Transportation is a BIG piece of any Disney World trip, and sometimes that includes getting to and from the airport.

Disney recently announced the discontinuation of the Magical Express airport shuttle next year as we get ready for the debut of the train between the airport and Disney Springs the following year. Now, we’re taking a look at just what it might cost to be a passenger on this train and what that means for your vacation!

What is the train to Disney World?

Brightline, a railway company, is actively constructing a new rail line to bring passengers from the Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach stops that already exist on its Florida line to Orlando, including a stop in Disney Springs.

According to announcements thus far from Disney and Brightline, service connecting South Florida to Central Florida is expected to open in 2022 with the Disney Springs station set to begin revenue service in 2023.

For Disney visitors, this will mean a rail connection to many South Florida cities and the Orlando International Airport (MCO) — a valuable travel tool with the discontinuation of the Magical Express.

Want to learn more about the end of the Magical Express? Click here!

How much do current and proposed Brightline train tickets cost?

To figure out how much the MCO to Disney Springs route could cost passengers, we’re going to take a look at some of the Brightline ticket prices for existing rail lines and how that translates to the shorter trip.

For the one-hour train ride between Miami and West Palm Beach with a stop at Fort Lauderdale at the 30-minute mark, a Brightline ticket will cost you between $17 and $28 depending on your origin point and final destination. If we lean towards the upper end, we can say that the $28 is the price for the approximately 75-mile trip.

According to The Next Miami, the trip from Miami to Orlando Airport will take around 3 hours and will cost around $100 per ticket. The price does seem to scale appropriately based on mileage considering Miami to MCO is about three times the mileage of Miami to West Palm Beach and will cost approximately three times as much.

To learn more about the new rail line, click here!

So, how much will the train between Disney World and the airport cost?

Based on that math, we can come up with some idea of how much a base price for the train might be. It is about 18 miles from MCO to Disney Springs. So, if we scale that based on the $28 per 75 miles price, we’re looking at less than $7 per ticket. For reference, a rideshare at time of writing costs approximately $30 to $60 or more from MCO To Disney Springs.

On top of that, it is possible that Disney and Brightline will strike a deal. The Magical Express was a free perk for guests staying at Walt Disney World resort hotels. That was a huge deal for many guests, especially those with families of all ages not looking to deal with the hassles of renting a car. Disney hasn’t said anything concerning if they could strike a deal with Brightline to transport guests to and from Walt Disney World, but it’s certainly possible. If Disney were to negotiate a deal, Brightline service could be free for those with a confirmed reservation as an added resort perk. 

There is also a chance that this line will be in high demand, so it may come at a slight premium. This will be difficult to discern until the line is complete and we know how many trips Brightline is running each day. Right now, they run 51 trips on a regular day.

We’ll be sure to keep a close eye on news from Brightline and from Disney about this project. It certainly would be a GREAT perk to have a quick and (possibly) FREE trip train ride from the airport to Disney Springs. Of course, guests will then need to take a bus to their Disney World Resort hotel from Disney Springs. But we know, once on Disney property, Disney does a pretty solid job of getting guests from A to B.

Stay tuned to DFB to make sure that you’re up to date on all the latest news with this project. We’ll be sure to update you as we hear more about the opening time, the price, and the length of the trip!

Click here to learn more about the Disney Springs stop! 

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Will you be taking the train between MCO and Disney World? Tell us in the comments! 

The post How Much Will the Train Between Disney World and the Airport Cost? first appeared on the disney food blog.

There’s always something to see at EPCOT. With the conclusion of this year’s Festival of the Arts, all sights are on the next in the festival year calendar: Flower and Garden. Every day new topiaries are being revealed. Here’s some of what we spotted this week.

In The American Adventure pavilion, even more items have been added to the “Soul of Jazz” exhibit. 

Over at Spaceship Earth, we’re seeing new items being installed, possibly for the new lighting effects coming soon?

And, finally, we know you all love maps! (We do, too.) Here’s the latest map from EPCOT.

Have a request for what you’d like us to look for when we’re in the parks? We’re in the parks every day! Let us know what you want to see featured on the blog.

The post EPCOT Sights Heading into the Weekend: Topiaries, Soul Exhibit, Maps, and More appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

BLASPHEMY!! Did I say a taboo word…Universal?! When deciding where to visit in Orlando, Florida, an option you may want to check out is Universal Orlando. Whether it has been awhile since you visited there, or you have never been, a lot has changed, and it may be a great option for your family to discover along with Walt Disney World.

It’s not a competition with Walt Disney World, it’s not even a comparison; it’s just offering another option that may be right for you.

This is why we should all consider a visit to Universal Orlando in 2021…

Accomodations

Universal Orlando has amazing resorts and hotels (some are not currently open). Staying on property offers great theming and many benefits. They have tiered options to make your stay affordable. Their resorts offer a variety of food options, including easy access to Universal CityWalk, which is a great, close by location for eating and strolling.

Vacationers who are staying on property are given priority to enter the parks, which is important during this year when there are restrictions on park capacity.

Rides and Events

Universal Orlando is fun. There are so many unique themes in the three parks, including The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Florida and Dr. Seuss in Islands of Adventure. Both of these parks are open for business with Covid-19 protocols and guidelines in place. Currently, Mardi Gras is being held now through the end of March. As more events are introduced throughout the year, perhaps their newest event, Running Universal, could happen again. Their well-known Halloween Horror Nights is scheduled for this fall with a new format.

Water Parks

Alert: Universal’s Volcano Bay will be opening February 27, 2021! Another opportunity for getting wet, making waves and being chill in their third park on property.

Universal CityWalk and Food

Throughout Universal Orlando, you can find a variety of food offerings that also happen to be affordable. From sandwiches to crepes to sit down restaurants and quick meals, it has it all. Universal Orlando has their own easily accessible app to make finding information efficient as well as beneficial, because it reduces contact. Mobile ordering and access to virtual lines are both available through the app.

If you are looking for more information about Universal Orlando and all it has to offer, our community provides everything you need in the DISboards, which is a welcoming group where you can ask questions if you are considering vacationing there.

Another benefit to Universal Orlando is that annual passes are currently being offered. Booking vacation packages, or just inquiring about a quote, is an option through Dreams Unlimited Travel, and what I love about Dreams Unlimited is that there is no obligation to just inquire.

I also cannot wait for Universal’s Super Nintendo World in 2023! Good luck exploring!