On January 1, 2022, Walt Disney World Resort will be retiring Disney’s Magical Express. The Magical Express was a complimentary (and very convenient) bus service that brought guests staying on Disney property to their respective resorts from the Orlando airport. Let’s take a look at how you can get from MCO to Disney Resorts (and back) after January 1, 2022.
Disney’s Magical Express
Disney’s Magical Express, as mentioned before, will be retiring its service on January 1, 2022. However, guests staying on Disney property will still be able to use the complimentary service to get to the airport until January 10, 2022. Guests will only need to find an alternate service to get to their chosen Disney resort during this time.
Rent a Car
The Orlando International Airport has a large selection of rental car companies to choose from. Most of them are conveniently located right in the airport so you don’t have to take a shuttle to pick up your car. Depending on when you come to Orlando, the rental car company and the duration of your stay, prices will vary. Keep in mind that there is also an additional charge to park while staying on Disney property. Currently, Disney charges $15 per night to park at Value Resorts, $20 per night to park at Moderate Resorts and $25 per night to park at Deluxe/Deluxe Villa Resorts. The upside to renting a car is that you can come and go as you wish from Disney Property, you can explore Orlando beyond Disney World and you don’t have to wait for Disney transportation.
Lyft/Uber
Another option to get from the Orlando Airport to the Disney Resorts is taking a ride share service like Lyft or Uber. In order to do this, you must have either the Uber or Lyft app downloaded onto your phone. You must then arrange for a driver to come pick you up from the airport and bring you to your desired resort. This is a simple and quick option because it takes the stress out of renting a car or worrying about parking fees at your resort. An Uber/Lyft ride from the Orlando airport to Disney World (depending on which ride share service you use, the dates you are in Orlando and how many people are in your party) can run from $35 and up one way.
If you are traveling with young children and you didn’t bring a car seat, there is an option for your driver to bring one for you for an additional fee. A huge pro for using a rideshare service is that they will drop you off directly at your hotel. The Magical Express used to drop people off at different Disney hotels so sometimes it would take a while.
Mears Connect
In April 2021, Mears announced that they will be debuting the Mears Connect in January 2022 once Disney’s Magical Express retires. The Mears Company are who runs the Magical Express right now. According to Mears’ website, they say that the Mears Connect will be “the same reliable, safe, express service” as the Magical Express. However, it will no longer be complimentary. In order to use this service, head over to their website to make a reservation. Mears will offer two different levels of transportation. One is Standard, which is shared, uses large vehicles and buses and has monitored wait times.
The second option is Express, which has direct service and a limited wait time. A one-way trip using the Standard option will cost $16 per adult and $13.50 per child. The roundtrip fare using the Standard option will cost $32 per adult and $27 per child. The Express option is only offering roundtrip at this time and will cost $250. You may bring up to four passengers and it will be included in that price. For each additional passenger, it will cost $55. According to Mears, this are introductory rates and prices are subject to change. For guests who loved the convenience of the Magical Express, this option may be best for you. Keep in mind that it is pretty expensive, especially if you are traveling with a large party.
The Sunshine Flyer
A new and fun way to get from the airport to your Disney resort is The Sunshine Flyer. This service will debut on February 1, 2022. Trips using this service must be booked at least four days prior to your arrival. The buses will be premium motorcoaches that will service all Walt Disney World resorts. Transportation Management Services announced that this new service will “allow guests to start the magic of their Disney vacation from the moment they step off the plane”. Transportation Management Services or TMS have been around for over 25 years and have provided transportation for big events such as the FIFA World Cup!
The fun and magical part about using this service is that the premium motorcoaches will be themed after old-fashioned passenger cars and train engines. The staff will be dressed as 1920s rail conductors and engineers. This sounds like something that you’d find at Disney World! The buses will also have bathrooms and USB chargers. A one-way trip using this service will cost $17 per adult and $12.50 per child. Roundtrip will cost $34 per adult and $25 per child. Children under the age of two ride for free. The Sunshine Flyer is doing a special for Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary. They will be donating 50% of all revenue made from the first 50,000 passengers during their first 50 days of business to the Make-A-Wish Foundation for Central & Northern Florida. Also, all Make-A-Wish children and families will be able to use this transportation service for free indefinitely.
Minnie Vans
Minnie Vans are undoubtedly the cutest way to get to Disney. Each van is decorated to look like Minnie Mouse! Guests were able to book this Disney-run service to get from the airport to their Disney resort. Disney Cast Members drove these cars and always loved to talk about all things Disney. It was a magical way to start your vacation. Prior to the pandemic, the service was priced at $155 each way, gratuity not included. Since the reopening of Walt Disney World in July 2020, Minnie Vans have not yet returned. They will be back in the future, but Disney has not yet released any dates.
Future Transportation
In the fall of 2020, Disney and Brightline announced that they would be building a near high-speed rail station will be built at Disney Springs. This station would provide direct service from the Orlando International Airport to Disney Springs. From there, guests would be able to take a bus from Disney Springs to their Disney resort. The Brightline Train will also be beneficial for guests traveling to Florida who did not rent a car. It will allow them to travel all over Florida, as there are many stations throughout the state. The Brightline Train Station at Disney Springs was supposed to open sometime in 2023 but now has been pushed back until 2026.
Overall
With all of these options available to replace Disney’s Magical Express, this should take a little bit of stress out of planning your next vacation. While none of these options are complimentary, many of them are a good price and will get you to your resort quickly. The options that are set to debut this year such as Mears Connect and The Sunshine Flyer, seem like a fun way to start off your vacation. The Mears Connect will be familiar to many guests who used to love the Magical Express and The Sunshine Flyer will give you a Main Street USA-esque feel. It will also be exciting to see how the Brightline Train Station will help the already massively popular tourism industry. Which transportation service will you use on your next trip to Walt Disney World?
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