Disney's Magical Express

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Disney's Magical Express

Magical Express bus parked outside Disney's Port Orleans Resort - Riverside
Parent	Walt Disney World
Founded	2005 (2005)
Ceased operation	January 1, 2022 (2022-01-01) [1]
Locale	Orlando, Florida
Service type	Coach
Destinations	Walt Disney World Resort Orlando International Airport Disney Cruise Line Terminal
Hubs	Walt Disney World Resort
Stations	23[2]
Fleet	Van Hool buses
Daily ridership	6,000 (2009)[3]
Annual ridership	2.3 million (2013)[4]
Operator	Mears (buses)[5] Bags, Inc. (baggage)[6]
Website	Official website

Disney's Magical Express was a private ground transportation and luggage service delivery for Walt Disney World Resort operated by Mears Transportation. The service was complimentary and was only available to guests with reservations at one of the Walt Disney World Resort hotels.^[2]

Service[]

Disney's Magical Express was available to any guest staying onsite at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel. Guests interested in booking this service can do so online or via phone when making a room reservation. For guests that may not know their flight information at the time they booked their vacation, they can call up to 10 days prior to their flight to schedule Magical Express.^[7] Guests must be arriving at the Orlando International Airport in order to utilize the service.

On their check-out day, guests can check-in for their flight and check bags at their Disney Resort hotel using the Resort Airline Check-In service, available for participating airlines. This service was typically available from 5:00am-12:00 pm at all Disney resort hotels. Those who are not flying with a participating airline, or who wish to forego the service, must check their bags with their air carrier at the airport.

For the return to the airport, guests were typically scheduled for a motor coach departure from their Disney Resort hotel to Orlando International Airport no less than three hours prior to their flight's scheduled departure time for Domestic flights. Guests must arrive no later than four hours before for International flights.

Disney's Magical Express also transported guests from Orlando International Airport or their Disney Resort hotel to Port Canaveral for their departures on Disney Cruise Line and back. These buses with Disney Cruise Line livery are used for Walt Disney World Resort transportation during peak times or when there are no cruises departing from port.

History[]

The Disney's Magical Express service initially faced strong opposition from the Greater Orlando Livery Association and Orlando-area ground transportation companies and taxi cab operators, who argued that it allows Disney to "whisk away" potential customers who would otherwise have continued on to a taxi cab or private transportation service for transportation to their hotel, and keeps them from leaving Disney property during their trip to spend money elsewhere, since they do not need a rental car or other transportation to get to their resort.^[3]

Despite the initial opposition, the service became extremely popular, carrying 2.2 million people in 2009,^[3] and 2.3 million in 2013.^[4] In 2010, Allegiant Air announced that they would be moving 10 of their flights from Orlando Sanford International Airport to Orlando International Airport, based partially on the fact that the service only goes to Orlando International^[3] (the airline later moved back to Sanford, citing higher costs at Orlando International).^[8]

In 2015, Universal Orlando, Disney's main competitor in the area, announced their own airport shuttle to their resort. The Universal service, called Universal's SuperStar Shuttle, was formerly operated by Escot Bus Lines, and as of April 1, 2021 is operated by Mears Transportation. It costs $39 per adult round-trip, and has guests take care of their own luggage.^[5]

Before July 16, 2020 guests received an information packet and Disney-specific luggage tags via postal mail prior to departing. The luggage tags were used to identify incoming luggage at Orlando International Airport and specify which resort and guest name the luggage was to be delivered to. After landing, guest luggage was picked up by a BAGS, Inc. representative and delivered directly to the guest room by a Disney Cast Member, without the guest needing to go to the baggage claim. Guests traveling to Walt Disney World from outside of the United States and Canada did not receive luggage tags but were still able to utilize Disney's Magical Express. International guests wishing to have their luggage delivered to their Disney Resort hotel room were able to speak with the Cast Members at the Disney's Magical Express Welcome Center at the airport before boarding the motor coach.^[9][10] All guests are now required to pick up their luggage at baggage claim prior to boarding the vehicle.

In November 2020, Brightline announced an extension of their Higher-speed rail line from the Orlando International Airport Intermodal Terminal to Disney Springs.^[11][12]

It was announced in January 2021 that the service would be ending on January 1, 2022, citing that consumer preferences have changed.^[1][13] The announcement was subject to controversy.^[14][15] Trips from the resorts to the airport continued until January 10, 2022.^[16]

References[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Disney's Magical Express.