Magical Express Replacement

[Lewisc]

How many times have we learned about Disney changes on the internet before CMs on the phone have been told? Too many to count.

I'd be shocked if Mears telephone reps are given any info prior to public release.

I wouldn't be shocked if details are released later then anticipated. We have no idea about the status of negotiations with Disney. Is Disney going to charge Mears? or subsidize service? Will guests be able to book transfers with Disney as part of the booking process? Will Mears have to pay Disney a commission? Luggage? Under the bus? Negotiate with Bags? Start their own baggage.

The company which bought Bags Inc. operates shuttle service in some markets.

Mears may see the need to delay details until its clear social distancing policies won't be in effect.

Many of us think $40 per person R/T is a good guess. A little less if Mears gets help. A little more if Disney wants a cut

 

[mackmack]

what is the current cost for an uber? isnt it like $40. Wouldnt Mears have to undercut that for viability and to make sense?

 

[BrianL]

what is the current cost for an uber? isnt it like $40. Wouldnt Mears have to undercut that for viability and to make sense?

Yeah, and rideshares don't charge by the passenger either. They will have to offer something compelling to compete.

 

[Lewisc]

what is the current cost for an uber? isnt it like $40. Wouldnt Mears have to undercut that for viability and to make sense?

Yeah, and rideshares don't charge by the passenger either. They will have to offer something compelling to compete.

$40 is the current R/T price for Mears. Uber is using dynamic pricing. You won't know the actual price until you're ready to request a ride. A few weeks ago I saw an Uber X fare of $85 MCO to WL. Wait in MCO, with luggage, hoping the fare drops. Not.

3 or more pax, private transportation is almost cheaper then shared shuttle. Almost any city. Two people is close enough for some people.
Edited to add current pricing

 

[Eric Smith]

I would like to state that I called and was courteous to the customer service rep that answered. I would agree that Management was the issue, as they should have at least given a prepared statement for the CSR to read.
Again, and this is the last time I will belabor this point, someone has to be the first to call - I obviously was that someone. My expectations may be higher than some - this in no way means that I was harassing the CRSs. I was simply asking for more information. If I had gotten information and pricing - this whole thread would be turned 180. I can take the sarcasm and jabs if that's what it takes to get the information for myself and for others who are seeking it.

You're not going to magically get the information by harassing their customer service people. You'll find out when the rest of us do. You'll find out when Mears makes an announcement.

 

[Eric Smith]

$40 is the current R/T price for Mears. Uber is using dynamic pricing. You won't know the actual price until you're ready to request a ride. A few weeks ago I saw an Uber X fare of $85 MCO to WL. Wait in MCO, with luggage, hoping the fare drops. Not.

3 or more pax, private transportation is almost cheaper then shared shuttle. Almost any city. Two people is close enough for some people.
Edited to add current pricing

If Mears costs $40 per person and Uber costs $85 and there are two people going, then you're paying $5 extra for the convenience of not having to wait on a bus while it drops people off at a bunch of different resorts. If there are three people, you're saving money with Uber. Rideshare will make the most sense in a lot of cases unless Mears drops their price. I can see the argument for not needing car seats on the bus though.

 

[Transvection]

If Mears costs $40 per person and Uber costs $85 and there are two people going, then you're paying $5 extra for the convenience of not having to wait on a bus while it drops people off at a bunch of different resorts. If there are three people, you're saving money with Uber. Rideshare will make the most sense in a lot of cases unless Mears drops their price. I can see the argument for not needing car seats on the bus though.

Yeah, they won't be able to compete with $40 per person. It is mostly families that use the ME and the Disney average is 4. $160 for a family of 4 is a lot to swallow. But then again, Rideshare for a family of 4 will need an XL due to the passengers and luggage. So then they will be slammed and start surge pricing, so it is guaranteed that passengers will end up being the losers in this.

 

[Eric Smith]

Yeah, they won't be able to compete with $40 per person. It is mostly families that use the ME and the Disney average is 4. $160 for a family of 4 is a lot to swallow. But then again, Rideshare for a family of 4 will need an XL due to the passengers and luggage. So then they will be slammed and start surge pricing, so it is guaranteed that passengers will end up being the losers in this.

That's a fair point. I think families could start looking at things like car services that will be at least competitive with the Mears busses and offer car seats. Car services also will take you directly to your hotel and most will make a grocery stop on the way if you want.

 

[Lewisc]

If Mears costs $40 per person and Uber costs $85 and there are two people going, then you're paying $5 extra for the convenience of not having to wait on a bus while it drops people off at a bunch of different resorts. If there are three people, you're saving money with Uber. Rideshare will make the most sense in a lot of cases unless Mears drops their price. I can see the argument for not needing car seats on the bus though.

If Mears costs $40 per person and Uber costs $85 and there are two people going, then you're paying $5 extra for the convenience of not having to wait on a bus while it drops people off at a bunch of different resorts. If there are three people, you're saving money with Uber. Rideshare will make the most sense in a lot of cases unless Mears drops their price. I can see the argument for not needing car seats on the bus though.

Party of 2 Mears would be $80 R/T. Uber $85 one way would be $170 R/T. Posters are low balling. Look at the screenshot I posted a few posts up.

 

[Eric Smith]

Party of 2 Mears would be $80 R/T. Uber $85 one way would be $170 R/T. Posters are low balling. Look at the screenshot I posted a few posts up.

Lyft has usually been about $40 for us each way.

 

[whiporee]

You have to look at the overall logistics. Disney is not going to set up a system than requires a family of four to pay $200 just to get to the resort. They just don't work that way. And in the middle of summer, you can bet that oversize Uber and Lyft pricing will be $100 during peak-fly-in hours.

If MDE really goes away in January -- which I still doubt -- they'll have some system that replaces it that provides "free" transportation to and from the airport. They aren't going to hand two billion dollars a year (50 million visitors X $40) to anyone else once things return to normal.

 

[MickeyWaffles]

If I haaaad to guess, I think the Mears pricing will be structured similarly to what the Disneyland Express pricing was in California. This was a couple years ago now, but for an idea of that pricing ... for MCO/WDW I think it would probably be around the LAX pricing. And I think kids will be much cheaper than adults, similar to this.

John Wayne Airport
Round trip: $35 for adults, $11 for children

LAX
Round trip: $48 for adults, $14 for children

(This shuttle served many resorts/hotels near Disneyland.)

 

[tgree9369]

You're not going to magically get the information by harassing their customer service people. You'll find out when the rest of us do. You'll find out when Mears makes an announcement.

For the love of God - I was not harassing anyone. Can we make this CLEAR. Wow...let it go.
Your cold never bothered me anyway...

 

[DebbieB]

If I haaaad to guess, I think the Mears pricing will be structured similarly to what the Disneyland Express pricing was in California. This was a couple years ago now, but for an idea of that pricing ... for MCO/WDW I think it would probably be around the LAX pricing. And I think kids will be much cheaper than adults, similar to this.

John Wayne Airport
Round trip: $35 for adults, $11 for children

LAX
Round trip: $48 for adults, $14 for children

(This shuttle served many resorts/hotels near Disneyland.)

I agree, children will be less. The advantage they have is many families with children in car seats are uncomfortable with Uber.

 

[ford91exploder]

You have to look at the overall logistics. Disney is not going to set up a system than requires a family of four to pay $200 just to get to the resort. They just don't work that way. And in the middle of summer, you can bet that oversize Uber and Lyft pricing will be $100 during peak-fly-in hours.

If MDE really goes away in January -- which I still doubt -- they'll have some system that replaces it that provides "free" transportation to and from the airport. They aren't going to hand two billion dollars a year (50 million visitors X $40) to anyone else once things return to normal.

No they are going to charge a guest access fee to the shuttles and buslines delivering guests say 20 bucks a head, That’s a cool billion dollar profit that Disney collects by doing NOTHING.

weve shown Disney that anything they want to they can and we will not push back

 

[seashoreCM]

Some open questions that will determine what kind (complexion) of replacement shuttle service will supercede Magical Express.

What will become of the huge DME welcoming area at the airport? If Mears is going to keep it going they will need to be assured of enough passengers to justify the rental of all that space. Or the airport might see the continued reduction of car traffic congestion as an advantage worth lowering the rent for.

Would or could resorts (especially non-Disney's resorts) provide extra space outside so the Mears buses would not have to wait for a berth under the rotunda before loading and unloading? (In exchange for lower fares to and from the specific resort) The whole shared-shuttle industry suffers from this problem on top of having to exquisitely maneuver into each resort.

Would Disney offer periodic package extras from to time such as discount or free airport transfers (in addition to or instead of golf or water park vouchers)?

Would Disney (and others and even Mears) have periodic promotions such as "kids shuttle free" comparable to "kids eat free"?

The possibilities and permutations thereof are endless.

 

[Jrb1979]

You have to look at the overall logistics. Disney is not going to set up a system than requires a family of four to pay $200 just to get to the resort. They just don't work that way. And in the middle of summer, you can bet that oversize Uber and Lyft pricing will be $100 during peak-fly-in hours.

If MDE really goes away in January -- which I still doubt -- they'll have some system that replaces it that provides "free" transportation to and from the airport. They aren't going to hand two billion dollars a year (50 million visitors X $40) to anyone else once things return to normal.

I doubt they replace MDE at all. If it does come back I'm sure it won't be built into your stay like it is now.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

There will be another option once it is completed. This option would probably be much cheaper too. Unfortunately there's no dates for the Disney Station yet
https://www.travelandleisure.com/tr...ons/disney-world-new-brightline-train-station

 

[Eric Smith]

There will be another option once it is completed. This option would probably be much cheaper too. Unfortunately there's no dates for the Disney Station yet
https://www.travelandleisure.com/tr...ons/disney-world-new-brightline-train-station

That’s not really going to be a viable option. Trains won’t run that frequently and the bright line trains aren’t that high capacity.

 

[Becky Mouse]

If Mears costs $40 per person and Uber costs $85 and there are two people going, then you're paying $5 extra for the convenience of not having to wait on a bus while it drops people off at a bunch of different resorts. If there are three people, you're saving money with Uber. Rideshare will make the most sense in a lot of cases unless Mears drops their price. I can see the argument for not needing car seats on the bus though.

Sure, but when you think about the environmental impact, a shared shuttle will be a lot better than ordering your own ride share. Plus, there may be an advantage to Mears if they get your luggage for you. I also wonder if they'll pay any royalties to Disney to continue playing the Disney shorts on the buses. That is my children's favorite part of starting our Disney trip. They love scanning their MagicBands at arrival at the airport and then watching Chip & Dale on our ride to our resort.