Disney World made the announcement earlier this year that it would be discontinuing its Magical Express service that provided free transportation for Disney hotel guests to go to and from Orlando International Airport.
Magical Express
Magical Express will be officially discontinued on January 1st, 2022. But, there will be a new transportation service replacing Magical Express called Mears Connect. This service will not be free, meaning there is no longer a free option to get to and from the airport and your Disney World hotel (unless you have a friend in the area that wants to give you a ride!). You can take a ride share service like Uber, use a taxi, rent a car, or take the new Mears Connect system. So, let’s take a look at what Mears Connect will cost you!
You may have also taken a Mears bus if you stayed at the Walt Disney World Swan or Dolphin resorts, as they switched over to the company for bus transportation.
Mears Bus at the Swan
Mears Connect will start operating on January 1st, 2022 — the same day Magical Express ends. The service will offer two different levels of transportation you can book: Standard and Express.
Standard service is shared, uses large (buses) and small vehicles, has monitored wait times, and has limited stops. Express service has limited wait times and direct service but is not considered private service.
Mears bus at Disney’s Old Key West Resort
Standard service is $16 one way and $32 round trip per adult, and $13.50 one way and $27 round trip per child (ages 3-9).
©Mears Connect
Express service (previously called Premium service) is a total of $200 round trip for up to 4 people, and then each additional person is an extra $55. There is currently no one-way Express service — you can only use it for round trip.
UPDATE: Express service has increased in price and is now $250 round trip for up to 4 passengers. Each additional person is still $55.
©Mears Connect
So, let’s look at an example! We have a family of 4 with 2 adults and 2 kids flying in on April 17th, 2022, and leaving on April 23rd, 2022. If they use the Standard service for round trip transportation, their total would be $118.
©Mears Transportation
If they use the Standard service for one way transportation, their total would be $59.
©Mears Transportation
Or, they could use the Express service for round trip transportation for $250. This could be better for you if you do not want to share transportation with a lot of other people and want a limited wait time. So, if you’re on a tight schedule, this might be worth the extra money for your party.
And, if this were a family of 5 instead of 4, the cost of Express, round trip service would be $305.
Mears Connect
Mears Connect could definitely be worth the cost if you’re traveling solo! You could use the Standard service for $32 round trip, which would likely be less expensive than taking an Uber or a taxi, depending on the time of day and surge prices.
©Mears Transportation
So, it really just comes down to weighing the pros and cons of each service with Mears Connect, or deciding if Mears Connect is better or worse for your trip compared to another form of transportation. If you do decide to use Mears Connect, you can book your transportation right now using their website. Stay tuned to DFB for more Disney World tips, info, and news.
Click here to see how the cost of Mears Connect compares to an Uber!
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Mears Connect does beat Uber and Lyft for families that would need a car seat for their rideshare, too. I hope someone (cough, cough, DFB, cough, AllEars, cough) finds a way to see how much Uber/Lyft prices surge pricing changes once DME ends this month. My biggest fear is that not enough people using Mears Connect, thinking they can ride share, only to be hit with ridiculous surge pricing and long waits for scarcely available ride shares. Maybe I’m wrong, but I don’t think Orlando’s airport has a strong enough rideshare network to take a sudden surge in passengers who used to ride MDE instead.
For the record: I’ve already booked Mears Connect for my family’s trip next summer. I did it because I really didn’t want the stress of driving and navigating WDW resorts and the airport on my vacation, I didn’t feel comfortable not having something arranged, and we plan on a flight getting us there on Sunday morning which I’ve read is one of the biggest surges in traffic at the airport. So, I was concerned we’d be waiting and/or have to pay surge pricing. Mears Connect gave us predictability, plus I was able to go ahead and have that part of my trip paid off like my tickets and resorts (and hopefully soon my meal plan, Disney?)