There’s a major airport-to-hotel transportation update you need to know about.

No, Disney’s Magical Express is NOT coming back. Since the Magical Express ended, we’ve seen 2 major companies essentially “fill the void” of that service, transporting guests to and from the Orlando International Airport and their Disney World hotels (for a fee). Those main services are Mears Connect and The Sunshine Flyer. And these were competing comapnies…until now.

On July 13th, Mears Connect and the Sunshine Flyer announced that they entered into an agreement whereby the companies will MERGE their services into ONE combined service that’ll get guests from the Orlando International Airport to Disney World’s hotels.

The new service has been named Mears Connect Driven by Sunshine. It will keep providing guests with transportation to and from the airport and the eligible hotels “with enhanced booking capabilities, guaranteed 24/7 service, greater operational efficiencies, and a hassle-free experience.”

Rebecca K. Horton, Chief Operating Officer of Mears Transportation shared, “By merging operations…we believe we can provide an even better guest experience given the challenges and opportunities in today’s travel market.”

Mark Sherman, General Manager of the Sunshine Flyer said, “As partners, we will be able to bring even more features and benefits to our guests…Whether it is 24/7 service, express options, or a private trip to ease guests’ minds the minute they step off the plane, together, Mears Connect Driven by Sunshine is delivering more to our guests.”

According to the press release that was shared, “Mears Connect Driven by Sunshine is the only 24-hour shuttle servicing both A/B and C Terminals for both arrivals and departures and is fully wheelchair accessible and ADA-compliant for both standard and express services.”

So just when will this change take place? Well, the new service will start on August 1st, 2023. There is a dedicated hotline available 24/7 to answer any questions you might have. You can call them at (407) 423-5566.

If you have an existing reservation, you can contact the customer care team listed in your confirmation email. You can also reach out via email during business hours by sending a message to [email protected]. If you have an existing Mears Connect reservation, don’t worry — your reservation won’t be impacted and will remain the same.

If you have a Sunshine Flyer reservation and were planning to travel between July 14th and July 31st, you should receive an email (using the email linked to the original reservation) to confirm your travel instructions, so be on the lookout for that.

Here are a few other things to keep in mind:

• Sunshine Flyer guests arriving and departing in July will take their trip with the Sunshine Flyer.
• If you arrive in July but depart in August, you’ll be transported through Mears Connect Driven by Sunshine (those with upcoming reservations will be automatically transitioned to the new system).
• “All ticketing information including additional tickets, updates to reservations, and cancellations will now operate out of the Mears Connect Driven by Sunshine ticketing portal which you can access here: https://sunshineflyer.com/manage-reservations/.”
• The new service — Mears Connect Driven by Sunshine — will NOT offer train-themed transportation.

If you have an upcoming trip booked with either of these services, be on the lookout for any communication regarding this change, and be sure to reach out to Mears Connect Driven by Sunshine to clarify any concerns you might have.

We’ll keep an eye out for more details and let you know what we find!

Click here to see some of the latest nonstop flights announced for the Orlando Airport

What do you think about these services? Tell us in the comments.

The post Important UPDATE About How You Get from the Orlando Airport to Your Disney World Hotel first appeared on the disney food blog.