What Are The Best Transportation Options From The Airport To Disney World For Super Early Flights?

affiliate link disclosure

Want to know the best transportation options from the airport to Disney World when you have super early flights?

There are numerous ways to get from the Orlando International Airport (MCO) to Disney World, even when it’s super early in the morning.

Disney used to offer their Magical Express service as a free perk for resort guests, but now that that’s gone, even more transportation options have popped up.

There are shuttles, ride shares, private transportation, public transportation, and more.

To be honest, I don’t fly anymore and even when I did, I’d have a friend or family member pick me up from the airport.

Only a couple times have I had to use any of these options at the Orlando airport, but I have lots of friends and family in the area that have used these services in the past few years.

Cinderella Castle at Disney World's Magic Kingdom decorated in gold for the 50th celebration - at night time

Planning A Trip? Use Our Favorite Resources Below!

πŸ‘‰πŸΌ Disney World Vacation Packages
πŸ‘‰πŸΌ Accommodations
πŸ‘‰πŸΌ Tours/Experiences
πŸ‘‰πŸΌ Flights
πŸ‘‰πŸΌ Car Rentals

What Are The Best Airport Transportation Options From The Airport To Disney World For Super Early Flights?

These are not ranked in any particular order because what is best for you will depend on your budget, party size, and if you have any special circumstances like needing a car seat or having an ECV.

But here are some of the most popular ways to get from the Orlando airport to Disney World when you’re arriving really early in the morning.

1. MEARS Connect Driven by Sunshine

MEARS is actually the company that ran Disney’s Magical Express service – the same buses and the same drivers.

Another bus company, the Sunshine Flyer, which emerged after the Magic Express service stopped, recently merged with MEARS to offer the current service of “MEARS Connect Driven by Sunshine“.

They offer 24/7 service to MCO for Disney and non-Disney resorts.

Children 2 and under travel for free.

One way fare starts at $16 for adults and $13 for children.

When you book with MEARS, you can choose from their Standard service or their Express service.

Both offer wheel-chair accessible shuttles and are ADA compliant.

Standard Service

Standard service is a shared vehicle that could either be a bus or a van.

So other families will be shuttling with you.

These shuttles make a limited number of stops so that you’re not on the bus for hours on end.

When you check in at the MEARS Connect reception area at MCO, you’ll be on your way to your resort within 20 minutes.

Express Service

Express is the other option.

With this you have direct service to and from all of the Disney resorts and you’ll have little to no wait time.

2. Rideshare (Uber & Lyft)

Most users say that they spend about $25-$35 to get themselves from MCO to their resort on or near Disney property.

However, sometimes there is surge pricing where people have paid as much as $70.

You can always try the wait and save option to save a little bit of money.

When I’ve used that option sometimes I don’t even end up waiting more than 5 minutes.

You can find answers to just about every question in this guide on Uber’s website with all of their MCO pickup and drop off information.

Benefits of rideshare is that it’s direct transportation and it’s at your convenience.

Also, you’re paying for the whole vehicle, not for individual persons in your party.

If you have 2-4 adults/children that don’t need car seats and don’t need any ADA accommodations, this is a great option.

Just remember to consider the amount of luggage you have with you and order a larger vehicle if you need the extra space, or split up into multiple vehicles.

I have another post on this blog where I share a deep-dive on using rideshare services at Disney World.

rideshare transportation sign at Disney Springs Marketplace

3. Taxi

Similar to the rideshare model, you can also take a taxi.

This is a more old-school option but could be slightly safer than using rideshare since drivers are slightly more vetted and monitored.

Some taxis can hold up to 9 people and just like rideshare, you are charged the same rate regardless of the number of passengers.

Orlando has a Vehicle-for-Hire Ordinance that applies to all taxis where they have to use a meter for their fares.

Expect to pay roughly $60-$70 each way if you’re going to a hotel on or around the Disney World property.

This is more expensive that rideshares will usually cost, unless there is a price surge at the time of arrival.

Taxis are available on a walk up basis at all Terminals.

Here is a breakdown of everywhere you can catch a taxi at Orlando International Airport.

  • Taxis are at Terminal A – Ground Transportation Curb (Level 1) – spaces A22-A25
  • Taxis are at Terminal B – Ground Transportation Curb (Level 1) – spaces B30-B34
  • Taxis are at Terminal C – Arrivals Curb (Level 6)
zoomed in picture of an illuminated taxi

4. Shuttle Service

So the MEARS Connect service is a shuttle service too, but since it is THE shuttle service that is generally recommended and used to be Disney’s actual shuttle service I gave it it’s own category.

But it’s not the only shuttle service you can take from the airport to Disney World.

There are tons of companies that do this and some resorts have preferred partners, especially the ones that are not on Disney property.

You can always call your hotel before you arrive to see if they offer a shuttle or if they have a preferred company they can book you with.

I did this a lot for people when I worked front desk at a Hilton hotel.

Some were happy with shuttles while others preferred to book private transfers.

picture of a side profile of a charter bus at an airport pickup area with an airplane taking off in the background

5. Private Transportation

A great source for booking private transportation from MCO to Disney World is through Viator.

They have a variety of companies that offers services at varying prices.

They also have everything from town cars to sprinter vans and more.

Click Here To Book Your Private Airport Transportation Today!

side profile of a black limo

Quicksilver Tours

Quicksilver is another private transportation option.

One perk they have is a free grocery stop if you book round trip transportation.

The money you’ll save on food by having some groceries could potentially outweigh the added cost of having a private transfer versus a shuttle service picking you up from the airport.

Quicksilver also offers a car seat or a booster seat at no additional cost if needed, but you’ll always want to notify them in advance.

They will also greet you at the airport when you arrive, like you see in movies.

This option is great for groups of anywhere from 4-10 passengers.

They offer the standard town car for up to 4 passengers, a van for up to 10 passengers, Escalade for up to 7 passengers, and a limo for up to 10 passengers.

The limo is about $420 for round trip transportation, so if you have a full limo, that’s only $21 per person each way – pretty comparable to every other option on this list.

Happy Limo

I shared about Happy Limo in my post about airport transportation to Port Canaveral as well.

They have everything from Lincoln Town Cars to super stretch limos to Sprinter vans to mini buses that can take 28 passengers to Disney.

For more economical options they also have sedans and mini vans.

Prices have quite a range, so you’ll have to put in your quote into their website to get a good idea of your price.

Orlando Transportation by Mike

Orlando Transportation by Mike is known for their “luxury transportation at taxi prices”.

They serve all of Central Florida and special rates if you’re going outside of the local area.

They also offer discounts for frequent business travelers.

Some perks include meet and greet service at the airport, luggage assistance, no extra charge for car seats and booster seats, and no extra fees for late or early pick ups.

You get a discount on your return service if you book roundtrip transportation and you can add a 30 minute grocery stop for a $20 fee.

This service is available from the Orlando airport and the Sanford airport.

Tiffany Towncar

Tiffany Towncar is another popular option for private transportation.

However, if you need picked up or dropped off before 6 am or after 10 pm they have a $20 premium, which defeats the purpose of finding the best transportation for super early flights.

They offer pretty much all the other things the companies listed above offer like grocery stops, airport meet and greet, luggage service, etc.

6. Rental Car

There are a bunch of rental car companies available at the Orlando airport or just a short shuttle ride away.

Many of these are open 24/7, so you’ll have no problem picking up a rental car if your flight arrives at 5 am.

Click Here To Book Your Rental Car Today!

car rental sign at an airport

7. LYNX Bus

The LYNX bus service, which is the public transportation offered in the Orlando area, recently added a route that goes from the airport to Disney Springs.

The route is called Link 311 and also stops at the Florida Mall, Universal Blvd, and I-Drive.

While this doesn’t get you directly to your hotel, it can help.

Once the bus drops you off at Disney Springs, you can then take a Disney bus to your hotel.

Or if you’re staying at a Disney Springs Resort Area hotel, you can walk down Hotel Plaza Blvd to your hotel (not ideal, but possible).

If you’re staying anywhere else, you can catch a rideshare or taxi the rest of the way to your hotel.

The bus scheduled says it takes about 50 minutes to get from the airport to Disney Springs, but most reports say it’s more like a 90 minute route.

It appears the early morning routes have much less traffic, so it can be done in 50 minutes, but by mid-day it takes a bit longer.

The best part?

One way service is just $2 per person!

Orange parking garage at Disney Springs

8. Brightline (COMING SOON)

A few years ago, Disney and Brightline announced a collaboration where Brightline would drop off guests at Disney Springs.

By 2023 that deal was negated.

Brightline by the way is a high speed rail system throughout Florida, connecting Orlando all the way to Miami.

The new plan is to have Brightline drop off at a site off of Disney property, which was actually the original proposed site for Disney Springs.

This area is known as the Sunshine Corridor and will drop off near Universal’s Epic Universe, the Orange County Convention Center, and this off-Disney property location.

Currently the only area Brightline stop is at the Orlando airport.

9. Minnie Vans

There is a lot of conflicting information about this option.

Minnie Vans are Lyft vans operated by Disney cast members.

Some say you have to be a Club Level Disney resort guest to get this service while others say if you call the Signature Services line, they sometimes have availability for this.

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.

Minnie Van driving toward the Magic Kingdom pick up and drop off spot

Leaving A Tip For Transportation Services

There’s not really a recognized standard for what to tip for transportation services and technically tips are not required at all.

But it’s still nice to do as long as it wasn’t a terrible experience.

Usually we tip about 20% if it’s a private transfer or a rideshare.

I tend to calculate what the rough number would be and round up or down a tiny bit to a number that sounds good.

For other services like a shuttle bus, the standard is to tip $1-$2 per bag they help you with.


Frequently Asked Questions

How far is the Orlando Airport from Disney World?

This depends on where you’re going at Disney World because it’s twice the size of Manhattan, but here are some examples.

Disney Springs is one of the closest areas to the airport and it’s about 20 miles away and can take about 30 minutes depending on traffic.

Animal Kingdom is clear on the other end of property, but is only 23 miles away and also takes about 30 minutes.

Magic Kingdom is on the north end of Disney property and is the same distance and time, depending on traffic.

What is the cheapest way to get to Disney World from MCO?

By far, the cheapest way to get to Disney World from MCO is the Lynx Bus.

The route known as Link 311 is just $2 per person each way and goes from the airport to Disney Springs in anywhere from 50-90 minutes depending on the time of day and traffic.

It’s cheaper than the gas and tolls it would cost for someone to pick you up from the airport.


The Wrap-Up: What Are The Best Airport Transportation Options From The Airport To Disney World For Super Early Flights?

If you’re looking for the cheapest option, go with the $2 Lynx Bus.

If you’re looking for the most recommended and relatively economical option, go with the MEARS Connect shuttle.

But if you want to wing it a little more, go with a rideshare or taxi.

Pin This For Later!

Pinterest pin with images of Cinderella Castle, Spaceship Earth, Orange County Convention Center, and palm trees with the text "Orlando Airport to Disney World Transportation"

Similar Posts