Please post som "good news stories" about Mears..

[Got Quattro?]

We normally drive and always see the mears shuttles at the resort.

We booked a quick 4 day weekend and fly down in 3 weeks....no rental car.

ORBITZ.COM had Mears as a package with the air fair....so we are locked in.

I have scene all the bad...please post some good stories to ease my mind.

There will be 3 of us going to Animal Kingdom Lodge at around noon on a saturday.

Thanks

 

[goofy4tink]

Well, I guess the good news is that you will get to WDW. It's just that you may be making many stops along the way. And be sure to leave yourself plenty of time on your departure day. If you have a flight at say, 5 p.m., I would tell Mears that the flight is at 4. That way if they are late getting there or there is some other problem you have an extra hour to work something out. Don't worry too much. Mears has been shuttling people around forever. Some of us just want more from our transportation company. You'll get there, so relax and have a great trip.

 

[travelin' tigger]

I've used them a few times going solo or with a friend. The longest I had to wait to get to a bus my resort was 15 min. and the most stops I.ve had was 4 before mine. The stops are usually pretty quick and the off to the next.

As for returning, what goofy4tink said is true. They will insist on picking you up 3 hours before your flight time (for their own protection) so you might want to say your flight is 1/2 - 1 hour earlier.

Have a great trip!!!

 

[Lewisc]

There really aren't that many HORRIBLE posts about Mears. If you were booking it yourself it wouldn't have cost that much more for a town car with a grocery stop.

It may take an extra hour to get to your resort. Perhaps half an hour for them to fill a van and maybe another half an hour for a few stops first. I took Mears to the airport from Swan. They made 2 earlier stops at BC and BWI picked us up and went straight to the airport.

Occasionally someone will have a horrible story about a driver getting lost or making stops all over the place but you also read an occasional story about a town car service that forgets to pick up a customer.

 

[Chicago526]

I've never had bad service from them. You just have to know that you'll be making a few stops before you get to your hotel (unless you're a lucky ducky and you're the first stop!). You could always not use the Mears part of your package and take a taxi or a town car, if you're that worried or in a big hurry to get to WDW. A town car will run around $100 round trip, a taxi maybe $80ish? It's up to you if it's worth the extra money. If it isn't, then don't worry, you WILL make it to WDW!

 

[clkelley]

They will get you there, but don't expect to get to your resort less than 90 minutes after landing, and expect to be picked up at least 3 - 3 1/2 hours before your plane departs.

Also, expect a grand tour of Orlando and WDW on your arrival and departure days, and of course, absolutely no grocery stop!!

One good thing about Mears, as long as your ticket is for the WDW area, it doesn't matter which resort you are dropped off at or picked up from.

We recently booked my son for a reverse round trip to send him home for the week to go to school.

We made the reservations from/to All-Stars. He had no luggage, and it was more convenient for us for them to pick him up from Animal Kingdom Lodge as we spent the morning at Animal Kingdom. That was no problem for them.

On his return, we were eating dinner at Beach Club, so he asked them to bring him to Beach Club instead of All-Stars, no problem there either.

Carol

 

[wdwgoofeeee]

For three or more people it is ususally the same cost (or cheaper) to use a town car service.
We had a package a few years back that included Mears. I didn't realize it when we booked. We simply did not use the Mears portion and took a town car. It was worth it to us to avoid the Mears hassle and lose a few dollars in return for a great town car ride.

 

[ILUVDXL]

We've used them for our last 14 trips and have never experienced any problem with them. The drivers are usually very friendly and have all kinds of tips to give out. The year AK opened our driver told us to make sure we go on a Sunday morning as soon as it opens. Then head right for the Safari and we would never have to wait in line. We've always done it this way and have never waited. We get there early enough to have breakfast at RFC which opens a hour before the park and we're on our way.

 

[TDC Nala]

I use them a lot because I'm single and don't want to use the extra money for a towncar.

The frustrating thing about Mears is if you happen to be the last to be dropped off. Sometimes they visit five or six different resorts, usually at Disney but sometimes offsite.

The last time I took Mears (last weekend), the bus loaded up at two different stops at the B terminal in the airport, then turned around, went to the A terminal and made two stops there. I was going to Pop Century, which was the first resort stop, but it took so much time to go around the airport (which they've not done when I took Mears before) that I was pretty late getting there.

Because of the location of Animal Kingdom Lodge, they are usually the last to be dropped off (that always happens when I'm going there). Don't take Mears if you absolutely have to be anywhere within two hours of the time you go out to wait for the bus.