Every year millions of people use Disney’s Magical Express. If you don’t know that’s a free bus service between the airport in Orlando (MCO) and the Disney resort you have a reservation at.
Some people like the Magical Express. Some people hate the Magical Express. No matter what side you’re on there is one thing that people over looked when Disney started this service – the impact it would have.
I’m not talking about the impact on vacationers. For the most part it’s only a positive for them. I’m talking about the impact on the local economy. Before the Magical Express came into existence there were a bunch of businesses whose bread and butter was transporting people to and from Disney. There were bus companies, limo companies, and taxi companies who made their living on it. Some of these companies were small independent mom and pop operations.
You can imagine what happened to those companies when the Magical Express came into existence. Some folded, some redirected all of their assets away from Disney, and some did whatever they could to make ends meet and survive.
Happy Limo was a thriving company before the Magical Express. Today they are still around but the Express has blasted an enormous hole in their business.
On my last trip I used Happy Limo to transport me from MCO to the Contemporary and then back again. The main reasons I did this were I had only heard that it could take forever to get to Disney by using the Magical Express. When you’ll be standing in line all week the last thing you want to do is stand in line for a bus before you even get to Disney. Instead I had a chance to be driven to my resort in a nice town car with no screaming kids, no long waits, and no smelly people. You might think the last one is funny but it’s a reality. After traveling all day some people start smelling ripe.
The service Happy Limo offered was top notch. Our driver was professional and very pleasant. He did anything he could to make sure we were pleased with our transfer. I now believe this is the reason Happy Limo still exists. The service is better then anything the Magical Express can offer.
We hit a snag on our return trip. For one reason or another, our return trip had to be moved up about half an hour. I’m used to running into things like this. In most cases it annoys me because the company involved doesn’t give a rat’s backside if it doesn’t work for you. Most companies don’t look beyond that day they just know you need to change your plans. Happy Limo apologized and then without any prompting upgraded us. Instead of a town car they said they were sending an actual limo. That was worth it for a thirty minute bump.
When the “limo” arrived we were a little surprised. We thought were getting bumped up one level. They bumped us up a few more than that. They sent the white Cadillac SUV limo. My wife and I almost felt awkward as people watched us climb into it. We also felt underdressed. To put it nicely we didn’t look like they king of people that should be driving around in that thing.
How much did it cost? After taxes and fees it was a little over $110. You might say that’s expensive. Break it down. It was $25 per person each way. Would you pay $25 to avoid a hassle and get to your resort an hour or two faster? Also keep in mind that you are not arriving with a bus of people all trying to check in at once. There is another thirty minutes in your pocket. Oh, did I forget to mention that you have your bags with you? That’s right no waiting for you bags!
What does the time we saved boil down to? Originally we planned to go to Epcot and right to Mexico for lunch at 11:45. With the time we saved we were able to go Soarin via the standby line, ride Spaceship Earth, grab a fast pass for Test Track, and visit Guest Relations to grab our “Happy Anniversary” pins, all before lunch.
To put it simply – I’ll be using Happy Limo next time I go to Disney World. It’s more than worth it.
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