We miss these perks!
Disney’s Contemporary Resort
There are a lot of perks to staying at a Walt Disney World hotel. Guests have access to Disney transportation options like buses and the Skyliner, can make lightning Lane reservations earlier in the morning, and at times arrive at parks earlier and leave them later than off-property tests. However, there used to be other hotel perks that look like they’re never coming back, no matter how badly we want them to.
Magical Express
For 17 years, Magical Express was an indispensable part of Walt Disney World vacation. You would arrive at Orlando International Airport (MCO), head straight to the Magical Express boarding area – – don’t worry about your bags, they’d be automatically loaded onto your Magical Express bus by Disney – – and be whisked to your Disney World hotel in air-conditioned comfort. And your bags? They’d be delivered to your room for you.
We miss the Magical Express
Unfortunately, Disney pulled the plug on Magical Express in 2022. There are still numerous options to get from MCO to your Disney hotel – – rideshare, taxi, third party bus companies, even public transportation – – but none of them are as convenient, or financially baked in your trip the way Magical Express was.
Package Delivery Back to Your Room
There was a time when you could have anything you bought at Walt Disney World shipped back to the front of the park or even to your hotel room instead of lugging it around the park all day. Those days have been gone for years however and – – outside of a brief resurgence around the holiday season – – don’t seem to be coming back in full anytime soon. Your best bet now is to plan major purchase for the end of the day, or store it in one of the lockers available at the front of the parks.
Have fun carrying that Lightsaber through Hollywood Studios all day.
Room Service
Room Service disappeared from Walt Disney World hotels following COVID and – – short of some sporadic returns, mainly at the Grand Floridian – – doesn’t seem to be returning. You can pick up to-go items at your hotels quick or table service dining options, but that’s simply not the same as having room service delivered to your room.
We miss room service breakfast.
Daily Housekeeping
If you’re staying at a Value or Moderate level Disney Resort hotel, you won’t get daily visits from Housekeeping. Instead, your room will receive housekeeping service every other day. However, rooms at Disney Deluxe Resorts will receive daily full housekeeping service. According to Disney, “If you require additional housekeeping amenities or have specific housekeeping requests, please visit the Front Desk or contact Housekeeping via your in-room phone.”
©Disney
Airline Check-In
Believe it or not, you used to be able to print your boarding pass and check in your luggage right from the comfort of your Disney World hotel. However, this service has since been discontinued, seemingly with zero chance of retuning. While some of these same things can be achieved on your phone these days, we still miss this perk. It was another tiny element that made a Disney hotel stay feel special.
©Spirit Airlines
Sadly, these Disney hotel perks are likely never coming back, no matter how much we miss them! Stay tuned to DFB for further Disney Hotel updates!
New Hotel Rooms, New Rides, New Shows; These Are the Disney World Updates You’ve Been Looking For!
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This article was a bit depressing. Reminded me of everything consumers were forced to give up and the price of a Disney vacation keeps increasing. Pay more; get less–The Disney Company.
That universal studios is the best because they have pack delivery service they will delivery to the resort become we stay in 2021 they had it
As long as people keep going go wdw and putting up with their changes at a higher price, Disney will keep at it. Does anybody remember what a boycott is? I especially miss Magical Express and refuse other options so….I just don’t go anymore! How cheap and non customer friendly can wdw get by doing away with package delivery or at least package pickup at the end of the day at the park? Busch Gardens and SeaWorld still offer it and I love it! So they get my money. I’ll go back to wdw when they start caring about their guests and stop being so greedy. Their arrogance is palpable! As much as I loved wdw in the beginning and during the Eisner years, it’s just not fun or affordable anymore, and they need to learn that. But they only listen to their bottom line and the complaining of their stockholders….It’s sad what wdw has become….
I really hope package delivery to resorts returns soon! Otherwise, I will be doing a lot less shopping on my next trip. This hotel perk made park shopping magical!
They also used to have free parking when staying on property.
Disney under Michael Eisner and Frank Wells’s in the 1980’s and 1990’s were squarely guest focused vs. the Bob Iger era from the early 2000’s to the 2020’s was clearly focused on making money. We need another Michael Eisner and outsider to take over Disney not Josh A’amato ? who is a Disney Insider like Bob Iger was. New blood from outside the company will bring out of the box thinking back to the Magical Streets of of the Mouse.
Norma has mirrored my feelings, every one of the perks that they have done away with were the reason I was willing to go and stay on property. Now that those perks no longer exist I have no desire to go to Disney World, from now on I will look to other resorts to spend my money at.
More than once we bought things only because they would be shipped to our room and we didn’t have to carry them around or go find a locker (at a charge)to store them.
Therefore Norma I am joining your boycott.
Hi David! The free parking returned not too long ago so thankfully that one’s back, but we’re still holding out hope for the others. 🙁
Another perk that I haven’t seen addressed here is that you used to have the option to forego Mousekeeping for a giftcard. It wasn’t much, like maybe $10 is what I remember, but it was worth it considering we were only a party of 2 and not staying too long, so Mousekeeping while nice wasn’t really necessary.
I would love the package delivery service to return. I would buy a lot more and I’m sure most people would. I do not want to take packages around all day or use a locker. This would be so fantastic if it would return. I wish they would at least try it out or limit it to deluxe resorts (or even club level only) as another incentive to stay deluxe.
3 words EXTRA MAGIC HOURS. Usually at least 2 hours before or after the park closed for guests staying at any of the Disney resorts. The 30 minutes they do now is ridiculous.
Believe me, Disney won’t miss all the Normas out there. Plenty more will still come.
Extra Magic Hours. For ALL resort guests.