Flying into MCO for your Most Magical Vacation in the World? You’ll need to figure out how to get from the Orlando Airport to Disney World before you can sink your teeth into that first Mickey Bar.
Forget rope-dropping for Space Mountain. For many families, the flight to the airport is the first ride on their Disney World vacation. And the second? Their transportation service to the resort.
You’ve got plenty of options for getting from the Orlando International Airport to Disney World, but they vary in cost, efficiency, and perks. Let’s break down all your options for getting to Disney World from MCO:
- Private car services, like Quicksilver Tours or Happy Limos
- Two (paid) Orlando Airport Disney shuttles
- Rideshare or taxi
- Rental car
4 Ways to Get from Orlando Airport to Disney World
Like nearly every aspect of a Walt Disney World vacation, most of these airport transportation services on our list require reservations. So book your hotel and make your Advance Dining Reservations, but don’t forget to arrange your airport travel as well.
Let’s take a closer look at each option:
1. Private Car Service
Private car transfers are expensive, but they’re the most luxurious and convenient way to get from the Orlando International Airport to Disney World. Photo by Tatjana Lazar
The most luxurious—but the most expensive—way to get from Orlando Airport to Disney World is to arrange a private car service. Our favorite option is Quicksilver Tours, but there are lots of good companies offering this service out of MCO, like Happy Limo, Tiffany Towncar, and FL Tours.
Here are some of the pros of booking Quicksilver’s private car service to Disney World:
- Free grocery stop: If you book round-trip transportation through Quicksilver, you get a free grocery store stop (20 minutes) on your way to Walt Disney World. This is a huge pro over the Orlando Airport Disney shuttles (more on those below). The shuttles may be more affordable, but if your grocery run means you’ll spend less money on food in the parks and at the hotels, private transfer service can actually be cheaper. Consider Quicksilver or a similar tour company if you’ll be staying at a Villa with a kitchen.
- Car seat and booster seats: There’s no charge to utilize a car seat or a booster seat for your little one.
- Direct transport: Private transfer services are, well, private. That means it’s just you and your family in the vehicle, so you’re heading straight to your resort. Public services, like large shuttle buses, may stop at other resorts before your own—and you’ll probably sit at the airport while other passengers arrive and board the bus. If you want to get the most out of your first day at Disney World, choose private car service to get there sooner.
- Luggage assistance: That suitcase full of Mickey Ears and rain ponchos can get heavy after lugging it around all morning at the airports. With a private car service, give yourself a rest and let your driver help you with the luggage.
- Meet-and-greet service: Your driver will be waiting for you when you land. No need to navigate the massive halls of MCO; just look for the driver displaying your party’s name.
- Luxurious options: Quicksilver offers a fleet of vehicles to meet your needs and style. The standard town car seats up to four passengers, but you can book a van (10 passengers), Escalade SUV (seven passengers), or even a limousine (10 passengers). For a group of 10, the round-trip cost of a limo ($420) ends up being just $21 per person, one-way. That’s only $5 more per person one way for a standard trip on Mears Connect—and you’ll get a grocery stop and roll up to your resort in style and comfort.
Quicksilver is our top choice for private car service to Disney World. Photo by Tatjana Lazar
How much does private transfer service to Disney World cost? That depends on which service you choose.
For Quicksilver, you’ll pay $115 or $120 for a one-way trip (depending on the resort you’re staying at) or $220 to $230 round trip in a four-passenger town car. Prices are higher if you opt for a van, Escalade, or limo, but because you can fit more people, your cost per passenger could decrease.
2. Orlando Airport Disney Shuttles
The Sunshine Flyer is one of two shuttle bus options to get from Orlando Airport to Disney World. Photo by Maria Salerno
A much more affordable but less convenient way of traveling from the Orlando International Airport to Disney World is an airport shuttle bus. Right now, there are two popular options for Orlando Airport Disney shuttles:
- Mears Connect
- Sunshine Flyer
With either option, you’ll ride a bus full of other eager Disney World guests. Because you’ve got to wait for them to board and may have more than one resort stop, your trip from MCO to Disney World could take significantly longer than a private transfer trip. Like with private car transfers, you need to book either bus options ahead of your trip.
Sunshine Flyer leans into its unique theme (old-fashioned locomotives operated by 1920s rail conductors and engineers) more heavily, but Mears is the standard transport service that many Disney World veteran visitors have come to know. When Magical Express stopped operating at the end of 2021, Mears Connect became the official Mears-operated replacement for Disney’s free shuttle (and is thus the most “familiar” to returning guests). Both are solid options—check out both to decide which Disney World shuttle bus is right for you.
A few things to note:
- No grocery stops: Because this is a bus for everyone, you cannot arrange a grocery store stop on the way to the resort.
- Luggage assistance: Sunshine Flyer, which came onto the scene in early 2022, offers luggage assistance for guests. Mears Connect does not.
- Express: Sunshine Flyer only offers its standard bus transport (promising under an hour to get you to Disney World!), but for a much larger fee, you can arrange the Mears Connect Express service to get you to the resort faster. But note: It’s still a shared service (not private) and is frankly expensive for what you get.
How much do Orlando Airport Disney shuttles cost? Sunshine Flyer gets points for being the cheapest at just $16 per adult one way and $10 per child. Mears Connect also charges $16 per adult, but children are $13.50 each way.
What About Magical Express?
Magical Express used to be the best option for traveling from Orlando Airport to Disney World. Photo by Cliff Wang
The Magical Express used to top our list of free things at Disney World. This magical bus service was complimentary to all overnight guests flying into MCO and would drop you off right at your resort.
Unfortunately, Disney World discontinued this service at the end of 2021.
3. Rideshare or Taxi
You can take an Uber or Lyft to Disney World. Photo courtesy of Uber
You don’t have to use a Disney World-specific service to get from MCO to your hotel. Instead, just open your smartphone and pull up your favorite rideshare app. Rideshare abounds at MCO, and drivers are very familiar with the route to Disney World. Similarly, you can hail a cab at Orlando International Airport just as easily. It really comes down to your preference.
Some pros to using rideshare or taxi include:
- No reservation needed: If you’re not a planner, you can arrive at MCO, grab your luggage, and arrange your transport there in the airport.
- Flexible travel: If you want to stop at a grocery store on your way in, you can arrange that with Uber or Lyft. You’ll just have to call a separate one after you’re done shopping (and deal with your luggage while you shop). With a taxi, you can pay to keep the meter running (and your bags in the trunk) while you shop, but this can get expensive.
- Fast transport: You don’t have to worry about waiting for other Disney World guests to board a bus, and you won’t make any stops you don’t want to. That makes rideshare and taxis just as efficient as private transfer services.
How much does Uber or Lyft to Disney World cost? That depends on the time of day and time of year—and the type of car you order. Prices within these apps fluctuate, but if you order a standard vehicle and head straight to Disney World, you’ll probably pay between $40 and $50.
How much do taxis to Disney World cost? Taxis are priced similarly to rideshare services. In general, you’ll spend between $40 and $50 for a one-way trip to Disney World.
4. Rental Car
Having a rental car means you can drive to each park, like EPCOT. Photo by Rich Ramos
You can easily rent a car at MCO, but it doesn’t make sense for most guests. Renting a car for your Disney World vacation means you’ll have to pay for parking at your resort, and—if you use the car to get to the parks each day—you’ll have to pay for parking at the park as well. Plus there’s the cost of the rental car each day; if you’re at Disney World for a long vacation, the cost can add up.
So why would anyone rent a car for a Disney vacation? Here are a few reasons:
- Easier transportation at the park: Disney World’s famous (and free) transportation system includes the monorail, buses, boats, and Skyliner. These are a fun and unique way to travel around the massive resort—but it’s time-consuming. If you want to make the most of your park day by rope-dropping and quickly Park Hopping, having a rental car is the way to go. For some, the cost of parking at Disney World is worth the extra park time and the ability to easily move around the resort as needed.
- Grocery stops: Like private transfer services, having a rental car allows you to stop at a grocery store on your way to the resort. In fact, you can leave the resort at any time to go restock on groceries.
- Off-property entertainment: It’s hard to imagine anyone wanting to leave the Disney Bubble, but there’s plenty to do in Orlando outside of Walt Disney World. The most obvious, of course, is Universal Studios. With a rental car, you can go experience Universal for the day but come back and sleep in your cozy Disney bed. Similarly, families may want to drive out for a beach day in the middle of their Disney vacation. Rental cars make day trips from Disney possible.
Depending on the package you choose, you may need to purchase rental car insurance and you might be responsible for paying for toll roads on your way to Disney World.
Here are the rental car agencies at Orlando Airport for you to choose from:
- Alamo
- Avis
- Budget
- Dollar
- Enterprise
- Hertz
- National
- Payless
- Sixt
- Thrifty
Don’t Forget to Tip
When figuring out the cost of getting from Orlando International Airport to Disney World, don’t forget to factor in the tip. There’s no requirement to tip, of course, but it’s usually customary whether traveling by bus or rideshare.
But how much should you tip? That’s totally up to you. When in doubt, we recommend:
- 20% for private car transfers, taxis, and rideshare
- $1 to $2 per bag for shuttle buses
What’s the Best Way to Get to Disney World from MCO?
Choosing a transportation option from Orlando Airport to Disney World comes down to the amount of flexibility you want that’s still within your budget. The most luxurious and convenient option is a private transfer service like Quicksilver, but the most affordable option is a shuttle bus like the Sunshine Flyer or Mears Connect.
When looking at prices, don’t forget to calculate the cost per person. Some of the most expensive luxury options are actually quite comparable to the buses when you travel with a bigger group.
Need help booking your Disney World vacation? A Disney Travel Agent can take all of the stress off your plate—and just leave the magic.
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