Airport Revises Rules in Response to Disney Shuttle

ORLANDO (Orlando Sentinel) – The chairman of the board that governs Orlando International Airport said Wednesday that the airport made "mistakes" when it agreed to support Disney's Magical Express. Jeffry Fuqua, chairman of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, said the airport should have required Walt Disney World to operate the free shuttle and baggage service from both sides of the terminal instead of one. The airport also should have limited how many people could ride the service during the 18-month pilot period that began in May, he said. "Yes, we made some mistakes," Fuqua said. "Pilot means pilot. It [Magical Express] should have been capped." The comments came after months of criticism from other ground transportation companies at the airport that say their businesses have been damaged by Magical Express' success. The free Disney shuttle averages about 10,000 people each day, according to Disney figures. On Wednesday, the airport board voted to revise some of the rules for ground transportation companies, including changes that some board members indicated could be unfair to Disney.

• The new rules say that Disney cannot post "greeters" on the second level of the airport, where most transportation companies meet their customers near baggage claim. Instead, the rules say, Mears Transportation Group – the company that operates the shuttle for Disney – can post its employees there to meet Magical Express riders. "To say to them [Disney] you can't have your two employees there, but you can have two employees of the company you hired to do this work, is really splitting hairs in my mind," said board member and Orange County Mayor Rich Crotty.
• The new rules create a new category of ground transportation companies called "resort transportation service." Only Disney currently meets the definition of that new category. But, Fuqua said, it won't be long before more companies begin to follow Disney's lead. Already two more groups, including Universal Orlando, have expressed interest in creating a baggage and shuttle service.

Disney spokeswoman Kim Prunty said the company does feel "singled out" and would prefer a Disney employee greet its guests, but it "will follow the rules" as discussions continue on the future of the program.