels will be able to enjoy more fun with 30-minute early entry to ANY theme park, EVERY day.

It’ll be a great way to get a jump start on your Disney day, no matter the day!

As a reminder, the Extra Magic Hours benefit was suspended when Walt Disney World Resort reopened last summer, and as we continue to manage attendance with health and safety top of mind, Extra Magic Hours will not return.

The new early theme park entry benefit helps us better spread visitation across all four theme parks, while providing added flexibility by giving guests extra early park time on each day of their vacation and in the park of their choosing.

Please note that guests need valid admission and a park reservation made via the Disney Park Pass system to enter a theme park.


Other Links:

https://www.wdwinfo.com/news-stories/disneys-magical-express-extra-magic-hours-to-be-discontinued/

Called it back when they started charging for parking.

Next up: no more magical hours. Pay for access only (whether party or just extra hours)...

 

[Shellyred8]

The ending of DME is going to be a big bummer for us. We will definitely be re-thinking some of our stays. I definitely envision fewer on-site stays because of this. It was the one big perk (outside of location) that made it worth while to stay on site. We are DVC, so we will still be on-site for some stays. But we will definitely start looking at other lodging options for some of our stays. Which will probably mean less time at WDW (and less $'s spent there too) and more time at other attractions around the Orlando area.

I'm just so disappointed in Disney for getting rid of this.

 

[Mousemommy1]

This is a huge disappointment. We plan on going in October (fingers crossed since we couldn't go on our August trip), but that may be the last time for awhile. Our girls are older anyway, and I would love for DS to have the same experiences they did but he has already gone 5 times and keeps telling me he'd rather to go Hawaii.

 

[wishicouldgomoreofte]

Some rather significant WDW resorts updates to start the week....

Per Disney Parks Blog - https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2021/01/a-look-ahead-at-walt-disney-world-resort/

DME to End in 2022
Vacationers have more options to choose from than ever for transportation, including ride-share services that save time and offer more flexibility to go where they want, when they want.

In light of this shift, when Disney Resort hotel bookings open for stays in 2022, we will no longer offer Disney’s Magical Express service for airport transportation, starting with arrivals Jan. 1, 2022.

We will continue to operate the service for new and existing reservations made at Disney Resort hotels for arrivals throughout 2021.

Additionally, complimentary transportation options – such as buses, monorails and Disney Skyliner – will continue to be available within Walt Disney World Resort for Disney Resort hotel guests, including to and from all four theme parks.


Coming Soon - Early Theme Park Entry
We know how much guests enjoy extra park time, so coming later this year as part of our 50th anniversary celebration, Disney Resort hotel guests and guests of other select hotels will be able to enjoy more fun with 30-minute early entry to ANY theme park, EVERY day.

It’ll be a great way to get a jump start on your Disney day, no matter the day!

As a reminder, the Extra Magic Hours benefit was suspended when Walt Disney World Resort reopened last summer, and as we continue to manage attendance with health and safety top of mind, Extra Magic Hours will not return.

The new early theme park entry benefit helps us better spread visitation across all four theme parks, while providing added flexibility by giving guests extra early park time on each day of their vacation and in the park of their choosing.

Please note that guests need valid admission and a park reservation made via the Disney Park Pass system to enter a theme park.


Other Links:

https://www.wdwinfo.com/news-stories/disneys-magical-express-extra-magic-hours-to-be-discontinued/

I don't see well enough to use smart phones, which is what you need for ride-share services. I don't know how I will now get to WDW, other than expensive limo services. As it is, I can't use mobile order, and all the other myriad things that require smart phones. Soon, one may not be able to go to WDW unless they use smart phones. WDW does not care. It is less off their plate. Saves them money. And they still won't invest the savings in better IT.

 

[wishicouldgomoreofte]

The elimination of EMH makes me SO sad. I planned my park days around them! I truly hope they at least extend evening park hours a bit later at some point, but I can’t imagine that will happen anytime soon.

Yes, late night EMH were my favorite part of the day at WDW.

 

[Grabnar]

EMH ending allows them to have the After Hours parties more frequently without worrying about the impact on day guests. I can almost guarantee that's what they were going for on this

 

[wishicouldgomoreofte]

That has to be one of the worst decisions they have made lately. They charge a premium to stay onsite and then you have to pay to get there. This might be the biggest push to get us offsite forever.

I like your avatar.

 

[closetmickey]

This makes me so very sad. I often travel alone with the kids. The experience of arriving to Orlando airport and heading to Magical Express is unlike any other. The ease of no luggage or transportation coordination sets the tone and it was such a valued perk.

As for the new early entry, I stated in another thread that to me it’s Disney trying to look like they are offering a new valued experience when actually they are not offering anything new at all – as many of the parks begin to operate before published opening hours anyway. Al they are doing is taking it away from the off site guests and claiming it as a perk for others while it costs them nothing. Also, many headliners take a decent amount of time to complete- in many cases it will be difficult to even fit 2 rides into a 30 minute block of time.
And for people like us, traveling from the West Coast, we so value the later closing times over the early opening times. Regardless of your home time zone, I would suspect there are many adults that value those later hours over the early ones as well. So much is changing and Disney framing everything as a “win for the guest“ is becoming exhausting.

 

[PlutoTheDog89]

Im supposed to check-in on 12/24/21 and check out 1/1/22. Not happy. This was always a huge perk to our trip and removed A LOT of stress.

 

[a742246]

I am hoping that the luggage service will not be affected.

 

[RanDIZ]

So right now and going forward there are no fastpasses, extra magic hours, or magical express benefits to stay on site. If they are trying to entice people to stay onsite instead of offsite, I don’t see how this does that. For the first time ever, I’m going to consider staying offsite.

The best place to stay offsite is my house, 1000's of miles away from WDW. They're going to regret taking things away. Remember, we don't need Disney, Disney needs us!

 

[Br'er Rabbit is the Best]

I am hoping that the luggage service will not be affected.

Sorry to tell you, but they cut the luggage service months ago.

 

[Alwaysplanning2020]

Anyone else feel like 30 minutes extra is not enticing. So you get to walk to an attraction and maybe ride one—- but the off site people will already be line up to get in to those early entry opportunities anyway- ugh and the no baggage transfer - that was the biggest perk traveling with young kids. These will push people off property for more space at lower prices