Transportation From Orlando International Airport (MCO)
NO LONGER RUNNING AS OF JANUARY 2021
You are heading back to Disney for the first time since the Pandemic, and SURPRISE the Magical Express is no longer running. ANOTHER change that has happened since the reopening. So what do you do now? Well, there are a couple of options for you!
ProTip: DO NOT MAKE A PARK RESERVATION FOR ARRIVAL DAY. I will say this OVER and OVER again. You cannot control travel, whether flying, driving, or coming by boat. :) Just do NOT do it. Even if your flight comes in at 8 am, do not go to the park. Go to your resort, check-in, go to Disney Springs, go to the pool, unpack your bags, do ANYTHING but go to the Parks. Get a good night's sleep and head out early in the morning. RUSHING your Disney vacation starts the trip off very stressful and exhausting. You never get caught up when you start your trip this way. Remember, my goal is to reduce your stress at the parks. Starting at level 100 does not reduce stress. (caveat: If you are a Disney pro, it will not ruin your trip, or break the bank if you miss your park day, or even only get half a day, okay go, I guess...) But don’t worry only 6 more months until NO MORE PARK RESERVATIONS!
SUNSHINE FLYER
This is our preferred choice of travel to the resorts. It's affordable, and sometimes they run deals where kids ride free. But with any mass transport, there are multiple stops, but we usually get to our resort within an hour. We love the 1920s railroad locomotives theming, which is always fun for the kiddos starting a magical vacation. Sunshine Flyer is in the Main Terminal Building on Terminal B, Level 1, in the Ground Transportation area. Per their website, guests that enter the Sunshine Flyer staging area will not wait more than 20 minutes to board the bus, and the ride to the resorts is scheduled so the last stop will not take more than 65 minutes.
In March2022, we discovered the Sunshine Flyer. It just started service in February of 2022 and was new. My parents, who are NOT tech savvy, needed a way to get to our resort without using Uber or Lyft, and they were not renting a car. They had signs everywhere and were so friendly to my non-tech-savvy parents. They made us customers for life. So when my husband and son flew down in May for the Guardians of the Galaxy preview, they were out the first choice. Once again, clean buses, excellent service, and we love the theming!
Mears Connect
MEARS has two options, standard and express.
MEARS is the old operator for the Magical Express, so things will be familiar when using this company, but now you will pay for your ride. You can make a reservation online and they will have frequent sales. You can make your reservation well in advance of your travel dates. Right after reopening MEARS was not as reliable as Sunshine flyer, and we still prefer Sunshine Flyer .
UBER/LYFT
This is one of the apps you need for your Disney Vacation. Uber and Lyft are great choices for many reasons, you can schedule your Uber/Lyft from your phone, you can get your own private car, and drops you off at the front of your resort. There is a surcharge of $10 for a carseat if you do need one, look for Uber Car Seat or UberX, and for Lyft, you will need a Lyft carseat mode.
We also take a collapsible car seat on the rare occasion we fly to WDW and you can use that instead of paying for a carseat.
This is probably my #1 go-to outside of renting a car or driving. If you wait about 20 minutes after your flight lands, surge pricing drop slightly, but if you don't care, book it. Also, Minnie vans through the Lyft are available, but you have to call ahead to book, call here 800-WDW-PLAY to schedule your pick up from MCO.
LIMO SERVICE/CAR SERVICE
There are so many options, and because I have never used this service in Orlando, I do not have any direct recommendations. However, if you Google Limo services, you will see numerous services available in Orlando. I use limos more often than one should for Birthdays, concerts, and special events and I know its such a fun and special way to start a vacation.
Google limo services in the Orlando area.
Look at how many reviews and the number of stars.
Pick 5 - 10 that have a 4-star review or higher, depending on your level of comfort. Personally, ten is too many, but some people want to be sure. I typically pick 5.
Look at the reviews and search only for the bad ones, see what the issues were, i.e., timeliness, cleanliness, or the actual employees.
Call for rates, and pick the best rates for an airport transfer from the airport (and return if you plan on traveling the same way.)
Book and confirm the best fit for your family. Make sure to re-confirm a week before your arrival.
EAR FOR EACH OTHER/PRIVATE CAR
This is a group that I discovered during the pandemic of furloughed cast members on Facebook. There are even some cast members who have started FULL transportation businesses. Check out the page and put airport transportation in the search box in the search. You will see numerous recommendations and even the cast member's pages on there.
Just like limos, private cars can be expensive. But it's direct. They are waiting for you and will carry your luggage. It's a great option if you have some extra funds. Also, Ear for Each Other is a FB group of furloughed cast members that started their businesses during the pandemic. There are great referrals in there.
RENTAL CAR
Do you need a rental car?
It is really up to you; if you do not plan to stay in the Disney bubble, getting a rental car is always a good idea. Just be aware that you will pay for parking at the Parks if you are NOT a Disney Resort guest. Be sure to check on prices before heading to the parks if you are off-site.
The BEST place to get a rental car is through Undercover Tourist, and we save hundreds of dollars by combining our purchases with tickets—not Disney tickets but MOVIE TICKETS! So if you spend $100, you get a discount on rental cars. We typically buy movie tickets since we are frequent moviegoers and then book our car from Undercover Tourist.
If you think you need a rental car to run errands, there are plenty of delivery services that can help you get the items you need. You do not need a car to run any errands.
Alamo Rent a Car (800) 327-9633
Budget Car Rental (407) 825-1700
Dollar Rent a Car (800) 800-4000
Enterprise Rent-a-Car (844) 951-0601
Hertz (407) 859-8400
National (800) 227-7368
Sixt Rent a Car (888) 941-7498
Payless Car Rental (407) 856-5539
Thrifty Car Rental (800) 367-2277
Before making sure you have your plan together 30 days before you travel, you know it's done. You will check in the week before arrival if you have scheduled service to ensure you have all your reservations done. Booking your transportation puts your one step closer to your magical vacation!
Car Seat Laws in Florida
Shuttle Buses (i.e., SunShine Flyer): You do not need a car seat as motor coaches do not legally require them. If you take one of their direct shuttle services, you do not need a car seat, but you may prefer it since it is a smaller vehicle, typically the size of a sprinter van. You can also pick options like foldable or inflatable boosters.
Uber/Lyft and renting a car: A child five and under must be in a car seat. If you are bringing an infant, I suggest bringing your own car seat. Unfortunately, many ride-share companies do not have car seats appropriate for your child. The available car seats are best for children 2 - 5 years old.
Minnie Vans: They come with two Graco 4EVER car seats that can be rear-facing for infants and forward facing for toddlers and above. Minnie Vans can now also pick you up from MCO. You can see my toddler pictured in a Minnie Van, living her best life in her front-facing car seat.
.
.
.
Thank you for visiting the Blog Well Hello Disney! Here are some next steps!
Are you ready to start planning your Disney Vacation and feeling overwhelmed? Then, join our course, where we guide you on preparing the best vacation for your family. Never miss a step in planning your Disney vacation with this course. Check it out. Well Hello Disney Planning Course!
Need the current list of the character meals at Walt Disney World? Click here!
Ready to start planning your Disney Vacation and not quite ready to jump into the course? Click here!
Need an outline of what you need to check off your Disney Prep list? Click here!
Join the WHD Disney Family, our community of like-minded Disney people planning more trips to Well Hello Disney and helping each other out! Plus free downloadable every month and webinars! Click Here!
What if I told you $150 would change your Disney Vacations FOREVER? Click Here!
Who is the momma behind Well Hello Disney? Click Here!
I am so happy to be on this journey with you.
Updated: May 2023
