Disney’s Magical Express Spiritual Successor Shuttle Review

Mears Connect is the shuttle between Orlando Airport and Walt Disney World resorts plus third party on-site & nearby off-site hotels. This MCO transportation review shares our experiences with the spiritual successor to Disney’s Magical Express, how it’s gotten better & worse, and whether it’s still worth using as of Late 2026.

As regular readers are no doubt aware, the demise of Disney’s Magical Express (DME) is still a sore subject. It’s made the list of Top 10 Guest Complaints About Walt Disney World for several years running; like the end of free FastPass, this cut is one that still stings.

There’s also renewed hope for the comeback of Disney’s Magical Express, thanks to the continued rollout of Airport Luggage Transfer. That’s because Orlando International Airport (MCO), wants DME to return and is willing to help pay for it. For more, check out Will Disney’s Magical Express Airport Shuttle Ever Return? That post covers the very real possibility of DME returning, based on statements from leadership at MCO and its governing body.

Mears Connect is considered the spiritual successor to Disney’s Magical Express not just because it’s the same service in the same location, but because it’s the exact same company running the shuttles. Mears operated DME, so it is quite literally the same buses, drivers, infrastructure.

Everything except the Disney branding, layer of theme, videos, etc. There are even some vestiges of Disney’s Magical Express still visible in Mears Connect, such as the seats on select buses in the photo below!

If you want the nutshell version of this review and you previously rode DME, it’s that Mears Connect is mostly on par with Disney’s Magical Express, but like 20% worse. If you liked or disliked DME for the transportation itself, you will probably feel similarly about Mears Connect.

When Disney’s Magical Express ended, it was immediately replaced by Mears Connect. Another startup bus service, Sunshine Flyer, also launched. It wasn’t as efficient or flexible and, as was quickly learned, the market could not sustain two separate airport shuttles.

Mears Connect and Sunshine Flyer merged over three years ago to form “Mears Connect Driven by Sunshine” in mid-2023. The combined service is basically just Mears; not much remains of Sunshine Flyer.

Many fans were upset by this merger, assuming that eliminating competition was a way to sacrifice on service or increase prices. That has not been our experience with service, and prices have not increased materially post-merger. To the contrary, deals are more frequent in a post-revenge travel environment.

As someone who uses Mears Connect often, my perspective is almost the opposite. It seems to me that the market can barely sustain one airport shuttle, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Mears exits the market at some point. The airport shuttle is most sustainable when it’s Disney-branded and included for “free” with hotel stays.

Here’s my current take on Mears Connect, based on using it approximately once every 4-6 weeks, how the service has changed for the better and worse, and everything you need to know before you book…

Mears Connect reservations can be made online, and done in a matter of minutes. For my solo trips, I never reserve my ride from the airport in advance.

You can make walk-up reservations for Mears Connect upon arrival. It’s a simple process that takes less than a minute, and there’s no surcharge. If you land and discover that Uber or Lyft are too expensive or that your rental car reservation has an issue or whatever, Mears Connect is an easy pivot.

There’s zero incentive to book early. Pricing is the same upon arrival and buses are dispatched as they fill up, not based on advance bookings (given flight delays, early arrivals, luggage pickup times, etc). Given this, I often check the prices of Uber and Lyft from MCO to WDW right when landing.

Sometimes, I actually want the shuttle bus experience, so I don’t even bother pricing out rideshare. The buses are never full, so I can grab a seat in the back and work on my laptop for an hour or two before getting to the resort in peace and quiet. It’s great.

It used to be the case that Sarah and I would always just take Uber and Lyft when traveling as a couple. The per person cost of Mears Connect (times two) made Uber or Lyft a close enough call and we favored the convenience.

Plus, Sarah seems to enjoy chatting up rideshare drivers, whereas I do not. (I swear my accounts must be flagged with a notice: this dude likes hearing about conspiracy theories and fringe political movements.)

When traveling with Sarah and our daughter, airport transportation is more complicated. On the one hand, there is a greater sense of urgency. Toddlers do not have unlimited patience for sitting in one spot. I also want to get to the resort faster so we can unpack, eat dinner–start having family fun! This might make rideshare or rental cars the no-brainer.

However, our toddler needs a car seat if using a regular car, so we’d have to bring that just for the airport ride since it’s not needed at Walt Disney World. Most critically, I don’t really want to trust a random stranger’s driving or their personal vehicle when traveling with her.

I’ve never given a second thought to that when using Uber or Lyft alone; with her, I’m consumed with stress for the entire ride. Enough to make it a non-starter as a family. I would hazard a guess that your circumstances are similar to this, as opposed to mine as a solo traveler.

I would assume that, at some point, this will lead us to switch to a private transfer. We haven’t done that yet, but it feels inevitable.

We priced out Tiffany Towncar for one trip, but then rented a car instead. All of our friends seem to love that, and it’s also been highly recommended by countless readers. From what I’m seeing, Tiffany Towncar is about half the cost of the Minnie Van Airport Service.

Speaking of Minnie Vans, we also used one of those recently, and it was one of the highlights of our daughter’s trip. She talked about it for weeks afterwards. The Minnie Van Airport Service is still a non-starter due to cost, but suffice to say, I get the appeal. And certainly that offers better bang for buck than Mears Connect Express!

Speaking of which, there are two service options with Mears Connect, Standard and Express. The latter is direct service to your resort and back to the airport, as the guaranteed first stop. Express is not necessarily a private service; it may be shared.

Both Standard and Express shuttle guests may travel in a motorcoach bus or van, and the vehicle may be different for arrival and departure. We only book the standard. It’s the core service that Mears Connect offers; Express feels like a cash-grab.

From my perspective, it makes no sense to book express given the premium pricing. Mears Connect has plenty of competitors on the Express end of the spectrum that specialize in private service. While I cannot speak to those from firsthand experience, I’d be inclined to book any of them over Mears Connect Express.

The Standard and Express distinction is a source of consumer confusion. I’ve been put onto a van often and whenever that happens, there’s almost always an Express party crammed onto the van with me.

About half of that time, they make an offhand comment suggesting this wasn’t what they signed up for. Can’t say I blame them, as it’s a significant pricing premium to only guarantee themselves the first stop. I’ve gotten the exact same “service” as them purely by luck!

The van is not spacious and usually fills up pretty close to capacity. There’s no sitting towards the back and working on my laptop or just enjoying some peace and quiet. It’s cozy and intimate, and you’re almost certainly going to end up chatting with other passengers. Which is fine–it can even be enjoyable! There’s just less breathing room.

The real potential issue is for us as a family now that our daughter does not fly with a car seat but does need one in cars. According to the Mears Connect website: “While we are not required to offer a car seat in our small vehicle fleet, limited car seats are available in our shuttle vans should there be an on-demand need. We do have limited access to additional car seats if needed or the ability to get an alternative vehicle.”

By that, they mean they’re not required by Florida law. In our family, the real law of the land is set by Sarah, and she overrules that (she’s powerful!). This is not a problem when traveling from MCO to WDW. If we were to get assigned a van as a family, we’d simply ask for a car seat and they’d have them on hand. We wouldn’t get into a vehicle until something was figured out, and would have plenty of options and time since we’re at the airport.

It’s a different story when traveling from our resort to the airport. There are no car seats simply on hand or alternative vehicles that can be easily deployed. Our solution is to call Mears Connect in advance and relay the ‘car seat needed’ information and hope for the best, which has been a winning strategy thus far. But we have friends who have run into problems with this, and it’s the #1 reason why several now use private airport transfers. I suspect/fear that’s going to be us sooner or later.

The problem with Mears Connect is that demand has dropped. On most of my trips outside of the holiday season (always the busiest time of year for Mears Connect), I usually encounter fewer than a dozen or so people in the entire loading area. Sometimes, there’s literally no one else waiting to be loaded.

Part of the reason for the empty load area is that Mears Connect usually has buses idling outside, waiting to depart. Meaning that you’re almost instantly loaded onto a motorcoach or van. I actually like this approach, as I’d rather be sitting there than standing and anxiously awaiting my line being called inside.

The downside is that the waiting time once on the bus can be much longer as Mears does everything in its power not to dispatch nearly empty vehicles. And with lower demand, that’s a challenge. There have been a couple of times that I’ve waited 30+ minutes for the bus to be dispatched.

While this has been my experience most of the time with Mears Connect, there have been a few occasions where I’ve encountered the exact opposite problem: long lines for many resorts but zero (0) buses idling outside.

These extremes are seemingly inexplicable, but two of the times this has happened, it’s been when the airport shut down due to lightning during storm season. Beyond that, it appears that Mears Connect has dispatch and resource allocation issues, as I’ve also noticed odd spacing between buses on pickups and drop-offs at the resorts (meaning I’ve seen several back-to-back buses at the same resort on several occasions).

Thankfully, I’ve never seen how this plays out. I’ve always been fortunate to be loaded onto a van after 5-15 minutes of standing there, and end up being on my way quicker than most other guests. But this is a problem that I’ve observed from time to time, so it feels appropriate to mention. If anyone has experienced this firsthand and had things unfold differently, I’d be curious to hear about those delays.

Setting aside the aforementioned complaints and caveats, my experiences with the vans have been positive in the past year. These rides have been fast and usually only involved 3-4 stops in total. I’ve also never been the last stop, and my total time commitment is much lower this way. (Also, just to be clear, we’ve never been unlucky and gotten placed on the vans as a family.)

On my trips in the last year-plus on the motorcoaches, I’ve noticed an increasing number of stops. Every trip takes longer as a result unless you’re one of the first couple of stops. The hotels are also not always near one another. You might be stopping at an off-site Marriott, Gaylord Palms, etc., on your way to Walt Disney World. Since I’m never staying at those off-site hotels, I’m never among the first stops, either.

This, I suspect, has created a vicious cycle. Demand is down so stops have been added, leading to a drop in future demand as Walt Disney World regulars realize the shuttle service is too slow and not worth it without being “free” or having the Disney touches, leading to more stops in the future.

Frankly, I don’t see how Mears Connect reverses this trend, except maybe during peak season dates when volume is higher. There are also undoubtedly more guests opting for rideshare, and prices have come down on Uber and Lyft since the height of revenge travel (and driver shortages).

On the plus side, Mears Connect no longer services the Bonnet Creek Resort Area or Four Seasons. Making the trip to one of those hotels to drop off one party could increase the commute fairly significantly in the past.

Now, Mears Connect services every Disney-owned hotel, plus the Swan & Dolphin, Swan Reserve, Shades of Green, and all of the third party Disney Springs Resort Area Hotels. In addition to those on-site hotels, a trio of off-site hotels are stops:

• Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center
• Orlando Marriott World Center
• Renaissance Orlando Resort & Spa

You can view up-to-date pricing, FAQs, other info, and book reservations for Mears Connect here. Below are current prices as of October 2026 (there’s also a 6% fuel surcharge):

Mears Connect is more time-consuming than Disney’s Magical Express. At least, on average. Meaning that won’t always be true. Timing and luck are the biggest elements of the equation here.

You can expect Mears Connect to take about an hour on the low end and up to 2 hours on the high end from the airport. My average time from arriving at the Mears check-in podium to arriving at the resort is around 100 minutes via a bus. Since I’m doing work and not timing the commute, I don’t have a precise number–that could be slightly off. The average for the van is around 60 minutes, and the range is also tighter on that.

The average is roughly ~20% longer than it was with Disney’s Magical Express, which is driven wholly by the longer wait before being dispatched and the higher number of average stops. The drive from the airport still takes the same amount of time, as do the stops between each resort.

The wildcards are going to be the wait to depart, number of stops, and your stop number. Those are variables for which no single review can account, and even if they could, you’d have no way of knowing what your experience would be before arrival.

If you get really lucky, it could take 45 minutes on the absolute low end; if you’re really unlucky, over 2 hours on the high end. This is why you can check out Google or TripAdvisor and find both glowing and extremely negative user reviews. So much of the verdict on Mears Connect (or even Disney’s Magical Express before it) is dependent upon good or bad luck/timing.

On the plus side, we wait in line less with Mears Connect than we did with Disney’s Magical Express. I mentioned this above, but it’s worth underscoring as the biggest “pro” of Mears Connect. DME lines were often quite long, and anxiety-inducing. There’s something about the certainty of sitting on a bus or van, even if the total time from arrival to departure is as long or longer. To each their own, but I’d rather be sitting on a bus than standing in a line, even if the total wait time is the same.

All of this revolves around the service from the airport to Walt Disney World. I use Mears Connect for getting to MCO far less frequently; unless it’s a family trip, I opt for Uber or Lyft more often.

Nevertheless, I have used the return service about a half-dozen times in the last year-plus and it’s generally acceptable. They text you a link with real-time tracking of your bus, so you can hang out in the lobby or wherever, and only go out shortly before the bus arrives. This is an improvement on Disney’s Magical Express!

We did have one scare with a bus delay–and I’ve received reader reports of similar experiences–but it thankfully did not turn into a horror story. It was just a ~30 minute delay, which was still fine for us given the pick-up buffer. We’ve heard from others who haven’t been so fortunate.

It’s impossible for Mears Connect to strand you at MCO, where their operations are located, whereas it is a thing that happens from time-to-time at the resorts. Nevertheless, we wouldn’t worry about this; Walt Disney World will step in to assist and provide taxi vouchers (also via Mears!) if the shuttle is cutting it too close. And taxis are abundant around the resorts.

Service-wise, Mears Connect is on par with Disney’s Magical Express. Staff at the airport has been courteous, and the drivers are always friendly. Some try to liven up the bus ride with an upbeat attitude and Disney-related commentary. No issues or complaints whatsoever–they do as good of a job as can be expected.

To the extent there are complaints about Mears Connect from longtime Walt Disney World fans, we suspect the underlying issue is that Mears does not have “Disney” veneer to it. Disney’s Magical Express had a lot of flaws, but it was easy to overlook them because DME was a magical way to start their vacation.

Being greeted by Mickey Mouse in his captain’s hat, a memorable and quotable video on board, and various little Disney details all made it easier to overlook what was otherwise an inefficient method of airport transportation. Again, Mears Connect is the spiritual successor to Disney’s Magical Express and is substantially the same service, except like 20% worse.

It wasn’t that Disney’s Magical Express was good, it was that it was Disney. An immersive experience from the moment you landed in Orlando, all the while building anticipation aboard the bus and ultimately exiting at your themed resort.

It was exciting and distinctly Disney–even while being operated by Mears. It was a bittersweet end to the trip, but one that already began planting the seeds for your next visit. Unsurprisingly, Mears Connect doesn’t have any of that X-factor. Maybe you care, maybe you don’t, but it is what it is.

Frankly, whether Mears Connect is “still good” depends on whether you thought it was ever good in the first place. If yes, then probably still yes. If no, then almost certainly still no. Whatever opinion you had of Disney’s Magical Express, you should have roughly the same perspective on Mears Connect–after grumbling about it now costing money, of course.

Whether the airport shuttle service is right for you is a personal question, and hopefully one you can answer in light of the above information about waits, service, and cost. Our view has long been that Mears Connect is a good option if the math works out on it.

Now that we are parents to a toddler, we understand the appeal beyond that. When traveling with our daughter, Mears Connect is our preferred option. Uber and Lyft are off the table completely. There’s value in using an established service, even if it’s less efficient.

More than anything else, the safety of the bus, having a dependable vehicle, and experienced/licensed driver are all huge selling points for us. It really comes down to peace of mind, as Mears Connect is more of a known quantity. To be sure, it’s not perfect, but I’ll practice patience over stressing out for the duration of the commute. I’m fine with rideshare when it’s just me, but when it’s our whole family, we’ll opt for Mears Connect. As always, your mileage may vary.

Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!

YOUR THOUGHTS

What do you think of Mears Connect? If you’ve used the airport shuttle, what were your wait times and overall impression of the offering? Were you put on a van or motorcoach? Thoughts on Mears Connect vs. Disney’s Magical Express? Will you opt for the shuttle over Uber, Lyft, or renting a car? Thoughts on pricing, efficiency, or anything else? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!