Mears Shuttle v. towncar

[Jennifer66]

DH and I get into MCO at 9:30am on Friday, Aug. 29 and are staying at the Dolphin. A Mears shuttle is less than 1/2 the $ of a towncar, but I've never used them before. Anyone have any experience with them? (We don't need a grocery stop, will bring booze in our checked luggage thanks to wine diapers!)

 

[SAV]

Our first trip down there many, many years ago we used Mears and it was exactly what it is advertised to be. They get you from the airport to where you are staying and back to the airport. But since that initial trip, we always rent a car. I like the flexibility of having a vehicle and being on my schedule.

You should also look into Quicksilver who is a sponsor of this site.

 

[MorganKelly]

Mears is basic transportation that we used quite a few times in the pre-DME days. You will probably share your ride with one or two other groups and will probably make multiple stops unless you are all staying at the same hotel (which never happened on our trips). We once had a bad experience with them. Our driver was a very nice lady, but when we stopped at one of the airport terminals, she gave our bag to someone else who was getting off at that terminal. We did not notice until we were dropped off at our terminal. Luckily, she remembered what the guy looked like and was able to catch up with him to make the switch. All the bags in the van were black, but a quick check of the luggage tag would have prevented the problem.....and we did not blame that entirely on her. And she was very apologetic. Still, it was a stressful 20 minutes. Right around then we decided to check out using a towncar service and that was great. Now we basically stick with DME, sometimes renting a car at WDW for a few days.

 

[RubyLee]

Just curious...is the towncar through a service like Uber? I've used their towncars several times in a few different cities & it's pretty cheap.

 

[graphite1326]

Before the Magic Express we always used a towncar (with the exception of the first time we went). Even though it was more money, you don't have to stop at other resorts to and from the airport. And it really isn't that much more. It was kinda funny to us, here we are staying at one of the value resorts (to save money) and being dropped off and picked up by a towncar. I don't think I ever saw anyone else using one while we were there.

 

[tigger1968]

Before DME we tried a number of options for getting from MCO to WDW. We never felt the need for a rental car, as we always stay on property. A taxi is ok, but expensive, and we have had trouble getting one to show up on time for pickup at the resort. We used Mears shuttle, but that can be anything from a taxi cab (they own their own cabs), to a van, to a full bus. And yes...they make a lot of stops typically. We always seemed to be the last stop for some odd reason... We did a towncar twice and loved it. It's more expensive, but they are on time, you get a grocery stop if you need it, and they are on time for pickup. Plus, it's just REALLY cool to stroll out of your resort and have a car waiting for you with a driver. We felt like VIPs lol.

I say do the towncar. The cost is worth the perks. We used Quicksilver and were very happy with them.

 

[slappy magoo]

Our first trip down there many, many years ago we used Mears and it was exactly what it is advertised to be. They get you from the airport to where you are staying and back to the airport. But since that initial trip, we always rent a car. I like the flexibility of having a vehicle and being on my schedule.

You should also look into Quicksilver who is a sponsor of this site.

Yeah, but one of the negatives about staying at the Dolphin like the OP is, is that parking isn't free, even for those guests staying there. So to pay the cost of the rental car, you have to include 16 bucks more every 24 hours. At least according to allears.net, you still get free theme park parking.

 

[Sands611]

I always do towncar w/ mears for 85 bucks for us arriving at WDW from MCO. I want my luggage before sunset then we utilize DME for the return to airport.

Every time I have used DME I have had a great experience but it takes them hours to get stuff to rooms.
My opinions is that when I hit the ground in Orlando the Disney clock is running and I'd like to get there asap. I am a "are we there yet" adult.

 

[danlb_2000]

Last time we went to Disney we used a town car service to get from the Amtrak station to Port Orleans. They didn't have any of their normal cars available to pick us up so they sent a stretch limo! Got a lot of looks when we pulled up in front of the hotel.