Mears Shared Shuttle

MyGirlLovesTink

DIS Veteran
Joined
Apr 4, 2010
I am arriving at MCO pate at night, 11 PM. Since I will be alone late at night, I don't want to use Uber/Lyft. I am going to the Swan hotel, so DME is not an option. Looking at the Mears shared shuttle. How does it work at the airport, you go to their counter?

Also, what experiences have others had with the shared shuttle service? Do you think it will make a lot of stops so late at night?
 
I have used this service quite often, when traveling to the Swan. I must admit, though, that I always arrive during daytime hours.

If you purchase ahead, online, there is a 10% discount for using promo code WEB10. The roundtrip fare is always much less, per ride, than the one-way fare.

If you purchase online, you will still need to get your boarding pass and receipt from the Mears desk, which is on level one, just past the car rental counters. Mears has a location on both the A & B sides. So, after you collect any checked bags, you can go down to level one, have your confirmation number handy, and print off your Mears boarding pass and receipt. There is always a Mears rep at the desk when I have been there, for any assistance.

After printing off from the kiosk, you exit the terminal and report to the outside Mears desk. They will give you a pager, and you can sit outside at the curb to be called for your ride. Every once in awhile, there were not many other pax waiting for rides, so I have been put in a Mears taxi, instead of a shuttle van/mini bus.

It's not possible to say in advance if there will be other stops, prior to yours. My daytime experience in the shuttle is that the Swan and Dolphin will be last. The actual ride can be about one hour long, with other stops ahead of yours. They will tell you that the wait to board a shuttle will be about 20 minutes, after checking in at the curbside desk.

The driver will store your bags and give them back at your stop. A tip is customary.

If I don't have a rental car for my Swan stays, I use the Mears shared shuttle.
 
In case you don't know, Mears operates Disney's Magical Express. Mears has been a Disney partner for decades. If Disney trusts them, you can probably trust them, too.

Back when I lived in Orlando, I used the Mears shared ride service multiple times each year. Never had any issues. Since I live in South Florida, I usually drive. But, I did use the service a few months ago to go from the airport to one of the Disney Springs Hotels. It was the same level of competent service.

Everything shoreward wrote is exactly how I remember it.
 
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We pre booked a mears share shuttle in January with no issues. It was late when our flight arrived. We were placed in a cab as previous poster. I like the fact I can prepay and not worrying about taxi fees.
 
The Mears shuttle is a good option and probably the least expensive option outside of Uber/Lyft. I'd also recommend Tony Hinds, who is often recommended on these boards. He has a private 12 passenger van and picks up very close to baggage claim. Since its a private car service, you'll go straight to the hotel once you get your luggage. He'll also include a grocery stop, if requested. He's very reliable and we've found his pricing on par with a taxi.
 
I get motion sick easily. Years ago I took the Mears shared shuttle. I felt lousy by the time I got to my hotel. I swore I would never do that again.

I use a towncar service to get from MCO to a hotel. It costs more than a shared shuttle, but I feel better when I arrive.
 


1) Does Mears shared shuttle ever offer a large bus like the DME bus size?
2) When booking Mears shared shuttle ahead of time in order to take advantage of 10% off code, I have to select a time of pick up at MCO. Is that just an estimated time? Obviously there can be flight associated delays.
 
1) Does Mears shared shuttle ever offer a large bus like the DME bus size?
2) When booking Mears shared shuttle ahead of time in order to take advantage of 10% off code, I have to select a time of pick up at MCO. Is that just an estimated time? Obviously there can be flight associated delays.
No, the shared shuttle is either a passenger van or a mini bus - like some of the rental car companies use to shuttle between off-site and the airport.

The time is merely an estimate from MCO to your resort. However, the return, from resort to the airport, is a definite time.
 
Okay thank you. We have taken Mears a few times and also seen the charter busses with Mears painted on the side of the bus at the airport so I wasn’t sure if they offered those. We are doing a split stay after the Dolphin so we will not need Mears on the return. We will be taking DME
 
Okay thank you. We have taken Mears a few times and also seen the charter busses with Mears painted on the side of the bus at the airport so I wasn’t sure if they offered those. We are doing a split stay after the Dolphin so we will not need Mears on the return. We will be taking DME
I think the large Mears motorcoaches are actually Magical Express buses, which Mears operate for Disney. Your plans sound similar to mine.
 
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Mears has also had white coach buses with no name in big print supposedly for use as extras when they didn't have enough of the right color (Magical Express, Disney Cruise Lines, etc.) handy.

Before DME was invented I had ridden on a Mears coach bus (it was yellow) as well as in their 15 or so passenger vans, between MCO airport and Disney.
 
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I am arriving at MCO pate at night, 11 PM. Since I will be alone late at night, I don't want to use Uber/Lyft. I am going to the Swan hotel, so DME is not an option. Looking at the Mears shared shuttle. How does it work at the airport, you go to their counter?

Also, what experiences have others had with the shared shuttle service? Do you think it will make a lot of stops so late at night?

I've also only reserved ahead online so I can't answer your question about purchasing a ride at the counter. I've waited anywhere from 5-20 min. for the shuttle, and was always the last stop, so the ride itself was anywhere from 45-70 min. It is your most economical choice for one person when ME isn't an option.
 

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