Guide to Mears Connect Airport Shuttle to Disney World
Mears Connect, the spiritual successor to Disney’s Magical Express, offers ground transportation between Orlando International Airport and Walt Disney World. This post covers pricing, hotels serviced by the shuttle, options, and everything you need to know based on our experiences using the service! (Updated June 21, 2025.)
Let’s start with a quick recap. Walt Disney World’s free shuttle service from MCO to the company’s resorts, Disney’s Magical Express, ended last year. Guests now need to find their own transportation from the airport to their hotel, and we cover the range of options in our Guide to Airport Transportation for Walt Disney World. There is no one-size-fits-all perfect solution; it depends on your party size, budget, and other factors.
Mears Connect is one of the options, and it’s actually a shuttle service by the same company that operated Disney’s Magical Express. In fact, Mears Connect literally uses the exact same drivers and buses, just minus the Disney-branded wraps. Some of the buses look very similar to the old ‘ocean-liner’ DME buses, with only Disney logos and characters removed.
Mears Connect is now operating, promising 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.
Mears Connect has two options: Standard and Express. The Standard level of service is a shared ride service on Mears Connect (bus or van) that is economical. The Connection will make a limited number of stops and will have you on your way to your resort. The Premium level is a direct service with limited to no wait time. Both include all tolls and other surcharges.
Note that Express is not private transportation. We mention this because we’ve booked the standard service and been put on small vans with guests who booked Express. The only advantage they received over us was that they were the first stop. (I also question that “limited to no wait time.” We all definitely waited!)
Here’s a look at current pricing as of Summer 2025:
We’ve now used Mears Connect well over a dozen times, and the service is pretty comparable to what we experienced with Disney’s Magical Express.
In Mears Connect Driven by Sunshine Review: Is Disney World’s Airport Shuttle Still Good?, I mention that the number of stops has increased. That review was from last year, and this issue has only worsened during non-peak times in 2025.
If familiarity is of paramount importance, Mears Connect should be your shuttle service of choice when flying into MCO and staying at one of the resorts below near Walt Disney World. This is literally the spiritual successor to Disney’s Magical Express in every regard–right down to its location on Side B.
The check-in process is incredibly simple, with guests arriving at this kiosk and scanning a QR code in their email and then being assigned to one of the lanes behind the podium. From there, guests are assigned to buses based on demand and locations.
Sound familiar?
Here’s one of the Mears Connect buses outside in the loading area.
When were here, everything was being done incredibly efficiently with no line whatsoever for the check-in podium and minimal wait to board a bus. With that said, there were times when Disney’s Magical Express was equally efficient, and other times when the lines stretched through the terminal. It’s impossible to judge this service based on one experience–the true test will be during a peak travel time, and this was not.
One thing to keep in mind is that Mears Connect is the spiritual successor to Disney’s Magical Express by virtue of using the same buses and drivers, but it’s not the only replacement. Launching around the same time as Mears Connect was the Sunshine Flyer, which was themed to old timey trains.
It didn’t last long. Sunshine Flyer and Mears Connect merged a couple of years ago. Although the companies didn’t state as much, the reason was obvious to me: insufficient demand to sustain both. The combined company, Mears Connect Driven by Sunshine, still operates as of 2025.
For some guests, Mears Connect will be perfect. Many guests, especially larger parties, will be better suited to use rideshare services like Uber and Lyft, or even private car services that charge by the vehicle instead of per person, and allow stops for groceries.
For solo travelers or couples, the math works out on Mears Connect. It’s going to be slightly cheaper than Uber or Lyft transportation between the hotel and airport the vast majority of the time.
However, the convenience, efficiency, and private ride offered by Uber or Lyft mean we’d take one of those ridesharing services over Mears Connect every single time. (Then again, we frequently took Uber over using Disney’s Magical Express even before this.)
For families with small children, Mears Connect might be a great option as it avoids hassles with car seats and provides more convenient transportation. For groups with only older kids or adults, the economics of Mears Connect won’t work out. Even if they’re unconcerned about convenience or efficiency, Uber or Lyft will win handily on cost.
For others, a rental car will make more sense. As with anything, there are undoubtedly additional personal considerations we aren’t taking into account in the Uber/Lyft v. Mears Connect v. rental car comparison. Your mileage may vary.
With that said, let’s take a look at hotels at and around Walt Disney World that will be serviced by Mears Connect…
ELIGIBLE DISNEY OWNED HOTELS (SPOILER: IT’S ALL OF THEM)
- Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort
- Disney’s All-Star Music Resort
- Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort
- Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
- Disney’s Pop Century Resort
- Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort
- Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
- Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort & Gran Destino Tower
- Disney’s Port Orleans Resort — French Quarter
- Disney’s Port Orleans Resort — Riverside
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
- Disney’s Beach Club Resort
- Disney’s BoardWalk Inn
- Disney’s Contemporary Resort
- Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
- Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
- Disney’s Wilderness Lodge (Listed as Fort Wilderness Lodge on the site)
- Disney’s Yacht Club Resort
- Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas — Kidani Village
- Disney’s Old Key West Resort
- Disney’s Riviera Resort
- Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
ELIGIBLE ON-SITE THIRD PARTY HOTELS
Signia by Hilton Orlando Bonnet CreekWaldorf Astoria OrlandoJW Marriott Orlando Bonnet Creek ResortWyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek- B Resort & Spa Lake Buena Vista
- Drury Plaza Hotel Disney Springs
- Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace
- Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista
- Holiday Inn Orlando
- Wyndham Lake Buena Vista
Four Seasons Resort Orlando- Shades of Green
- Walt Disney World Swan Hotel
- Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel
- Walt Disney World Swan Reserve
Eligible Off-Site Hotels
- Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center
- Orlando Marriott World Center
- Renaissance Orlando Resort & Spa
Strikethroughs are hotels that Mears Connect has stopped servicing since launch.
You can view pricing, FAQ, other info, and book reservations for Mears Connect here.
Ultimately, we think it’s great that Mears will continue offering transportation between Walt Disney World and area hotels. Meas Connect serves an important role for many guests; it’s good to see that the service is now operating smoothly and without any major issues.
As we’ve said since Walt Disney World announced the end of Magical Express, we maintain that this is an incredibly shortsighted and guest unfriendly decision that will have unforeseen negative long-term consequences for Disney. No point rehashing all of that here, though. Kudos to Mears for continuing the service in spirit–it’s not their fault that Disney discontinued Magical Express.
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 Mears Connect? Will you use the service, or is it too expensive for shared transportation? 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!
Always stayed on property. Used Magical Express once or twice but liked the convenience of having our own car and not having to rely on Disney transportation that can take forever to go just a few miles. A few years ago we made a late decision to go to Disney around the holidays and couldn’t find a Disney property resort for the dates we wanted. We ended up booking rooms in the Disney Springs area. It was wonderful! Walkways directly connect you to Disney Springs. We had the best restaurant reservations every night. The resort hotel and rooms beat any room we have ever had in Disney. We don’t have small children anymore so maybe my opinion would be different. But we’ve watched Disney World grow and expand and not all for the better. We used to go to Disney World every year, sometimes more than once a year. Now, to take the same vacations we used to take with our children would cost 6 months of mortgage payments. What I used to consider “crowded” then is a slow day today. Waits of 3 hours for one ride! Seriously. Then a few years ago, Disney had the nerve to charge daily parking fees. Their excuse was “everybody else does it”. But nobody else charges exorbitant prices fir mediocre accommodations. Magical Express seemed like a gold mine for Disney. They had a captive crowd. Without private transportation, families weren’t likely to spend a day at Universal Studios or go off Disney property for a meal. Maybe I’ve gotten too old or have just been Disney’d out, but Disney just has gotten too big, too crowded, too expensive and too price gouging to be very enjoyable any more. We still go but there are less expectations. If there is a 3 hour line for a ride that we really want to experience, we will wait in line. I don’t have hot, tired, hungry little kids with me.
@Butch. When you arrive at MCO, you will need to retrieve your luggage from baggage claim and take them to the Mears bus. Mears will then just load them on to the bus for you and they will give them to you when they drop you off. The perk of having the luggage waiting for you in your room after you return from the park is sadly over. The bus will also have no Disney branding or the welcome video. There is no longer any affiliation between Disney and Mears and they are just transporting you to and from the resort, just like an Uber or Lyft. The Magic is sadly gone.
So…much…complaining! Yes, I get it for families with small children and the car seat convenience. The rest of us will most likely use Uber. But nobody is going to just cancel and never go back to WDW because of this change.
Assuming the level of service/time from airport to hotel remains the same as it was when the service was Disney-branded, it absolutely makes sense for me to pay $32 round trip when I travel solo. That’s very reasonable compared to my other options and avoids a lot of fuss. For an upcoming trip with 7 adults, though…well, it still may be our best option since we’re probably going to be arriving on two different flights, but $224 round trip on a shared service stings a bit.
I miss the old days.
Have always driven to WDW from NJ…may have missed it along the way in previous posts, but, why did Disney decide to terminate DME? Was it a money loser?
Thanks for any readers able to give me the backstory…
Yes, discontinuing Magical Express is a huge mistake. This was a very unique part of a Disneyworld vacation which we couldn’t get staying off property. The kid’s were so excited when they saw the Magical Express coach. That signalled the start of a fun and exciting Disney vacation. It was part of the whole staying on property experience. Mears and Uber are just not the same. We can get that at any other non Disney Resort. We never rented a car and did not leave Disney Property at all. Spent all the money within Disney only. I would have been happy to pay a fee for Magical Express.
Between this and having to reserve online every move we make to get into the parks, dining etc. and still not be assured we can do what we want to do during a vacation, staying on property will just not be the same experience as it used to be. Keep taking away all the unique experiences and make everything highly structured and mainstream, we might as well stay off property in a Luxury Resort.
We used Magical Express exclusively when we traveled to or from MCO and our WDW resort. The luggage service was great, the wait wasn’t interminable, and as others have said, it got you right into the Disney bubble. I’m disappointed that Disney is doing away with ME, glad that Mears is picking up the service, disappointed that Mears or Disney isn’t doing a luggage service, and not particularly pleased at the cost of using Mears. However, I doubt that we will go back to renting a car at the airport, or using Uber or Lyft, because of the traffic. I shudder to think of how much worse the traffic will be if many of the people who used ME now rent a car or hire an Uber or Lyft ride.
One Big Question: When they say “Luggage Service Included” does that mean like it used to be with your bags showing up in your room? Or do they mean stored under the bus that you got off the luggage carousel in the airport? If the second one. Then not much of a Luggage Service (Secondly: has any one heard if they are bringing Baggage check in back to the on property resorts?)
For our family of 7 we’d need 2 Uber/Lyfts, pay about $200 for the standard service, or hire a car service van. (We are finally past the car seat stage). I guess I’ll be pricing all of these options for our 1/22 trip. I was really hoping this would be a little less expensive.
I don'[t think anyone will “happily pay the price” to Mears.
The people who make the decisions have made a huge mistake. Before I became a Florida resident, I enjoyed the Disney Magical bus as it was the beginning of a truly enjoyable and memorable vacation after our flight. This will no longer be the case and those who counted on Disney’s Magical Express will be sorely disappointed.
I agree that Lyft and Uber will be thrilled to now get the patronage of those who previously took the Disney bus. What Mears will charge for, let’s say say, a family of four is outrageous and they advertise this as an introductory bargain! That family would pay Mears $118.00 for the round trip! Shame on Disney for depriving their loyal guests the service they counted on!
Back in the Stone Age, Mears was one of the shuttles that everyone was using . From what I remember it was around the same pricing and made it more convenient just to use them. Yes, we would tug our luggage around with us. They didn’t have buses back then so it was large vans and also a longer wait for your ride. I think it was a mistake by Disney to end The Magical Express before the train service was closer to completion but who knows we might be surprised about an extension â€â™€ï¸ I think we have to hang in there, can’t see Disney causing turmoil.
I totally don’t believe this will be in anyway an “express” service! My one and only experience with Mears was in 2012 when staying at Buena Vista Palace for a conference I had to provide my own transportation. The driver took 2-1/2 hours to get me to my hotel from MCO! He stopped at every podunk resort. Had I known I’d have taken a taxi as this was before Uber. It was a freaking nightmare and I swore I’d never use them again.
Laura nailed it on the head. For families with young kids that need car seats, this service is a must-do, no matter what the cost is.
With a 2-year old and a 4-year old, I don’t want to have to carry two huge car seats to the airport, fly them to Orlando, strap them into an Uber or Lyft while the driver gets impatient, and then carry them into the hotel.
The Disney Magic Bus was nice because the price was “included” in the upcharged Disney hotel price, but I will still use the Mears bus and happily pay the price since I won’t have to bring car seats. I know you don’t have kids but you seem to be understating this benefit for young families.
You are right though that this “pops” the Disney bubble and since the bus travels to 3rd party hotels we are more likely to stay at a non-Disney hotel next visit. It may end up Disney thinks are saving money by me paying for the bus ride but in fact they are losing since I’ll pay for the bus to take me to the Four Seasons!
Totally overlooked the car seat angle. Thanks for the reminders, Will & Laura. Will update the story accordingly.
We like Magical Express as it’s convenient and was a great way to get into the Disney bubble straight away. But now I think we will look at all the options and decide from there. Mears looks like it’s not a huge cost, but if we can get to the resort faster using something else for similar price we may do that.
I agree with Adam. If they would have offered to use those same prices and picked up and taken the luggage to the hotel, perhaps I would stick with it. Hell I would be glad if Disney just offered to pick up my luggage and take it to the hotel. I’m not concerned about the shuttle. I’ll take Uber. It was the advantage of not having to pick up my luggage at baggage claim that I was happy with.
For us and other families of small children this option makes sense. We rely on Disney transportation while at Disney World, and so lugging 2 carseats for the sole purpose of getting to and from the airport isn’t worth it. But it can be hard to find an Uber with a carseat, and there are no options for if you need 2 carseats. The travel carseats you can buy usually start at 40 pounds, which our two 4-year-olds aren’t yet.
In a few years we may switch over to Uber, but for anyone with one, or especially more, children under age 5, this really helps fill a need
I don’t know how I feel about this but it seems affordable for larger families, which was something I was thinking about – for us at 3 people it isn’t a big deal but for larger groups or people with disabilities, or those who really appreciate the luggage help it really still kinda stinks. The nickel-and-diming of Disney continues and there’s really little benefit to staying on property every time. (For our Xmas trip we plan on off-property using your reviews because darn it Tom and Sarah you both are lifesavers!!!)
We haven’t used DME since 2019, but will use it this December. (We drove this time. I’m currently in my room at Kidani bemoaning the terrible food choices, well, we have Sanaa, but if you want breakfast options are limited at The Mara! I hope that changes. Wah poor me I’m at Disney having fun but hungry, lol.)
I’m still meh on the choice to discontinue DME. It is really gonna hurt a lot of families and between that, the lack of other perks, the price increases–Disney is becoming one of those out-of-reach vacation spots for lots of people and THAT really sucks. Thanks again for keeping us Disney nerds up to date on all the news and changes!
Not that it matters, but if Disney had transformed DME into a paid service, at these types of prices, I wonder how popular it would have been.
Personally, what made DME great for me was the luggage service. If they offered this type of pricing with the luggage service — where they retrieve your luggage for you, load it onto the bus, you next see it at your resort, that would be worth it.
To the extent that it’s just an airport shuttle, I have to go to baggage claim myself, etc… I may as well just uber.
“Not that it matters, but if Disney had transformed DME into a paid service, at these types of prices, I wonder how popular it would have been.”
Very is my bet. Guests would’ve complained about it, but ultimately most would’ve paid it. People possibly would’ve paid even more, especially if it’s an easy add-on during the vacation booking process that adds an insignificant (as compared to hotel and tickets) amount to the total package cost.
As a standalone offering booked via a third party, I doubt it’ll be utilized by nearly as many guests as before. Uber, Lyft, and rental cars become much more attractive…assuming all of those shortages are worked out by January 2022!