Taxi from MCO to Disney

[CJK]

My friends are going to Disney next month with a 2yr old. They would rather not take Magical Express or any shuttle from the airport to Disney. They want the process to be as quick and painless for their daughter as possible. Is it 'safe' to just grab any ole taxi at the airport, or should they book something in advance?

 

[OKW Lover]

Instead of a cab, I'd spend slightly more and get a limo service. FL Tours, the sponsor of this section of the DIS Boards has given us excellent service and I don't hesitate to recommend them. They will meet you in the baggage claim area, help you with your bags and to the limo, which will be the next floor down. They will also make a 15 minute grocery stop on the way to WDW if you need to pickup some things for the room.

 

[bumbershoot]

Having been in a couple cabs in the WDW/Universal area, I would consider it anything but safe. I'd rent a car instead, as long as I was with another adult and we had one good driver and one excellent navigator among us.

 

[goofy4tink]

Have them book a car service. Much better than a cab...and about the same cost. Just walking out and hailing a cab isn't a good idea.

 

[Alesia]

A car service will be about the same price as a cab. They should request a car with a car seat if they're not bringing their own.

 

[DaretoDis]

We've taken DME a number of times from MCO to Disney resorts and never experienced any pain. Is there something specific they are worried about?

 

[sam_gordon]

My friends are going to Disney next month with a 2yr old. They would rather not take Magical Express or any shuttle from the airport to Disney. They want the process to be as quick and painless for their daughter as possible. Is it 'safe' to just grab any ole taxi at the airport, or should they book something in advance?

As far as "quick", a car service or taxi is going to save ~20-30 minutes at best. If that's worth spending the money for it, go for it.
As far as "painless", I'm not sure what's harmful about DME.

My preferences to get between MCO & DW...
1) DME (don't need to worry about bags and free)
2) Car service
3) Rental Car
4) Taxi

 

[seashoreCM]

If you are dead set on taking a taxi, they shouldn't take "any ole taxi." Take a Yellow or a Checker; they're the official taxis of Walt Disney World.

Heck, the other brands charge you extra (equal to the park parking fee) if you are going to one of the resorts around Magic Kingdom and have to go through the MK toll plaza.

(re-iterating) Me, I would take the Magical Express unless there was tight scheduling that perhaps required I go immediately to a resort other than mine. Or take DME to my resort and take a short, less expensive, taxi ride to another resort I needed to get to.

 

[Jimsig]

With a 2yo if they get a cab and probably a car service they will either have to take a car seat with them, or arrange for the cab/car service to have one. Do they want to trust the car seat the cab/car service brings them? They then will have to factor the time it takes to install the car seat in a vehicle they are unfamiliar with, the. There goes some of the time savings right there.

I don't believe they need a car seat on DME, at least my 3yo daughter did not last year. Heck my daughter loved the bus ride as she felt she was already at the park as soon as we got on. The bus was part of the experience for her, especially when the intro movie was playing.

 

[nycdisneygal]

I don't believe they need a car seat on DME, at least my 3yo daughter did not last year.

You cannot use a a car seat on DME.

We have done DME but sometimes we book car service (have had great experience with FL Tours).

 

[jimandami]

I find it to be MUCH less painless to take DME than to try to corral a toddler while getting my luggage off the carousel!!

 

[beldred]

My friends are going to Disney next month with a 2yr old. They would rather not take Magical Express or any shuttle from the airport to Disney. They want the process to be as quick and painless for their daughter as possible. Is it 'safe' to just grab any ole taxi at the airport, or should they book something in advance?

I don't know their specific concerns but we love ME.

And my nephew was 2.5 years old on our last trip....does this face look bothered by the ME bus? LOL

From the moment the little ones saw the bus, they were already in the Disney Magic.

It's been a few years since this visit, but normally they play Disney movies on little screens. In this particular bus the video system wasn't working but the audio was. So the driver turned on some Disney music and it was perfect (better than the movies, really, with people singing along and kids dancing in their seats. )