Guests visiting Walt Disney World in 2022 will no longer enjoy free transportation between the Orlando International Airport. Disney has announced that the Disney Magical Express service will end on January 1, 2022.
“As consumer needs and preferences change, we will no longer offer Disney’s Magical Express service starting with arrivals in 2022.”
Guests with a 2021 reservation will still be able to enjoy complimentary transportation between Walt Disney World and the Orlando International Airport. Disney pointed to the flexibility of ride-sharing services in their announcement. They also noted their other complimentary transportation (buses to parks, Disney Skyliner) will remain in operation.
A Brightline train station will be built at Disney Springs in the coming years, but it’s unclear if Disney will transform that into a new Magical Express offering once it opens.
This is disappointing news for Walt Disney World resort guests. The Disney Magical Express system allowed for the “magic” to begin as soon as you arrived at the airport. There wasn’t a need to rent a car, book an Uber or figure out how to wrangle car seats. While the Magical Express had its drawbacks (those crazy early pickup times), it made vacations easier. It helped form the “Disney Bubble” that removed the stress of the real world.
This is just the latest perk that has been stripped away from resort guests. It’s becoming more and more difficult to justify the high prices charged at Disney hotels as these perks disappear.
