The start of the new year marked the beginning of an important change that is impacting the way guests travel to and from Disney World. Disney’s free Magical Express transportation service is no longer available, meaning guests must find a different way to get to their Disney resort from the airport.
There are several alternate options currently available, and there is a high-speed train project in the works that will eventually make stops near Disney Springs. One replacement service, called Mears Connect, is now up and running, so let’s take a look at the new service.
While we were visiting Disney’s All-Star Music Resort, we caught a glimpse of the new Mears Connect service in action.
Spotted Mears Connect Busses this morning ? pic.twitter.com/fIEnlWGrci
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Interestingly, the new Mears Connect busses look very similar to Disney’s old Magical Express busses. It looks like the Magical Express busses received a Mears Connect makeover — what do you think?
Inside, readers have told us that the busses look the same as the old Magical Express busses. The in-ride video now reportedly promotes all Orlando attractions, though, instead of the old Disney videos.
If you’re looking for the closest possible alternative to Disney’s Magical Express service, it sounds like Mears Connect might be your best option. Keep in mind that the pricing can vary from service to service, so weigh all your options before you decide! In the meantime, stay tuned for all the latest Disney news and park updates!
All the Ways to Get To and From the Airport Without Disney’s Magical Express
Have you tried Mears Connect yet? Let us know in the comments!
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What is up with the picture of the cart with the Disney Magical Express Luggage Service in this article. There is no luggage service at all, correct? So why use this picture? With the new service and the buses making multiple stops, it would make sense to separate the luggage by the resort you are going to, but the driver usually does this anyway. Also, I think it bears mentioning that these drivers don’t make a great deal of money and tipping for good service is a good thing to do. You may not agree with the decision to end DME or the need to pay for the ride to the resort, but the drivers didn’t make that decision and are only trying to make a living. These drivers are likely not union and make less than you think they do.
Having just completed a trip to the ‘world, I find that I will really miss Magical Express baggage handling. Not having to drag your own bags around was a blessing at MCO. Everything is just so far in MCO from picking up bags and getting to the busses or getting dropped off and hauling bags to the airline counter for processing. Plus just seeing the yellow tags in the mail was a great signal that your vacation was coming soon.
Did anyone expect that Mears would Have sold off its DME fleet and purchased a new fleet for Mears Connect? Wondering if they’re using the same uniforms (and same drivers).
I would have been interested to have seen what happened up until Jan 10(?), when MC brought guests from the airport to the resort, and DME brought guests from the resort to the airport.