Magical Express is going away on Jan. 1, 2022

[New Mouse]

$5,000 is ~8% of the, I repeat, $56,000 buy-in. An even smaller percentage overall of the annual dues paid out in total over the life of the contract.

I'm simply pointing out how weird it is that the elimination of airport service would be the breaking point of $56,000 today plus ballooning annual dues over the next ~50 years for a contract that does not guarantee the availability of airport service.

8% of 56k isnt something small for many

 

[Fanofthegame]

In that same vein, the "free" parking at the resorts when you drive and use your DVC points are being subsidized by others. So, I think it might even out. One can always say "I never drive, so why should I pay for maintenance of the parking lot?" Disney gets us to pay for something that we don't use one way or another...

For some it could be a deal breaker. In my case, I will say no and choose to spend my money elsewhere. It's not that I cant pay, is that i won't pay. I think people dont like getting taken advantage of.

 

[heynowirv]

I would say over the last 7 years give or take ,we either drove or rented a car. Going forward past June we'll probably always drive as my wife will join me as a "Retiree".We have a trip planned in October with 2 of our kids and their SO's. December with our 2 year old grand daughter and will probably take DME just to see it off. Or maybe we won't, time will tell.

 

[hp_lovecraft]

We have 6 kids, and usually bring a couple other family members.

For years, the normal routine was everyone took DME, except 2 whom rented a car to grab a ton of groceries, drop them off, then drop off the car at disney springs.

When we stay at Bonnet Creek, we would rent 2 minivans for the week, which worked fine.

So next year, we might rent 2 minivans for the first, and last day. (using disney springs is easier then car care of swan for us). Or maybe 1 15 passenger van, but they are typically more expensive then 2 minivans. Or maybe keep one minivan for the whole week in case we want to go to universal, or get cheap food.

 

[striker1064]

8% of 56k isnt something small for many

This is a dumb argument, but the final thing I'll say is if you can afford $56k down on a timeshare, 8% of it spread over 50 years for transportation should be the last of your concerns especially considering the annual dues.

8% of $56k is a lot for me too, but the person I initially replied to already paid out $56k so clearly the funding is not an issue for them. And as has been stated many times here and elsewhere, the buy-in is the smallest expense on this timeshare.

 

[Rob Huff]

I understand that. I agree that the Disney level experience is unbeatable. To that point, how do you know that an alternative won't be provided by Disney starting next year? I, personally, believe Disney will offer some alternative. I have no idea what that alternative would look like, but I think there will be one. Again, many people didn't like the DME. I, personally, don't think that Disney eliminating DME is somehow diminishing the overall WDW experience. While other resort and timeshares undoubtedly "do things better than Disney", none of them can offer the WDW experience. THAT is why people bought into DVC, not because of the transportation from/to the airport.

There's a lot of good back and forth here.

I'll miss DME even though we only used it a couple of times. We always drove when we lived in Florida and even drove from Michigan once, but we've shifted to flying exclusively nowadays (pre- and post-COVID anyway).

I loved that DME meant that the vacation began in earnest the moment we exited the jetway. We'd all look for the DME signs and, as a result, the tram+stroll through the airport felt like the first attraction of the trip; it was a seriously crappy first attraction compared to what awaited at the parks and resorts, but still, it was something. The mood shifted. In an airport!

Getting in line for the bus almost felt like Disney. That's as generously as I can phrase that part of the experience. It still felt very much like being in the lower level of an airport.

The bus ride itself was always something that we enjoyed immensely. We love getting to sit there with our kids on our laps or leaning into us, watching cartoons and Disney parks/resorts videos. It very much set the mood. We also enjoyed getting to see the other resorts during the dropoff stage. We first saw Riviera from DME and it was fun to see the changes to the area, changes we wouldn't otherwise have seen on our last trip because we had no plans to head to the RR/CBR area. We've enjoyed our trips to almost all of the resorts, and a quick bus stop there offers a brief moment to reminisce.

I'm not certain that Disney will replace DME with a similar free service in the future. They might. They might not. I'm really hoping for a direct-ish train; I'd count a train from MCO to DS with busses then farming folks out to their resorts. It won't be anywhere near as pleasant to carry our trip's worth of luggage on a resort bus, but if that's the cost, oh well, so be it. I won't be surprised if this goes the way of MagicBands: you can pay for it and get it at a discount...but you have to pay for it now even though you didn't before.

I appreciate that we can reproduce the service of DME for about $100 roundtrip using Uber/Lyft. It's not a backbreaking expense. I can even reproduce the experience for my kids by putting a tablet/phone in their hands, connecting some headphones, and playing Disney videos/movies during the car ride. However, the trip from MCO to the resort is going to be different. It's going to be the third leg of travel: car to airport, plane to MCO, and car to the resort. I don't see a way to swing that last leg as part of the "vactiony" part of vacation like I could with DME and for that I'm disappointed.

 

[Chuck S]

These logistics comments are missing the point. DME and EMH were magic.

Sure, we own five figure timeshares. We know how to Uber. Before Covid, I probably took 50 ubers a month, and a lot of them with strollers and car seats and luggage. Not magical. The whole point was that DME and EMH and fireworks and princesses were that above and beyond Disney experience, which I was happy to pay more for.

I’m not sure why we are paying this high of a premium if that Disney experience isn’t there. There are plenty of places to get a decent hotel with a mediocre mattress and no bathrobe, after you unpack your car seats from the Uber. Or I could pay $40 and drive to Six Flags.

Six Flags is nowhere near the park experience of Disney. Our local Six Flags is awful, no one I know has been there in years, though it still seems popular with out of towners. When Six Flags or Cedar Point/Cedar Fair slaps their name on a pre-existing park, it becomes a generic roller coaster park, losing any local flavor or style. Remember AstroWorld before Six Flags killed it?

 

[eleven24]

This is my feeling too. Mears won't be inexpensive though! Years ago it was around $50 a person round trip and that was without luggage service.

Perhaps Disney would subsidize the cost a bit. Remember, it would still benefit Disney too if guests were kept in the bubble.

Hypothetically, suppose it costs $30 per person to transport them and luggage round trip.
2021: Disney pays Mears $30 per person
2022: Disney pays Mears $20 pp, Mears charges guests $30 per person. Mears now making $20 more pp.
2023: Disney pays Mears $10 pp, Mears charges guests $35 pp.
2024: Disney does not pay Mears. Mears charges $50 pp.

Something like this has Mears making $20 more per person than over what they were getting from Disney. Disney, meanwhile, eliminates the DME cost entirely but still maintains a portion of the bubble they once had.

 

[CraigInPA]

My bet is they announce they will provide DME like services, and I wouldn't be surprised if one can arrange these services right from within the My Disney Experience app or the Disney website. I'd also expect that price to start off very affordable to ease the sting of now having to pay for the service, but to steadily rise once people begin to forget that DME used to be a free service.

I'd also expect that the service wouldn't be just for Disney property guests, but also off property and other theme parks as well.

Mears offers a shuttle service today for non-Disney locations. I took it to one of the Universal hotels once. It's not like DME. It stopped at a dozen other hotels all over Orlando before it got to mine, which is why I wouldn't take it again.

Disney likely has an agreement with Mears that requires a certain number of passengers/trips per day in order for Mears to invest in the infrastructure (that area of MCO isn't free, nor are the fleet of buses) needed to service DME. With the downturn in guests due to the pandemic, Disney may be paying Mears for trips not taken. Alternately, Mears may be upset with the relationship because they priced their minimum at or below their actual cost, and are now losing money or just breaking even on providing the service because they counted on the extra riders to generate their profit.

 

[EWC88]

ME was always something I looked forward to when landing in Orlando. Waiting in line seeing those buses started the excitement. Taking that away really sucks. All these changes they are doing makes me glad I haven’t bought DVC. I have kids so carrying car seats for Uber won’t happen, and if I’m renting a car I’ll do road trips cross country instead. Sad what they are doing...

 

[AdamsMum]

That stinks, our trips now include the Kids and grand kids, usually at least 7 of us and often 11. We would need to rent 2 cars, or make 2 trips to/from the Airport or 2 ubers... Big add on expense. Just one more con on the list, it's getting very close to time to sell out, it's been a great 28 years.

I agree Bill, I usually travel alone and the cost to rent a car seems high to me (not as high as yours, mind you) and unnecessary. I really liked the convenience of ME. It was around the time I purchased my DVC points that it started, I had a limo booked, and when ME was announced I jumped on the bandwagon right away. No thoughts of booking a cheaper place off site since everything was included. I'll be sad to see it go. I don't know if I'll sell my points, where else can a woman travelling alone go safely and without paying single supplement which is like paying double. I'm not feeling the love so much any more.
Edit: Actually (checked my vacation planning file ) I purchased a couple of years after DME started, the first year I was travelling with my kids to CSR. ME wasn't a factor in my decision to buy, but it was a nice service to have.

 

[DVCSunDevil]

There's a lot of good back and forth here.

I'll miss DME even though we only used it a couple of times. We always drove when we lived in Florida and even drove from Michigan once, but we've shifted to flying exclusively nowadays (pre- and post-COVID anyway).

I loved that DME meant that the vacation began in earnest the moment we exited the jetway. We'd all look for the DME signs and, as a result, the tram+stroll through the airport felt like the first attraction of the trip; it was a seriously crappy first attraction compared to what awaited at the parks and resorts, but still, it was something. The mood shifted. In an airport!

Getting in line for the bus almost felt like Disney. That's as generously as I can phrase that part of the experience. It still felt very much like being in the lower level of an airport.

The bus ride itself was always something that we enjoyed immensely. We love getting to sit there with our kids on our laps or leaning into us, watching cartoons and Disney parks/resorts videos. It very much set the mood. We also enjoyed getting to see the other resorts during the dropoff stage. We first saw Riviera from DME and it was fun to see the changes to the area, changes we wouldn't otherwise have seen on our last trip because we had no plans to head to the RR/CBR area. We've enjoyed our trips to almost all of the resorts, and a quick bus stop there offers a brief moment to reminisce.

I'm not certain that Disney will replace DME with a similar free service in the future. They might. They might not. I'm really hoping for a direct-ish train; I'd count a train from MCO to DS with busses then farming folks out to their resorts. It won't be anywhere near as pleasant to carry our trip's worth of luggage on a resort bus, but if that's the cost, oh well, so be it. I won't be surprised if this goes the way of MagicBands: you can pay for it and get it at a discount...but you have to pay for it now even though you didn't before.

I appreciate that we can reproduce the service of DME for about $100 roundtrip using Uber/Lyft. It's not a backbreaking expense. I can even reproduce the experience for my kids by putting a tablet/phone in their hands, connecting some headphones, and playing Disney videos/movies during the car ride. However, the trip from MCO to the resort is going to be different. It's going to be the third leg of travel: car to airport, plane to MCO, and car to the resort. I don't see a way to swing that last leg as part of the "vactiony" part of vacation like I could with DME and for that I'm disappointed.

Well said. I understand. That is why I feel bad for those that truly liked the DME. It's nostalgic/tradition for those people, and it is always sad when nostalgia/traditions gets forcibly retired. Like you, I am hoping for the train/bus option. It will be much quicker than DME. I could see that option being provided for "free" for Disney resorts guests as a replacement for DME, along with a luggage option for which Disney would charge (where they would pick up your luggage at the airport and take it to your resort). I would be completely ok with that.

But again, I do feel bad for those that are seeing a part of the trip that they cherish being eliminated. The part that I find ridiculous are those who are claiming they will not visit WDW anymore, or those saying they will sell their DVC because of this. You seem to be much more level headed about it. Yeah, it sucks, but there will be other ways of getting to WDW from the airport. And in the end, those alternative may prove much better than DME in many aspects. Even if the alternatives are not able to replace the tradition/nostalgia of DME.

 

[DVCSunDevil]

Six Flags is nowhere near the park experience of Disney. Our local Six Flags is awful, no one I know has been there in years, though it still seems popular with out of towners. When Six Flags or Cedar Point/Cedar Fair slaps their name on a pre-existing park, it becomes a generic roller coaster park, losing any local flavor or style. Remember AstroWorld before Six Flags killed it?

ABSOLUTELY correct! We have a Six Flags by us in Lake George, NY. It's ok, but I have zero interest in going there. To make any sort of correlation between Six Flags and WDW would be like comparing the New England Patriots to your local high school team. WDW is in its own stratosphere; it is the pinnacle of theme parks. Six Flags is just some rides, carnies, and some food stands. WDW is a submersive experience. Every inch of WDW resorts and parks is "in character".

Sorry if I offended any Patriot haters

 

[eleven24]

ME was always something I looked forward to when landing in Orlando. Waiting in line seeing those buses started the excitement.

My whole family has gotten to the point we come off the plane and muscle memory takes us to the shuttle and through the airport where suddenly we're all standing at the DME check in. It's during that walk that somehow everyone has pulled their magic band out and put it on. Truly, a symbol of the start of our trip.

Now Disney has eliminated the complimentary magicbands and is doing away with DME. Or at least the "Disney" part of the Magical Express.

 

[AdamsMum]

To everyone complaining, how did you get from the airport in 2004?

We used to drive to Disney and spend a week at Disney and a week on the beach. I was younger then (24hour drive) and was driving as part of a family. Since then, marriage broke up, kids grew up and moved out...now I travel alone. I don't think its safe as a woman alone driving for 2 days on the interstate, including the likelihood of fatigue. I'm not saying it's impossible, I'll probably rent a car in future which will be more expense, but it's a disappointment. I really loved the convenience of ME, and to Disney's advantage it kept me on site for shopping, dining etc. Win, win!

 

[AdamsMum]

For those of us that drive, parking just became even MORE of a nightmare at the resorts, as if it becoming more of a nightmare was even possible at most of them.

You're right, I can't even imagine parking at BWV and BC my 2 homes. Yikes!

 

[Fanofthegame]

You're right, I can't even imagine parking at BWV and BC my 2 homes. Yikes!

I dont think Disney cares. Parking just became your problem.

 

[RoseGold]

But again, I do feel bad for those that are seeing a part of the trip that they cherish being eliminated. The part that I find ridiculous are those who are claiming they will not visit WDW anymore, or those saying they will sell their DVC because of this.

Maybe you can talk to my husband! I still haven't told him yet. He is going to be really disappointed in no EMH at night, which is how we plan all of our trips... Add that plus schlepping the car seats and no fireworks and no princesses and no shows. This $6K trip is looking a lot less magical. I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't even want to go at all.

I'll prepare you for his counterproposal: Rent out the points, fly to Vegas, stay at the Cosmo and have a Dole Whip by the pool, hire someone to pretend to be Elsa, and spend $3K on fireworks.

 

[AdamsMum]

I dont think Disney cares. Parking just became your problem.

I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop "To encourage guests to use more carbon neutral transportation options, free parking for DCV owners will be discontinued effective...."

Remember free valet parking? That was cancelled in favour of free internet access, another enhancement to our DVC membership." Then the next year everyone on site had free internet access.

Just being cynical here . I'm sure I'll still be going. Hopefully, Mears has a disney dedicated service in the future, Can't imagine stopping at every hotel on the way to BWV. We'll see.

 

[DVCSunDevil]

Maybe you can talk to my husband! I still haven't told him yet. He is going to be really disappointed in no EMH at night, which is how we plan all of our trips... Add that plus schlepping the car seats and no fireworks and no princesses and no shows. This $6K trip is looking a lot less magical. I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't even want to go at all.

I'll prepare you for his counterproposal: Rent out the points, fly to Vegas, stay at the Cosmo and have a Dole Whip by the pool, hire someone to pretend to be Elsa, and spend $3K on fireworks.

Lol, that Vegas option sounds pretty good! Hahaha. In all fairness, the fireworks and shows will be coming back. Until covid is behind us, things will definitely be less magical. We had to cancel our trip last April (along with everyone else) and have a trip scheduled for this April. My biggest worry is how "un-magical" WDW may be due to covid. But I am not putting that fault on Disney.

WDW is its own category of vacation. We still do beach vacations and cruises. And then there are always the vacations like Vegas or a "city based" when you go somewhere to check out a cool city (Nashville, Chicago, Charleston, etc). But every vacation has its own benefits. Nothing will be able to substitute for WDW, just like nothing could substitute for a Caribbean cruise if that's what you wanted to do. WDW is still magical, DME or no DME.

I do agree with the EMH at night, however. My daughters are in their mid-teens and really enjoy the parks at night, as do I. But I also see Disney's side of things, too. At lease resort guests will be the only ones able to rope drop in the morning, which will make it easier to get on some of those high demand rides/attractions.