Brightline & Mears Partner for Transportation to Disney World
Brightline high-speed rail and Mears airport shuttle service announced a new partnership connecting travelers between the train station at Orlando International Airport and Walt Disney World. This post shares details about the new transit options for getting between MCO and Walt Disney World, plus quick commentary about our recent experiences with Mears following the Sunshine Flyer merger.
Before we get going, today also marks the official debut of Brightline’s Miami-Orlando route, which will eventually connect “to” Walt Disney World. The company is trying to win over some of the more than 40 million people who make the trip between Miami and Orlando each year–with approximately 90% of them driving. Brightline’s Florida project is the first privately-funded passenger rail built in the United States in over 100 years.
The Brightline high-speed rail network is a nearly $6 billion gamble that eventually 8 million people annually will take the 235-mile trip between Miami and Orlando via train. The company is charging single riders $158 round-trip for business class and $298 for first-class, with families and groups able to buy four round-trip tickets for $398. Brightline’s Miami-Orlando route connects Florida’s two biggest tourist hubs with 32 trains running daily, and is at the heart of their initiative.
We won’t pretend to be unbiased here–we’re cheering for Brightline’s success. We really hope that there’s a market for high-speed rail in the United States, and that more privately-funded projects like this prove to be viable. With that said, we’re also realists who understand that it’s going to be a hard sell with the public. Not only that, but we suspect some of Brightline’s ridership and financial projections are more than a bit overly optimistic.
Nevertheless, if you’re planning a trip between Orlando and Miami and are on the fence about whether to drive, fly, or take high-speed rail, we’d recommend giving Brightline a try. While the math won’t work out for everyone (it’ll be far cheaper for most families to drive!), couples and solo travelers should consider giving it a shot.
My strong personal preference for this type of trip is high speed rail. Traveling by train is less chaotic and stressful, there’s usually more legroom and just a generally laid back quality, and even though the travel time is longer, the total time commitment is usually shorter. It’s difficult to explain and probably even harder to understand if you’ve never used high speed rail, but we far prefer it to flying for trips of this distance and duration. We can’t wait to give Brightline a try, and look forward to taking the train from Orlando to Miami and back.
We’re also really looking forward to Brightline’s high-speed rail between Southern California and Nevada. The company is working to create the first dedicated high-speed passenger rail line in the U.S. connecting Los Angeles to Las Vegas, with the goal of launching Brightline service between the two cities before the LA 2028 Olympics. That project is expected to cost $12 billion. (Los Angeles-Las Vegas is an incredibly popular weekend trip, but the drive can suck. We need zero convincing about this project!)
But I digress–let’s turn to the press release details about the Brightline-Mears partnership, followed by our editorializing…
According to the two companies, the Mears Transportation fleet will be incorporated into Brightline’s door-to-door booking service, Brightline+. This is available on its mobile app and website, and Brightline+ enables guests to easily plan and book their entire journey within one seamless transaction.
Additionally, Brightline guests wishing to reserve a car may enjoy special rates when booking through Brightline’s preferred partnership with Avis Car Rental. (This one strikes me as odd. The whole reason I’d use Brightline is to avoid having to hassle with a car and parking. Why take the train at all if you’re going to end up driving? Just drive the entire route!)
The new Brightline+ Shared Connect Shuttle and Luxury Private Ride powered by Mears allow guests to effortlessly extend their journey by reserving transportation to and from Orlando International Airport’s Brightline train station. Reservations can be made during the booking process or added by modifying a trip closer to travel dates beginning October 4, 2023. Once booked, guests will receive a reservation confirmation directly from Mears with travel instructions including driver details, pickup location and vehicle identifiers.
“Last mile connectivity is an integral piece of the travel experience for our guests, Mears is the respected transportation leader in Central Florida and will be a valuable partner delivering our Brightline+ service in Orlando,” said Michael Lefevre, vice president of operations for Brightline. “Mears Transportation is familiar to Orlando travelers and a brand that aligns seamlessly with the level of hospitality our guests know and love.”
“As an Orlando based company, we are excited to welcome Brightline to Orlando and the Brightline guests traveling to and from the Orlando Station,” said Rebecca K Horton, Mears Transportation Group COO. “What a great addition to the Orlando area, connecting people between South and Central Florida! Brightline guests will have the opportunity to use Mears Luxury & Mears Connect services, pending their destination. We are grateful for the partnership with Brightline and our team is eager to get started.”
BRIGHTLINE+ IN ORLANDO
- Shared Connect Shuttles Powered by Mears: Say hello to Orlando’s exclusive 24/7, Florida-themed shuttle service. Connect to and from Orlando International Airport and Walt Disney World Resorts. This shared shuttle service provides access to over 25 popular hotels. One-way adult fares start at just $16, and child fares begin at $13. Kids 3 and under ride for free.
- Luxury Private Rides Powered by Mears: For guests seeking to elevate their Orlando travels to the level of luxury they’ve come to expect from Brightline+, there’s Luxury Private Rides powered by Mears. Arrive in style at your Orlando destination aboard a carefully curated fleet of luxury sedans, plush SUVs, and versatile vans. Elegance is just a booking away, with rates starting at $63 per vehicle.
BRIGHTLINE+ IN SOUTH FLORIDA
- Fixed Route Shuttles: offer pickup and dropoff service to and from Brightline MiamiCentral and Fort Lauderdale Stations with complimentary shuttles to and from Aventura Mall at Brightline Aventura Station. Shuttles depart 10 minutes after each train arrival.
- Airport Shuttles: bi-directional, fixed route shuttles provide pick ups at Miami International Airport (MIA) and Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport (FLL) at a flat rate of $10 per person and can be paid upon boarding shuttles.
- Neighborhood Electric Vehicles powered by Circuit: complimentary, all-electric, walk-up, first-and-last-mile shuttle with services around stations and nearby downtown areas in West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale and Miami.
- Special Event Shuttles: offer complimentary direct service to select games and events including the Miami Heat, Miami Marlins, Inter Miami, Miami Dolphins and events at Hard Rock Stadium.
- Scooter rentals, BrightBike and CitiBike rentals are available at all south Florida stations.
BRIGHTLINE+ UBER ORLANDO & SOUTH FLORIDA
Brightline passengers can utilize private rides powered by Uber and its multiple mobility options in Central and South Florida, which can be reserved during the train booking process on the Brightline app or website. This Brightline+ service includes complimentary private rides available for PREMIUM ticket holders within a five-mile radius of all Brightline South Florida stations (Miami, Aventura, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton and West Palm Beach).
BRIGHTLINE MIAMI-ORLANDO TICKETS
Tickets between Orlando and Miami are now on sale for travel through March 2024 with one-way SMART fares starting at $79 for adults and $39 for kids. Groups of 4+ automatically save an additional 25% on SMART fares. One-way PREMIUM fares start at $149, a first class experience with added amenities including a dedicated PREMIUM lounge, priority boarding, checked luggage, and complimentary snacks and beverages throughout the journey.
In terms of commentary, it’s good that Brightline and Mears Connect are integrating. To be perfectly honest, I think this is probably going to come close to the level of efficiency offered for Walt Disney World guests utilizing the eventual Brightline Station near Disney Springs or Universal Orlando. Since Walt Disney World won’t be involved with that, you’re still going to need to take third party transportation to get to an on-site hotel. That either means a bus of some sort, or rideshare service.
One thing I wouldn’t use is the Mears Luxury Private Rides. No offense to Mears, but their selling points are cheapness and convenience. We only recommend Mears Connect when the math makes it the least expensive option and money is worth more than time on your vacation. Otherwise, there are faster and better options than Mears.
I’ve had enough experiences with this company over the years to be thoroughly convinced they are not the name to turn to for luxury or efficiency. Look, I like McDonald’s, but if they add a $300 Kobe beef steak to the menu, I’m not ordering it. That’s not why I’m there. Same deal with Mears and luxury. There are a bunch of better options from MCO for that, if it’s what you desire. (See our Guide to Airport Transportation to Walt Disney World.)
Beyond that, the jury is still out on efficiency of the Brightline and Mears integration. There’s nothing to say you couldn’t book Mears Connect from the Brightline Station at MCO previously, this just seems to streamline the booking process. That’s good, I guess, but the real test will be how many airline passengers and Brightline passengers use Mears Connect. It needs to reach the right scale for there to be actual efficiency.
I’ve done a lot of solo trips to Walt Disney World this year, and thus, airport shuttles have been the most economical option for me. (When it’s both of us, we use Uber or Lyft.) In fact, I’ve used Mears Connect Driven by Sunshine four times since the two shuttle services merged over the summer. With the benefit of hindsight, I’m honestly shocked that it took so long. No matter when I’ve landed at MCO, the departures area for Mears Connect Driven by Sunshine has been dead.
Granted, it’s the off-season, so this is to be expected to some degree. Additionally, I have flexibility in when I travel, so I target the least-busy (more importantly, cheapest). Still, MCO as a whole has been surprisingly busy–rental car counters aren’t exactly slow, and rideshare prices aren’t low. Nevertheless, there have been times when I’m literally the only one in the Mears area, and I’ve yet to be one a bus that is more than 20% full.
On two different occasions, I’ve been placed on a private van instead of a bus–presumably for the sake of efficiency. A couple other times, I sat and waited for a really long time for others to arrive before the nearly-empty bus departed. Perhaps this is just luck–and my sample size is pretty small–but I can’t imagine that Mears Connect is truly busy at any point right now. That’ll undoubtedly change in mid-October through December, but based on my recent experiences, it’s little surprise that competing shuttle services from Orlando International Airport to Walt Disney World were unsustainable.
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you think about Brightline and Mears Connect partnering for last-mile (or miles) service to Walt Disney World? Will you use high-speed rail to get between Miami and Orlando International Airport? Hopeful that Disney will rethink the decision and be actively involved with the station near Disney Springs? Have you used Mears Connect Driven by Sunshine post-merger? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback—even when you disagree with us—is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
Horay for this service’s start! Now we need the Tampa leg, or the Mears bus from Tampa while we wait for the track to be built. I was so looking forward for a trip on the train to my transatlantic cruise departing Miami but had to book a plane. Now I’m sorry to have had ants in my pants and have to wait until spring. Maybe by then I’ll get my wish.
We took the Mears bus from the Orlando Airport to the Wilderness Lodge in August of 2023. We stayed at the Lodge for two days before a cruise on the Disney Fantasy, which was terrific. Unfortunately the ride on the Meats bus was awful! It took 1 & 1/2 hours and I was nauseous at the end of it. I would NEVER
use Mears again unless they offered me an express ride to the resort. It was not offered to us because we just needed transportation one way.
Used Mears the Wednesday after Labor Day. This was so time consuming got on the coach @130pm and arrived at the resort(after two other drop offs) at 315pm. Driver winged the luggage underneath and upon arrival got one of our luggage and then starting helping other riders when asked to get our other luggage he was not happy. It states gratutity for good service. Suffice to say the tip was not earned and went back into my pocket. I’m thinking of other options before using mears again
We have used Mears when it was offered by Disney in the past. We switched to Sunshine Flyer once Disney’s partnership went by the wayside and had no problems. My last trip in Aug/Sept. we used Mears after the merger. Pick up at the airport was smooth, but return trip pick up was chaotic. I was ready in the lobby 30 minutes before our pickup with 2 children. We took turns using the restroom and as I was returning to the lobby I saw a Mears van driving away. This was 25 minutes before my scheduled time. I waited and finally 30 minutes after our pickup time called. I was on hold for quite a while and finally got someone saying they were having bus issues and someone would be on their way. A bus came shortly after and the driver said he just got the assignment. We made it to the airport, but the whole process was nerve wracking to me. Mears needs to get their act together for me to use them again.
I didn’t see it in the article (possible I missed it?), but I’m curious how long the train takes. I would love to take high speed rail and might pay a little more not to drive, but if I’m hauling from a cruise to MCO to get the most of my day in the park, I need to save enough time on the train to make up for the logistical headaches of multiple trip segments, as opposed to cruise ship—> rental car—>hotel.
We often travel as a party of 4 or 5, so I don’t think there’s any way it will be cheaper (between train and Ubers)—but I could justify more money if the “high speed” was actually high enough to save time.
I believe the train is, on average, only 30 minutes faster than driving. So there’s no way it’s going to save you time over renting a car after you factor in the transfers.
I can see this as a solid option for a Land and Sea vacation where you spend a few days at Disney but are then cruising out of Fort Lauderdale. Taking the train would be a lot more fun than renting a car just for a 3.5 hour drive!
That’s exactly how we’re thinking that we’ll end up using it. Or doing a weekend getaway to Miami and not wanting to deal with a car (or pay for pricey hotel parking).
We also love the experience of riding the rail, and hate hassling with a car. That’s probably an ‘unpopular opinion’ among most Americans, though.
“Brightline’s Florida project is the first privately-funded passenger rail built in the United States in over 100 years.” wow, that’s a long time. I really hope this works and we get more routes like this (LA to Vegas makes sense, personally I’d love to see high-speed rail from Columbus – Indianapolis – Chicago). The price seems a bit steep – that’s about double what a high speed train from Rome to Venice (a longer trip) would cost. But hopefully it works out. If you buy the 4-pack that’s closer to the costs of high speed rail in Italy or Japan.
I’m guessing the prices for HSR tickets will always be higher in the United States than Europe or Asia because the adoption rate will be so much lower.
Southern California’s commuter trains (not HSR) are normally expensive, but have special summer and weekend prices that are quite cheap. We’ve used them several times for trips to DTLA, Dodgers games, Universal Studios Hollywood, Pasadena, etc. I love it.