A number of companies stay in business largely by transporting guests to and from Disney. Shuttle stands are located at the Orlando International Airport (Level 1), but all other pickup locations require advance notice. The major shuttle operator is Mears (800-759-5219). We prefer a town car, however. The town car driver greets us at baggage claim, carries our luggage, drives us to our hotel, and charges less than it costs a family of four to use a shuttle, taxi, or rental car. If you’d like to stop at a grocery store or if you need a car/booster seat, request this at reservation. We use Quicksilver Tours (888-468-6939, http://www.quicksilver-tours.com).

If you’re driving to Disney, you’ll need specific directions. You can find detailed directions through a trip routing service (see page 15) or Disney (call 407-939-4636). Fliers planning to drive a car while in Orlando should rent at the airport. We don’t feel a rental car is needed if you stay only on Disney property, as their internal transportation system works well (see page 124 - page 125) and even an occasional taxi fare can be cheaper than a rental car. Tip: Vacationers using I-75/Florida Turnpike can arrive via the Western Beltway (FL 429 Toll) and Disney’s Western Way—see our Florida map and Property map.

If you plan to go off-property often, you may find a rental car helpful. Alamo and National (Disney’s official rental car agencies), as well as Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, and Thrifty are located right at the airport on Level 1 (in-airport rentals incur a 10% fee). Hertz, Economy, and many others are off-site, and you’ll need to take a shuttle on Level 1 to reach them (off-site rentals carry an 8.67% fee). The Dolphin Resort and several off-property hotels offer rental car desks, too. Inquire about all taxes and surcharges. See our rental car tips at http://www.passporter.com/rentalcars.asp.

The regional bus system, LYNX, has limited service to the Walt Disney World property. Call 407-841-LYNX or visit http://www.golynx.com. Please note that it takes about three hours to get from the Orlando Airport to Walt Disney World via LYNX. If you need to get from your hotel to many other theme parks in the Orlando area, Mears offers transportation ($16 and up for a round trip)—call a day in advance.

While taxis and Uber rides are available, we don’t recommend them for airport travel due to the cost. Large parties may be able to ride in a taxi minivan economically, however, especially for occasional travel within Walt Disney World.