Most of the guests that visited Disney World in 2005 considered free bus service between the airport and the Disney complex to be a wonderful option. Visitors and their luggage were shuttled between MCO and their hotel without charge. They would deliver your luggage to your room.
Even if it appears it is free, there is always an ulterior motive. Hotel and theme park ticket prices went up a lot. Guests who stayed on Disney property without rental cars were more likely to spend their vacation money at Disney-owned parks, restaurants, souvenir shops, etc.
Brightline, a privately run inter-city rail company, announced a plan to expand their Miami-to-West Palm Beach train to MCO. They had long-term plans to expand to WDW and then to Tampa. We wondered if the train would be an option in addition to a replacement of DME.
We questioned if the days of DME were numbered after Richard Branson joined Brightline and formed a partnership with Virgin Trains USA.
After Disney confirmed they were talking to Brightline/Virgin about a potential station on their property, an agreement was made that the train would stop at Disney.
Disney ended their free bus service to and from MCO in February 2021.
Ride-share services that save time and offer more flexibility are some of the new transportation options vacationers can choose from. When Disney Resort hotel bookings open for stays in 2022, we will no longer offer Disney'sMagical Express service for airport transportation.
Guests will no longer be transported from MCO to WDW on January 1st. From the WDW resorts to MCO, the DME will continue through January 10th. Or, as the MCO Twitter guru put it.
Take me on and I will be gone.
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In 2022.
The DisneyMagical Express will leave from the airport on December 31st. Disney guests will be brought back to the airport until Jan 10.
December 29, 2021.
The Brightline stop at WDW was supposed to happen in 2023. That was delayed until 2026. Between now and then, Disney guests have to decide how they are going to get to the resort. There are several options, and they range from dirt cheap to hundreds of dollars.
A bus
The Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority runs the public bus system. It works well and it is cheap. The standard adult one-way fare is $2, with a single transfer valid for 90 minutes. All-Day Passes, 7-Day Passes, and 30-Day Passes are also available.
Here is a lot of information about Lynx.
A taxi.
There are still good old fashioned taxis in Central Florida. How much a taxi will cost from MCO to your hotel is dependent on prices.
Sharing a ride.
There is an app for that. There is a service called "lyft." Whatever. In the year of 2017, ride sharing was allowed at MCO. The prices for ride sharing have gone up a lot. Depending on a number of factors, such as geography, traffic delays, time of day, type of car you request, and more, you can expect to pay between $30 and $100 per carload. Either give or take.
You can connect with Mears.
The actual buses were owned and operated by a company called Mears Motor Coach.
It has been around for over 80 years. People used to pay for Mears Motor Coaches to shuttle them between the airport and Disney.
In April 2021, they announced that they would offer this transportation again. The same, reliable, safe express service would begin on January 1, 2022, after the end of DME. They initially didn't include prices, but now they do.
Standard Service is $16 per adult, $13.50 per child.
The Express Service is only available as a round trip fare at this time.
From Mears.
The Standard service is a shared ride service that is economical as the fare includes all tolls and other surcharges. Within 20 minutes of your check-in to the reception area, the Connection will make a limited number of stops and will take you to your resort.
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The Express service is limited to no wait time and is the only way to get to your resort. All tolls and other surcharges are included in this service. Express service may be shared.
The rates are being advertised as "introductory". They were correct as of January 22nd.
The flyer is called the sunshine Flyer.
The bus service between MCO and Disney is new to the area. February 1, 2022, is when it will launch.
The company that runs The Sunshine Flyer is called Transportation Management Services. They have been operating for 25 years and serve over 250 cities through 2000+ fleet partners.
The staff will be dressed as 1920s rail conductors and engineers, and the buses will be modeled after old-fashioned passenger cars and locomotives. Each bus will have a bathroom and a charging point.
There are tickets available. A one-way ticket will cost $17 per adult and $12.50 per child, and a round-trip ticket will cost $34 per adult and $25 per child.
Private car service.
There are a lot of private car services available in Central Florida, in the form of town cars, van transfers, limos, etc.
There is a car rental.
Most of the major car rental companies are located at the airport, without the need for a shuttle bus to pick you up. The on-airport rental car companies are located on the ground transportation level.
The prices for car rentals can be different depending on season, availability, length of time, corporate discounts, etc. If you rent a car at MCO, there are several ways to save money.
The photo is from the feature photo: Paulo O.
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We hope you come back to visit again, even if you have read our articles before.
Your mileage may vary.
The article was written in December. There are some important updates since it was first posted: April 5, 2019: More info on the possibility of Virgin Trains connecting MCO and WDW August 9, 2019: A look at MCO's new train terminal
December 3, 2018?
In airports.
The Disney's Magical Express will no longer be offered between the MCO and the theme resort on January 1, 2022, according to the announcement. For nearly 50 years, the guest experience at the Disney World Resort has continued to evolve.
January 12, 2021.
In Disney, Universal and other theme parks.
The Walt Disney Company will always figure out a way to make more money off of its visitors, which is one of the things you can count on. Disney has given their hotel guests something called MagicBands for years. They were.
July 11, 2021.
In Disney, Universal and other theme parks.
