Magical Express Replacement Pricing Announced - Mears Takes Full Control

Walt Disney World
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I think everyone is aware that at the end of 2021 Disney World is doing away with one of the best perks of staying on Property: Magical Express.

It’s been one my absolute favorite things and yes, it’s made me want to stay on property when it’s cheaper to stay elsewhere. The idea of not having to collect my luggage in Florida and having it automatically sent to my room is fantastic.

I honestly thought Disney was cutting ties with Mears, the bus company that runs Magical Express, and would announce their own service but it’s not looking that way. It’s another perk WDW is taking away and another reason NOT to stay on property.

Mickey Views YouTube Channel got the pricing and details about it.
(Here’s their video: https://youtu.be/lnnny-XUSkw?t=40 )

It will be called Mears Connect and Basically:

Standard Service (get on a bus that will stop multiple times before leaving the airport)

One Way:
Adult: $16
Child: $13.50

Round Trip:
Adult: $32
Child: $27

Premium Round Trip Service - Direct from pickup to WDW :

$200 (up to 4 passengers)
$55 each additional passenger

He didn’t have any details about whether they’ll collect your luggage or not but I’m not betting on it.

Here’s ANOTHER reason to not stay on property along with how you don’t get any advantage from that with the Genie+ plan either.

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Yup we’ve been discussing it here:

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Ahhh… I searched but didn’t find anything under Magical Express. That was my mistake

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Are room prices gonna go down from the loss of this perk? Nope, though nothing is free so it’s definitely included in current room rates. So just more overhead for Disney?

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Sounds like the math they’re using to me.

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I’ve had three trips this year with DME and all were very smooth even without the bags. It’s really not a bad service at all. I’ll miss it. Like Disneyland soon where I have to spend $300 for our car service round trip.

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A Lyft from John Wayne airport is cheap. Well I’m not sure about current pricing but it’s a close drive

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Unfortunately I cannot find direct flights from AUS to Orange County. So we’re taking Alaskan to LAX. Direct flights beat all for me. It’s the only way I’ll fly if it’s available. Obviously if I’m visiting my brother in Christchurch I have to catch a couple of flights but even then I’ll drive to Houston to take one leg out and make it two over three.

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Oh yes, there are more direct flights to LAX than JW

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Flights with stops make me nervous. I’ve been stuck overnight before and it’s not fun. I try to remove that risk.

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I get it. I had a layover in Vegas that was extended and I could drive home quicker. So I did. Rented a car and drove to SLC and beat my connecting flight home.

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Lol. I drove the 8 hours home from NOLA once when we got stuck there. I get it.

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I actually prefer driving over flying. Wish I could drive to Aulani right now. Not looking fwd to that flight.

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It depends. I did 4 -16 hour each way trips last summer/fall and 2 - 16 hours in one day to send my daughter to her dad’s cuz I didn’t want to put her on a plane so we met half way. I almost died. I can drive about 12 hours and am okay but I don’t like doing it two days in a row. I’ve also got rerouted driving home from WDW once cuz of floods in LA and drove for 20 hours to get home instead of 16. I do prefer driving mostly. Will do this for short trips like NOLA (8hrs for me) and Dallas and such (3hrs) but this last year of covid kind of killed me on cross country driving.

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Weren’t these the introductory prices? I think I’m going to book it but when I tried I was too far out.

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Are these prices considered “good”? Wondering if it would be worth it to just get Uber/Lyft or even a car service instead.

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I bet TP will analyze the cost differences for us in an article or their next book @len

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No worries. We need to be reminded of crappy news like this every so often. We can always go back to @DumboRunner TR to forget all about it again.

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Maybe those staying on property and using the after hours/ early hours entry (can’t remember the abbreviations) won’t need LL/Genie+ as much?

Make no mistake, the whole thing still sucks IMO.

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The Universal shuttle service from the airport, their ‘SuperStar Shuttle’ roundtrip ticket is $39 per adult and $29 for children ages 3 – 9.

Without the current luggage service where they pick it up and deliver it to your room I guess it’s comparable. The universal shuttles are a crap shoot as which hotel you’re in versus where they stop first. It can be a long ride in a van.