The Best Disney World Airport Transportation With Car Seats
Looking for the best Disney World airport transportation with car seats?
A few years ago, Disney World discontinued their complimentary airport service that was exclusive to Disney World Resort Hotel guests.
It was called Magical Express and it was a charter bus that would pick you up from the airport, deliver your luggage, and drop you back off at the airport.
Now that this service is gone, Disney itself does not provide transportation to or from the airport for any guests.
Instead, there are a ton of companies that offer a variety of transportation options from regular cars, to sprinter vans, to charter buses.
I’m going to break down the most popular options that are available for guests that will need a car seat (or a few).
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The Best Disney World Airport Transportation With Car Seats
Shuttles are the most popular option for Disney World guests since that is what has been the norm for years.
But there are also other services of varying price ranges depending on your party size like private transfers, rideshares, and public transportation.
1. Shuttle Services
Booking a shuttle for your family is one of the easiest and most affordable options.
Generally charter buses don’t require or need car seats, so it eliminates any issues with a car seat possibility not being available.
Much of the time, kids under 3 ride for free on shuttles, so that also saves some money.
The most popular shuttle option right now is MEARS Connect.
They are actually the same buses and drivers that operated Disney’s Magical Express service.
One way fare starts at $16 for adults and $13 for children.
MEARS offers a standard service and an express service.
With the standard service, you’ll be on your way within 20 minutes of checking in and you’ll just make a few stops along the way to your destination.
With the express service, you’ll be on your way immediately and go directly to your destination.
Click Here To Book Your MEARS Connect Airport Shuttle Service Today!
2. Private Transfers
If you’d prefer to still have a car seat or if you don’t care much for the shared services, then a private transfer is another great option.
I personally look to Viator to book airport shuttles since they have so many options available with hundreds of reviews.
Most of these companies can provide 1-2 car seats and/or booster seats, you just have to let them know in advance what you need.
This option tends to cost more than shuttles, depending on how many people are traveling in your party, but if you have a lot of people, this can be more economical because you’re paying one price for the transfer rather than paying per person.
I see prices range from as low as $35 each way to about $80 each way.
A perk that many of these companies offer is a free 20 minute grocery store stop along the way to grab anything you need.
Some of them also don’t charge any premiums for super early or really late pickups and drop-offs.
In another blog post I have all the details about 4 of the most popular private transfer companies that Disney guests like to use, which include Quicksilver Tours, Happy Limo, Orlando Transportation by Mike, and Tiffany Towncar.
Click Here To Book Your Private Airport Transportation Today!
3. Rental Cars
Another option is to rent a car for your Disney vacation.
With this option, you could potentially travel with and install your own car seats for peace of mind.
Rental car companies can provide 1-2 car seats and/or booster seats if you let them know when you book your reservation.
A rental car would be the most expensive option of these listed since you’ll have to pay for gas and tolls as well, but it is an option.
If you’re staying at a Disney World Resort Hotel, Disney provides transportation just about anywhere you’d need to go on property, so you wouldn’t really need a rental car.
But sometimes it’s just nice to have.
Also if you’re going off-property at any point like to Universal, Sea World, the beach, or even just a grocery store, then it’s very convenient.
Click Here To Book Your Rental Car Today!
4. Rideshare
Uber and Lyft also offer 1-2 car seats and/or booster seats when you let them know when you’re reserving your ride.
You’ll likely need to order a larger vehicle, especially when you factor in space for luggage.
Many users report spending about $25-$35 for a regular Uber to go one way, but because of surge pricing, some have paid as much as $75.
5. Public Transportation
Another option is the Link 311 route of Orlando’s public buses.
This route goes from the airport to Disney Springs for just $2 per person each way!
It can take anywhere from 1 hour to 90 minutes, depending on traffic, and it is by far the absolute cheapest way to get between Disney and the airport.
This bus stops near Universal and the Convention Center along the way.
From Disney Springs, you can then take a free Disney bus to your resort.
Or if you’re staying in the Disney Springs area you could walk to your hotel.
Many nearby hotels offer complimentary shuttles to Disney and do pick ups and drop offs at Disney Springs, so you might even be able to catch a ride to an off-property resort too.
Do Minnie Vans Go To The Orlando Airport?
Minnie Vans are Lyft vans operated by Disney cast members on Disney World property.
When Minnie Vans were first introduced, service to and from the airport was offered only to Disney’s Club Level resort guests.
Once Disney closed for the pandemic, they re-opened with limited services.
There is a lot of conflicting information about this option still.
Some say if you call the Signature Services line, they sometimes have availability for this service still.
In general, Minnie Vans are supposed to be for Disney property only, but have occasionally offered service to the Orlando airport and Port Canaveral.
When it was publicly offered in the past, it was $199 each way.
It includes 2 car seats if needed at no additional price.
Where To Stay At Disney World
If at all possible, it is always best to stay at a Disney Resort Hotel.
These come with a bunch of additional perks and immerse you more in the Disney experience.
As a second choice, there are also a ton of partner hotels that are on Disney property, but aren’t owned by Disney.
For example, there’s all the hotels in the “Disney Springs Resort Area” along Hotel Plaza Boulevard and the Bonnet Creek Resort Area hotels.
Additionally, there is the Swan & Dolphin, Shades of Green, and the Four Seasons that are all on Disney property.
If none of those are available or are out of your price range, then I recommend local timeshare resorts.
They are available to non-timeshare owners just like a regular hotel would be, but they usually have more amenities like full kitchens, extra bedrooms, and more.
I’ve reviewed a ton of my favorites on another blog of mine called Timeshares, Resorts, and More.
These are some of the resorts I recommend checking out:
Aqua Sol
Aqua Sol is the furthest away.
It’s on the far side of Animal Kingdom, but it has it’s own mini water park and mini golf and a ton of other resort amenities.
The 2 bedrooms are recently renovated and absolutely beautiful and so spacious.
For the rooms themselves, this is my first choice.
Cypress Pointe
Cypress Pointe is just 5 minutes outside of Disney Springs and it’s my favorite place to stay when I can’t stay on property.
It’s one of the cheapest of the resorts and they have a really nice volcano pool and cafe.
I won a drawing for a free pool cabana for a day and made the absolute most of it!
Grande Villas
Grande Villas is actually right across the street from Cypress Pointe.
These two resorts actually share their amenities and guest access points with each other since they are both owned by Hilton Grand Vacations.
I enjoyed the pool deck area of Grande Villas because all of the amenities and entertainment were centrally located.
It’s usually pricier than Cypress Pointe, but the rooms are nicer.
Grand Beach
Grand Beach is on the south east end of Disney, closer to places like Wide World of Sports and Art of Animation, but still easily accessible to Disney Springs.
This resort looks like the Grand Floridian, so you might have seen it before when driving around Orlando.
The rooms are definitely a little dated, but the jacuzzi tub in the room is really nice and so is the pool.
It was one of the quieter resorts I’ve stayed in too.
Mystic Dunes
The last one I want to mention is a good compromise between all the resorts.
It’s usually pretty cheap, but not the absolute cheapest.
It’s about 15 minutes from just about any of the Disney theme parks, so it’s really convenient.
The resort is closer to more residential type areas and is really spacious.
There’s a golf course and it has more of a vacation resort feel than all of the others.
We’ve stayed here several times and it’s also the most convenient for us to visit family.
The Wrap-Up: The Best Disney World Airport Transportation With Car Seats
Personally, I don’t love to wing it when I travel, especially for something as important as a child having a proper car seat, so I would either take a shuttle where they wouldn’t need a car seat or bring my own car seat and rent a car.
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