Question about Disney's Magical Express compared to Mears

[ssidiouss@mac.c]

I used mears the past two times I went to DisneyWorld.. in 2003 and 2004. Both times I liked it. I never had to wait more than 20 minutes for the mears bus to leave the airport and the bus usally stopped at two resorts so it never seemed very long to go to our Resort.

My questions are :

1. How do the busses differ from the mears vans?

2. How is the waiting time (waiting to leave the airport) for them compared to mears?

3. How many resorts does the bus go to from the airport? If its a big bus, does it stop at more than 2 resorts? That could be horrible waiting an hour as people get dropped off.

 

[JPVonDrake]

I used mears the past two times I went to DisneyWorld.. in 2003 and 2004. Both times I liked it. I never had to wait more than 20 minutes for the mears bus to leave the airport and the bus usally stopped at two resorts so it never seemed very long to go to our Resort.

My questions are :

1. How do the busses differ from the mears vans?

2. How is the waiting time (waiting to leave the airport) for them compared to mears?

3. How many resorts does the bus go to from the airport? If its a big bus, does it stop at more than 2 resorts? That could be horrible waiting an hour as people get dropped off.

As Mears is a partner in Disney's Magical Express, the Mears service is no longer available to Disney owned and operated resorts (why ask people to pay when a better service is free?)

The busses themselves are about the same size, have a very Disney paint job and being the newest models, include video screens and more comfortable seating.

Wait times are shorter then Mears, as your bus departure is now prescheduled. Also, factor in that you do not need to get your luggage at baggage claim also speeds your trip to your Resort.

The busses will stop at up to 4 Disney Resorts but all in the same area of Walt Disney World, where Mears has been know to make up 10 stops or more, both on and off Disney property.

All in all if you don't like Mears service, you will be happily suprised at Disney's Magical Express.

If you do like Mears Service, you will LOVE Disney's Magical Express.

Note, you may have read on this and other boards of the may start up problems DME has had, rest assured most all of which have been corrected and improvements are ongoing.

Hope this helps! :sohappy:

 

[Fantasmic!329]

You are so helpful JPVonDrake!!! If rep. was still around, you would get a lot of green for your very informative posts!

 

[Highland_Holly]

I personally preferred Tiffany Towncar service to the Mears shuttle... they pick you up in a private car, take you to a grocery store if you want (great to pick up water, breakfast stuff, fruit and anything else that would be tough to pack) and they were the same price or less than Mears. (This was in 2003). You also don't have stops at other resorts.

Now that ME has been added to the whole Disney thing, I am thinking we will stilluse Tiffany for our arrival but the Magical Express for the return. That way we still get the grocery visit. Sure, it costs us a bit more, but it is worth it.

:kiss:

 

[Becky]

As Mears is a partner in Disney's Magical Express, the Mears service is no longer available to Disney owned and operated resorts (why ask people to pay when a better service is free?)

The busses themselves are about the same size, have a very Disney paint job and being the newest models, include video screens and more comfortable seating.

:veryconfu Mears Vans are still transporting guests to WDW resorts. I saw them do that at Port Orleans Riverside everyday between May 14th and 21st.

Looks to me like they are using Disney Cruise line colors on the busses with a different logo.

POR was the fourth and last stop comming in. Returning they stoped at POR first then French Quarter then both terminals at MCO.

They gave us a return pick-up time of 7:40 for a 1:30 flight. As the Magic Express phone line does not open until 9 on Saturday guest services suggestion that we call in the morning was useless. I talked to a couple of drivers and they said 3 hours before would be fine (which is what the sign on the Airport check in desk has "no sooner than 12 hours before your flight or later than 3 hours".

Everything worked out ok, we did get the bag tags before leaving home. I suggest calling the Magic Express number with questions as WDW reservations and guest services provides a lot of incorrect info such as "all your party must fly out of the same city or they will have to get their own luggage". Totally wrong. Hum, did that CM not remember Magical Gatherings. Families have actually been known to fly in from multipul cities. :lookaroun

 

[Becky]

I personally preferred Tiffany Towncar service to the Mears shuttle... they pick you up in a private car, take you to a grocery store if you want (great to pick up water, breakfast stuff, fruit and anything else that would be tough to pack) and they were the same price or less than Mears. (This was in 2003). You also don't have stops at other resorts.

Now that ME has been added to the whole Disney thing, I am thinking we will stilluse Tiffany for our arrival but the Magical Express for the return. That way we still get the grocery visit. Sure, it costs us a bit more, but it is worth it.

:kiss:

Good plan. :wave: I have used Tiffany several times and have always been very happy with them. This trip we had more people and would have had to use a Tiffany Van so we gave DME a try. It did work out in the end for us but their were a few tense moments, like getting bag tags two days before departure. However I had read JP's posts before we left and knew Disney would take care of the bags even without the tags.

Disney had plenty of "Mickey White Glove" people all over the airport. Excellent directions. The uniforms looked like the Disney Cruise line uniforms.

 

[JPVonDrake]

Mears does still use their vans for guest with special needs, guest booked with select wholesalers, and those that book through Star Taxi (a subsidary of Mears.) Also Mears provides transportation to Disney from the Sanford Airport, and Amtrak Station.

:sohappy: