With the announcement of Mears Connect and Sunshine Flyer merging, this looks like a good time to reflect on our recent use of Mears Connect. We used Mears Connect in late June to travel from the Orlando International Airport to Port Orleans Riverside. How did it go?

Mears Connect provides transportation services from Orlando International Airport to Walt Disney World Resort hotels. Mears also provides transportation to several nearby non-Disney-owned hotels. For those familiar with the former Magical Express airport transportation system, this works in a similar fashion, except now you pay Mears.

Guests need to schedule their transportation on the Mears Connect website. You will need to know your airline and flight number when booking and paying for your transportation. Your final price will be listed after you indicate the hotel you want to be driven to.

After completion of your registration, you will receive an email with basic instructions. When you arrive at Orlando International Airport, you will follow the instructions to your shuttle loading area. Since Mears Connect and Sunshine Flyer are merging, the area may be different for you, so check closely after picking up your bags from baggage claim.

When you arrive at the Mears Connect check-in area, you will be asked for the QR code contained within your email. Your code will be scanned. After that, you will be directed to a lane for loading your shuttle.

Important Step With Mears Connect

We cannot stress this next part enough. The check-in process can get hectic. Staff might get overwhelmed. They will tell you a lane to enter. Make sure you double-check the lane against your emailed QR code. We have several reports of guests being placed in the wrong lane.

This will delay your process. During our June usage, we were sent to the wrong lane during a very slow time of day. We noticed the mistake. Having to return to the initial check-in area, we confirmed the proper lane with the staff.  After that, we entered the proper lane. You should see your hotel listed at the entrance to the lane you should enter. Please confirm the situation with Mears staff if you do not see it.

Our Morning Experience With Mears Connect

We arrived at Orlando International Airport very early in the morning for our scheduled trip to Port Orleans Riverside. Like most airports, the arrival area will be less crowded during the early morning hours. As a result, we found the Mears Connect check-in process very simple. We encountered a limited queue. We quickly moved through the process. Of course, this helped us realize quickly that the staff had sent us to the wrong queue.

We checked in at the Mears Connect location at around 9:10 a.m. We eventually joined another lane due to the few people queueing at the time. Though we were going to Port Orleans Riverside, the other people in our van were going to the Wyndham Hotel in the Disney Springs area.

We were loaded in the van at 9:18 a.m. We left for the Disney hotels at 9:27 a.m.

Since we only had a small group being transferred from the airport to the Walt Disney World area, we were placed on a van, not a large bus. Our driver, Angela, was very polite. She played K-Love radio. I only knew among the people in the van that K-Love plays adult contemporary faith-based music. However, it did not seem to matter to anyone.

This van lacked any legroom. For people in our group over 6 feet tall, this might be an issue. However, the loading and unloading process worked fine.

Arrival

We arrived at Port Orleans Riverside a little after 10:00 a.m. Just like if you drive your own transportation to a Walt Disney World Resort hotel, you will need your reservation information at the entrance gate to the hotel. The drop-off process is straightforward and efficient. Of course, we traveled by van, not a larger bus.

We paid less than $20 each for our Mears Connect transportation service. Your price will vary based on which resort you visit.

Basic Evaluation

Our previous experiences with Mears Connect have been satisfactory. This most recent experience ran smoothly for everything except for check-in, of course. If your group is a small number, then the price per person (starting at $15) might make a better deal than using another service or ride-share service. We plan to use this service again for a future trip.

Have you used Mears Connect recently? What do you think of the merging of Mears Connect and Sunshine Flyer? Let us know in the comments below