Mears vs Sunshine Flyer

[HfxDisney]

I know this has been asked before but I’m still on the fence with it. My daughter (8) and I are landing end of November and looking at options from MCO to All Star Movies. I can’t decide which transport to take, but I think she would like the Sunshine Flyer more. I’m hoping to land (around 3pm), get to the hotel, and then have enough time to go shopping at the outlets.


What are your experiences with Mears and Sunshine Flyer? Or should I just do Uber/Lyft?

 

[Ross Kratter]

If you’re looking to make the very most of your time, I’d book a car service where the driver meets you at baggage claim. That way, the only waiting you do is for your luggage if you’ve checked a bag.

 

[MinnieMSue]

We did sunshine flyer and would use again. They responded almost immediately to my emails (about me screwing up booking and flight changes). The one time it took them an hour to respond they apologized profusely. To me that is a sign they care about customer. The checkin kiosk is outside and once we checked in it took maybe 5 min for bus to come. They loaded up the few families that were there and pulled out quickly to take us to resort. We were first drop off at Pop but I’m sure that varies. On return they sent me an email of the time a couple days ahead of time and their bus arrived to the minute they said they would. We happened to be last pickup before heading to airport. On bus to Pop they showed old Mickey cartoons and on way back to airport they didn’t have the tvs on. I think this is driver dependent. Busses were new and clean.

 

[Denise W]

Have you read the reviews on both Mears and Sunshine Flyer? A lot of reviews have been posted on here about both of them which should give you some ideas.

 

[HfxDisney]

I read the reviews on here and the ones on trip advisor, but I can't decide what one to use as they both have negative (and positive) reviews lately. I think I will do Sunshine Flyer and hope for the best!

 

[Meriweather]

I read the reviews on here and the ones on trip advisor, but I can't decide what one to use as they both have negative (and positive) reviews lately. I think I will do Sunshine Flyer and hope for the best!

We used Sunshine Flyer in Oct. Both directions....and it went very well.
Booked it again for our Dec. trip

 

[a_ashbiez]

Just weighing in that sunshine flyer has been AWFUL for us this week.
Upon arrival there was a mass of people waiting without any communication or direction. They would yell out resorts and then everyone would rush forward.
We watched nearly every resort get called twice before they called Animal Kingdom Lodge. Then they took a family who had just arrived to be loaded ahead of us, after we had been waiting over an hour.
We were then added as the final stop to a full bus only after we asked twice when we would get to go.

Coming home, currently on the bus.
It was 15 minutes late getting us, when I called the lady who answered goes "oh yeah a lot of people are waiting on that one"
Finally gets us, then makes a u-turn to go back for another pickup after getting on the road, then goes to Pop Century. Wouldn't have minded multiple stops if the driver didn't move as slow as molasses!

An hour after our scheduled pickup we are finally on the way to airport.

We haven't done Mears yet, but definitely will not be doing sunshine flyer ever again!

 

[bouldertcr]

I booked Mears for my trip in November. It was in the same location to pick up as the former Disney magical express. It was easy, efficient and a pleasant experience. I had an early flight out of MCO and I was picked up early enough to have plenty of time to get through security and make my way to my terminal/gate. I would hands down use them again.

 

[miksicnarf]

Mears Connect. Mears operated Disney's Magical Express, so it's the same service, same location. I've used it since DME ended, no complaints.

 

[Goldelpack]

For my upcoming trip I need transportation from All Star Sports to MCO only - I use an ECV but I've found both Mears & Sunshine Flyer to be ok for that (except 1 trip last year where Sunshine Flyer sent a van that couldn't accomodate me - but had an empty bus sent within minutes.) My greatest complaint vs Sunshine Flyer (at that time) was that their website was not user friendly. I also could do without the shtick where someone came on the bus and blew a train whistle.. but otherwise the services were comparable. In looking now I see that Sunshine flyer has updated their website AND is offering a discount albeit a very small amount so I booked with them. Where Mears is on the far side (all the way to the left if facing the counter - Sunshine is on the complete opposite far side. Mears had an inside counter, but when I was last there Sunshine had a podium outside only.
I'm hoping that more people post their experiences here about both services.
MAGIC22

 

[MrKnight]

Mears is the larger more reputable company, it is also the former DME provider so they have transportation between MCO and WDW down to a science.. IMHO I would personally go with Mears..

 

[Debbie Jean]

Mears is the larger more reputable company, it is also the former DME provider so they have transportation between MCO and WDW down to a science.. IMHO I would personally go with Mears..

I remember. Often referred to as Disney’s Tragical Express lol Had some great trips and others… not so much.

Despite an absolutely miserable Mears experience from MCO last summer, the return trip to the airport went smoothly. And since I am arriving Terminal C next week, I booked Mears again since SF doesn’t stop there… I’m old as dirt and traveling solo so the train back to Terminal B for SF just doesn’t make sense.

Just hoping the ride from MCO isn’t like the one last summer! Got every portion of my anatomy crossed… and it ain’t pretty!

If time is really important, get a car service or Uber/Lyft. Mears may be fine… or not. I can attest to both.

 

[jennyq87]

We're doing Sunshine Flyer on Wednesday. I did quite a bit of research before booking and things looked relatively similar. I think people tend to lean toward Mears because it's familiar and in the old ME location. But I wanted to try something new! Fingers crossed it's a good experience!

 

[SEAGULL59]

I used both Mears and Sunshine Flyer on my last trip, last week. Mears was used on our arrival because we had a late flight (due to a cancellation of our flight) that came in at 1:00am. We were in a van with 2 other families. The trip to Pop was quick and we waited probably 10 minutes at the airport for the van to arrive.
On our departure, we used Sunshine Flyer. They arrived 5 minutes early and I was impressed with the driver and overall feel. It was more like the Magical Express in that there were cartoons and music. When we arrived at the airport a representative gave my daughter a coloring book to do on the flight home. I thought it was a nice touch! I was also impressed with Sunshine because they reimbursed our arrival fee that we were supposed to use due to our flight being changed due to a canceled flight. Sunshine was a deal of $32-($16 reimbursed), round trip plus kids free when I booked. Mears I paid $30ish for the pair of us.
I'd use both again but think Sunshine would be my #1 pick.

 

[EilonwyWanderer]

We just got here and a big thumbs down so far for Sunshine Flyer. It's disorganized chaos. We got directions to go outside to a HUGE mass of people just standing around and a guy shouting out resorts, one of which was ours and we were like woohoo! Seeing no checkin we walked over and the guy starts yelling at us to go get in line!! Go check in!!! And I'm like okay they just called our resort where is checkin? And he's all BACK OF THEN LINE! So we walk back to basically the doors of the terminal where we wait for a few minutes with other people getting behind us until someone in line says no no, this isn't the line, checkin is off to the left.

Okay so we go to the left and there's still a mass of people there. Turns out it's just people waiting which we don't realize for another few minutes along with at least three other people in front of us and behind us. And what was checkin? A lady writing things on a clipboard. Why give me a QR code?? She tells us to go wait and I say the guy told us it would be the green bus and she tells me again to go wait until they call it out. So we go back to the main mass of people and two seconds later they wave us to the green bus.

Which isn't a train. It's just a green bus.

Not the best first impression here.

 

[Miffy]

I booked Mears for next Tuesday (Dec 6). I'll leave a review of my experience. I'm getting in quite late, so I didn't even consider Sunshine Flyer. Also, Mears apparently picks up from Terminal C, which is where I'll be arriving.

 

[heresabe]

Despite an absolutely miserable Mears experience from MCO last summer, the return trip to the airport went smoothly. And since I am arriving Terminal C next week, I booked Mears again since SF doesn’t stop there… I’m old as dirt and traveling solo so the train back to Terminal B for SF just doesn’t make sense.

Mears makes a separate stop in Terminal C?

 

[Miffy]

Mears makes a separate stop in Terminal C?

I have no direct experience yet, but here's the info that Mears emailed me:

 

[Debbie Jean]

I have no direct experience yet, but here's the info that Mears emailed me:

View attachment 722704

And I believe people have posted being pickup there.

I am arriving next week to Terminal C so I will know for sure then!

 

[Anthony1971]

If you are looking at saving time neither is a better option. With either one you may get a bus fast or wait 30 minutes or longer. We used Sunshine flyer and had a great experience however the waiting is outside at the exact opposite end of where Mears bus boarding is (Magic Express). While Magic Express was taken advantage of by Disney as a free service to get you there and fleece you.... There was more to it as Mears was an absolute nightmare the last few years before ME existed. I hope Mears and for that fact SF keep up with the existing good service. The buses other than outside are no different inside so my vote is which ever is cheaper or if one picks up at terminal C that could be make difference but yet to be determined if this is only after the bus leaves... but still good for return.