Walt Disney World eliminates two long-term benefits for people staying at resort hotels – a move that tourism experts say could save the company a lot of money.
Starting in 2022, Disney DIS,
will no longer offer “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 may even give up waiting for luggage at the request of luggage, putting special labels on suitcases. Disney collected the goods and then brought them directly to people’s hotels. The baggage portion of the service was suspended in 2020 due to the pandemic.
“As consumer needs and preferences change, we will no longer offer Disney Magical Express service with arrivals in 2022,” said a Walt Disney World spokeswoman. “At the same time, we are introducing new ways for guests to enjoy their visits, including early entry to the Disney Resort hotel theme park.”
In a blog post, Disney mentioned that the change was made in light of the growing popularity of sharing services from companies such as Uber UBER,
and Lyft LYFT,
The blog posted that these services “save time and offer more flexibility” for guests of the resort. Disney will continue to provide transportation to its Walt Disney World complex, including monorails, buses and the Skyliner gondola service.
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Disney bears the full cost of bringing people from the airport to the hotel, without getting as many benefits as before.
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In addition, Brightline, a Florida intercity rail system, has announced plans to expand service to Orlando, including airport stops and Disney Springs, a mall located in Walt Disney World. Upon completion, the Brightline train service could serve as another option for guests to reach the Disney property.
However, the choice to remove the “Magical Express” service was surprising for travel experts. After Disney introduced the free luggage transfer and transportation service in 2005, travel experts noted that it served as a way to keep guests on Disney property, rather than renting cars and traveling to other theme parks. nearby, such as Universal Studios CMCSA
and SeaWorld SEAS,
Indeed, the company seems to have consolidated this benefit in recent years, starting to charge hotel guests for parking.
“This was a fairly effective ditch that, when introduced, was supposed to keep people in the ‘Disney bubble,'” said Len Testa, co-author of the “Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World” and president of the tourism site. Touring Plans. “The growth of travel sharing apps has made it easier and cheaper for people to travel when they want (rather than renting a car or calling a taxi), so Disney bears the full cost of taking people from the airport to the hotel. . , without getting as many benefits as before. “
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Disney did not operate the “Magical Express” service; was outsourced to Mears Transportation, an Orlando company. As a result, Testa said the move was “absolutely a cost-cutting measure.”
“Walt Disney informed us of their decision earlier today,” said Roger Chapin, a spokesman for Mears Transportation. “Although we are disappointed, Disney will no longer offer this service, we intend to continue to provide transportation services between the airport and all theme parks and hotels in the area to meet visitor demand now and in the future.”
Separately, Disney has confirmed that another popular asset that was suspended amid the pandemic will not return. Called “Extra Magic Hours,” this feature allowed guests staying at Disney hotels to enter the theme parks earlier than other visitors or stay in them later in the evening, sometimes adding an hour or more to their stay in the park. .
Starting later this year, Disney will allow hotel guests to enter the theme parks in front of the general public, but overtime for hotel guests will not return. This new advantage will allow visitors with a valid hotel reservation to enter any of the four Walt Disney World theme parks 30 minutes earlier during their stay.
“The new benefit of early entry into the theme park helps us better spread the visit to all four theme parks, while providing additional flexibility by giving guests extra early parking time each day of their vacation and in their chosen park.” , Disney said on his blog post.
In addition, early entry into the theme park should help reduce morning crowds at the theme park, given pandemic-related entry protocols, including temperature checks. During the early entry period, people without proof of a hotel reservation will not be allowed to enter the parks until normal opening hours.
It remains to be seen whether the removal of the shuttle service and overtime parking will cause travelers to stay at hotels other than those operated by Disney.
“Fans are surprised by the news, but it’s hard to say whether two joint rides and the inconvenience of carrying your own luggage will make or break an entire holiday budget,” said Carlye Wisel, an independent theme park journalist.
With the other changes Disney has implemented in light of the pandemic – including the elimination of the ability to book a “FastPass” to cut the line on popular rides – the Walt Disney World experience will be much different.
“Only time will tell if the changes to Extra Magic Hours and Disney’s Magical Express put a permanent dent in Disney’s hotel business, but along with other pandemic changes, such as the current Park Hopping system and a break in the Disney FastPass + program,” it remains quite clear that the stay at the future Disney World hotel will be different from the one from the past “, said Wisel. (Park Hopping is the ability to visit multiple theme parks in a single day without paying a separate entrance fee. Park Hopping was restricted after the parks were reopened due to coronavirus capacity limitations.)
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It is difficult to say whether two trips together and the inconvenience of carrying your own luggage will make or break an entire holiday budget.
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The coronavirus pandemic forced Walt Disney World to review its operations. The theme parks remained closed for many months, when COVID-19 cases first exploded in the United States, with the parks finally reopening in July.
The number of people allowed in the parks remains low, although the capacity limit has been relaxed since the parks were reopened. Guests inside the parks must wear masks at all times, waiting when eating or drinking. Certain attractions and experiences, such as meeting and welcoming characters, are on hiatus due to the pandemic.
Most Disney theme parks around the world have reopened, but Disneyland and Disney California Adventure in Anaheim, California, remain closed due to stricter protocols related to the state’s pandemic.