One thing we’re most sad about is that Disney’s Magical Express retired back in 2020. It was one of our favorite parts of staying at a Disney resort!
But as they say, out with the old, in with the new!
While there’s no free options for getting to and from the airport, there are a variety of different options and we’ve tested them out!
Here’s all the transportation options when it comes to getting to and from the Orlando airport.
How to Get from the Airport to Disney World
1. MEARS Connect
Cost: About $16 per person one way
Starting out with our preferred choice when it comes to Disney transportation is MEARS Connect. In a nutshell, this is exactly like Disney’s Magical Express (except you have to pay for it).
We’ve used MEARS Connect before and it was great! There are both large buses (like the Magical Express buses) as well as shuttle vans.
For our last trip to Disney they picked us up in a shuttle van. It was very spacious for my family of 7 as well as the family of 4 that were also with us. The driver was kind, courteous and helpful.
This transportation service is kid friendly (kids under 3 ride free), wheelchair accessible and is the only shuttle service that welcomes walk-ups.
They do have a limited access to car seats if needed when using a shuttle van. We had our own car seats that we used.
Pros:
- Cheaper than Uber/Lyft
- Kid friendly
- 24/7 ride and customer service
Cons:
- Share a ride with other people
- Multiple stops
2. Uber/Lyft
Cost: About $50-60 one way
Another option that you have for transportation is Uber or Lyft! When we did a sister trip to Disney this is what we used. One tip is to have one person look on Uber and one person look on Lyft. We found BIG differences in price and wait times to get picked up.
We almost exclusively went with Lyft because it was cheaper and faster! Uber and Lyft are very familiar services to most people but if not, they’re app based taxi like services. You can pre-book your pick up which makes things a little easier and stress free or just order a car as needed.
Pros:
- Private rides
- No additional stops
Cons:
- More expensive than MEARS Connect
3. Away We Go Transportation
Cost: About $122 one way (fees and gratuity are included)
Another transportation service similar to MEARS is Away We Go. Unlike MEARS, though, you pay by vehicle and not by person. So the price is the same whether it’s 2 or 12! This option is great for larger families or larger groups.
You can also pay an extra $20 for them to stop by at the Publix for a prescheduled curbside pickup. We love doing grocery delivery or grocery pick up to save some money! Another option is doing a luggage drop-off and pick-up at the resorts and then they’ll drop you off/pick you up at the resort on your arrival/departure day. This does cost an additional $20.
Car seats are complimentary with Away We Go!
Pros:
- Private rides
- Complimentary car seats
- Offers grocery pick up
- Great for large groups
Cons:
- More expensive for less people
Which To Pick
So which one should you choose? This one is a bit of a “it depends” kind of answer.
We chose the MEARS Connect when we traveled with just 7 of us. It didn’t make sense to do Away We Go (more expensive) or Uber/Lyft (cars weren’t big enough for our whole family).
However, we chose Lyft/Uber when just my sister and I went because we wanted flexibility in our travel to and from the airport and it was just the 2 of us.
When we go to Disney next fall with 12 of us, we will likely be doing Away We Go since the cost just makes much more sense (about $384 for MEARS Connect vs $244 for Away We Go).
Overall, we hope this helps you know your options to make the right decision for you and your family!
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