Walt Disney World eliminates two long-standing benefits for people staying in the resort’s hotels – a move that, according to travel experts, could save the company a lot of money.
From 2022, Disney DIS,
will no longer offer the “Magical Express” – a free shuttle bus that brought guests staying at Walt Disney World hotels to and from Orlando International Airport.
As part of the service, guests could even wait on their luggage to wait on their luggage by placing special labels on their suitcases. Disney will pick up the belongings and then bring them directly to people’s hotels. The baggage-related part of the service was suspended in 2020 due to the pandemic.
“As consumers’ needs and preferences change, we will no longer offer Disney’s Magical Express service from 2022,” a Walt Disney World spokesman said. “At the same time, we’re introducing new ways for guests to enjoy their visits, including early access to a theme park for Disney Resort hotel guests.”
In a blog post, Disney noted that the change was made in light of the growing popularity of ride-sharing services from companies like Uber UBER,
and Lift LIFT,
The blog posted that these services ‘save time and provide more flexibility’ for holidaymakers. Disney will continue to offer transportation within its Walt Disney World complex, including the monorail, buses and the Skyliner gondola service.
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Disney bore the full cost of getting people between the airport to their hotel, without benefiting as much as they did before.
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In addition, Brightline, an interstate railroad system in Florida, has announced plans to expand the service to Orlando, including airport stops and Disney Springs, a shopping center in the Walt Disney World resort. Upon completion, the Brightline train service could serve as another option for guests to come to Disney property.
The choice to remove the “Magical Express” service was nonetheless surprising to travel experts. After Disney introduced the free shuttle and baggage service in 2005, travel experts noted that it serves as a way to keep guests on Disney property, rather than renting cars and traveling to other nearby theme parks, such as Universal Studios CMCSA,
and SeaWorld SEAS,
Indeed, the company has even seemingly reinforced this advantage over the past few years by starting asking hotel guests for parking.
“It was a fairly effective canal that, when set up, was supposed to keep people inside ‘the Disney bubble,'” said Len Testa, co-author of “The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World” and president of the travel website Touring, said. Plans. ‘The increase in ride-sharing apps has made it easier and cheaper for people to go from the outside if they wanted to (rather than renting a car or calling a taxi), so Disney has borne all the costs of to bring people between the airport to their hotel. , without taking as much advantage as they had before. ”
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Disney did not operate the Magical Express service; it was subcontracted to Mears Transportation, a company in Orlando. As a result, Testa said the move was “absolutely a saving measure”.
“Walt Disney made us aware of their decision earlier today,” said Mears Transportation spokesman Roger Chapin. “Although we are disappointed that Disney will no longer offer this service, we intend to continue with transportation services between the airport and all theme parks and hotels in the area to provide in the future and in the future.”
Separately, Disney has confirmed that another popular benefit suspended amid the pandemic will not return. This feature is called ‘Extra Magic Hours’, which allows guests staying at Disney hotels to enter theme parks earlier than other visitors or stay in them later in the evening and sometimes add an hour or longer to their park stay.
From later this year, Disney will allow their hotel guests to enter theme parks within the general public, but the extra hours for hotel guests will not return. With this new benefit, visitors with a valid hotel reservation can enter the four theme parks at Walt Disney World 30 minutes early during their stay.
“The new benefit theme for early theme parks helps us better distribute visitors across all four theme parks, while providing extra flexibility by giving guests extra early parking time on each day of their vacation and in the park of their choice,” Disney told Post .
In addition, early entry into the theme park should help reduce morning crowds at the theme park in light of pandemic-related access protocols, including temperature screens. During the early entry period, people without proof of a hotel reservation will not have access to the parks during normal business hours.
Whether the elimination of the shuttle service and extra parking hours will result in travelers staying at other hotels rather than being operated by Disney remains to be seen.
“Fans are understandably surprised by the news, but it’s hard to say if two ride-sharing rides and the inconvenience of carrying your own luggage will make or break an entire holiday budget,” said Carlye Wisel, a freelancer -theme park journalist, said.
With the other changes Disney has implemented in light of the pandemic, including the possibility of booking a ‘FastPass’ to lower the line on popular rides, the Walt Disney World experience will be very different.
‘Only time will tell whether changes to Extra Magic Hours and Disney’s Magical Express will put a permanent virtue in Disney’s hotel business, but along with a few other changes in the pandemic era, such as the current system of Park Hopping and staying still “Disney’s FastPass + program, it remains fairly clear that the Disney World hotel accommodation of the future will be different from one of the past,” said Wisel. (Park Hopping is the ability to visit multiple theme parks in one day without paying separate admission. Park Hopping is restricted after the parks are reopened due to coronavirus restrictions.)
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It’s hard to say if two ride-sharing rides and the inconvenience of carrying your own luggage will make or break an entire vacation budget
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The coronavirus pandemic has forced Walt Disney World to revamp its operations. The theme parks remained closed for many months when COVID-19 cases first exploded in the US, and the parks would eventually reopen in July.
The number of people allowed in the parks continues to decrease, although the capacity limit has been relaxed since the parks were reopened for the first time. Guests inside the parks must wear masks at all times, which they expect when eating or drinking. Certain attractions and experiences, such as character encounters and greetings, are interrupted due to the pandemic.
Most of Disney’s theme parks around the world have reopened, but Disneyland and Disney California Adventure in Anaheim, California, remain closed due to the stricter protocols associated with the pandemic.