I traveled to the Dolphin Hotel in Disney World in August of 2009.  Because it is not a Disney resort and owned by another company, transportation from the Orlando International Airport to the hotel is not included.  The hotel recommend using Mears Transportation, which is either a shuttle bus or a town car.

After reviewing many bad reviews, I was hesitant about using their service, but I decided to give them a try.  I did Shuttle reservations online two days before the trip and pre-paid with a credit card.  It was $20 for a one-way trip ticket or $33 for a round-trip ticket.

After landing at the Orlando International Airport, I proceeded to get my luggage at luggage claim and then go downstairs to the Mears counter.  I was a little nervous, since we had landed an hour late because of lightning delay.  However, they gave me a boarding pass and sent me outside to where all the buses/shuttles were located.  I then spoke to another lady at a counter who gave me a pager and asked me to have a seat to wait for the shuttle.  I waited for about 15 minutes before the shuttle arrived.

Most of the passengers on my shuttle were also going to the dolphin.  There was only three people who were staying at one other hotel who needed to be dropped off.  This didn’t take too long.  We soon arrived at our hotel and were ready to check in!

On the way back to the airport, they insist that you book your shuttle for THREE hours in advance of your flight.  This allows time for stops at several other hotels to pick up passengers, as well as time to drop off passengers at different parts of the airport (depending on what airline they are flying).

The shuttle arrived at exactly the correct time as my reservation.  We only had one other stop to make and it was a close by hotel.  They dropped me off right at the Southwest gate and I walked in to check my luggage.  I didn’t mind being there two hours and fifteen minutes early since the line for checking luggage and the security lines were very long.

Review Summary

Pros:

Cheapest mode of transportation to/from airport

Cons:

None

Potential Problems:

Waiting time for pick up- I’m guessing the wait for a shuttle may be more than 15 minutes.

Travel time – Depending on how many stops the shuttle must make, your ride could get pretty long.

Space – they do put up to 10 people in a shuttle van.

Early pickup time – arriving at the airport 2-2.5 hours in advance may cause problems for early flyers or families with impatient children

Conclusion:

If you are looking for a cheap transportation to and from the airport AND you have the time to be flexible, Mears is a great choice for you!

Links:

http://www.mearstransportation.com/

Address:

Mears Transportation Group
324 West Gore Street
Orlando, FL 32806