Walt Disney World is phasing out these popular perks for hotel guests

As part of the service, guests can leave their luggage waiting for their baggage claim by placing a special tag on their suitcase. Disney would collect the items and then bring them directly to people’s hotels. Service-related goods were suspended in 2020 due to an epidemic.

A Walt Disney World spokesman said, “As consumer needs and preferences change, we will begin offering Disney’s Magical Express service in 2022.” “At the same time, we’re also offering new ways for guests to enjoy their trip, including an early theme park entry for guests at the Disney Resort Hotel.”

In a blog post, Disney mentioned that the change was made in view of the increasing popularity of ride-share services from companies such as Uber Uber,
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And Lyft LYFT,
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The blog states that these services “save time and provide more flexibility” to support guests. Disney will continue to offer transportation within its Walt Disney World complex, including monorails, buses and skyliner gondola service.

Additionally, Brightline, an inter-city rail system in Florida, has announced plans to expand service to Orlando, including stops at the airport and a shopping center at Disney Springs, the Walt Disney World resort. When completed, the Brightline train service can serve as another option for guests to get Disney property.

Nevertheless, the option to remove the “Magical Express” service was surprising to travel experts. After Disney began offering free shuttles and baggage service in 2005, travel experts decided to rent cars and travel to other theme parks nearby, such as Universal Studios CMCSA, instead of keeping guests on Disney’s property Given for
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In fact, the company started charging hotel guests for parking in recent years.

“It was a very effective silence, which when introduced, should have kept people inside the ‘Disney Bubble,'” said Len Testa, co-author of “The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World” and Travel website president touring plans. “The rise of ride-sharing apps made it easier and cheaper for people to go offsite when they wanted to (rather than renting a car or calling a cab), and therefore taking people to their hotel in the middle of Disney Airport Was incurring full costs, without any profit, as he once did. “

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Disney did not operate the “Magical Express” service; It was a subcontractor for Myers Transportation, an Orlando-based company. As a result, Testa said the move was “a cost-cutting measure.” Meyers Transportation did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Separately, Disney confirmed that another popular perk suspended amid the epidemic would not return. Called “Extra Magic Hours”, the facility has allowed guests who enter a theme park earlier than other visitors to stay at a Disney hotel or stay later in the evening, sometimes in their park Adding an hour or more to the stay.

Starting later this year, Disney will allow its hotel guests to enter the theme park before the general public, but will not return additional evening hours for hotel guests. This new perk will allow visitors to enter a hotel in Walt Disney World at any of the four theme parks 30 minutes in advance.

Disney stated in its blog, “The new opening theme park entrance benefit helps us better spread across all four theme parks, while giving guests additional opening park time for each day of their vacation and at the park of their choosing. . ” Post.

Additionally, including temperature screening at the initial theme park entry should help reduce morning congestion at the theme park in light of the epidemic-related entry protocol. During the initial entry period, people without proof of any hotel reservation will not be allowed to enter the parks until normal operating hours.

Will the elimination of shuttle service and additional park hours prompt travelers to stay at other hotels rather than being Disney-operated.

Carly Wissel, a freelance theme parkist, said, “Fans are quite surprised by the news, but it’s hard to tell if two ride-share rides and one would be uncomfortable carrying their own belongings or make up the entire budget.”

With other changes Disney has implemented in light of the epidemic – including eliminating the ability to book “FastPass” to cut line on popular rides – the Walt Disney World experience will be very different.

“Only time will tell if additional Magic Hours and Disney’s Magic Express changes make a lasting dent in Disney’s hotel business, but with some other epidemic-era changes, the current system of park hopping and Disney’s FastPed + program Pauses, it remains very clear that the future Disney World Hotel will be different than in the past, ”said Wissel. (Park hopping is the ability to visit multiple theme parks a day without paying separate entry. Park hopping was prohibited after the parks reopened due to the extent of coronovirus.)

The coronovirus epidemic forced Walt Disney World to complete its operations. When the COVID-19 cases first appeared in the US in July, the park remained closed for several months.

The number of people allowed in the parks remains small, although the capacity limit has been relaxed since the first park was reopened. Inside the parks, guests are required to wear masks at all times, hopefully while eating or drinking. Some attractions and experiences such as the characterization are at odds with the epidemic.

Most of Disney’s theme parks have reopened worldwide, but Disneyland and Disney California Adventure are closed in Anaheim, California due to the state’s more stringent epidemiological protocols.