So your plane has just landed at the Orlando International Airport (MCO). You and your family have decided to stay at Fort Wilderness Resort, and you are incredibly excited to get there so you can start your epic vacation.
Except now you are wondering…
How do I get from the Orlando Airport to Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground?
Things used to be so easy before the pandemic, when you could just hop on the FREE “Magical Express” bus that took you directly to your resort. Oh well, no use looking back at the good old days. 🙂
Below, you will learn SIX ways to travel from the airport to Disney’s Fort Wilderness.
In addition, I tried to give directions on WHERE you need to go to find each option at the airport, along with the pros and cons of each travel method. And if you need information about car seats, scroll to the bottom to see a complete breakdown.
Option #1: Hire a private car service!
Do you know the people at the airport holding a sign for someone near the baggage claim? These are often private car services waiting to take their clients wherever they need to go!
Before you skip this option as a way to go from the airport to Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground because it sounds too expensive, please keep reading. I think it’s a great solution for many families but often ignored.
First, let’s go over a few of the advantages that most private car services offer:
- You can schedule and pay for a private car service beforehand, so you have one less thing to worry about on your travel day.
- They will meet you directly at the airport, often with a sign with your name on it, ready to take you DIRECTLY to Disney’s Fort Wilderness. No waiting for a bus, rental car, or taxi. And no sharing the ride with anyone else.
- Many companies include a short grocery store visit on the way!
- Help with your luggage.
- FREE car seats! You should be able to use car seats for as many children as you have included in the package.
How much does a private car service cost from MCO to Fort Wilderness?
It depends on which company you select, but the average cost is between $100 to $150 one way. Typically, you will get a discount for booking roundtrip.
I don’t think a private car service is much more expensive than the other transportation options on this list. Especially if you consider some of the other benefits you receive and factor in the time you will save and the stress you won’t have. 🙂
If you are interested in a private car service, make sure to check out Quicksilver Tours and Transportation.
Quicksilver offers a number of incredible benefits and are highly recommended. If you book with them, you can expect your driver to be waiting at baggage claim with your name on a sign. They even monitor if your flight is late. 🙂
They offer the following vehicles, depending on your specific needs:
- Town Car or Luxury Sedan – Holds up to 4 passengers and is the least expensive option.
- Vans – Up to 10 passengers! Great for big groups as everyone can split the cost.
- Luxury SUVs that hold up to 6 passengers.
In addition, if you want, they offer a FREE 20-minute grocery stop on the way to your resort. Not to mention a FREE car seat.
This is the view as you check out with Quicksilver Transportation.
You can take a look at their rates for transportation to Disney’s Fort Wilderness HERE.
If you decide to use Quicksilver, please mention Resort Rat as you check out. It helps support my site, along with helping Quicksilver keep track of how their customers find them. Thank you. 🙂
Option #2: Take a rideshare – Uber or Lyft
My favorite way to go from the Orlando Airport to Fort Wilderness is to use a rideshare service like Uber or Lyft. I like this option the best for TWO reasons:
Reason #1: The price!
Unfortunately, I can’t give you the exact price from the airport to Fort Wilderness Campgrounds using a rideshare since the prices constantly change depending on the day and time.
But, in my experience, it usually costs less than $60! For example, on a random Friday morning, I tested the cost if you were to get a ride from MCO to Fort Wilderness. You can see the results below for both Uber and Lyft.
- Please consider how LARGE of a vehicle you will need, as you may have lots of suitcases you need to fit. If so, you must book an UberXL or a Lyft XL, which costs slightly more.
Reason #2: Using a rideshare is probably the fastest way to Fort Wilderness Campgrounds!
The other huge advantage of taking a ride share to Fort Wilderness is that you won’t have to wait long for your ride. At almost any time of day, you should wait less than 5 minutes for your driver!
Seriously, when you are ready to start doing Disney, you do not want to sit at the airport wasting time.
I love that once you collect your baggage and walk outside to the curb, you can be on your way to the parks or your resort a few minutes later. No waiting for a shuttle bus or standing in line for your rental car!
Where can I find the rideshare pickup at the Orlando Airport?
I know this part can seem a little intimidating, but don’t worry too much. With the popularity of services like Lyft and Uber, it is easy to find the location where your driver can pick you up.
First, you need to pay attention to your Terminal. MCO has three terminals; A, B, and C.
- Terminal A: The rideshare pickup is on Level 2 (Arrivals) unless it’s between 9:00 pm and 2:00 am, then it’s on Level 3.
- Terminal B: The rideshare pickup is on Level 2 (Arrivals) unless it’s between 9:00 pm and 2:00 am, then it’s on Level 3.
- Terminal C: The rideshare pickup is on Level 6.
Once you are on the correct level and outside by the curb, you should see signs showing where to stand for “Ride App Pickup.” The Lyft app even shows you which door to meet your driver based on the Terminal.
The biggest disadvantage to using a rideshare is you can’t plan it ahead of time, and the cost isn’t fixed. You have to trust that once you get to MCO, you will be able to use the app to order a vehicle and find the correct pickup location. Also, the costs can increase on rare occasions due to “surge pricing.”
If you have never used Uber or Lyft, you have to be comfortable with a stranger driving you in their car that is not part of a traditional company.
I know many people would rather take the certainty of one of the other options below and sacrifice the cost and speed that rideshares provide!
Option #3: Take a Shuttle Bus from MCO to Fort Wilderness Resort!
Another way to get from the airport to Fort Wilderness is to take a bus. These shuttles are located at MCO near the baggage area.
Taking a shuttle bus offers many advantages:
- You can book, plan, and pay for your bus beforehand. Then, all you need to do is arrive, show them your ticket, and get on the appropriate shuttle to your resort.
- The bus can also pick you up at Fort Wilderness to take you back to the airport when your vacation is over.
- There are large, comfortable seats to relax in while you drive. And all of your luggage is stored underneath the bus until you arrive at the resort, where the driver unloads it for you.
If you are interested in this option, you will need to use Mears Connect:
This is the company that used to offer the “Magical Express” service. They have locations to board their buses in Terminals A and B, which are located at the far end of each Terminal. You will see multiple signs that point you exactly where you need to go!
How much does using Mears Connect cost to go to Disney’s Fort Wilderness?
There are actually two different services you can select with Mears Connect.
Standard Service: At the time of this writing, a one-way trip costs $20 per adult and $15 per child. Double this cost if you need Mears to take you back to the airport at the end of your trip.
The Standard Service bus will have a limited amount of waiting at the airport before your bus leaves. When you arrive at Mears at the airport, someone will direct you to the correct line and bus that will take you to your resort.
Just a warning that there is a good chance your bus will make stops at multiple resorts. For example, on a recent trip, our resort ended up being the third stop, which meant about 20 minutes of additional waiting on the bus as we had to go to the other resorts first.
Express Service: At the time of this writing, the cost was $250 ROUNDTRIP for up to 4 passengers. Add $55 for each additional passenger.
The advantage of the Express Service is that it takes you directly to your hotel. In addition, you should not have to wait to leave for Fort Wilderness when you arrive at the airport.
If you want to check current prices or book with Mears Connect, click HERE.
If you like to have every detail of your trip planned, then taking a shuttle bus from the Orlando International Airport to Fort Wilderness is a great option.
You can book your ride and pay for it at home, then just show up at the airport and let Mears do the rest.
But in my opinion, I prefer using Uber or Lyft, mostly because it is much faster. Once our family lands at the airport, we are ready to get to Disney World. Unfortunately, the standard services on both the shuttle buses can take a while, between waiting at the airport and driving to multiple Disney resorts before finally arriving at your destination.
Option #4: Take a traditional taxi from MCO to Fort Wilderness
Yes, it is still possible to take a normal taxi! Some people like this option because they trust a taxi more than a driver from Uber or Lyft since the taxicab is associated with a local company. And as you can see above, there are A LOT of taxis waiting for you at the Orlando Airport!
To take a taxi from MCO to Fort Wilderness, you will need to head to the following area, depending on your Terminal. You can find the most up-to-date information on the airport’s website.
- Terminal A: Ground Transportation Curb (Level 1) in spaces A22-A25
- Terminal B: Ground Transportation Curb (Level 1) in spaces B30-B34
- Terminal C: Arrivals Curb (Level 6)
Just so you know, the taxi driver can’t tell you the exact price to get to Fort Wilderness, as flat fares are prohibited by law. All fares are determined by the meter inside the taxi, which depends on the total length of the trip. And the rate is the same, regardless of how many passengers you have (up to 9).
However, it’s estimated that a one-way taxi ride from the airport to Fort Wilderness will cost $50 to $70.
A taxi will typically cost a bit more than Uber or Lyft. But many taxis have car seats available, especially some of the bigger vans, so this is a great option if you have toddlers.
Here are a few taxi companies that operate from the Orlando Airport. There should be plenty of taxis available when you arrive, but you can also try to schedule ahead of time if that makes you feel more comfortable.
Option #5: Ride in a party bus or limo from the airport to Fort Wilderness!
Are you coming to Disney World for a bachelorette party, wedding, or other celebration?
If so, why not start your trip the BEST possible way by taking a party bus or limousine? 🙂
You can have one of these vehicles pick you up right at MCO. And if you have a large party, it’s not even that expensive if everyone splits the cost! Seriously, check out rates with a local company HERE.
It’s not even a problem if toddlers are in your group, as you can request car seats when you book with most providers.
Option #6: Rent a car
For one reason or another, if you don’t like any of the options above, you can always rent a car to get to Fort Wilderness!
The advantages are that you have complete freedom for your vacation to go wherever you want. Renting a car might be a great option if you plan to visit other places other than Disney World, such as Universal, Sea World, or other areas in Orlando.
I would not recommend renting a car if you ONLY need it to get from the airport to Fort Wilderness and back again. This would be a crazy amount of money just for a few trips. Any of the other options on this list would be a better solution.
But if you decide to rent a car, there is one really nice perk. Since you are staying at Fort Wilderness, which is a Disney resort, you get FREE PARKING at any of the theme parks and water parks. Seriously, it’s rare for anything to be free at Disney World. 🙂
Getting FREE parking at the theme parks is an incredible benefit, as parking costs a minimum of $25 per day at each park.
Since Orlando is one of the biggest markets for rental cars in the world, every major rental car company operates here.
In addition, Enterprise, Hertz, and the other big carriers are located right at the airport on Level 1 in Terminals A and B and Level 4 in Terminal C. This means you don’t have to deal with an additional shuttle to get your rental car! 🙂
Frequently Asked Questions:
How long is the drive from the Orlando International Airport to Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort?
The distance between MCO and Fort Wilderness is approximately 21.1 miles (34 km). The drive should take about 30 minutes, assuming there is not much traffic.
As you can see on the map below, there are a few different ways you can make the drive. Please note that if you take FL-417, there are tolls to pay.
What is the best way to travel from the Orlando Airport to Fort Wilderness if I need a car seat?
If you have toddlers who require a car seat, I know it can be slightly frustrating to find transportation to Fort Wilderness that includes a car seat. So here is a brief rundown of everything the above options can provide:
Uber:
- Luckily, it’s super easy to request a vehicle with Uber that has a car seat you can use. While in the Uber app, look for the Uber X Car Seat option.
- UberX Car Seat vehicles only provide ONE car seat. Also, there may be limited availability for an UberX Car Seat vehicle, so it’s possible you will have to wait for one at MCO.
- It’s also very easy to bring an inflatable car seat, so you don’t have to carry your large, heavy one from home. Check out some of the best options here on Amazon.
Lyft:
- As of this writing, Lyft does not have the option to request a vehicle with a car seat. Therefore, you must bring your own car seat to travel with Lyft.
Shuttle Bus – Mears Connect:
- Car seats are not required as you ride on a large motor coach bus.
- However, if you take one of their shuttle vans, you can request to have as many car seats as you need.
Taxi:
- Many taxi vans have a car seat if needed, but it’s not guaranteed.
Private Car Service:
- Car seats should be no problem if you hire a private car service. Just make sure to let the company know what you need prior to arrival.
Rental Car:
- If you decide to rent a car, you can also rent car seats or boosters from your provider for an additional daily cost.
- To save some money, you can also bring your own. It’s also very easy to bring an inflatable car seat, so you don’t have to carry your large, heavy one from home. Check out some of the best options here on Amazon.
Just so you know, rideshares and taxis are exempt from child passenger laws in Florida.
So it is completely up to you to determine if you require a car seat. Below is what the current law states:
(6) The child restraint requirements imposed by this section do not apply to a chauffeur-driven taxi, limousine, sedan, van, bus, motor coach, or other passenger vehicle if the operator and the motor vehicle are hired and used for the transportation of persons for compensation.”
What is your favorite way to travel from the Orlando International Airport to Fort Wilderness Resort & Campgrounds?
Please leave a comment below!
