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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Chronic mismanagement and experience degradation at WDW such as ending Magical Express. Paying more for less is now the Disney way….
In the fall of 2024, we had a great experience with the shuttle to Jambo House at Animal Kingdom Lodge. It was a Sunday morning, and there were twelve of us, and the bus was waiting for us to board.
So, in the fall of 2025, we arrived hot and tired in mid-October on a Tuesday. We (2 older adults) waited over 60 minutes for a bus to the Poly. The staff yelled at people who got out of line when approaching the desk with questions.
The employees pointedly ignored looking at the ever-increasing lines.
One bus arrived, but a group of conventioneers who weren’t in our area were allowed to board. Then, after another 20 minutes, they allowed the people in the shortest line to board. However, that didn’t work out well because something must have gone wrong with the luggage system. The driver and one other employee started pulling all the luggage out of the hold, and they had the people get off and match their luggage.
An older male showed up with a large passenger van, spoke rather tersely with the employees, then went out to our line and asked, “How many, and where to.”
We got in his van, and he whisked us to the Poly.
He grumbled the entire time about people not doing their jobs.
We now use a private car service. Yes, it costs more, but we get there.
The other thing was that the bus employees didn’t want people sitting on the floor while waiting, and yet they didn’t want you to get out of line to use the limited number of benches!
It was a horrible experience, and when I sent an email, the response was that they were sorry for my experience, but when it is busy, there could be delays. –
Done with them!
We have had some downright scary taxi situations. We only use a company called Ride To The Magic now. Feeling frustrated or unsafe should not be how any vacation starts!
I’ve taken the Mears bus to AKL several times & never had a problem until my most recent trip (2/26). First, I waited 30 minutes for the bus to arrive to the airport. It stopped at the All Star hotels first as usual, but this time the driver seemed to be in no hurry. At two of the stops he stood chatting with another Mears employee for about 5 minutes each time! Another passenger called out & the driver replied “I’m coming, relax”. I sent an email to Mears, but never received a reply. I think they know they’re the only reasonably priced option & don’t care.
I had a similar experience with Mears Connect in January getting to Riverside. Leaving was even worse and super stressful worrying about my flight. While nice not to have to worry about driving, I will not be utilizing this service again for a long time to come.
Agree with most of the comments – mears quality has definitely gone down – maybe we should all be contacting them directly instead of this forum! I have been inspired and will do it!
In the past several years I’ve had only one time where the ride took longer than expected. It got to a point where I was going to get off at the net resort even though it wasn’t the one I was staying at. We all remember with Magical Express there were several lines that had specific resort stops and the rides weren’t very long. I did like the way they took care of my bag but having to wait 3 hours for it to be delivered did seem a bit long.
Ditto on our service, except ours was in the middle of the night!! My husband and I both had terrible waits (we arrived on separate nights, but both well after midnight). My husband didn’t get to our resort until 4 am!! We landed in terminal 3 and the counter was closed and our phones would not work to call (we are international). It was a nightmare x 2 and we will NEVER use Mears again!