If you’ve been someone who’s been going on Disney World vacations for many years, especially if you’ve stayed at Disney World hotels over the years and experienced the perks that came with your reservation, you’ve likely noticed that perks have drastically diminished over recent years.
Magical Express sign
We’ve certainly noticed it, and as sad as it makes us, there are some pretty good reasons for many of these changes that mean they likely won’t be coming back any time soon. While there are many perks that we miss, there’s ONE we feel a lot of guests agree they want Disney to bring back more than anything. If it was so beloved, why did Disney take it away? Well, let’s dive in!
We were devastated when Disney pulled the plug on Magical Express, the FREE service that would pick you up at Orlando International Airport (MCO) and take you to your Disney World hotel (and vice versa). It was magical, beautiful, COMPLIMENTARY, and was a highlight of our vacations for 17 years, but in 2022, Disney got rid of it.
We miss the Magical Express
So, why get rid of it? We don’t know for sure, but we’ve got a few good guesses as to why this perk went away.
COVID-19 Pandemic Struggles
We’ve got a feeling that issues from the COVID-19 Pandemic (such as all riding together on one bus) were a big part of it. When Disney World reopened, many services were limited to reduce contact between individuals in an effort to mitigate the spread. One of the services suspected was luggage handling, which meant that Cast Members could no longer handle your bags.
Disney’s Magical Express
One of the offerings we loved most about Magical Express was that it offered guests the ability to have their checked luggage delivered directly from the airport to their Resort hotel room. When luggage handling went away, that took a big part of the service away from people, and therefore part of the convenience.
Monetary Issues
Similar to numerous companies all around the world, the pandemic brought major financial strain to Disney. In fact, their revenue took such a hit in 2020 and 2021 that the company lost billions in revenue from the park closures. What does this have to do with Magical Express, though? Well, Disney needed to try to make back some of the money they lost, and getting rid of a free service was one way to do that.
Departures Sign
While Magical Express being free for guests was a HUGE perk, because it saved them lots of money, it also meant Disney was losing a lot of valuable revenue. Do we like the decision? No, and in fact, we’re still sad about it to this day, but considering how much the park closures affected their earnings, it does make sense.
Additional Travel Options
While many guests had no problem using Magical Express because it was free, even though it may have taken them longer to get to their resort because the bus dropped other people off first, for those traveling in a bit of a rush, or who wanted to get into the parks ASAP, Magical Express likely wasn’t the best option. By the time Magical Express was done away with, there were not only private taxis people could take from the airport to their accommodation, but Uber and Lyft options were also very prominent and popular (and still are).
Magical Express
On January 11, 2021, Disney Parks Blog officially announced the plans to discontinue the Magical Express airport transportation service, and part of their quote addressed these competition issues. It stated, “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.”
Brightline Train
At the time the announcement was made, Disney was also part of the (then new) Brightline Train development, and it was going to take guests to Disney World by the second half of 2023. However, Disney surprisingly backed out of the project in June 2022, meaning that this option would no longer be available to guests. To this day, while the Brightline Train can take you to numerous locations from MCO Airport, Disney is not one of them.
Brightline train
We are still mourning the loss of the Magical Express, but we are thankful that other options have been put into place. Here’s to hoping that more “free perks” continue to make their way back to the parks because that is part of what truly sets the Disney brand apart.
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Yet more serial stupidity from WDW management ….
To me it was more like the Tragical Express. Too long waiting to leave MCO and then way to early of a departure back to MCO. Ride share is so much better. No it’s not complimentary, but there is tremendous value in vacation time.
The sad part of a lot of management’s decisions are that they are removing things that make Disney ‘special ‘. They better wise up, because is just not that special anymore. Universal is not far behind.