Mears Shuttle Service
Mears Shuttle Service
I do not like to drive do
I dislike traffic, noisy passengers, having to find directions, being on the highway...I do not like it here or there, I do not like it anywhere. I'm not even a good passenger as I will IMMEDIATELY fall asleep after 10 minutes, so you'd better ask Siri or Google where the next turn is.
The idea of driving when I'm on vacation does not sound like a vacation to me.
So, whenever possible I do not drive.
The irony of course is that as a new Disney World annual passholder, I now have free parking. But that is a discount that I will continue to ignore as long as possible. When traveling, my dilemma is always ends up being 'how do I get from there...to here?'.
As an elder millennial, I look up public transportation options and shuttle services that may be included in my hotel reservations (and I almost always look for a hotel with shuttle amenities). When in Orlando, I usually let my younger traveling partners use apps like Lyft or Uber, but at $40 a pop for two people from the airport to on-site hotels this irks my innate penny pinching nature.
On this last April 2023 trip to Disney World, I decided to use the MEARS Connect shuttle service. For this particular trip, we were flying in on a late flight around 11pm, and would be leaving a few days later on a mid-afternoon flight.
The Booking Experience
I was initially skeptical about booking a reservation with MEARS due to how late we would be arriving to the Orlando airport, but was pleasantly surprised that MEARS offers a 24-hour service. A similar service, the Sunshine Flyer, only services flights until the final bus leaves the airport at 11:00 PM.
The reservation process to book transportation was easy enough, you just enter your dates, number of passengers and flight number and the system will automatically look the flight information up for you.
The Price
For our trip in April 2023, roundtrip fare for two adults cost $60 total ($30 each). Fares for children 3-9 are less than adults, and children under the age of 3 ride for free. MEARS also seems to run sales so this price may vary depending on when someone reserves it.
Additionally, reservations are good for 48 hours in case of flight delays, cancellations or other changes. Tipping is also highly encouraged for your drivers, usually $1 - $5 is typical, especially if you have luggage.
The Wait and the Ride
Finding the location for the check-in desk was a bit cumbersome, but that was mostly due to signage and lack of wayfinding on the part of the Orlando airport. Once we did locate the desk, we were the only ones in line and were able to get checked in relatively quickly.
...And then the wait began.
MEARS operates using both van and bus services. I couldn't tell if which vehicle you would get depended on reservations or the particular resort you were traveling to, but we ended up in a van that could seat about 6-8 people. And we had to wait until there we were full before we could depart. In all, from check-in to when we actually departed we waited about 25 to 30 minutes. As a typically patient person, this wasn't the worst wait but at almost midnight I was ready to get to my hotel and get in bed.
Once full, we then had a route to run for the service, hitting at least 4 other hotels before we arrived at the Swan. For our particular group it took the following times to get from door to door.
20 minutes from MCO to The B Resort & Spa
8 minutes from The B to The Riviera
6 minutes from The Riviera to Art of Animation
7 minutes from Art of Animation to The Swan
After the Swan, the shuttle will also service The Dolphin and the Swan Reserve (listed as just "The Reserve").
For return flights, the shuttle will schedule a pick up for 3 hours before your flight.
The Verdict
Honestly, I loved this service.
I like that I am not limited by operating hours or which flights I can take. I like the reservation process, the communication about my pick up and drop offs and the flexibility of having 48-hrs with my reservation in case something comes up.
For me, the cost was worth it to not get into a stranger's car, since I was raised on a steady television diet of after-school specials as a child.
The reservation process to book transportation was easy enough, you just enter your dates, number of passengers and flight number and the system will automatically look the flight information up for you.
