Two huge Disney World announcements regarding changes for guests. Beginning January 1st, 2022 Disney will retire their Disney’s Magical Express service.
The service offered a complimentary shuttle service from Orlando International Airport to your resort hotel in Disney’s signature busses. In addition to the retirement of the free bus service, Disney will no longer offer airline resort check-in for guests.
Guests will instead have to gather their own luggage at Orlando International Airport. Then they must find alternative methods of transportation either by rental car or rideshare.
Consumer preferences have evolved since Disney’s Magical Express was introduced in 2005 says a Walt Disney World spokesman. You can see the official excerpt here:
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. In light of this shift, when Disney Resort hotel bookings open for stays in 2022, we will no longer offer Disney’s Magical Express service for airport transportation, starting with arrivals Jan. 1, 2022. We will continue to operate the service for new and existing reservations made at Disney Resort hotels for arrivals throughout 2021. Additionally, complimentary transportation options – such as buses, monorails and Disney Skyliner – will continue to be available within Walt Disney World Resort for Disney Resort hotel guests, including to and from all four theme parks.
Coming Soon
Disney has made another big announcment this morning. This fall, a new “Early Theme Park Entry” system will begin for Disney Resort guests. Effective immediately, Extra Magic Hours have been retired.
Early Theme Park Entry
We know how much guests enjoy extra park time, so coming later this year as part of our 50th anniversary celebration, Disney Resort hotel guests and guests of other select hotels will be able to enjoy more fun with 30-minute early entry to ANY theme park, EVERY day. It’ll be a great way to get a jump start on your Disney day, no matter the day! As a reminder, the Extra Magic Hours benefit was suspended when Walt Disney World Resort reopened last summer, and as we continue to manage attendance with health and safety top of mind, Extra Magic Hours will not return. The new early theme park entry benefit helps us better spread visitation across all four theme parks, while providing added flexibility by giving guests extra early park time on each day of their vacation and in the park of their choosing. Please note that guests need valid admission and a park reservation made via the Disney Park Pass system to enter a theme park.
Last, but not least…
There is another change for Disney World guests. With the start of the new year, Magic Bands are no longer complimentary with Walt Disney World vacation packages. Guests can use Magic Bands from a past visit, pick up a Key to the World card from the front desk at their resort, or purchase a new band. In My Disney Experience, you can purchase a new band under the “Build-A-Band Upgrade” platform. You can now only filter between color and theme. The plain colored bands were formerly complimentary but are now available at a “special pre-order price” of $5. The comparable value is $14.99.
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