Magical Express Going Away and Transportation Options

alIt came as quite a shock when Walt Disney World announced the Magical Express will stop running in 2022. The Magical Express transports guests from Orlando International Airport to Walt Disney World Resorts free of charge. Avery Maehrer, communications manager for Walt Disney World Resort, elaborated on the decision in a Disney Parks Blog post. Maehrer said,

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.

Disney has confirmed that their complimentary services like buses, monorail, and Skyliner will still be active at Walt Disney World.

Other Options

The news of the Magical Express shutting down is disappointing to say the least. However, there is talk of early theme park entry coming although details is not yet clear. Disney alluded in previous posts to the abundance of Uber and Lyft being options for travelers to the Disney Resorts. Citing that these options give visitors more flexibility and options than the Magic Express offered.

When Covid hit shutting down Disney, we all knew that there would be changes in making of magic. Quarantine came and went and the governor of Florida allowed operations to open back up at limited capacity.

A Forced Furlough

It’s easy to blame Covid and Disney for the announcement of the complimentary service going away. However, Disney’s magical express shuttle service is operated by a third party, a company called Mears. While Disney laid off over 30,000 of its employees, Mears was also forced to furlough 83% of its workers. Having to permanently lay off over 200 of its workers. Some would speculate this would be the reason for Mears no longer continuing the shuttle service.

A Soured Relationship?

Others speculate that the relationship between Disney and Mears soured when Minnie Vans was rolled out a few years ago. From that moment on, Walt Disney World had domination over overpriced private transportation. The vans offered a more ‘magical’ and polished experience. So now we know there could be more to this story than meets the eye.

It is sure to be disappointing for vacationers coming to the Orlando area looking for a magical experience. Guests will now need to add rideshare to their lists of vacation expenses in 2022.