Greetings Bernard! It's great to have you back at planDisney. We love it when our frequent visitors stop by for a chat.
My family and I have enjoyed countless rides aboard
Disney's Magical Express® since the motorcoaches launched in 2005. What an exciting year that was! I graduated college and of course celebrated by visiting Walt Disney World. I will never forget my first flight on
Soarin' (it had just opened the week of my vacation!) and my initial glimpse of
Expedition Everest rising in the distance at
Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park. It would be another year before I would officially summit the forbidden mountain, but it was exciting to see it taking shape on the horizon. Thanks for taking a trip down memory lane with me!
Now that we are looking to a future without those signature blue buses, I've started to investigate other transportation options to get from Orlando International Airport to the
Walt Disney World Resort. Taxis and rideshare services like Lyft and Uber are convenient and readily available in the ground transportation zone of the airport. If you prefer to book your ride in advance and have options in addition to traditional sedans, check out Mears, a shuttle service that operates in the area.
There are several rental car companies onsite that offer competitive rates, and if you don't wish you keep your vehicle for the duration of your stay (I prefer to sit back and let Disney do the driving once I arrive), consider doing a one-way rental and returning the car to the
Car Care Center. You can
reserve a subsequent one-way rental from this same location for your return trip. If you will be a Guest in the
Disney Resorts Collection, you are eligible for complimentary transportation to and from this conveniently located rental site. I have used this location several times to pick up a rental car when my vacation concludes with a post-Disney journey further south in Florida to visit family.
I hope this gives you some ideas for how to reach your destination once Disney's Magical Express® is no longer part of our world. Remember that for arrivals prior to January 1, 2022, you can still take advantage of this service as part of your stay in the Disney Resorts Collection. I am going to savor my final few rides aboard these magical motorcoaches, and then enjoy the flexibility and convenience of having a rental car during my trip. Thanks again for stopping by, Bernard, and if there is anything else we can do for you as you build your next vacation, come see us again.
There is a lot of excitement in the works for 2021 and beyond, and you won't want to miss it.
Have a great, big, beautiful tomorrow!
Betsy