What is replacing Disney Magical Express?

Mears Connect, the spiritual successor to Disney's Magical Express, offers ground transportation between Orlando International Airport and Walt Disney World. This post covers pricing, hotels serviced by the shuttle, options, and everything you need to know based on our experiences using the service!



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Once it was revealed that Disney's Magical Express was going away, Mears, the service that ran Magical Express, quickly announced a paid replacement. Mears Connect offers two services for guests looking for transportation from the Orlando Airport to Disney World — standard and express.

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No, Disney's Magical Express is NOT coming back. Since the Magical Express ended, we've seen 2 major companies essentially “fill the void” of that service, transporting guests to and from the Orlando International Airport and their Disney World hotels (for a fee).

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Booking Mears to Walt Disney World You will choose between Standard or Express. Standard transportation has set ride departure times with longer waits than Express, which claims limited to no wait times and guaranteed first stops. In each situation, you are sharing the bus with other guests traveling to Disney World.

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Uber / Lyft. Our preferred way to get from Orlando airport to Disney World is Uber. While prices can surge and not everyone is comfortable with rideshare, we've made this trip probably a dozen times and used Uber overall probably over 100 times. The balance of convenience and typical price can't be beat in our mind.

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Magical Express, the free bus transportation between Walt Disney World Resort Hotels and Orlando International Airport (MCO), was discontinued at the end of 2021 after more than 15 years in operation. Here's a roundup of your new, for-pay options when planning to get between the airport and Disney World.

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Taking a standard Uber vehicle from Orlando International Airport to Walt Disney World Resort costs around $35. The price increases to above $40 if you request a specialty vehicle. Add to that, an Uber ride between the airport and Disney World takes less than 30 minutes.

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Complimentary Resort transportation begins 45 minutes prior to Disney theme park opening time and up to 1 hour after Disney theme park closing time. Additionally, buses operate until 11:00 PM from the Disney Springs area.

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Orlando Airport Shuttle The airport shuttle service is an economical transportation option that connects you from the airport to your Disney Resort hotel.

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Local bus. : The Lynx Bus, Orlando's local bus system, makes airport pick-ups and drop-offs about every 30 minutes; and about every hour on Sundays and holidays. The buses run select routes including MCO to downtown Orlando, International Drive and the Florida Mall/SeaWorld area. The cost is $2 per passenger, per ride.

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Magic Kingdom's Splash Mountain creatures sang their last notes in January of 2023, and Disneyland's on May 31, 2023. Now, the ride has closed its doors forever. The brand new ride replacing it, Tiana's Bayou Adventure, is inspired by Tiana, the radiant star of the 2009 animated hit The Princess and the Frog.

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While you can get to all of the Disney World theme parks with Uber and Lyft, there are a couple of trips to use when entering the destination for your trip. Magic Kingdom: The standard pickup/drop off location is the “Ticket and Transportation Center”.

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Lyft's app is easier to use We have found the Lyft app to just be a lot easier to use at Walt Disney World than the Uber app. It automatically populates with ALL the approved pick-up and drop-off locations, which is very handy when you are in an unfamiliar spot. Uber doesn't always do that.

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Hotel Shuttles Other Local Hotels also provide complimentary transportation to/from Orlando International Airport. These are on the Ground Transportation Level (Level 1) of Terminals A, B & C and the Train Station.

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Guests are allowed to bring outside food and nonalcoholic beverage items into the park for self-consumption, provided they are not in glass containers and do not require heating, reheating, processing, refrigeration or temperature control and do not have pungent odors.

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Off-peak times fall around January, February, September, and early November. Discounts on vacation packages booked directly through Disney (which combine park tickets and hotel stays) can be found year-round, though they're most common at these less-crowded times.

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The average price for this trip is $34. Open the Uber app and input Aloft Orlando International Drive in the “Where to?” box. The price estimate for each ride option will appear; scroll to see what's available. Prices will vary based on time of day and how many riders are making requests.

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