Magical Express Ending Service

[MissStitch626]

This news puts future WDW trips in the 'unlikely' category for me. We visit from the UK, use Magical Express then rely on Disney transportation throughout the trip. The ease of all this is what keeps us coming back time and time again.

Arriving at MCO after a 9.5 hour flight then dealing with Lyft or Uber with all our luggage for two weeks is not the start to a very expensive vacation I'm looking for.

I'm well aware they don't have to offer these benefits but if they don't, what makes these resorts different from any other hotel?

 

[belle032]

I was not expecting the ME to end. It's not necessarily a deal breaker for me, but it does leave a bad taste in my mouth. They're going to get a lot of pushback for this and rightly so.

 

[MamaBelle4]

Wdw.guest.communications@disneyworld.com

Thank you - and done.

 

[SamIAm21]

So, we don't have DME and we are being charged to park at the resort... So you are either going to pay for an UBER or pay to park. This is really unfortunate and makes me reconsider any future travels to the resort.

 

[jpeterson]

Thank you - and done.

Same, I sent a polite email expressing my disappointment.

 

[ninafeliz]

Wow, the news just keeps on coming. They chip away and chip away. I have so many thoughts, but not worth trying to type now. Let it suffice to say that this and the EMH news together are all big thumbs down. I’m sad, disappointed, annoyed, irritated, angry, resigned... it is what it is, and things will move on, but I’m not happy right now.

 

[Naomeri]

Sent my (polite) email complaint. As a solo female traveler, I’m wary of ride share services, and I’m certainly not going to rent a car and drive in a strange place. I was considering buying an AP when they became available and making more frequent trips, but not if its harder and/or costly to get from MCO to WDW.

 

[HannaLeAnn]

Universal's Response

https://twitter.com/x/status/1348679255874531332

 

[Dracoa Dragoon]

Universal's Response

https://twitter.com/x/status/1348679255874531332

Savage.

Disney is going to have so many people playing for uber they are going to start charging uber a fee to operate on their property.

 

[JakeAZ]

Things that have disappeared (or are announced to leave) that were standard onsite perks:

Magic Bands
Luggage Tags Mailed to you (picking them up at the resort doesn't make any sense!)
60 Day Fastpasses
Extra Magic Hours (30 mins is not the same at all)
180+10 ADR Booking Window
Resort Airline Check In
Magical Express
Resort Item Pickup

WDW resorts charge a premium and I have always felt the perks made them well worth it but even amazing theme-ing and location- the value is no longer there. Disney really, really hasn't thought this through.

Then also factor in all the other losses
Fireworks
Shows
Meet and Greets
Experiences

I'm sure I left some out

But Contemporary is still $600 + per night during heavy crowd times.

 

[dreamer17555]

Seriously can someone take the scissors away from Chapek?

Cut, cut, cut is all he knows how to do.

 

[Ecstatic Eeyore]

This is one removal that is really leaving a bad taste in my mouth. Disney is making me feel like there is less and less reason to go there now. Depending on what else they cut I might just look at dumping all my dvc contracts and use all my money to travel elsewhere.

 

[ktlm]

One of the reasons we like WDW trips is the convenience of ME. We don't have to worry about how we are going to get to the resort, drag all our luggage, etc. --- this takes it out of the convenient category for us.

One of the reasons we loved to go to WDW and stay on property when DD was little was that ME made it so easy with young kids. We didn't have to deal with luggage to and from the resort and try to drag it with a toddler and a stroller etc. and try and figure out how we were going to get there etc. We still love it even though DD is older. No way we want to spend the money to rent a car for a week that is just going to sit at the resort. Plus we don't have a larger family, but if you do getting an uber/lyft that will accomodate your luggage and whole family can be a pain. Our last Non-Disney vacation before the pandemic we had an issue with it with our family of 3. We wound up having to give up on UBER/LYFT and just got in the taxi line because we were going to have an hour wait for a ride that would accommodate our luggage. All 3 of us commented how much easier it would have been if everyone had magical express.

The Brightline train is only going to have a stop at Disney Springs. I can't imagine having to get our luggage at the airport; get it on a train; then get off the train at Disney Springs and collect our luggage only to have to drag it all over to wait for and get it onto a bus for the resort. Even if Disney were to start running the magical express busses from Disney springs to the resorts-- you still have the extra step of having to drag the luggage around more and a 2nd wait for a bus after the train.

Also--- I have never really thought of ME as "free" with the crazy prices we pay for the deluxe resorts. I have thought of it as part of the justification for me paying those prices.

I would pay for ME if it stayed as it was rather than having to deal with uber/lyft/train/ car rental.

 

[auroralark]

I also emailed them to register my disappointment at this news. This has Chapek written all over it.

 

[Orion Nebula]

#magicalexpress is now trending on twitter (with a lot of angry people) , if anyone uses twitter go tweet away.

 

[dez1978]

As a DVC member F this and F Bob Chapek, it’s such a short sighted move and seemingly directly from his playbook of putting profits over guests and every single corner.

I agree 100%

 

[yulilin3]

Friendly reminder of DIS guidelines. No cursing or using letters, or symbols that convey curse words

 

[silver236]

With DME going away, I really, really hope the car rental desks at MCO get their crap together. We rented in September to avoid mass transportation. The lines were ridiculous. We waited for over 90 minutes to get our car. I can't imagine how swamped they are going to be with all these people probably renting cars now. And I am sure the rental companies will take full advantage and jack their rates even higher than they are now!

 

[JakeAZ]

I'm well aware they don't have to offer these benefits but if they don't, what makes these resorts different from any other hotel?

The extra high prices?

 

[MissStitch626]

The extra high prices?

So true.

I was just thinking about phrase "you get what you pay for". Wonder when this will start being true of a WDW resort stay.

I'll calm down (eventually) and will hopefully remember why I love the resorts but right now this stings.