Mears Transportation Reveals More Details On Airport Shuttle To Disney World For 2022
If you’ve been following along with MickeyBlog, you’ll know that earlier this year Disney announced that they would be discontinuing the Magical Express Service from Orlando International Airport to Magic Kingdom effective in 2022.
Though Disney has yet to announce whether they themselves will be offering a replace for the soon-to-be-suspended service, Mears has previously announced their plans for a NEW PAID Service called Mears Connect.
What is Mears Connect?
That is the name of a shuttle service by Mears (who previously worked with Disney on the Magic Express Service) which will continue to transport guests between the Orlando International Airport and the Resorts at Walt Disney World. However, the service is not affiliated with Disney and now charges a fee for transportation.
How Much Does Mears Connect Cost?
There are two different levels of service, Standard and Express. Let’s look first at what these differences are:
- Standard – This is a shared ride service in a bus or van and includes all tolls and other surcharges. Guests may find the bus making a limited number of stops along the way but will still aim to get your to your Walt Disney World Resort within 20 minutes of checking in with Mears.
- Express – The Express level of service is a direct service with no wait time. It also includes all tolls and other surcharges.
Pricing
The company has already posted some introductory rates online. However, the term “Introductory” gives us a feeling that they will be going up at some point. As you can see the Standard Service is $16.00 per adult and $13.50 per child for a one way trip. Standard roundtrip service is $32.00 per adult and $27.00 per child.
This means that getting to and from the airport will mean an additional expense marking a sharp contrast from Disney’s complimentary service. However, with the service costing $60 one way or $120 roundtrip for a family of four you may wan to compare this with taxi service, lyft etc. which is paid per party rather than per customer.
For the premium service, things get a bit pricier. Costs come in at $200.00 roundtrip for four passengers with an extra $55.00 per additional passenger.
How Can I Book The Mears Connect Shuttle?
Mears currently has a booking for on their website. You’ll find it at mears.com. In order to make your booking you must already know arrival and departures dates and times, airlines and flight numbers.
Can I Book My Mears Shuttle When I Book My Vacation Package at Disney?
Unlike the Magical Express Service, Mears Connect is not affiliated with Walt Disney World. This means that you cannot make this booking through the Walt Disney Travel Company. It needs to be made by visit the Mears Connect Website which we linked to above.
The only exception to this will be if you book with an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner like MickeyTravels who can help you with airport transfers as part of their no-extra-charge services.
Where Do I Find the Mears Shuttles at the Airport?
Mears connect will be located on the B-Side of Orlando International Airport on Level 1 (Ground transportation level.) Signs will be in place to guide you to the Connect Check-In.
Will I Still Need To Leave My Resort 3 Hours Early on Departure Day?
Yes. Mears is officially advising that all standard service bookings will have there return service scheduled up to three hours in advance of domestic flights or up to four hours for international flights! Mearns Connect will send you a confirmation email the day before letting you know what time the pick-up will be.
For the Express serve you get an extra hour with pick-ups being scheduled two hours beforehand for domestic or three hours beforehand for international!
Will Mears Collect My Baggage For Me?
No. Luggage Pick-Up was a pre-COVID Magical Express perk that hasn’t returned since the Walt Disney World theme parks reopened last year. You must pick up all your bags first and then proceed to the Mears Connect to board your bus. The same is true on check-out day. The baggage check-in kiosks for Magic Express are no longer in service. Again your bags go with you on check-out day and you check them in with the airline yourself!
Is Mears Connect Wheelchair Accessible?
At the moment Mears Connect says in their FAQ that both the Standard and Express Services will meet your needs!
is Mears Transportation Taking any Health & Safety Precautions?
It’s important to know that the service doesn’t kick off until 2022. If there’s one thing that we’ve learned over the past year is that things can change quickly. However at the moment their stance on health precaution states, “Both standard and express service levels incorporate all current city, county, state, federal and CDC health and safety measures and both standard and express service levels will provide your party with continuously clean, sanitized vehicles.”
Will Disney Be Coming Up With Their Own Airport Transportation?
The long and short of it at the moment is that we just don’t know. One the one hand they cancelled the shuttle service between LAX and Disneyland in California and haven’t replaced the service. On the other the Magical Express is a much more popular service and Disney World may be cooking something up. We just don’t know as of now!
One thing we do know however, is that Brightline, as part of their high-speed rail network that will connect Southern Florida with Central Florida has included a station at Orlando International Airport and Disney Springs as part of their plans. These means Disney World visitors of the future may be able to hop a train right from the airport to Disney World but that project is still in the works with some estimating that parts of the service will be operational in 2023.
Should I Book Mears Connect Now Or Should I Wait?
That is a matter of personal preference. I don’t know as of yet what the cancellation policy is for Mears but will update our readers as soon as I find out. In the meantime, if you’re the sort of client that likes to have everything booked in well in advance so that you don’t have to worry about it later, then you may want to make your reservations now.
If you’re still curious as to what alternatives may be available going into 2022 you may prefer to wait it out (with the understanding that Disney may have no additional plans at all) and booking nearer to your stay.
You can bet that this is a story that we will continue to follow closely here at MickeyBlog. Readers are encouraged to keep checking back with us for further news and updates!
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