food IS a theme park
Looking for affordable transportation options for your next Disney trip? (Obviously, yes).
Mears Connect
Mears Connect is now offering more affordable transportation from the Orlando Airport to Disney World Resorts. And, this deal isn’t half bad.
I get paid to talk (and talk, and talk, and talk) about Disney. I know more than the average (normal?) person, and I probably talk about Disney too much. In fact, let me do a little impression of my family for you: “You’re going to Disney World…again?” It’s around this time when I try to justify my decision by explaining that my trips are educational; I’m here sharing my tips with you, aren’t I?! So, please, for my sake, listen to my advice, and tell us if you learned something. Maybe then my frequent trips to Disney World won’t seem so bad.
Pop Century Resort
OK, so why am I here? Well, I’ve been doing some reflecting, and I’ve come to a few conclusions in the never-ending Uber vs. Mears debate. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, basically, there are two main ways to get to Disney World from Orlando Airport: 1.) Rideshare services like Uber or Lyft, or 2.) Mears Connect (a shuttle service). I’ve used Uber, Lyft, AND Mears to get to Disney World, but there are a few things I wish I had known about my Uber experience.
Heading to Disney World over the holidays?
Magic Kingdom
If you’re flying into Orlando and heading to the parks, you’ll need a plan to get to the resort from the airport! There are lots of options for doing this, including a ride share, renting a car, a taxi, or, what might be the most festive option, a ride on a Mears Connect bus. Book a spot on a Mears Connect bus and cross your fingers that you get the famous bus driver Jean Jean the Dancing Machine!
Let me tell you a little story about my last trip to Disney World. I landed at Orlando International Airport, and as soon as my feet hit that iconic green carpet, I knew what I had to do. I had to get myself to Disney World!
Orlando International Airport
Now, several years ago, I used to be able to stroll right down to the Disney Magical Express zone, hop on a bus, and go straight to my Disney resort…for FREE. Yeah, that’s not a thing anymore (shocker). Instead, you’re on your own, people. YOU decide how you’re getting from the Orlando Airport (or any airport in the area) to Disney World. I recently tested two of the most popular options, Mears Connect and Uber, and I’m here to give you my honest thoughts on both services.
Let’s face it: planning a trip to Disney World is no small feat. You have to plan out which parks you want to visit, decide if you want to pay for Genie+ (and wake up early to buy those Lightning Lanes), and book your dining reservations months before your trip. All that work practically equates to a full-time job!
Walt Disney World
And sure, we’ll admit that some recent changes have made things a little easier for us guests, like Mobile Order, the Skyliner, and mobile check-in, but lately, we’ve noticed some changes that are making it HARDER to get around Disney World. Let’s talk about it.
Now that we’re about a month into 2022, it’s finally starting to sink in that Disney’s Magical Express service is really gone. In its place, there are several transportation options that will take guests to and from the airport (for a price!). But as more time passes, we’ve started seeing more new transportation options appear around Orlando, including a new bus shuttle service that will compete with Mears Connect called The Sunshine Flyer!
Gone but not forgotten?
Think of The Sunshine Flyer like the old Magical Express buses, but with a little bit of a ?railroad? flair! After a few weeks of anticipation, The Sunshine Flyer is up and running.
Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks? Even though Disney World just celebrated its 50th Anniversary in October 2021, the parks are far from dated! While there are some classic attractions and traditions that we hope Disney NEVER changes, there are also some new experiences coming to Florida this year.
We’re ZOOMING into 2022!
While some of these new changes are EXCITING, a few readers have shared some less-than-thrilled opinions on some other Disney World updates. From new attractions to crazy new foods, let’s take a look at seven things Disney World is doing for the first time this year!
We’re just a little over one week away from the launch of Mears Connect, one of two bus services that will replace Disney’s Magical Express when it service concludes at the end of the year. The other bus service that will replace Magical Express is the recently-announced Sunshine Flyer.
We will miss you, Magical Express!
Just ahead of its rollout, we are finally getting a first look at what one of the Mears buses will look like!
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