Hiya Charles,
Welcome back to planDisney Charles, and thank you so much for bringing your planning questions. What a fun and magical vacation you and your family will have at Walt Disney World Resort. I’m sure that your grandchildren are going to love staying at
Disney’s Art of Animation Resort. It will be like staying in the middle of their favorite classic Disney and Pixar films.
Unfortunately, Disney’s Magical Express is no longer operating from Orlando International Airport. Guests used to utilize this service to get from the airport to their Walt Disney World Resort Collection Hotels. Luckily there are multiple ways to get to Art of Animation that may work for your family (by bus, rideshare, or rental car).
BusBoth
Mears Connect and
Sunshine Flyer are your best bets for shared bus transportation to Disney's Art of Animation, especially given the size of your party. If you also have car seats for your little Mouseketeers, you would be able to use them on either service (but it is not a requirement). The con to traveling with Mears Connect and Sunshine Flyer is that unlike Disney’s Magical Express, you will have to pay for both of these services. Please visit their websites to pre-book and learn more about Mears Connect or Sunshine Flyer.
RideshareAnother popular option for Guests with small children is rideshare services such as Uber or Lyft. Orlando International Airport has a lot of vehicles available to you throughout the day, which decreases the wait time for your little grandchildren. You can also request a car with a car seat if you need one and don’t want to transport your own.
Rental CarA final option available to you is a rental car. This might be the easiest option if you are traveling with your car seats because you won’t have to install and re-install the car seats multiple times. If you are interested in renting a car, it is super easy to pick one up at Orlando International Airport. The rental vehicles are centrally located, and it only takes about 30 minutes to get to Art of Animation from Orlando International. Once you get to your resort hotel, there are many
ways to get around the resort, including bus, water, Monorail, and Disney Skyliner transportation. Still, if you need to travel outside of Walt Disney World for a grocery run, you will have your rental car to hop into very quickly. Please note that you will have to pay for parking at Art of Animation if you have a rental car.
I hope this answers your question, Charles! Let me know how else I can help you plan for your November trip.
Happy Planning!
Ashley F.