The bubble has burst.

[Gill H]

Other companies might start offering a transfer service for a charge. This happens in Disneyland which has no free transport from the airport. In fact I don’t think any other Disney park in the world has ever offered free transport from the airport.

For DLP if you come from the airport the options all come at a cost - shuttle coach, train or private transfer. Interestingly private transfer can work out cheapest.

[GrumpyDopey&Me]

My hubby and I worked it out that it was cheaper to stay in a villa and pay for park parking then to stay onsite with hotel parking. The transport from the hotels is getting reduced. If you are in a skyline hotel and want to get the bus to one of the parks on this route it’s once an hour and my mum has a fear of heights so the skyliner is a no go. I doubt with all they are taking away that DDP will be on the cards for a while.

I have never seen the allure for staying on site but I definitely wouldn’t now

[Bozza]

Originally Posted by swiper

So if no transport.. people will now hire cars, so another win win for Disney. Pay to park your car.

See more...

Rent a car at MCO, drop it off as soon as you arrive. Total cost likely to be no more than $50.

Or get an Uber.

If you don't need a car to get around property (we don't - we use Disney transport and Uber, primarily because we like a few beers or cocktails in the parks and drink with meals etc) then don't pay to have one sitting in a car park.

I share the surprise at Magical Express being withdrawn, however - like many I thought it was a winner for Disney, although we've rarely used it ourselves.

[Clamshell]

The train service will hopefully be a good replacement - travelandleisure/tri...-train-station.

Although this says it should open in 2022, there may be a period with neither running

[Conno]

Originally Posted by aqualiv

It really does

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It really doesn't. In some parks, it can take 30 minutes just to get to your first ride of choice.

[mick]

Originally Posted by Clamshell

The train service will hopefully be a good replacement - travelandleisure/tri...-train-station.

Although this says it should open in 2022, there may be a period with neither running

See more...

A simple observation from someone who has never spent a single night in a WDW hotel and probably never will.

As I understand the DME you drag your cases from one of the four ATM terminals at MCO and head to side B where you load yourselves and luggage on to a coach and get dropped off at your hotel lobby door?

I've no idea where the Brightside station will be at MCO but I assume you repeat the first phase of the previous journey. You then get dropped off at a railroad station somewhere near DS - near here?

Then you drag your cases to the bus stop to catch a bus to your appropriate resort. You currently can't take luggage on the DS buses and those to the monorail resorts don't start until 11am so I guess some more major infrastructure changes may be needed?

Again I may not know what I'm talking about but simple thoughts from a distance.

[miked1e]

Originally Posted by Conno

It really doesn't. In some parks, it can take 30 minutes just to get to your first ride of choice.

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Which parks does it take 30 mins to get to your first ride of choice?

If I were to head straight there, I would be at any ride in the world within max 5-10 minutes.

Especially considering they would likely get you through the gates and into a 'holding' area for that 30 mins... ie MK hub.

[miked1e]

Originally Posted by mick

A simple observation from someone who has never spent a single night in a WDW hotel and probably never will.

As I understand the DME you drag your cases from one of the four ATM terminals at MCO and head to side B where you load yourselves and luggage on to a coach and get dropped off at your hotel lobby door?

I've no idea where the Brightside station will be at MCO but I assume you repeat the first phase of the previous journey. You then get dropped off at a railroad station somewhere near DS - near here?

Then you drag your cases to the bus stop to catch a bus to your appropriate resort. You currently can't take luggage on the DS buses and those to the monorail resorts don't start until 11am so I guess some more major infrastructure changes may be need?

Again I may not know what I'm talking about but simple thoughts from a distance.

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I would take it there will be changes re luggage to compliment the rail service if ultimately this is the new transport link from MCO to WDW.

Not sure what these will be or look like...

Whether this be a check in at MCO, or check in at origin airport (for domestic travellers) or busses which can take luggage from DS to resorts with regular options.

For me, I would like to see all onsite Disney transport for hotel guests only. Maybe create space for luggage options, and also eliminate the options for people who park at DS then get 2 busses to a park to avoid parking charges as well as parking at resorts for the day. Albeit I could never see Disney doing this as potentially less off site people visiting resorts spending money and maybe eyeing up future trips...

Although based on recent threads I guess this wouldn't be the case anyway!

[Bozza]

Originally Posted by mick

A simple observation from someone who has never spent a single night in a WDW hotel and probably never will.

As I understand the DME you drag your cases from one of the four ATM terminals at MCO and head to side B where you load yourselves and luggage on to a coach and get dropped off at your hotel lobby door?

I've no idea where the Brightside station will be at MCO but I assume you repeat the first phase of the previous journey. You then get dropped off at a railroad station somewhere near DS - near here?

Then you drag your cases to the bus stop to catch a bus to your appropriate resort. You currently can't take luggage on the DS buses and those to the monorail resorts don't start until 11am so I guess some more major infrastructure changes may be needed?

Again I may not know what I'm talking about but simple thoughts from a distance.

See more...

On a recent podcast I was listening to - Be Our Guest, I think - they were discussing the progress of the rail link and someone asked about Magical Express and the podcast team were very dismissive about ME being discontinued and the rail link being an additional means of travel.

That didn't make a huge amount of sense to me - if there's a rapid and direct rail link from MCO to Disney property I thought, like you, that there would a significant overlap with ME and there could be scope to reduce or even cease that service.

I'm not sure the current Disney Springs bus service would be up to the task of taking significant number of new arrivals, and their luggage, to resorts. It almost feels like the ME service needs to be relocated to the railway station that will be built, such that people have a negligible distance to travel from train platform to bus.

Having to battle the way through Disney Springs in the heat with luggage and tired children would not be the first impression that Disney would wish upon their guests.

[AdmiralJack]

Free Dining? Never used it even when I've stayed in a resort-it just isnt cost-effective unless you insist on stuffing yourself with a 3 course meal every day just because you've paid for it (which has always begged the question with my family, why pay for it? We are big eaters on holiday but we don't need to be tied down to a 3 course meal every day).

It also places a restriction on your day-you cant drift too far from Disney Property as you will always have a reservation you have to be back for, or you've wasted your money on a plan you aren't using. Not going to miss Dining at all.

Fastpasses? They will be back in one form or another, even if only because Disneys entire people management set up in the parks in normal times is built around a functioning fastpass system-unless they want gridlock when they go back to normal capacity, some form of pass system that gets people off the streets and out of the way is essential.

DME? Honestly don't think that's what most people stay at a Disney Resort for-the resort buses dropping you off at the parks is the big attraction for most, and i cant see that stopping DME is a convenient extra but realistically you will get to your hotel quicker by jumping in a taxi. Buses wait until they are full and travel around the world to get you to your hotel. Taxis are direct.

Early entry? Extra Magic by another name-even with Extra Magic, its rarely that useful. If you go to Magic Kingdom for Extra Magic, you are allowed in one land and usually manage to get on one or two rides at most.

People need to realise the days of Disney flinging perks at us have been numbered for years, and now, Covid has been the push to make it clear that they are definitively over; the financial situation just wont allow it. Its a case of take the cuts in perks of already questionable usefulness, or take cuts in hotels and parks.