Walt Disney World With Kids (Fodor's, 2012) - Fodor's [12]
The time difference is unlikely to be more than 15 minutes between the bus ride and the car ride, so it pretty much boils down to your preference. Do you want to be in complete control of your destiny, able to change plans on a whim? Take your car. Do you want to bliss out and forget all about maps, traffic, parking-row numbers, and dead batteries? Leave the driving to Disney.
Transportation without a Rental Car
If you’re not staying at a Disney resort and not renting a car, you have two options for airport transfers. The fastest and easiest is a cab; prices average about $50 to the Universal-SeaWorld area and $60 to the Disney area, plus tip. Alternatively, you can take the Mears Shuttle Service, which costs $30 round-trip for adults and $24 for kids. You can reserve your shuttle before leaving home by calling 407/423–5566. Shuttles may seem like a money-saving option, but note that if there are more than two people in your party, it’s cheaper to take a cab.
Insider’s Secret
The Magical Express airport buses usually stop at several hotels, and this can add up to a long commute time. If you’re really eager to get your vacation going fast, take a cab. Also, some families have reported significant wait times for their luggage, so do pack essentials in a carry-on. “It took seven hours to get our luggage,” said one mother from Wisconsin. “We couldn’t take the kids swimming, we didn’t have our camera, and we ended up spending the whole first day walking around in 90-degree weather in long sleeves and jeans.”
If you’re staying at a Disney resort, the Magical Express Service makes transport from the airport to your hotel room less costly, and, if all goes according to plan, more convenient. Here’s how it works:
Check your bags at your hometown airport. This is the last time you’ll see them until you’re in your Orlando hotel room, so be sure to put anything you may need in the meantime, such as medication or summer-weather clothing, into your carry-on. When your plane arrives, you don’t have to go to baggage claim to pick up your bags—instead, follow the directions of the Disney representative waiting on the baggage-claim level. You’ll board a motor coach and head for your resort, and—if all goes smoothly—your bags will arrive in your room about three hours after you do. You don’t have to be on-site to sign for your luggage; if you want to go straight to the theme parks, the bags will be waiting for you when you get back.
The Magical Express Service not only saves you the hassle of tracking and dragging your bags every step of the way but it also means free airport-to-resort transport for all Disney hotel guests. This single perk will save a family of four somewhere between $120–$350 when you consider that they would otherwise be taking a shuttle, a cab, or even renting a car.
Insider’s Secret
You just got to Orlando, so of course you’re not thinking about going home yet. But, as a sadder-but-wiser mother from Ohio advises, “If you use the Magical Express for your return service to the airport, don’t book your return flight before noon. They require you to be on the bus three hours before your flight time, which for us basically involved getting up and checking out in the middle of the night.”
Countdown to Disney World
Okay, let’s summarize. Here’s what needs to be done—and when.
As Soon as Possible
Choose your resort. To help find the best on-site hotel for you, consult Chapter