A visit to Disney World in Orlando, Florida is one of the most exciting holidays for families, but the planning involved before your trip can be a daunting task.
We have been to Orlando multiple times over the years and in this guide we will cover the various transportation options available from MCO to Walt Disney World Orlando including our personal favourites.
Understanding Orlando Airport MCO
Orlando Airport, which is also known as MCO is the main airport in Orlando that both Virgin Atlantic and British Airways fly into from the UK. MCO is one of the busiest airports in the USA handling over 50 million passengers annually and is also the nearest airport to the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, just 20 miles away.
When arriving at MCO, its important to know which terminal you fly into. Virgin Atlantic fly into Terminal A at Orlando airport and British Airways now use the brand new Terminal C.
What about Melbourne Airport?
If you are flying to Orlando with TUI, you’ll fly into Melbourne airport which is approximately an hour’s drive away from Walt Disney World. Although this guide focusses on Orlando airport, a lot of the transport options will still be relevant if you are flying into Melbourne. One benefit of flying with TUI as a package holiday is that they also offer resort transfers included in their holidays, so coach transfers will be provided to your hotel.
Transportation Options from MCO
When it comes to getting from Orlando Airport MCO to your Disney World hotel, there are several transportation options available. Here, we’ll go over the most popular ones.
Car Rentals
Typical Costs: £30 – £50 a day
Transfer Time: 25-35 minutes (however it can often take 20-30 minutes to sort paperwork, choose your vehicle etc)
Hiring a car is our favourite option and if you are happy to drive in Florida, it’s the perfect choice for families who want to explore a wider area than just Walt Disney World. We use the car to visit other theme parks including Universal Orlando and Seaworld along with visiting some of our favourite shopping malls such as the Mall at Millenia, Florida Mall and Premium Outlets and picturesque towns such as Celebration and Winter Garden.
At MCO you’ll find all of the major car hire companies, from AVIS and Sixt to Alamo and Dollar. The cost of your car rental depends on the type of car you hire and the company you choose. A standard SUV, which is the equivalent of a large SUV in the UK typically costs around £30 – £50 a day.
When we are planning on hiring a car, we reserve it as soon our holiday is booked but always pay on arrival and ensure it has free cancellation. This allows us to check prices on the lead up to our holiday because car hire costs fluctuate so much, we can make a new reservation if a cheaper rate appears – and it often does. If you do decide to hire a car its well worth signing up to the loyalty programmes offered by many of the car hire firms such as AVIS Preferred which allows you to skip the long lines at the rental desks in the airport and go straight to the garage to select your car, which saves a lot of time and hassle.
Another consideration to factor in when hiring a car is the cost of parking at your hotel in the Disney area hotels with parking rates of $25 – $35 per night. When you add the parking costs onto the the car rental cost it can often make hiring a car a more expensive option than just using Uber or Lyft when you want to travel outside of Walt Disney World, because all transport within Disney is complimentary.
Ride Shares
Typical Costs: £25-£100 one way
Transfer Time: 25-35 minutes (this does not include the time booking and waiting for your vehicle)
Ride sharing services like Uber and Lyft are increasingly becoming a popular option for families as they are often cheaper and more convenient than taking a taxi and offer a range of vehicles from standard cars to SUVs.
We have used both Uber and Lyft several times when we have arrived at airports across the USA and like the fact that we know the exact fare before we start our journey. It’s important that you select the right size car for your journey, so for us its typically an XL size vehicle so it can take 4 passengers and all of our luggage.
If you are planning on using a ride share, download and setup Uber or Lyft app before you go and you can check real time pricing and availability from the UK before your trip.
If you do decide to Uber or Lyft, its important that you don’t book your ride until you have passed through immigration, security and got your luggage and are at the rideshare service location at the airport (you just need to follow the ground transportation/rideshare services signs at the airport).
Once here, all you need to do is open the app and enter your destination and the app connects you to a car and its driver will pick you up at the airport. The cost of a ride share from the airport to a Disney World hotel varies depending on the time of day and the distance to your hotel.
However, it typically costs around £25-£50 one way but at peak times with lots of people requesting an Uber or Lyft vehicle pricing can be as high as £100 one way. For some reason Lyft pricing always seems to be slightly more expensive than Uber.
The downside of using these services is that if you need a car seat in the vehicle (they only offer one booster style seat for over 2’s), they can be more difficult to locate and will often cost more. So if I was travelling with younger children, personally I would skip this mode of transport.
More information on MCO to Disney with Uber
More information on MCO to Disney with Lyft
Private Car Services
Typical Costs: £25-£100 one way
Transfer Time: 25-35 minutes
Booking a private car service is typically more expensive and luxurious than Uber or Lyft, but are a good option if you need to prebook a transfer with infant car seats or don’t want the hassle of arranging a rideshare after a long flight from the UK.
We have used these in the past, where we have arranged a transfer directly with the hotel concierge and it’s a luxurious way of arriving in style. When your flight arrives, your driver will meet you at a designated location with a sign with your name on it and take you to the vehicle for the journey to your hotel.
Minnie Van Airport Service
Typical Costs: $199 one way – approx £155
Transfer Time: 25-35 minutes
If you are staying at a specific Disney hotel then the Minnie Van service is a fun way to get to Disney World as your transport has had a Disney makeover. The Minnie Van service is a partnership between Disney and Lyft, with one way prices typically around $199 which is expensive but it does come with two car seats included in the price, so it could be a good option for families with children who need a car seat plus you get to travel in a Minnie themed vehicle to start your holiday in style.
More information on Disney Mini Van Service
Taxis
Typical Costs: £50-£75 one way
Transfer Time: 25-35 minutes
Taxis are still a popular option for families who don’t want to hire a car, wait for a shuttle bus or try and use an app to book a ride on a ride share. You can find taxis outside of the baggage claim area at Orlando Airport. The cost of a taxi ride from the airport to Disney World varies depending on the time of day and the distance to your hotel. However, typical costs range between £50-£75.
Shuttle Buses
Typical Costs: $20 (approx £16) per adult and $14 (approx £11) per child – one way
Transfer Time: Can be over 60 minutes
Shuttle buses are a cost-effective option for families who don’t mind sharing a ride with others. With the closure of the Disney’s Magical Express in 2020, companies such as Mears which now also includes the Sunshine Flyer offer their own shuttle bus service, but its no longer free to Disney guests.
Mears offer two levels of service, their standard package is a shared service that makes several stops at hotels within Disney which means that you can be on the bus a long time as it drops passengers off at various hotels, which isn’t our preferred option after a long travel day. If you are looking to book then prices using Mears from the airport to Disney World typically costs around $20 per adult and $14 per child.
Mears also offer a more expensive express service, which take you straight to your hotel, typically costing $250 for a round trip for a family of four.
You can book a shuttle bus through your travel agent when booking your holiday or you can book directly with Mears before your trip.
More information on the Mears Connect service
Overall
Getting from Orlando Airport to your Disney World hotel can seem overwhelming, but with a little planning and research, it can be straightforward. We hope this guide has provided you with all the information you need to make an informed decision about the best transportation option to get to Disney from MCO for your family.