Disney’s Magical Express Successor Coming in 2022 via Mears Connect
Earlier this year, Walt Disney World made the bombshell announcement that Disney’s Magical Express is ending in 2022. This post details the spiritual successor to that, Mears Connect, which will be the new shuttle from Orlando International Airport to hotels next year. (Updated May 31, 2021.)
When announcing the end of Magical Express, Disney attributed the decision to the rise of Uber of Lyft, saying there has been an the expansion of transportation options for guests: “Vacationers have more options to choose from than ever for transportation, including ride-share services that save time and offer more flexibility to go where they want, when they want.”
As we’ve pointed out, Disney’s Magical Express is operated by Mears and not Disney itself. This is why Mears Connect is a spiritual successor to Magical Express–it’ll literally use the exact same buses, just minus the Disney-branded wraps. Mears is a transportation company with coach buses and taxis that enjoyed a virtual monopoly on Orlando for years. That is, until Uber and Lyft debuted, at which point Mears sued in an attempt to protect their marketshare.
As with many Central Florida tourism-centric businesses, Mears faced significant challenges last year, furloughing and laying off a large portion of its workforce. This led us to speculate that the original announcement about Magical Express ending resulted from a relationship breakdown between Walt Disney World and Mears, with an alternative offering potentially coming down the road from either or both.
Mears Transportation Group since announced exactly that, releasing a statement that the company will continue offering transportation services to visitors between the airport, area theme parks, and resorts. Starting January 2022, Mears is launching a new service called “Mears Connect.”
According to Mears, this announcement is being made in direct response to overwhelming demand and inquiries by future guests to Central Florida’s theme park and resort areas. Earlier this year, in reaction to news reports of changes in transportation service between the Walt Disney World area and Orlando’s International Airport, Mears made clear their intention, “to continue offering transportation services between the airport and all area theme parks and hotels to meet the demand of our visitors now and in the future.”
Per the company’s press release, “Mears Connect will offer the same safe and reliable service the company has provided millions of guests for decades.” The Mears Connect service will initially operate between the Orlando International Airport and resorts in the Walt Disney World area.
Mears Connect will provide fast and convenient transportation service for visitors in high occupancy vehicles, thereby reducing traffic and lowering environmental impacts. Guests can expect scheduled service, luggage handling, convenient airport terminal staging, and return trips from resorts to the airport.
“We plan to offer the same level of experience, service, and convenience we’ve provided for the last 16 years, on behalf of our longtime partner, as returning guests and first-time visitors can expect nothing less,” said Roger Chapin, a Mears spokesman.
“It is important for visitors to know they still have many of the same safe transportation options for their Orlando visit, all offered by the same company who has been providing seamless, economical, and hassle-free transportation for decades.”
In addition, Mears will offer enhancements to ensure greater convenience and vehicle options. Pricing for all services will be announced later this year, along with the launch of a custom reservation platform.
Per the Mears Connect website, reservations were originally starting in May 2021 (see above). However, this page has been updated and simply states that reservations will begin in “Summer 2021” (see below). It’s entirely possible that this is a normal and unremarkable delay. Mears might be working on ironing out specifics, building its booking system, etc.
However, it’s also possible that the same bus driver shortage that Walt Disney World is experiencing is also negatively impacting Mears’ efforts to get Connect off the ground. As we recently reported, Disney has contracted with outside companies from as far away as Miami to provide additional bus coverage (if you’ve seen Academy-branded buses at the parks or resorts, that’s why).
While the Central Florida labor shortage is particularly pronounced right now, the difficulty finding bus drivers is not a new development. Walt Disney World has offered signing bonuses for bus drivers the last several years. We don’t anticipate that this will prevent Mears Connect from debuting on its January 2022 timeline, but it very well could impact pricing. If labor costs more and the indirect competition (Uber, Lyft, rental cars) are all more expensive, Mears Connect will also have higher price points.
Obviously, Mears Connect will not be a direct successor to Disney’s Magical Express to the extent that it won’t offer Disney branding, on-ride videos featuring characters, music, or any other Disney intellectual property. So from that perspective, it’s sure to be a disappointment for many Walt Disney World fans looking for a “Disneyfied” way to start and finish their trip.
There’s also the practical reality that this will not be free, or built into the cost of hotel reservations. So those are two big strikes against this right off the bat, which may make Mears Connect a total non-starter for many Walt Disney World visitors.
However, the problem and concern many of you expressed in the 542 comments to the original announcement was that there were no good alternatives, period, to Disney’s Magical Express. Its retirement would either require using Uber or Lyft, hiring a private transportation service, or renting a car.
Many people are downright uncomfortable with some or all of those options. There’s also the practical reality that rental cars and rideshare services have all soared in price this summer as those also experience significant shortages. We’re hopeful most of that will resolve itself by January 2022, but there are no guarantees.
Mears Connect should adequately address all of that. It sounds like it’ll essentially be the same service, in the same vehicles, with the same staff. From a continuity perspective, that’s about as good as it gets.
The wild cards at this point are really just pricing, scheduling, and frequency. All of that will likely be driven by the guest adoption rate for Mears Connect, which we’re guessing will be reasonably high. (Especially if Orlando International Airport continues to have a rental car shortage, thus driving up the price of rental cars…plus Uber and Lyft along with them.)
For years, we used Super Shuttle to get between Disneyland and Los Angeles International Airport. It was an awful company and that service is no longer offered, but that’s not really the point here. For all of its faults, Super Shuttle was fast and relatively inexpensive–we regularly paid $10 to $25 per person, and that’s for a much longer distance than WDW to MCO.
Our expectation would thus be similar pricing–and much better service, comfort, and efficiency–for Mears Connect’s routes between Walt Disney World and the airport. Having a similar schedule and routes to Disney’s Magical Express but charging $20 per person sounds about right. For many families, the economics of that won’t work out and Uber/Lyft or a rental car will make more sense. For others, Mears Connect will be perfect.
The other silver lining that could come out of this is Mears expanding its airport shuttle service to the Swan & Dolphin, Bonnet Creek Resorts, Disney Springs Resort Area Hotels, Hyatt Regency, and other options that are more or less on-site.
This would be great for guests of those properties and facilitate more Walt Disney World guests staying in third party hotels. It would also be a way for Mears to poke Disney in the eye, so to speak. Heck, Mears Connect could even service the resorts at Universal Orlando, which could help those hotels–and hurt Disney in the process.
As we’ve been saying for a while, Walt Disney World’s on-site advantage is disappearing. This should be yet another reason to look at nearby third party hotels–some of which are even on-site–before booking your 2022 Walt Disney World vacation.
If you’ve never even considered venturing outside the “Disney Bubble,” we would strongly encourage you to rethink that and check out our Off-Site v. On-Site Walt Disney World Hotel Comparison for a balanced assessment of the pros & cons.
Ultimately, this is a positive development who we’re upset with the practical side of the news about Disney’s Magical Express being retired. While we’re not the biggest fans of Mears taxis, their service with coach buses to and from Orlando International Airport has been solid. The downside is that it’ll cost money, making it “worse” than Disney’s Magical Express from that perspective, but almost certainly “better” than the alternatives presented by ride-share or rental cars.
For those who were upset at the emotional side of the news that Disney’s Magical Express would end, this doesn’t really change anything. Unless Mears works out some licensure deal, this will not be the same magical service…even though it’s literally the same service. There’s still an outside possibility that Walt Disney World will introduce its own shared airport transportation service before the start of 2022, but with this development, we now find that highly unlikely. Mears Connect is probably it.
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 of this Mears Connect news? Will you use the service, or is the lack of “Disneyfication” make it a non-starter for you? Will you opt for Mears Connect over Uber, Lyft, or renting a car? Thoughts on pricing, efficiency, or anything else regarding Mears Connect? What do you think about Walt Disney World ending Disney’s Magical Express? Other thoughts on this? 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!
I usually stay at Shades of Green so I’m used to having to use other transportation. I can say that car services are definitely more expensive, but starting off vacation feeling like a celebrity is fun and very relaxing. Plus most car services will stop at a store so you can offset the cost of the service if you grab some food and beers.
Ah, ok, then I’m mistaken. Thanks for that info, I wasn’t aware.
This is great to hear, but it likely won’t be the “no-brainer” that DME was for many. On the bright side, we’ll see resort rates go down now that MDE isn’t included, right?? Okay, maybe not…
Back at the time of the first announcement, I speculated that the end of Magical Express was just a brinksmanship move during negotiations between Mears and Disney (equivalent to the supposed removal of Spider-man from the MCU, resolved as soon as Sony realized they needed Disney more than Disney needed Spider-man). *If* that was so, then this is Mears’ countermove and the outcome will likely depend on just how strongly fans react to having to pay for the service, having to book separately from the Disney reservation, and the lack of Disney branding on the buses. Rationally, these should make little difference but the Disney Bubble has always been more about romance than reason. It might turn out Disney has the stronger hand after all.
Of course I’m just speculating. I really don’t know whether Disney and Mears are playing chicken with each other, or if one (or both) of them simply decided they didn’t need the partnership any more. At this point neither would surprise me.
I think this is probably the end of the matter, but I hope you’re right.
“the Disney Bubble has always been more about romance than reason.”
That’s a great line, and so true.
Disney is just plain losing its magic, little by little, day by day. So sad! To bad we can’t bring Walt back to life in order to kick some greedy executive ass! What’s next? Charging money for fastpass? Charging for the buses connecting the parks to the Disney resorts? Doubling the room prices for the so called ‘value resorts’? And all this while continuing to cut cast member positions? Why not just put up a sign saying that the middle class ain’t no longer welcome?
I expected Mears to do something as its loosing major revenue by this being cut.
Disney is laughing all the way to the bank!!! People can still get in most part other than the theming and looks of the buses a similar ride to the resorts at no expense to Disney.
I just wonder on how the wait times will be as I am sure Disney had built in requirements on how long a guest would wait. Mears now controlling all aspects of it could have longer times between busses.
It comes down to how you want to spend the short amount of time you have on your vacation and your level of spending. Do you want to wait for a bus and then go to multiple resorts or go direct to your resort with your own private transportation? I just wonder how this will add up apples to apples in a comparison to a taxi/uber or private limo service.
I think it will greatly depend on how many people are in your group. The more people you have the more likely an uber or limo could be cheaper as this service will cost per person rather than flat price for the vehicle that can take 4-6 people at a time.
Very interesting development. Cant wait to see where the prices fall for this.
I used the Magical express the last several times I visited Disney and found it to be a very nice service that worked very well. I was sorry to hear they were ending it. The wait for the bus to leave was never exceptionally burdensome. I will agree with those saying the Mears price point will have a lot to do with whether this succeeds or fails an an effort. It was ” free” before ( built into your hotel price.) There needs to be a reasonable per family cost otherwise I also believe people will opt for an uber instead, same price for faster service. Its too bad that the current crop of executives running Disney don’t get the concept that even if they can, they shouldn’t charge customers for every tiny thing . It ruins the experience, and makes the “magic” just one more financial transaction. I would think a free bus ride from the airport when people are arriving to plunk down THOUSANDS would be a small concession from Disney. For some people, that cab ride cost is a significant hit on their wallet. What a shame they can’t understand this.
Probably makes more sense for my family to get a car service. Add a stop at a grocery store and we’d probably still arrive at Disney faster than waiting for the bus to fill and make all the stops. The Magical Express was great as a ‘free’ (or prepaid) option and it was wonderful to not worry about luggage and just be on vacation. Now, I’d just as soon have a direct, personal ride.
I still think that Disney will announce a new option. It doesn’t make sense for them to not offer an included ride to and from the airport. Keeping people from renting cars just keeps them (and their money!!!) on property.
Charging for parking and then dropping Magical Express are near the top of my list (maybe they are the top?) of penny pinching things Disney did since we started going that really annoyed me.
Thankfully, our first trip when we drove was before they charged for parking and our most recent was when they still had Magical Express.
Hopefully this ends up being a reasonable alternative for a lot of guests.
As someone who has used both, I disagree with you. But that why we have different options, everyone has different preferences and requirements.
I think you’re slightly downplaying the fact that this is a price increase on a Disney vacation. I book my room with DVC points. My annual cost for DVC isn’t going down. Any rooms booked directly through Disney presumably won’t receive a discount because there’s no Magical Express I assume.
I realize you mentioned the cost twice and I guess there isn’t much to say as long as the rate isn’t known. But continuity, how Disneyfied it is, etc. should take a back seat to the fact that this is less value for the same money from Disney. (Not being critical of you. I assume you’ll hear complaints about a new cost a lot though.)
“My annual cost for DVC isn’t going down.”
Yes it will. The cost of DME is reflected in DVC maintenance fees.
Now, if you said you were an annual hotel guest, you’d have a VERY valid point. DVC members are just a bad example and not the ones to be making that point.
I will wait to hear what the pricing is before I make final judgements. But so far, kudos to Mears for offering this service! If I ever decide to pay Disney’s ridiculously high resort charges again, I would certainly be interested in the Mears service if the price is reasonable.
Hi Tom
I’m glad to hear mears will be running a new coach service for Disney world visitors as grandparents from uk who travel with little kids this is putting the icing back on top of the cake
I’m glad to hear this. Hopefully it won’t be too expensive and it will be great to have help with luggage. Always had good service in past.
Yeah, that’s what I was wondering too. How convenient of Disney to just gloss over that part of the new upcharge for hotels.
This really is a great reason to try out third party hotels, and save some of the money that one now has to spend on transportation. Though, in general…I do approve of the buses for environmental reason, and of Mears being able to set (hopefully reasonable) prices for a service they’ll now be able to control.
I have to say, we used Uber to get back to the airport and liked it a lot – in a regular car, you can actually attach the car seat, which is a HUGE plus and I think a selling point for many parents.
It was not very expensive, and we could schedule it so that the driver showed up when we wanted to go – instead of Magical Express, for which we sat around for two hours after arriving at the airport. Magical Express also magicked away our luggage, which didn’t get to our hotel until many hours later – after bedtime for our exhausted child, which then woke her up.
While I do love the convenience of having the express included in the hotel cost, in reality it was not as good as Uber. Once you’ve downloaded the Uber app and used Uber once, I think Mears loses that customer forever.
I think my biggest disappointment is the luggage transfer. I know not everyone was comfortable with it, but we loved it.
The price point will have to come in pretty significantly below Uber/lyft to justify dealing with a likely longer wait for the bus to get going and the probability that there will be multiple hotel stops.
So Disney will decrease their prices a little to account for this new expense for their patrons and the fact that this service is no longer “built in” to their resort costs right? Seems logical. Also, with just as likely of odds, I will now be expecting the sun to rise in the West.
This makes me happy. Unfortunate it’s not “free” anymore ha. But I can work with this.