This Airport Shuttle Service Gets Bad Reviews, But We’re Using it to Get To Disney World Anyway

Disney4me · October 15, 2024

So, your plane just landed at the Orlando International Airport (MCO) and you’re beyond excited to get to Disney World. Quick question: How are you getting there?

Orlando International Airport

You’ve definitely got your transport options like taxis, Uber/Lyft, or even renting a car. But you’ve got another option to consider, granted it hasn’t been getting the greatest reviews, but we didn’t let that stop us from using it to get to Disney World from the airport. So, now let’s talk about it!

Click here to subscribe

So what’s this other transport that will bring us from the Orlando International Airport to Disney World? Glad you asked! Let’s talk about Mears Connect.

2021-wdw-all-star-music-magical-express-

Mears Connect Bus

It’s a shuttle service that takes you from Orlando International Airport to Disney World (and back). Now I know that this service hasn’t exactly been getting rave reviews online. But here’s the twist: We used Mears Connect on our recent Disney World trip and had a pretty awesome experience. So, despite what you might hear or read, we’re here to share why it worked out great for us!

Mears Connect bus

First Impressions Matter

From the get-go, we were pleasantly surprised. The buses were clean, modern, and that A/C was glorious, which is a huge plus after stepping out of the airport into lovely, humid Florida. If you’ve ever experienced the Orlando heat and humidity, you know what we’re talking about. But stepping onto a cool, comfy bus was just what we needed to get into vacation mode.

inside-mears-connect-bus-bathroom-700x52

There was a bathroom on board.

Now get this: The first bus we rode even had a bathroom on board! That’s not something you’d typically expect from an airport shuttle, but we were grateful for it after a long flight.

inside-mears-connect-bus-disney-world-tr

Disney Trivia

The bus was also equipped with TVs that played cute little shorts and Disney/Orlando trivia, which immediately set the magical Disney mood.

Punctuality

Mears Connect impressed us with its punctuality. We didn’t have to wait around forever at the airport, which was one of the complaints we saw in reviews. In fact, our bus arrived right on time, and we were off to Disney World in no time.

2022-wdw-all-star-movies-resort-mears-co

Mears Connect bus

Plus, we didn’t make a bunch of random stops, which was another win in our book. We had heard stories about buses making endless stops at every hotel, but we were pleasantly surprised by how efficient the route was. Before we knew it, we were pulling up to our Disney World resort, ready to start the magic!

The Early Airport Pickup Conundrum

Okay, even though we loved the service overall, there was one thing that wasn’t ideal — the super early pick-up for the return trip. Mears Connect picked us up for our flight way earlier than what we expected. We ended up being at the airport about two hours too early.

Mears Connect bus

I get it. They need to make sure everyone makes their flight with plenty of time to spare, especially when dealing with unpredictable Orlando traffic. But, sitting at the airport with nothing to do for that long wasn’t exactly the most fun. Who knows? Maybe we could’ve squeezed in an extra ride or maybe grabbed one last snack at the parks. Instead, we spent our extra time just hanging out at the gate.

Mears Connect

That being said, if you’re someone who likes to have everything set up in advance and would rather be too early than stressing about making your flight on time, this might not be a deal-breaker for you. It’s just something to keep in mind.

Was It Worth the Money?

For us, honestly yes. Despite the early pick-up on our return trip, the overall experience was pretty stress-free, comfortable, and worth the money we spent. We didn’t have to worry about dragging our bags to an Uber or navigating rental cars. It was simple and easy, which is exactly what you want on a Disney World vacation.

Inside a Mears Connect bus

So, as you’re planning your Disney World trip, give the Mears Connect bus a thought. Until then, stay tuned to DFB for more updates on the latest Disney news and travel tips.