It Took Me 3 HOURS to Get From the Airport to My Disney World Hotel — Here's What Went Wrong

Traveling to and from Disney World is something the entire DFB team has become well-versed in! We have made Disney vacation planning our entire career for over 15 years, so we definitely know our way around the resort.

Mears Connect

To start off your vacation, you have to start by getting to the Disney World resort! For me, that typically starts at the Orlando International Airport before hopping on a Mears Connect Bus to head to my resort. I’ve never had many issues with this…until it took me 3 hours to get to my Disney World hotel. I’m sharing everything that went wrong right here!

If you didn’t know, there are lots of ways to get from the airport to Disney World! You can get a ride share, you can rent a car, and you can also book a spot on a Mears Connection transportation option. This is a shared shuttle option that runs between the airport and Disney World. You can book a ticket for the shuttle at very affordable prices, select a time to hop on, and head to your resort. It normally operates pretty quickly. During my last trip? Not so much.

Mears Connect at Orlando International Airport

This time, when I showed up after our on-time flight (so no delays), there was a huge line to take me to Fort Wilderness Resort, where I was staying. I waited roughly 45 minutes for a bus to arrive, and during that time, I was given no updates from the Mears employees. Once the bus finally arrived, we were walking to the line to get on, and an employee asked us which resort I was staying at.

Follow the signs at MCO!

When I said Fort Wilderness, they asked me to step to the side. They told me that it would be too many stops for the bus to take, and I would need to wait for the next bus. This was especially confusing because I was in line for the Fort Wilderness bus! When I asked how long the wait would be, they shared it would be another 45 minutes.

Self Check In

When I said that I had already waited 45 minutes, she had me and my family move to the side. Finally, another bus pulled up that was going to different Disney hotels, and the employee put us on this bus. The relief I felt was palpable! She told us we would be the first stop and that the bus would head straight to Fort Wilderness.

There is also a bathroom on board the Mears Connect Buses

After a long drive to the hotels, it turns out we weren’t first — we were the LAST hotel. Not only did it take us a very long time to get to Fort Wilderness, but the TVs were also broken on our bus, so that was an additional bummer. From the time we arrived at the check-in counter to the time we got to our hotel, it took 3 hours.

Mears Connect bus

While I normally have a good experience with Mears, I won’t deny that this was a very long, very stressful experience. I also wasn’t alone, and there was a toddler in my group, so that definitely added to the situation. That being said, this could have just been a fluke! We’ve even had bad experiences in Disney World, so we won’t write off the Mears Connect Buses just yet.

Inside a Mears Connect bus

This was just a great reminder that things can (and most likely will) go wrong at least once on your Disney trip, so pack your patience pants. Being able to roll with the punches is the best way to enjoy your Disney trip. This is also a great reminder to budget for extra time, errors, and more in your schedule. As always, be sure to keep following DFB for more Disney news, updates, stories, and more.

3 Things I Wish I’d Known Before Waiting 3 Hours for Airport Transportation to Disney World

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