Traveling with 5 adults and a 1 year old and in need of some advice

[MaC410]

So my wife and I have been to Disney World a bunch of times and we have always used Disney's Magic Express for airport transportation and then all of Disney's transportation options to get around to parks and such. Our next trip will be our first trip since 2019 and a lot has changed for us and Disney since then. We now have our first child who will be 1 year old by the time of our trip and we will also be traveling for the first time with 3 other adults. We are a bit stuck with deciding our transportation plan. Here are my thoughts and what we are struggling with...

1) We know the magical express no longer exists but there are some other paid options like mears connect and sunshine flyer. We typically would be fully onboard with those options but we are a bit hesitant about being on a bus like that with no car seat and having our son sit on our lap.

2) Renting a car seems like a good idea but with 5 adults and a 1 year old who would need a car seat I don't think we would all fit with our luggage into a single mini van. It would stink to have to rent 2 cars when they will really only be needed for the airport trips.

I'm most conflicted about option 1 because while we are hesitant about him sitting on our lap on that bus we seem fine with the idea of taking the disney buses to and from parks and our son would need to sit on our lap on those buses. But something about being on the airport transportation buses like that makes us more nervous. Maybe there's something I'm overlooking with all this stuff, either with bus transport or the car rental situation. Would appreciate any advice!

 

[Ross Kratter]

I would recommend car service to and from the airport. Most of the local companies will provide car seats if requested. With 6 people, it will be more cost effective than, or comparable with, either of the bus options, and definitely less expensive than a rental car.
With most companies, the chauffeur will meet you at baggage claim, assist you with luggage, and escort you right down to the waiting car. You will be transported directly to your resort with no other stops, unless you request a grocery stop, which most of the local companies will accommodate.

 

[MaC410]

I would recommend car service to and from the airport. Most of the local companies will provide car seats if requested. With 6 people, it will be more cost effective than, or comparable with, either of the bus options, and definitely less expensive than a rental car.
With most companies, the chauffeur will meet you at baggage claim, assist you with luggage, and escort you right down to the waiting car. You will be transported directly to your resort with no other stops, unless you request a grocery stop, which most of the local companies will accommodate.

This never even crossed my mind and with a quick search on these boards it seems like people have great experiences with a company called Tiffany's. Will definitely consider this. Thanks!

 

[Ross Kratter]

This never even crossed my mind and with a quick search on these boards it seems like people have great experiences with a company called Tiffany's. Will definitely consider this. Thanks!

Tiffany is one of many options. I’m not certain if they meet passengers at baggage claim, despite the fact that they are supposed to per airport regulations.
There are a lot of other companies that people also like.

 

[MaC410]

Tiffany is one of many options. I’m not certain if they meet passengers at baggage claim, despite the fact that they are supposed to per airport regulations.
There are a lot of other companies that people also like.

Will definitely do some research into options. So far I see Tiffany and Access Line mentioned a lot on these boards along with Tony Hind. Access Line seems to be a very popular choice at least generally on the internet as they have way more reviews than Tiffany and Tony Hind.

 

[scrapquitler]

So my wife and I have been to Disney World a bunch of times and we have always used Disney's Magic Express for airport transportation and then all of Disney's transportation options to get around to parks and such. Our next trip will be our first trip since 2019 and a lot has changed for us and Disney since then. We now have our first child who will be 1 year old by the time of our trip and we will also be traveling for the first time with 3 other adults. We are a bit stuck with deciding our transportation plan. Here are my thoughts and what we are struggling with...

1) We know the magical express no longer exists but there are some other paid options like mears connect and sunshine flyer. We typically would be fully onboard with those options but we are a bit hesitant about being on a bus like that with no car seat and having our son sit on our lap.

2) Renting a car seems like a good idea but with 5 adults and a 1 year old who would need a car seat I don't think we would all fit with our luggage into a single mini van. It would stink to have to rent 2 cars when they will really only be needed for the airport trips.

I'm most conflicted about option 1 because while we are hesitant about him sitting on our lap on that bus we seem fine with the idea of taking the disney buses to and from parks and our son would need to sit on our lap on those buses. But something about being on the airport transportation buses like that makes us more nervous. Maybe there's something I'm overlooking with all this stuff, either with bus transport or the car rental situation. Would appreciate any advice!

I’d actually feel safer on the airport bus with a child on my lap than the resort bus. On the airport bus, you are guaranteed a forward facing seat and a seatbelt, with another seat in front of you. On the resort bus, your seat will definitely not have a seatbelt, and it may be forward or sideways facing —IF you even have a seat.
And the buses travel on many of the same roads.

 

[Blondie58]

So my wife and I have been to Disney World a bunch of times and we have always used Disney's Magic Express for airport transportation and then all of Disney's transportation options to get around to parks and such. Our next trip will be our first trip since 2019 and a lot has changed for us and Disney since then. We now have our first child who will be 1 year old by the time of our trip and we will also be traveling for the first time with 3 other adults. We are a bit stuck with deciding our transportation plan. Here are my thoughts and what we are struggling with...

1) We know the magical express no longer exists but there are some other paid options like mears connect and sunshine flyer. We typically would be fully onboard with those options but we are a bit hesitant about being on a bus like that with no car seat and having our son sit on our lap.

2) Renting a car seems like a good idea but with 5 adults and a 1 year old who would need a car seat I don't think we would all fit with our luggage into a single mini van. It would stink to have to rent 2 cars when they will really only be needed for the airport trips.

I'm most conflicted about option 1 because while we are hesitant about him sitting on our lap on that bus we seem fine with the idea of taking the disney buses to and from parks and our son would need to sit on our lap on those buses. But something about being on the airport transportation buses like that makes us more nervous. Maybe there's something I'm overlooking with all this stuff, either with bus transport or the car rental situation. Would appreciate any advice!

Just back from WDW for a week. I was solo. Took the Mears bus but was told if you have more than four people a driver is cheaper. Mears has vans. Know you have to pay at least 25 dollars a night to park a car that you will not need daily. Go online and check out Mears and the different options and price comparisons. Last December we got a driver and large SUV for four. It was great - straight to resort and no stopping at multiple resorts and waiting on others.

 

[mickeynut1]

This never even crossed my mind and with a quick search on these boards it seems like people have great experiences with a company called Tiffany's. Will definitely consider this. Thanks!

We started using Tiffany in 2002 (with our last time being Dec 2019), and we've always had great experiences. The drivers are very friendly/courteous, they're always on time and cars are always clean. I'd definitely recommend them!

 

[_19disnA]

2) For that many people you would need to rent a larger SUV that has 3 rows of seats. Do you plan to drive around a lot when at Disney for things like meals or to go shopping/sight-seeing? Seems you would need two of those online taxis to accommodate that large of a group. That can add up and make renting a larger vehicle that holds everyone more economical. If you only need transportation to/from MCO - Disney, then the other options mentioned above are also possible.

 

[Anna131517]

Individual car service for everyone, or rent a car just for your family and let the other adults figure out their own transportation. We used Mears for individual car service for our family of five and it worked well. The van had four rows and could fit nine passengers, so plenty of space. I don’t know how many months old your child will be when you travel but if he/she still fits in an infant seat bring it. It’s always nice to have options.

 

[sponica]

In 2018 we traveled with a 20 month old and took the magical express (oh how I miss that).

In late april 2022 we traveled with a 20 month old and a 5 year old. We toyed with Mears Connect, but they couldn't guarantee the type of vehicle. I'm fine traveling on a coach bus without a car seat, but a van I'd want one and we weren't flying with one. We had so much luggage we opted against the sunshine flyer and went with Happy Limo as they'd meet us at luggage claim.

 

[holden]

I've used Tiffany twice recently. Once for a March trip and once for an April trip. Both experiences were good. I'd use them again.

 

[focusondisney]

We’ve used Tiffany for many years, most years taking multiple trips. Never had even 1 bad experience. Used them for our April 26 - May 4th trip. They are meeting at baggage claim again. A group your size, I imagine you’ll need a van of some sort. Their vehicles are extremely clean & comfortable, every driver is friendly, professional & safe. They’ve never been late & are always early on return trip. Always stress free.

 

[disney-inspired]

This never even crossed my mind and with a quick search on these boards it seems like people have great experiences with a company called Tiffany's. Will definitely consider this. Thanks!

Tiffany is one of many options. I’m not certain if they meet passengers at baggage claim, despite the fact that they are supposed to per airport regulations.
There are a lot of other companies that people also like.

I used Tiffany's Town Car service in January and the driver did meet us at baggage claim and got us to our hotel very quickly. Definitely plan on using on my next family vacation.