Taxi versus Mears Transport

[The Millies]

Hi
This is my first ever post, so hopefully I'm doing it right??
We, that is my husband and 8 soon to be 9 year old daughter are off to Disney next Friday. We're staying at POP for just over 2 weeks - YIPEE!
Can anyone advise roughly how much a taxi is to:
a. Seaworld
and
B. The I-Drive/Sand Lake Road area.
We're not sure if it will be cheaper for a taxi or to use Virgin vouchers for Mears?
Many thanks:wave:

 

[LivingtheDream]

just an FYI ... Mears also has taxi's (mostly vans) .... as far as I know, the buses do not go from theme park to theme park ( WDW to SeaWorld for example ) but, here is their web site ... good luck and have a magical time :ROFLOL: www.mearstransportation.com/

 

[Mystic]

Another alternative is to rent a car for the day, which can be done at Guest Services at the Pop Century. They'll even have the car brought to the hotel for you.

 

[philsfan2185]

Mears lost my bag while I was using the Magical Express back to the airport last month. I'll walk to my resort before I give their company anymore business. Heed this warning - Mears operates some taxi's that are at MCO. Good luck and I hope you have fun.

 

[MichWolv]

2 weeks -- sounds wonderful! Have a great time.

Regarding getting to Sea World/I-drive, I would rent a car, as others have suggested (I actually get a car for the whole time I'm at WDW, because going from hotel to hotel is such a pain on Disney transport, and I like to hotel-hop for dinner, etc.). Plus renting a car for the day should only cost around $25, not much more (if any) than the taxi or round-trip on Mears for 3 of you.

One other option is actually the good old Orlando public system, Lynx. They have a line that goes from WDW (TTC and Downtown Disney) to Sea World. Here is a link to that bus line's schedule. http://www.golynx.com/schedule.cfm?route=50

 

[Montyboy]

2 weeks -- sounds wonderful! Have a great time.

Regarding getting to Sea World/I-drive, I would rent a car, as others have suggested (I actually get a car for the whole time I'm at WDW, because going from hotel to hotel is such a pain on Disney transport, and I like to hotel-hop for dinner, etc.). Plus renting a car for the day should only cost around $25, not much more (if any) than the taxi or round-trip on Mears for 3 of you.

One other option is actually the good old Orlando public system, Lynx. They have a line that goes from WDW (TTC and Downtown Disney) to Sea World. Here is a link to that bus line's schedule. http://www.golynx.com/schedule.cfm?route=50

I go with a taxi for a few reasons:
The rental agreement may read $25/day, but when they add on taxes, it is much more.
At Sea World taxis have a separate entrance/exit so at closing time you get out ALOT faster.
No navigating and parking fees.

 

[Montyboy]

To really answer your question, I should really ask, "What are Virgin Vouchers"?

 

[CleveRocks]

Mears lost my bag while I was using the Magical Express back to the airport last month. I'll walk to my resort before I give their company anymore business. Heed this warning - Mears operates some taxi's that are at MCO. Good luck and I hope you have fun.

Do you mean you had your bag with you and then it was loaded onto the bus and then wasn't there when you got to the airport?

Or do you mean you used Resort Airline Check-in in your resort's lobby, where you checked-in for your flight, got your boarding passes, and checked your bags through to your home airport?

If you used Resort Airline Check-in, then Mears had NOTHING to do with your checked bags. Mears does not run all of Disney's Magical Express. They are a subcontractor, one of about 5 subcontractors. Mears' role is supplying the buses and bus drivers. Disney is in charge of the entire operation ... Mears and the other subcontractors merely fill their roles.

If you used Resort Airline Check-in and your bag was lost (was it truly lost forever, or merely delayed???), then the fault lies with BAGS Inc., the Resort Airline Check-in subcontractor. BAGS Inc. employees accept the bags at the RAC desk in the resort, BAGS Inc. employees drive the luggage delivery trucks, and BAGS Inc. employees handoff the luggage from their custody to the custody of your airline.

I have no love for Mears, but I just thought it was important to set the record straight, and to make sure you're annoyed with the right company.

And actually, since Disney is in-charge and Disney sets all of the policies and procedures for everything its subcontractors do, then the ultimate fault lies with Disney.

Of course, if you used RAC and your AIRLINE delayed your bag after they got it, then your beef is with your airline.

 

[westie]

Taxi? Always. Mears sucks and magic bus takes too long.

 

[CleveRocks]

... and magic bus takes too long.

I strongly disagree. The two times I took Disney's Magical Express, it was 63 minutes from airplane to resort one time, 56 minutes another time.

If you have to go and wait at baggage claim, no way a taxi substantially beats that kind of time. The rumor that DME takes longer than other modes of transportation is just that ... a false rumor.

 

[Lindsy1052]

Hi
This is my first ever post, so hopefully I'm doing it right??
We, that is my husband and 8 soon to be 9 year old daughter are off to Disney next Friday. We're staying at POP for just over 2 weeks - YIPEE!
Can anyone advise roughly how much a taxi is to:
a. Seaworld
and
B. The I-Drive/Sand Lake Road area.
We're not sure if it will be cheaper for a taxi or to use Virgin vouchers for Mears?
Many thanks:wave:

I would use your vouchers to get to Disney property. After that I would rent a car for the day, this way you can go and do whatever you want all day long. Taxi's are very, very pricy. Disney does not transport people to any parks that are not theirs. Can you blame them? That would be like Macy's taking you to Bloomingdale's to buy clothes.

 

[Nansafan]

Why buy the cow when the milk is free? DME over taxi anytime. When the only option was Mears/taxi/limo we chose private limo. Cost was better for 5+ people than a taxi and help with luggage retrieval and getting back to airport at the end of the vacation. Should DME ever go the pay for ride route, we'll go back to Quicksilver. Those guys were great.

Back to the original poster, have you considered a limo company? There are many in the WDW area and offer terrific service at a good price. Quicksilver Transportation is a site sponsor and we've had terrific luck with them.

 

[coulty]

2 weeks -- sounds wonderful! Have a great time.

Regarding getting to Sea World/I-drive, I would rent a car, as others have suggested (I actually get a car for the whole time I'm at WDW, because going from hotel to hotel is such a pain on Disney transport, and I like to hotel-hop for dinner, etc.). Plus renting a car for the day should only cost around $25, not much more (if any) than the taxi or round-trip on Mears for 3 of you.

One other option is actually the good old Orlando public system, Lynx. They have a line that goes from WDW (TTC and Downtown Disney) to Sea World. Here is a link to that bus line's schedule. http://www.golynx.com/schedule.cfm?route=50

we have done the LYNX to seaworld and it was fine and only costs $1 each and if you cross over the road you can catch the I-RIDE bus that takes you up or down international drive this is alright if you are not in a hurry but when you have been at seaworld or shopping all day(loads of bags)and just want to get back then i would take a cab.ps.prices may have gone up since i last used the buses