How do you get from MCO to your resort?

I have always used a town car service, which is my preferred method as I like the grocery stop provided and the most direct route without having to make several stops as you get with DME. Recently I have been a little disenchanted with the town car service I have always used.

So, tell me....how do you get there and is there a service you've been happy with over another?
 

PhilharMagician

Well-Known Member
Our preferred method is renting a car, but the price of rentals has really gone up and the convienence is simply not worth the price for us on a limited budget.

Second choice is Town Car. We like the grocery stop. We purchase a few cases of water, wine, breakfast foods and snacks. These purchases basically offset the cost of the Town Car and also get us that red carpet feeling when we come down the escalator to baggage claim and see our name and someone ready to grab our bags for us. Lately we have only used the Town Car one way and use Magical Express to get back to the airport. It saves us about $40.

Third choice has been Magical Express. We have used ME for short 3 - 4 day trips where a grocery stop is not really needed. I guess we could take a cab to the store for groceries after we get to the resort, but then I would be wasting time.

What Town Car service are you using and what have been the problems?
 
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Stellajack

Well-Known Member
Disney's Magical Express! We have used this service 6-7 times and, to date, have never made a stop between airport pick-up and our resort (usually POR). Leaving out, we usually make an addt'l stop and pick-up at Saratoga Springs. We love this service and are so happy that Disney has continued this contract.
 
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plaz10

Well-Known Member
I absolutely ADORE Disney's Magical Express. We go nowhere else but Disney property and although sometimes frustrating - we rely on Disney buses for all park transportation.

For me - it makes the trip start sooner...right at MCO. When you see all the signs for DME and then you're on a Disney bus, watching the Welcome video and all - it's a perfect way to start the magical vacation.
 
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Sharkreef11

Well-Known Member
Magical Express! It's the way we love to start the vacation. I have had to use a town car in the past when we flew down on shorten trips to meet family, and it just wasn't the same. DW and I just sat in the car bummed we weren't watching the video! Felt like a big piece was missing.
 
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DebbieL

Member
I rent a car. I like being able to travel off site for dinner, etc., and I also like to not have to wait for Disney transportation to get to/from parks. Love having a car!
 
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DisneyDebNJ

Well-Known Member
Magical Express......I just fall in line and leave all the responsibilities behind me.
Absolutely DME, once we step on that bus its V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N!!! Regarding groceries, you can always call ahead (Green Grocer, etc) and have all of your items waiting for you at your resort :)
 
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Epcot Dave

Member
We used Mears until 2005, then went with a town car after getting stuck waiting 90 minutes in intense humidity waiting for a van...not a bus...a van from Mears in 2003. We could have gone in, but they kept telling us a few more minutes for an hour and a half. Of course, back then you paid $60 or $90 for our two round trips or something. It always seemed like we were the first resort picked up in our area and the last dropped off. We've always stayed at Riverside/Dixie Landings and the amount of time waiting for the bus at the airporrts, the time waiting to get there, and the extra time needed when being picked up really added up for us, sometimes three hours or more...close to four per trip. Since 2009 or so (the previous place seemed to have gone out of business) we've used Quicksilver Limousine and have been really pleased with their service. They're always rightthere (intentional spelling) for us when we get to baggage, you load up in that corridor right there now, and we're gone. We've found that we save an hour or so at either end of the trip, sometimes more by doing it this way. And for that the $125 or so with tip is worth it to us.

If the bags are coming out when we get to baggage, we're on our way withing 10 minutes or less from when we get to the baggage area. Efficient...nice.

I live about 20 miles to the west from O'Hare International and my town car to O'Hare and my house is $60 or so more than my transfer on Quicksilver, ironically.

If DME works for you, go for it. I'm just saying that we believe through experience that a Town Car or SUV from Quicksilver works better for us.

Last time they took us through the McDonald's down by DTD on the way to POR and it saved us some time, allowing us to just hit it as soon as we could dump the bags in the room and fight with our kids over using the potty before we left the room.

I hope this helps!
Dave
 
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WDW 3

Well-Known Member
Town Car. In 2005 we used Mears and it was a brand new DME bus before DME actually started. Sooo does Mears operate DME? It took so long to get to our resort with so many stops.
 
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CleveRocks

Active Member
Mears is the subcontractor that supplies the buses and drivers. But it is a Disney operation. Disney makes the rules and sets the procedures, Disney makes sure it's run in a Disney way. It's NOT operated at all like Mears ran their shuttle service. Think of it this way: Mears is the muscle but Disney is the brains.
 
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CleveRocks

Active Member
GROCERY DELIVERY!

If you use a car service AND wait at baggage claim AND stop at a supermarket and shop and wait in line in there and so on, you WILL get to your Disney resort slower than if you skipped baggage claim and took the DME bus and arranged for a grocery delivery.

The car service grocery stop is a time killer.

Personally, on vacation, the last thing I want to do is wander around a strange supermarket not being able to find what I want. Anytime I go ANYWHERE on vacation for more than a few days, I seek out a grocery delivery service if one is available, even if I'm driving my own car! For me, in my opinion, trying to find things in a supermarket is NOT my idea of vacation. Having my groceries at my resort waiting for me is the kind of service I enjoy on vacation.
 
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sarajo

Member
Magical Express- for me, as a SAHM of 3, grocery shopping is off-limits during vacation, so the bus is just fine for us! We're usually at the resort less than an hour after stepping off the plane :)
 
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nepalostparks

Well-Known Member
When we flew in from PA for vacations, we always got a rental car. With a little work, you can get a rental car with discounts for the same or less than it would cost for car service or shuttle for a family of 4. We liked the ability to make our own schedule, drive off property for Universal and/or SeaWorld, etc. We would sometimes use the Disney buses on property, but usually found the convenience of having our own vehicle better for us.
 
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ishmael0316

Active Member
I have always used a town car service, which is my preferred method as I like the grocery stop provided and the most direct route without having to make several stops as you get with DME. Recently I have been a little disenchanted with the town car service I have always used.

So, tell me....how do you get there and is there a service you've been happy with over another?
Magic Express for sure. I am paying enough for my trip, if someone wants to give me a free ride, then by golly, I am taking it!
 
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