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!
One thing I haven’t seen mentioned (and pardon if I missed it), is an answer to this question…are there other hotels that offer pick up service from the airport in the Buena Vista/Kissimmee area? I live in a major tourist city and so many of our hotels have shuttles. Even if you have to pay a small fee like $7 or $10 it would be worth the stay.
It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to visit, but I’m revving up to change that. Back in the day there were hotels that offered shuttle to the parks to get you to stay there. Does that even still exist?
I decided to fly for the first time ever to Florida for the birthday because rental cars are now double the price of an airline ticket. I knew Disney would pick me up this year, but that is going to stop next year. I would like to start thinking ahead to just where I might stay in the coming years.
This post makes me so happy. Finally it seems like people are starting to rethink their vacation plans because of Disney’s packing the parks and nickle-and-dimeing us. It was the resort hotel parking fees that ended my on-site stays years ago – on principle. Now, I couldn’t be happier at the Disney Springs area hotels or Swan/Dolphin (at least their resort fees come with a low rack rate). I think the magic will return some day. It will just take some pushback from the frequent visitors (fewer/shorter trips) and maybe new leadership in the company.
Everything’s coming up Milhouse!
The new shuttle is not magical. All the other parks and resorts probably had a huge party when Disney announced the end of Magical Express – this is such a fantastic boost for their market share and such a blow for Disney’s. I agree that the on-site advantage is almost completely gone and dismembering the magic is short-sighted. I’ll miss “the bubble” next year while driving my rental car to Universal. I’ll always miss the way Disney used to be. In a couple of years we’ll say, “Remember when Disney was the number one Florida vacation destination?”
There are hundreds if not thousands of people out there who will gladly take my place, should I choose not to go, and not rue the loss of the specialness of the experience. As long as we keep going and opening our wallets nothing will change for the better. At nearly 70 and a lifelong Walt Disney fan I realize nothing is static. But the changes seem to only diminish the sense of enchantment and overall experience of Disney.
@Grizz yes multiple times. Plus Zimmerman International is a tiny airport. Short lines, private security vs TSA, short waits for rental cars, etc. When Allegiant flew direct for $120 RT it was not even a question. Uber is around $10 more each way, and the drive is only about 15 minutes longer at most.
@Aaron plus those airport shuttles have always been expensive in any city. Cheaper than filthy cabs sometimes, but more than Uber or Lyft.
@Drew (and Tom) I agree it’s the cumulative sum of the nickel-and-diming. That’s why I left my previous long-term employer and we’re no longer friends. What I see with the huffing and puffing online is that the largest whiners about this are the same ones who buy $100 stuffed animals and such on trips, so this dollar amount is inconsequential in the big picture of a trip cost. The resort parking fee is ludicrous and a much larger charge. Same with ‘resort fees’ whatever that is supposed to be, like the ‘surcharge’ or other nonsense fees they add on when you decide to contest a bad traffic ticket in court. I kind of understand hotels charging for parking in dense urban areas where real estate is a premium and parking garages are very expensive, but not at WDW where the lots have been there for years. I agreed with Tom’s assessment that if they’d just bumped room rates up slightly instead, nobody would’ve cared or said anything.
I think that without the crazy modern crowds, people would tolerate the fees. But when you add in the longer waits and perceived value of things like Fastpass-Minus, EMH, etc that are now gone, folks are fed up. I hate the stupid Park Pass system only allowing AP to reserve 3 days when staying offsite. That’s BS! My family who aren’t AP bought 8 day tickets, and were able to get PP for all days. Guess I need to call and wait on hold and complain. As it is, looks like I will have to buy a one day park ticket to get in MK on the 1st. And I doubt the computer will allow a park pass ressie for that without CM intervention. Maybe I should’ve bought an 8 day ticket then had them upgrade it to an AP at the ticket booth.
Over the past year, the magic has been stripped away. Not sure who’s at fault (Chapek?) but it seems that Disney used the pandemic to do a complete overhaul. “Free” magic bands, parking, and Magical Express are/will be gone, extra magic hours are extremely limited, fast passes will now be a paid option (I’m sure), who knows if MNSSHP & MVMCP will return, the Disney Family website has been retired (it was a great resource for thousands of Disney crafts, recipes, activities, free printables that brought some of the magic into our homes), the list goes on. I just don’t understand why all of the magic is being stripped away and yet prices continue to skyrocket. I’m feeling very disenchanted right now, because it seems like Disney cares more about the bottom line and less about the guest experience. Maybe one of their solutions should have been to not offer all of the freebies to guests staying at 3rd party affiliate hotels (no magic bands, no 60-day fast passes, no 180-day dining reservations, no extra magic hours, etc.) Maybe then guests would have been more inclined to stay at a Disney-owned resort. At this point, I just don’t understand where Disney is going with their long-term vision.
Based on the price of parking ($20/night at CSR) and the size of vehicle we would need to fit all our passengers and luggage, we will go this route. I’d obviously prefer free Disney Magical Express but, I’m also used to paying for transport in places like Vegas.
I went ahead and booked for Oct 2022 so I may get introductory pricing as I also expect this to increase. We’ll see if there are other options prior to the trip. Just happy to have one more thing ‘taken care of’ and off my ‘to do’ list.
HAPPY LIMO! we use them all the time going from resort to cruise. . The big plus for us is they will stop ( no charge) for 15 minutes. So we stop and grab wine before sailing ( each can carry on two bottles )
Now that we won’t have ME to the resort , we will use them from airport to resort now too- and yep, will make a stop on the way!
Ps- they also have car seats. The ride after us (2020) needed one so driver had it in the car.
So needs will handle the luggage or not? Do you make reseversation threw disney or is there a phone number? Thanks for the update as I have trip planned at Easter and if I can make reversation now I would like to do it and not worry about it.
I looked at both the Swan and the Dolphin resorts while planning next year’s visit to Disney. I found them incredibly expensive considering what you get. With parking and their added fees ($35 plus tax), they were considerably more expensive than renting DVC points and staying at a Deluxe Villa.
Since Disney is cheaping out on nearly everything, we’re holding off booking until we see if Disney renews the military discounts on the park tickets next month. Also waiting to see if they do some form of FastPass now the parks are back to capacity & if they go back to 180 days on dining reservations. Without those perks, we’ll be changing plans and headed to Universal. Disney’s greed is Universal’s gain.
I am glad that this will be an option for people with mobility issues, but it is so disappointing that it will now come at an additional cost. We always travel to Disney World with my parents – for my father, it is really the only “easy” vacation left for him. I know it might sound crazy to refer to WDW as an easy vacation, but for my dad, a man in his 70s living with Parkinson’s disease, it is one of the few manageable vacations he can enjoy with my children. For folks who rely on a wheelchair, ride shares are just not a reliable option, and for those folks with motorized wheelchairs, rentals aren’t an option either. It’s a little bit of heartbreak (if not at all surprising) to know that for Disney, the bottom line meant more than that segment of its park goers.
We booked our reservation one year in advance for Easter week. At that time we paid a premium rate with the thought that we would use the Disney transportation, a meal plan, early access and other perks. All of which are now being cancelled. I believe we should get a discount on our 3 rooms we researched. This is a crock!
That pricing is ridiculous. So your typical family of 4 spends $120 on round trip shared shuttle service. No thanks. And very unmagical. We’re renting a car and it’s $112 for 3 days.
It’s back! In pog form!
For one guest it’s doable and will be my first choice. I just bring carry on so no luggage handing isn’t an issue. Agree that onsite hotel perks have been gutted and all guests should look hard at offsite alternatives. As repeat guests, many of us became comfortable in our vacation routine. That vacation has dramatically changed and not for the better.
@Mike it varies quite a bit due to “surge” pricing that fluctuates based on the time of day you arrive and the demand…but most of the time it’s between $30-$40 when you include a tip for the driver. I’ve paid as little as $21 and as much as $45 though.
How much is an Uber/Lyft roughly from the airport? We’re a childless couple so trying to work out what will be cheaper.