Breaking News! Mears Connect. Formerly DME.

[joelkfla]

Of course the increased rates will result in more Uber drivers servicing the airport, which will drive the price back down.

Uber drivers get paid the same pittance, regardless of how high Uber's dynamic pricing goes.

 

[goofy4tink]

I would love to have Mears offer a similar service to DME. They know how it works, they can make the transition quite easily. Will it have a cost? Sure. But, I doubt it will be more than $15 pp each way. Otherwise, families will use a car service or Uber/Lyft. It would also be terrific if BAGS came back. I know many others will disagree, but it would still be viable even if we had to pay a fee to use it. It wouldn't be a high fee, but it would have those that use it paying for the service vs everyone paying who books a resort!

 

[Lewisc]

I would love to have Mears offer a similar service to DME. They know how it works, they can make the transition quite easily. Will it have a cost? Sure. But, I doubt it will be more than $15 pp each way. Otherwise, families will use a car service or Uber/Lyft. It would also be terrific if BAGS came back. I know many others will disagree, but it would still be viable even if we had to pay a fee to use it. It wouldn't be a high fee, but it would have those that use it paying for the service vs everyone paying who books a resort!

Ride Share is a gamble. You don't know the price until you request a ride. Last evening Uber was $85 from MCO to WL for Uber X. The driver gets virtually non of the higher price. Nothing more then price gouging.
Disney hotel rates are based on what people will pay. The rates didn't increase the day DME started and they didn't reduce the day luggage handling was terminated.
Luggage handling helped MCO. Not now with reduced number of passengers but it did when the airport was busy.
Luggage handling reduced the demand for early room availability and luggage storage.
I've read lines to check your luggage at POP are running more then an hour. Some of the savings to Disney may be offset with expenses in other areas. Guests not using luggage delivery still benefited. Lines at bell services were more reasonable when every early arriving, and late departing guest,, didn't have to wait in line to store/retrieve luggage.
I'm not sure if there is a similar wait for bell services in the deluxe resorts.

I've read, on the internet so it must be true, Disney outsourced valet and bell services in some or all, deluxe resorts to Bags Inc. Supposedly RAC was bundled into the rates.

Swan/Dolphin could have offered paid RAC but didn't. I'm not sure if they didn't want to devote the space or if they demand for a paid service isn't that high.

JMO Mears will only be able to offer the pricing necessary to attract enough customers for it to work if Disney directly, or indirectly, offers some subsidies.

 

[shafke]

Sounds like everyone now has to pay and admission fee to stay on Disney property.
If you drive you need to pay to park. If you fly you now need to pay to get to Disney property.
The only difference between the two is Disney pockets the money for parking fees whereas the ME costs go from a negative to zero... unless Mears is also paying for exclusive bus access for resort dropoff.

Edit to add: Who wants to take bets until Disney add a mandatory resort fee. (only partial sarcasm on this as I would be surprised this has never come up in boardroom discussions)

 

[Lewisc]

Sounds like everyone now has to pay and admission fee to stay on Disney property.
If you drive you need to pay to park. If you fly you now need to pay to get to Disney property.
The only difference between the two is Disney pockets the money for parking fees whereas the ME costs go from a negative to zero... unless Mears is also paying for exclusive bus access for resort dropoff.

Edit to add: Who wants to take bets until Disney add a mandatory resort fee. (only partial sarcasm on this as I would be surprised this has never come up in boardroom discussions)

I read, on the internet so it must be true There are issues with resort fees when Disney markets international. What is the real purpose of a mandatory resort fee? Make the resort seem less expensive on search engines and reduce compensation to TAs. Sites like Expedia are TAs and hotels don't generally pay commissions on resort fees.

 

[Lewisc]

Wow. I was positive you were wrong because I just priced a similar trip on Ride Guru earlier today. I just checked the Uber app and MCO-WL was $83 for UberX and $85 for Uber comfort.

You are right, and RideGuru was WAY off!

FWIW Google maps has an option to display ride share rates. A few months ago Google added a link to your Uber app if you want more accurate rate information. Whatever system Uber uses to offer rates to third party apps must be, intentionally?, flawed. Maybe there is a lag time in showing dynamic pricing. Its nothing ore then price gouging. Regulators in some jurisdictions are putting a cap on excess dynamic pricing. Florida, and Orlando, isn't big on consumer friendly regulations.

 

[OKW Lover]

I read, on the internet so it must be true There are issues with resort fees when Disney markets international. What is the real purpose of a mandatory resort fee?

AFAIK, None of the Disney Resorts have a resort fee.

 

[Ladyandthepuppies]

I get the frustration of now having to pay for something you once got for "free" but as someone who never used it but was still subsidizing it I am glad it is gone

It’s not like Disney is passing the savings on to you. You are still paying a similar price point and now a service has been taken away. I get that you never used it but since you aren’t seeing savings why would you be glad to see it no longer offered?

I have been planning a Feb 2022 trip for my family of 6, which includes 4 kids in car seats. I’m definitely grateful Mears will offer another option but as PPs have said, we pay the same or more and we keep getting less... it definitely makes a less magical experience.

 

[shafke]

AFAIK, None of the Disney Resorts have a resort fee.

They don't but, could you honestly say they would not do this if they could get away with it? I would be surprised if it was not considered anytime in the past.

 

[Scubadaddy32]

Same service for more money...woohoo!

I know, I know, but man I get sick of feeling like I should be excited to pay extra for something that was already in the bundled price I pay at Disney.

They charged you for it, you just didn't get an itemized list of charges. Sorry for that cold truth.
Instead the bobble heads that have failed their way to the top of WDW have decided they could make more money. so they can spend it on re-theming rides that no one ask for.

 

[leebee]

They don't but, could you honestly say they would not do this if they could get away with it? I would be surprised if it was not considered anytime in the past.

Disney didn't used to charge you to park at your resort. When they installed the parking fees the claimed it was "industry standard." Wouldn't surprise me one little bit if they used the same excuse to start charging resort fees.

 

[Cheburashka]

Same service for more money...woohoo!

I know, I know, but man I get sick of feeling like I should be excited to pay extra for something that was already in the bundled price I pay at Disney.

Especially when Disney resort prices rise steeply on a regular basis...

 

[Brett Wyman]

As I expected, it's pretty much the same service as before but now we'll have to pay for it.

Guesses I've seen are about $35-$40 per person each way.

For that price why not rent a car???

 

[Cheburashka]

They charged you for it, you just didn't get an itemized list of charges. Sorry for that cold truth.

The PP knows that already and doesn't need to be schooled on "truth". The point is that they're taking away something of value that used to be included in the price paid for the resort. And they have not dropped prices as a result. On the contrary, resort prices keep rising all the time.

So yeah, it's something customers have every right to complain about.

 

[Cheburashka]

For that price why not rent a car???

Because renting a car for a week or more can be significantly more expensive, especially if you consider the Disney resort parking fees, and even more so if you're a small party. For a party of 2, the bus service at the speculated rates would be about $160, and a party of 3 would cost $240. A week's car rental out of MCO costs more than that if you stick to the reputable agencies, plus you have to pay for gas and nightly parking at the resort, and also deal with driving and liability. Even for a party of 4, the $320 for the bus transfers would typically cost less than a week's car rental rental out of MCO plus 7 nights' worth of Disney parking fees.

Car rental rates have only gone up since Covid, and don't expect them to go down at MCO after Magical Express stops offering Disney resort guests a complimentary ride. Quite the contrary- expect prices to go up even more.

 

[Disneybuckeye]

Because renting a car for a week or more can be significantly more expensive, especially if you consider the Disney resort parking fees, and even more so if you're a small party. For a party of 2, the bus service at the speculated rates would be about $160, and a party of 3 would cost $240. A week's car rental out of MCO costs more than that if you stick to the reputable agencies, plus you have to pay for gas and nightly parking at the resort, and also deal with driving and liability. Even for a party of 4, the $320 for the bus transfers would typically cost less than a week's car rental rental out of MCO plus 7 nights' worth of Disney parking fees.

Car rental rates have only gone up since Covid, and don't expect them to go down at MCO after Magical Express stops offering Disney resort guests a complimentary ride. Quite the contrary- expect prices to go up even more.

This. We own DVC so it does not apply to us, but at $25 per night at a value that is $150.00. Rental car is going to be min $200 and probably more.

We will do a mix most likely. Some trips we will pay Mears asuuming it is in the $50 round trip range (hoping for closer to $40). For the trips we rent a car we will probably use our DVC as home base and do Universal.

 

[KayMichigan]

For that price why not rent a car???

Renting a car is way too much of a hassle for somebody who's never driven in Orlando and is only going to be going to the parks, and then you have to pay for parking so you really don't end up saving any money.

 

[JimMIA]

Ride Share is a gamble. You don't know the price until you request a ride.

I know what you mean to say -- that Uber/Lyft fares can vary a good bit from time to time -- but you DO know the fare BEFORE you request a ride.

To clarify for those not familiar with the Uber/Lyft apps...when you prepare to order a ride with either company, you enter your destination and the app uses your current location as the pickup point. It then displays the fare to your destination for a variety of ride classifications. The app also shows nearby drivers available and a rough pickup timeframe.

When you select a ride category, that fare is again displayed along with your estimated ARRIVAL time at your destination.

You have made no commitment for anything until you actually order the ride, and even then you can cancel the ride subject to some reasonable limitations.

 

[Lewisc]

I know what you mean to say -- that Uber/Lyft fares can vary a good bit from time to time -- but you DO know the fare BEFORE you request a ride.

To clarify for those not familiar with the Uber/Lyft apps...when you prepare to order a ride with either company, you enter your destination and the app uses your current location as the pickup point. It then displays the fare to your destination for a variety of ride classifications. The app also shows nearby drivers available and a rough pickup timeframe.

When you select a ride category, that fare is again displayed along with your estimated ARRIVAL time at your destination.

You have made no commitment for anything until you actually order the ride, and even then you can cancel the ride subject to some reasonable limitations.

My phraseology was poor BUT you don't know the farer until you start to request a ride. In other words you don't know the fare weeks earlier when you're planning the details of your trip. You don't know the fare as your boarding your plane at your departure airport. You might not even know your fare if you check when you land. You'll only know your fare seconds before you actually request your ride. In other words you won't know the fare until you start the process of requesting a ride.

A few months ago this was, almost, a non-issue. You could check the fare and get a reasonably good idea. Fares are now running double and triple what the fares used to be.

You can pre-book a car service for around $150 R/T generally with a grocery stop. You can't do that if you wait until you land.

I booked a car service for my upcoming trip to Universal. I was seeing $50 on a frequent basis. I booked a car service. A few days ago I saw a rate of $85 to Disney.

JMO ride share in the Orlando area is a gamble.
Edited to add You can take a ride share to DS. If the fare is too high for your return you can wait and hope it comes down or you can take a Disney bus to your resort.

I'm not willing to wait in MCO hoping the rate will come down in a few minutes

 

[JimMIA]

My phraseology was poor BUT you don't know the are until you start to request a ride. In other words you don't know the fare weeks earlier when you're planning the details of your trip. You don't know the fare as your boarding your plane at your departure airport. You might not even know your fare if you check when you land. You'll only know your fare seconds before you actually request your ride. In other words you won't know the are until you start the process of requesting a ride.

Right. That's the distinction I was trying to point out.

There's no question that the rideshare companies are playing the pandemic against both their customers and drivers. What they are currently doing doesn't run afoul of Florida's price-gouging laws, but they're certainly taking advantage.