So, your plane just landed at the Orlando International Airport (MCO) and you’re beyond excited to get to Disney World. Quick question: How are you getting there?
Orlando International Airport
You’ve definitely got your transport options like taxis, Uber/Lyft, or even renting a car. But you’ve got another option to consider, granted it hasn’t been getting the greatest reviews, but we didn’t let that stop us from using it to get to Disney World from the airport. So, now let’s talk about it!
So what’s this other transport that will bring us from the Orlando International Airport to Disney World? Glad you asked! Let’s talk about Mears Connect.
Mears Connect Bus
It’s a shuttle service that takes you from Orlando International Airport to Disney World (and back). Now I know that this service hasn’t exactly been getting rave reviews online. But here’s the twist: We used Mears Connect on our recent Disney World trip and had a pretty awesome experience. So, despite what you might hear or read, we’re here to share why it worked out great for us!
Mears Connect bus
First Impressions Matter
From the get-go, we were pleasantly surprised. The buses were clean, modern, and that A/C was glorious, which is a huge plus after stepping out of the airport into lovely, humid Florida. If you’ve ever experienced the Orlando heat and humidity, you know what we’re talking about. But stepping onto a cool, comfy bus was just what we needed to get into vacation mode.
There was a bathroom on board.
Now get this: The first bus we rode even had a bathroom on board! That’s not something you’d typically expect from an airport shuttle, but we were grateful for it after a long flight.
Disney Trivia
The bus was also equipped with TVs that played cute little shorts and Disney/Orlando trivia, which immediately set the magical Disney mood.
Punctuality
Mears Connect impressed us with its punctuality. We didn’t have to wait around forever at the airport, which was one of the complaints we saw in reviews. In fact, our bus arrived right on time, and we were off to Disney World in no time.
Mears Connect bus
Plus, we didn’t make a bunch of random stops, which was another win in our book. We had heard stories about buses making endless stops at every hotel, but we were pleasantly surprised by how efficient the route was. Before we knew it, we were pulling up to our Disney World resort, ready to start the magic!
The Early Airport Pickup Conundrum
Okay, even though we loved the service overall, there was one thing that wasn’t ideal — the super early pick-up for the return trip. Mears Connect picked us up for our flight way earlier than what we expected. We ended up being at the airport about two hours too early.
Mears Connect bus
I get it. They need to make sure everyone makes their flight with plenty of time to spare, especially when dealing with unpredictable Orlando traffic. But, sitting at the airport with nothing to do for that long wasn’t exactly the most fun. Who knows? Maybe we could’ve squeezed in an extra ride or maybe grabbed one last snack at the parks. Instead, we spent our extra time just hanging out at the gate.
Mears Connect
That being said, if you’re someone who likes to have everything set up in advance and would rather be too early than stressing about making your flight on time, this might not be a deal-breaker for you. It’s just something to keep in mind.
Was It Worth the Money?
For us, honestly yes. Despite the early pick-up on our return trip, the overall experience was pretty stress-free, comfortable, and worth the money we spent. We didn’t have to worry about dragging our bags to an Uber or navigating rental cars. It was simple and easy, which is exactly what you want on a Disney World vacation.
Inside a Mears Connect bus
So, as you’re planning your Disney World trip, give the Mears Connect bus a thought. Until then, stay tuned to DFB for more updates on the latest Disney news and travel tips.
Step-by-Step Guide: How To Get to Disney World from the Orlando Airport
Travel Updates, Tips, and Tricks
Complete Guide to Booking the CHEAPEST Flight to Disney World
Our Best Tips For Flying Through the Orlando International Airport
Step-by-Step Guide: How to Get to Disney World From the Orlando Airport
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What’s your go-to way to get from the Orlando airport to Disney World? Let us know in the comments!
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I have nothing but great things to say about Mears. The drivers are always friendly and efficient and, frankly, it’s a total deal! I actually don’t mind dropping off/picking up other passengers first (I love seeing the other hotels–yes, I’m weird.) and I’m totally okay with getting to the airport early, as I get anxious about lines at airport security and traffic. The busses are comfortable and still provide a Magical Express vibe as we roll toward the parks.
: )
I loved Mears… granted I miss the old school Disney transport buses but it was amazing the last times I used in August this year and last year in July… the drivers we had were amazing and the buses were on time and comfortable.
Been to WDW at least a dozens times and we used the Disney Magical Express each time. When that was discontinued (still doesn’t make sense) it was a huge disappointment. Since then we have used Mears (which I think was the company used for Magical Express ) multiple times and it has always been a good service for us and cost is very reasonable. We had great drivers and the busses were clean and comfortable.
It was nice to be dropped off right at the front door of your resort and yes they are on time. But I did experience the multiple stops at resorts before we arrived at Pop Century. There was 4 stops ahead of our resort, which when you are anxious to get to your resort seemed like an eternity. I’m in my 60s but I am again a little kid at WDW and I want to get to our resort NOW its taking forever (whiney voice)!
Also they do pick you up 3 hours before your flight to take you to the airport which I don’t mind so much but if you have say a morning flight at 8am the bus is picking you up at 5am so if you stay out late the night before like I do it can be a tiring morning. But overall I like the service very much and would recommend it all because of the convenience, great service and being dropped right at your airline entrance. In fact our last trip flying with southwest we pulled up and they had portable desk to check you in and get your bags literally 20 feet from the bus. It was very nice. We are going again next June and I will be booking Mears once again.
One more thing tip your drivers I make sure I have a $5 bill coming and going they do appreciate it.
Our family (4 adults, 3 kids) took Mears from and to the airport. For the most part everything was fine. However, we did not get the videos. It was still a good trip. On the return trip, our bus got a flat tire and had to pull into the T&TC parking lot. Within a few minutes Mears had a van there to pick us up and carry us to the airport.
We used Mears Connect in October 2022 and just used them again two weeks ago for our Disney trips. We have found their service to be great. Both times, our pickups and drop offs were easy and seamless. The buses are very clean and comfortable. The drivers were informative about the driving time and what to expect with traffic. For this year’s return trip to the airport, we arrived about two and a half hours before our flight. With that being said, we stood in the TSA line for over an hour. By the time we were at our gate, we had about an hour to wait, and we were okay with it. We have had too many close calls with TSA being backed up which has caused us to run to our gates. We will continue to use them in the future.
Mears is the only option for me! They do a good job.
We had the opposite problem on our return trip. I was stressing that we might not make our flight. We had to really book it to get through security and get to our gate. We have an international flight and those take longer to get through the process, so you need more time. I thought we’d be fine, but I didn’t realize the bus makes multiple stops to pick up people from several different resorts. By the time we got to the airport, we didn’t have a whole lot of time to spare. I had been counting on having time to grab some food before our flight, but we ended up having to rush. I don’t know that I’d use the service again. We could uber so much faster and make sure we had plenty of time. It just wasn’t worth the stress.
We have used Mears 4 times now. The bus picks up from the hotel 4 hours before flight time if you are flying internationally. That’s still 3 hours at the airport and last year our flight time was changed by Virgin when we got there so we had 5 hours at the airport. Take a book to read and enjoy the fact that you have 5 hours of uninterrupted reading time. I don’t get that at home.
The only thing that bothers me about Mears is that sometimes they are late collecting you from your hotel. Now I don’t know if they text people to advise they will be late, which I think would be a good practice, because we can’t use our phones abroad for calls or texts. You can’t book Mears without putting a phone number onto the booking form so we put ours in the box, but they can’t actually reach us on it. They do have our email address but they certainly don’t use that to advise how late they’ll be. The first time we used them was especially worrying as the driver was 40 minutes late .
I used Mears on my Solo trip in February/March. I had no issues at all. Actually less wait time than Magical Express. I was very pleased with the service and cost. I guess it would add up for a family, but for singles, I felt much safer than taking a Lyft or Uber.