Location Transport

Has anyone taken Mears Transportation from Orlando International airport to their hotel? How was it?

I read a few decent reviews on this shuttle company, but I read many bad reviews which is turning me off from booking them. What has your experience been with them??? Is it worth taking a Taxi instead, which is a little more expensive than mears? And if you've taken a taxi, do you book in advance or can you just walk out and go to one?

Public Comments

1. You can just walk out and get a taxi, yes. Mears was good every time I used them. The drivers have been polite, help with luggage, nice, etc. I don't really have any complaints, but you do have to understand that your hotel will be grouped with others who are staying near you (that's why it's cheaper), so you may ride with strangers, and you may make a few stops. Or you may luck out and go by yourself and/or be the first stop.
2. The thing is, the taxi you're going to book is more than likely operated by Mears also. So, you'll still probably be using Mears, but you'll be paying WAY more for the "privilege". I have taken the Mears Shuttle Service and I have had little to no problem with it. Their counter is easy to find at the airport, and their scheduling/reservation system is fairly easy to use. The price is well worth it for a round trip service. I took it last year to Universal Studios from Disney's Pop Century. They arrived ahead of schedule and waited for us and took us to Universal and made it there very quickly. We had plenty of time to spare before park opening, which is good. They had us reserve the shuttle again about four hours or so before we planned on returning. I took it this year from the airport to the Wyndham Bonnet Creek resort and back. The counter was easy to find, the customer service was excellent, and any and all questions we had were answered. They had a shuttle van ready for us within ten minutes of paying. The only problem I had was on the return trip, and it was more of a misunderstanding on my part than anything that was really Mears' fault. I had called to schedule our return trip to the airport. I had heard the operator say "4:00PM" but she had actually said "3:00 PM". Her accent was a little hard for me to understand over the phone, but I should have confirmed the time, and I didn't. The shuttle showed up at 3 while we were lounging poolside at BC, and I had seen it, but thought it was for somebody else. (You constantly see Mears shuttle vans everywhere in Orlando...) I thought about it and called up to ask after we had a discussion amongst ourselves. I called them and they were apologetic and said that they would send the next available shuttle to us. After about 45 minutes, no shuttle had showed up. I called back, and they said that they were very busy that day, and that a Lincoln Towncar with chauffeur was on his way. Because of a misunderstanding, we got upgraded to the Chauffeur service and had a FANTASTIC ride to the airport. The driver, originally from Queens, was an awesome man and he made us feel comfortable and kept us entertained the entire way. The conversation was excellent, and we arrived at the airport with PLENTY of time to spare (more than two hours). We had a much better, much more expensive ride (for the original cost of the shared shuttle van) due to a misunderstanding... I have no problem using Mears, and I doubt you will either. Mears is the most prominent transportation company in Orlando, and you'd not only be pretty hard pressed to find a non-Mears alternative, but I think you'd probably have a hard time finding an alternative that wasn't shadier... Don't be afraid to call and talk to a Mears representative to ask questions.
3. Tere are three ways to go from the Orlando airport - Disney bus to one of the Disney hotels . run by Mears - Airport shuttle - run by Mears or regular taxi - most are Mears taxis. The quickest way is without a doubt the taxi and if you have three or more in your group, it is cheaper than the shuttle. The shuttles make a number of stops and your hotel could be the last. If you should have any problem with the taxi driver - advise Mears immediately and in just about every case you will received immediate satisfaction. BTW the taxis are there 24 hours and leave immediately - not the case with the shuttles or the Disney buses.
4. I did the opposite---I used them to get FROM my hotel TO the airport. They were a great service. They are way cheaper than a cab, with lots more space and they were there in plenty of time to get my things together for the airport.
5. I visit Orlando very often. Usually we arrange our transportation in Orlando ahead of time. The company i use is Star Trans-VIP or Orlando-Trans-Co. I used Mears 6-7 times and was NOT impressed by their service. If the city is busy you will have to wait for your cab for quite some time. Some drivers barely speak English (not all of them). Most probably they will take the longest way (happened to me many times) cause you are charged by meter. What i like about companies like Star Trans and Orlando-Trans-Co is that they tell you the total price before you even book your transfer. I've never been overcharged.