Mears Connect Guide 2026: Prices, Express and the Sunshine Flyer Merger

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We are a family-run Orlando company that drives the same MCO-to-Disney route. Every Mears fare below was checked on mearsconnect.com on October 3, 2026.

Mears Connect at a glance

What happened to the Sunshine Flyer?

The Sunshine Flyer merged into Mears Connect. The two shuttles announced the deal on July 14, 2023, and the combined service, "Mears Connect Driven by Sunshine," began on August 1, 2023.

Before the merger, the Sunshine Flyer was a separate motorcoach shuttle from MCO to Disney resorts, run by Transportation Management Services (TMS). As of October 2026, sunshineflyer.com forwards to mearsconnect.com. Old Sunshine Flyer fares, booking rules and reviews no longer apply.

Sunshine Flyer vs Mears Connect: is there still a choice?

No. Whichever name you search, you book the same shuttle, at the same fares, from the same counters at MCO. If a planning blog still compares the two side by side, it was written before August 2023.

Is Disney's Magical Express coming back?

Disney has not announced a return. Disney's Magical Express, the free airport shuttle for Disney resort guests, stopped taking arrivals on January 1, 2022, and the final bus carried guests back to MCO on January 10, 2022. If you're still choosing where to stay, see which hotels near Disney run their own shuttle.

Does Disney still have an airport shuttle?

No. Disney's FAQ says airport transportation is not included with a Disney Resort hotel stay. Disney lists paid options instead: the Minnie Van, rental cars, rideshare and private ground transportation. The Minnie Van's airport service is only for Deluxe, Deluxe Villa and Club Level guests and fits up to 6 passengers. We compare it in Minnie Van vs a group van.

How much does Mears Connect cost in 2026?

Mears Connect Standard costs $17.60 per adult from MCO to your resort and $16.00 back, before a 6% fuel surcharge that Mears adds to all reservations "until further notice." The airport-to-resort fare includes a $1.60 privilege fee recovery charge; the resort-to-airport fare does not.

Mears Connect Express cost

Express is sold as a round trip only: $250 for up to 4 people, plus $55 for each additional person, plus the 6% fuel surcharge. There is no child rate, so count everyone. That puts Express at about $265 for 4 people, $614.80 for 10 and $731.40 for 12.

For the extra money, your hotel is the first stop after the airport and the last stop before heading back. It is still a shared ride: Mears' FAQ says both Standard and Express carry other guests, in a motorcoach or a van.

What Mears Connect costs for a family or group

Mears charges per seat, while a private vehicle charges once for the whole party. Here is the round-trip math for groups of adults.

Mears totals assume riders 10 and older and apply the 6% surcharge to the whole fare; children pay less on Standard. JOB prices are one flat price per vehicle each way, tolls and airport fees included, gratuity optional; round trips save a step.

What the table shows:

• 1 to 5 travelers: Standard costs less. Five adults pay about $178.08 round trip, against $198 for a minivan that goes straight to your door.
• 6 travelers: a private minivan round trip costs less than six Standard seats, if your bags fit.
• 7 and 8 travelers: Standard costs less than a 12-passenger van ($249.31 and $284.93 against $318), but the van is direct.
• 9 or more travelers: the van costs less, and the gap grows with every rider: $358 for 14 people, against about $498.62 on Standard and $848 on Express.
• Express costs more than a private vehicle at every group size, and it can still be shared.

Only need one way? Fourteen adults pay about $261.18 on Standard from MCO to their resort, against $179 for the whole van, or $12.79 each.

Mears Connect vs Uber: which costs less?

For one or two travelers, Mears Connect usually costs less: two adults pay about $37.31 one way, while an UberX from MCO to Disney is estimated at $35 to $70 per car and $120 to $180+ in surge pricing. The Uber goes straight to your hotel, though.

For 6 people, an UberXL (estimated $55 to $100+ before surge) often costs less than six Mears seats at about $111.94. It seats up to 6, so bigger groups need two cars; see UberXL luggage capacity vs an SUV or van.

The pros and cons of Mears Connect

What Mears Connect does well

• It always runs: 24/7, walk-ups welcome.
• It is inexpensive for small parties: about $18.66 per adult to the resort, and kids under 3 ride free on Standard.
• It is wheelchair accessible: Mears says Standard and Express are ADA-compliant.
• It handles flight delays: your arrival boarding pass stays valid for 48 hours.

Where Mears Connect falls short

• Stops and waits. Routes are set just before travel, based on demand. In Disney Tourist Blog's test ride, the reviewer was the last stop and the trip took 1 hour 25 minutes from check-in; he says it can take anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours.
• An early ride home. Pickups are scheduled about 3 hours before a domestic flight (4 for international), and drivers cannot wait for late passengers. The same reviewer reports real pickups closer to 3.5 to 4 hours before domestic flights.
• No Sanford (SFB) and no vacation homes. Only MCO and the hotels on Mears' list are served.
• Few car seats. Mears says car seats aren't required on its motorcoaches, and only a limited number are available in its shuttle vans.
• No personal stops. A shared shuttle can't pause at a grocery store for one family.
• Strict cancellations. Cancel inside 24 hours and you pay the full fare.

Where is Mears Connect at Orlando airport?

Mears Connect is on Level 1 of Terminal B, in Ground Transportation at bus slots B91 to B97, and on Level 1 of Terminal C. Scan your QR code at the self-service kiosk and check in at the counter for your vehicle assignment, then wait in the loading zone for your resort; there is no set departure time. From Terminal A, cross the shared building to Terminal B, about 525 feet.

With a private ride, you skip the counter and the loading line: your driver meets you inside the terminal with a name sign. Baggage claim is on Level 2 in Terminals A and B and on Level 6 in Terminal C, home of MCO's Meet and Greet Area. See our MCO Terminal C pickup guide or every option in our MCO ground transportation guide.

Mears Connect vs a private SUV or van, side by side

When a private ride beats Mears Connect

Choose a private SUV or van when:

• You are 6 or more people, especially 10 to 14. Our private group van shuttle keeps everyone in one 12- or 14-passenger Ford Transit.
• You have young children. Car seats and boosters are available on request, following NHTSA guidance as our safety standard. See our car service with car seats.
• You are staying in a vacation home in Kissimmee or Celebration, or a hotel not on Mears' list.
• You fly into Orlando Sanford (SFB). See Sanford Airport to Disney World.
• You want to leave on your own schedule. The airport recommends reaching security 2 hours before departure, so book your Disney World to Orlando Airport ride to fit your flight.
• You need groceries. Your driver can stop at a store on the way.
• You prefer Spanish. Ask for a Spanish-speaking driver. Hablamos español.

Compare every vehicle and price on our Orlando Airport to Disney World page.

Who drives you with JOB Transportation

JOB Transportation of Florida is a family-run Orlando company with minivans, Ford Expedition and Chevrolet Suburban SUVs (up to 6 riders each), plus 12- and 14-passenger Ford Transit vans, all inspected and well maintained. Riders know Pedro and his family by name. We carry $1,000,000 in liability insurance, well above Florida's for-hire minimum of $125,000/$250,000/$50,000 (Fla. Stat. 324.032). This is general information, not legal advice.

We have just returned and used Pedro and his family, excellent service and so nice. Will definitely use him again and continue to recommend.