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!
The Swolphin- now THAT’s funny! My new favorite mashup.
The biggest issue of all is car seats. Coming down with multiple small kids you can rarely find a ride share service with more than one car seat and you certainly don’t want to drag those around on planes.
Lol the title was a little misleading but appreciate the news. Wonder if WDW will pony up and have their own service with video of Disney stuff etc.
I’m always on the grounds and never need a rental. I will continue to use Mears. I have used them for many years. It’s as simple as that! I just hope there are not a lot of hotel drop offs and pickups. That could make a difference
Your title is a little click-baity. This service is no more a successor as Lyft, Uber, or a taxi would be. Regardless, I still expect Disney to comeback with a proper paid service as a successor to Magical Express. I wonder what you’ll title the article explaining that service since you’ve already used up the most accurate one.
It’s a bummer that they couldn’t work it out. Assuming the price per person isn’t astronomical, it’s really great to hear that this new service is available. And I really like that they will go to the on-property, non-Disney resorts too. We stayed at the Dolphin for a week a month ago and liked it so much that we booked a long weekend at the Swan for next month.
Before ME we used to take a Mears shuttle. It was costly but fine . We rented cars sometimes and drove our own car many times. But now they charge a fee to park your car at the resort so that is just more expense.
I believe there already is a shuttle service (for a fee) to Universal Orlando. We booked it at the same time as the rest of our (cancelled due to pandemic) summer 2020 Universal Orlando vacation as an add on directly on Universal’s website.
We go at least once a year, for a week+ Never looked at off site options because of the magic,. Vacation started as soon as we got on that bus. Now we’re considering our option Disney taking away too much and continues to charge the same $$$. Sham on you Disney
I will most definitely use this service unless it is at crazy high prices per person. The bus driver in April said Mears will have the same spot at the airport as well. Would I prefer the Magical Express service as it was? Of course. Given the alternatives tho, this is great. I’m super happy this is coming to fruition!
The more they remove from the “Magic” the more they will lose the guests that are loyal Disney guests. This is a convenience for families with children (no matter how many are involved) and older, seniors. When your vacation begins at your departure airport and the luggage and boarding pass on your exit keep the Magic going till you are on your plane home. Having to drag car seats and luggage and your kids is going to be a big deal after only one trip will be an eye opener. For those who say it was free or in your DVC contract, it is neither. That cost us rolled into the cost of the resorts and stay in some way. Well then since they keep cutting back on things is Disney going to start cutting back on the charges. Walt Disney would be really upset by the fact they are taking the Magic and affordability for families right out of the mix. They are becoming too bottom line centric and have forgotten who is spending their money at Disney. Disney needs to do a bit of introspective digging into their motives here.
They are using the same company. Why not just keep the magical express buses and I guess charge us if you’re gonna charge us! At least those buses made people exited about going to Disney! So disappointing!
Completely disappointed in Disney cancellation of the magical express. Nothing short of it’s return will make this bad decision right. We will use Means connect begrudgingly
I’ve been going to Disney way before there was a ME bus. We always had to pay to get to the resort. I most often go and meet friends and my local friend picks us up. Sometimes we Lyft so we don’t have to wait. We do occasionally take ME at least one direction. I’m torn on this. It won’t affect me too much. If I was still traveling with young kids/family, I’d be aggravated to pay extra to get there. Staying on property doesn’t really have any perks anymore-except for the thirty (!) minute early entry and maybe ease of getting to and from parks and your resort. I imagine I’ll use Lyft and hopefully the train in the future when I need a ride.
I booked our trip for April of 2020 as soon as they opened up the reservations for next year. Anticipated having the Disney bus from the airport. Every week they are coming out and changing many of the perks you get for staying on-site. We are taking 10 family members, so this no little expense, as we are already paying a lot more. Very disappointed.
I’m glad to hear that Mears will still be an available option, even if there’s a fee, and even if it’s not Disney-themed. I have no confidence in the safety of Uber or Lyft, so that’s out.
Ultimately I think Disney is blowing it. The loss of DME made me start researching rental cars, which prompted me to consider non-Disney parks (since we’d have a car to leave the bubble any time), which prompted me to research off-property resorts (eye-opening difference in price/amenities ratio vs. Disney), which led to researching houses for rent. We can get a 5-bedroom house for a week for the cost of two nights at Disney, and can invite a bunch of friends, who’ll each have their own bedroom and bathroom, we’d have a kitchen, and our own pool.
The more on-property perks that Disney drops, the more staying outside the bubble makes sense.
Really, losing DME with the luggage service is the last straw. The magic has been slowly being erased, and this has escalated with the pandemic. I refuse to pay up to stay on-site when the perks have largely disappeared. I am absolutely depressed by the changes we’ve tolerated over the years, including serving alcohol in MK. This just doesn’t feel like adherence to Walt’s vision.
Disney is getting Soooooo Greedy! Always and Constantly sticking it to their “Guests” . We’ve done 2 trips a year to DW for years and given them Tons of money! I’ve seen food quality decline, souvenirs become cheap and flimsy, and the dining plan become almost a joke. Even cast members (not all) have become less friendly. I hate gripping because I’ve always loved Disney. But now this? Taking away magical Express??! Terrible move Disney. Walt would be so very disappointed in so many things. He Always wanted it to be affordable for everyone. It’s sad. We will be holding off until there are positive changes.
When l would tell my friends about the benefits of staying onsite, I would usually tell them about checking your bags at your departure airport and the next time you saw them they were in your room…followed by the luggage and airline check in right at your resort on the day of departure. Guess I can’t brag on Disney’s behalf for this anymore.
It is disappointing that Mears and Disney are having issues. Last year i am sure is why everyone is looking at a way to cut costs. For me I would pay for Mears to take me and my family to WDW. Using Uber or Lyft is not something I would look at just safety wise. How do i know that an Uber driver is a safe driver. A bus driver at Mears is way safer as well as the bus. Going to WDW id not cheap are we going to be cheap getting there?