Telling Myself Stories

The rest of the gang went and left me to my own devices, so I’m going to take you on a whirlwind tour of the week’s travel news, including big changes at Walt Disney World,Paris plans to become even more beautiful, and China becomes the land of Ice And snow for a big winter festival. Get ready for the news and bring your own punchlines,it’s time to hit the trail with the Gold Key Adventurers Society!

News:

1. Disney’s Magical Express and Extra Magic Hours at Walt Disney World Resort to be retired
   http://bit.ly/EMHRetired
   http://bit.ly/DMERetire2022
2. Paris to become even more beautiful with Champs Elysees refurb
   http://bit.ly/ChampsElyseesRefurb
3. Harbin, China Ice and Snow Festival
   http://bit.ly/HarbinSnowFestChina
4. Great Boston Molasses Flood, Courtesy of Atlas Obscura
   http://bit.ly/MolassesAO
5. Coober Pedy, Australia’s underground opal mining town, courtesy of Atlas Obscura
   http://bit.ly/CooberPedyAO
6. That’s right Dan. Courtesy of ThemeParkProfessor.com, first we have a report that Disney’s Magical Express shuttle service will be retired starting January 1, 2022. Here’s Disney’s official statement:
   ““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.”- Disney Parks”

Roger Chapin, a spokesperson for Mears transportation, the company that provides the buses for Disney’s Magical Express told Orlando’s Spectrum News that ““Walt Disney made us aware of their decision. While we are disappointed Disney will no longer offer this service, we intend to continue offering transportation services between the airport and all area theme parks and hotels to meet the demand of our visitors now and in the future.”

In other Walt Disney World news, Extra Magic Hours have officially been retired at the Florida theme parks. In a statement, Disney reps said “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! he 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.”

While it sounds like these are monumental losses to the Disney experience, it’s really not all that bad, and there’s still a world of reasons why staying on site at a Disney resort hotel is a great value. There’s a lot to be said for staying inside the “Disney bubble”, where you don’t have to leave the magic when you’re done playing in the parks. Transportation between hotels and the theme parks is much more convenient with Disney’s complimentary internal transportation system, and makes it easy to take a mid day break when the sun is hottest and the parks are most crowded. The resort hotels themselves have a ton of great options for dining and activities to keep you busy and entertained, including biking,fishing,great pools, kids activities,painting and craft opportunities,tours,movies under the stars and in the pools,world class food and beverage options, you get the point.

While Disney’s Magical Express will be missed for its value and convenience, there’s still great options for getting to your hotel if you don’t want to rent a car. While there’s not a lot of details yet, as I mentioned Mears appears to be planning some sort of shuttle service to the resorts. You can also get a lyft or uber from the airport for a reasonable rate. The Brightline Rail system connecting Orlando International Airport to Disney Springs is still slated to open in 2023. Better yet, you can let someone else worry about transportation for you- your friendly travel planner at Key to the World Travel can help book a car service to and from...