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Say it isn’t so! Today, Disney World announced it will be ending its Magical Express airport bus service and Extra Magic Hours this year.
Disney’s Magical Express
Disney’s Magical Express, the free bus transportation from the airport for on-site resort guests, will be discontinued starting on January 1, 2022. Guests with resort reservations in 2021 can continue to use this free bus service.
I’m sure that this will be a major cost savings for Disney World. But, my family will miss the Magical Express. It’s just so easy to step off the plane and board a bus right to our destination. There’s something magical about watching the Disney cartoons play on the tiny TVs inside the bus. And, seeing the entrance to Disney World through the giant front window of the bus is incomparable.
In late 2022, guests will have the option to take the new Brightline train from the airport to Disney Springs. And of course, there’s always Lyft or personal rental cars. But, I doubt the train will be free, like the Magical Express. And, there will be a gap between the discontinuation of the Magical Express and the opening of the train.
Universal Orlando and other local attractions must be salivating at this news. More rental cars at Disney means more opportunities for travelers to leave the Disney bubble and visit other nearby sites.
Note: Bus transportation from on-site resort hotels to the parks is not being discontinued. Only the free airport bus transportation is being discontinued.
Extra Magic Hours
On-site resort guests used to have Extra Magic Hours at select parks on different days. These hours were usually one hour before park opening or two hours after park closing.
Extra Magic Hours have not returned since Disney World re-opened this past summer. Later this year, they will be replaced “early theme park hours”. Resort guests will be allowed to enter all four parks 30 minutes early.
As a resort guest, I did not use Extra Magic Hours that much. But a few years ago, my kids and I took advantage of the extra early hour at Animal Kingdom and got a lot done during that hour.
What do you think of these changes?
h/t AllEars.net
Author: Nancy
Nancy lives near Dallas, Texas, with her husband and three kids. Her favorite vacations include the beach, cruising and everything Disney.
@Christian The fans are not happy. 🙁
While I never took the bus, I couldn’t agree more with your point about how valuable it must be for Disney to have a captive group of tourists. I’m frankly stunned that they’re ending this before the train is running.
I’ve enjoyed the Extra Magic hours a number of times. They are- well, have been – one of the few bright shining stars of real value for the consumer. To say that I’m disappointed is a severe understatement. Maybe it’s just me but it seems like every change Disney has made over the last several years has been bad for the customer. At a certain point you get fatigued by getting treated like a cash cow rather than a valued guest or partner.
I’m not a fan of either change.
A lot of people whine about the Magical Express (the joke is it’s neither magical nor express) and I’ve never understood that. Check your bags at the airport… and you’re done. As soon as you get off the plane, head downstairs, jump on the bus and off you go. On two trips I’ve never waited more than a few minutes to get on the bus, and once on it, only a few minutes before it leaves. It drops you at your resort, and your bags are delivered shortly after. What’s not to like?
As for Extra Magic Hours, those would indicate which parks I would avoid. Sure, you could get a lot done during those times. But after that, forget it. The problem is a lot resort guests see EMH and think “we better go to that park that day!” and it draws a larger than average crowd. When they zig, I zag.
So now all resort guests get an extra 30 minutes every day at every park. Hmmm… I’m not sure if this will be a good thing or a bad thing. My gut says it will make those glorious rope drop hours less advantageous than they used to be. I guess I find out when we return in November. Hopefully.
Side note… Uber and Lyft drivers are probably thrilled!
@projectx Yes, it was so convenient! Maybe many people are skipping it during the pandemic. I’m on the fence about the 30-minute early hours. I’m not sure it will make much of a difference.