Taking A Cab Around Property at Walt Disney World

POSTED: Tue, 02/07/2012 - 06:05 | POSTED BY: Kristen Kirk

The complimentary transportation available at the Walt Disney World Resort is one of the key reasons many people chose to stay on property. It's direct and convenient, though often can take more time than I'm willing to spend getting from point A to point B. Then a couple of years ago I discovered the joy of taking a taxi. Taking a taxi on property can save you time, reduce hassle, enhance your comfort and possibly increase the overall enjoyment of your vacation.

Taking A Cab At Walt Disney World

Mears is the official transportation provider of Walt Disney World Resort and provides metered yellow cabs stationed across WDW property. Cabs can be found at all Resort Hotels, Downtown Disney, the Transportation and Ticket Center, and near the Resort Bus lines at all parks except for Magic Kingdom. The cabs may have different names on the doors, but if it's yellow, it's Mears. Fare for Mears taxi service on Property for both sedan cab service, and larger party van service, should seldom exceed $25 plus tip to any other destination on property. To get a general idea of what your costs will be, Mears offers an online Taxi Fare Estimator.

Mears Transportation Service Sedans
The direct number to Mears Transportation is (407) 699-9999, and you can call yourself. However, Disney Resort's valet staff will gladly call a Yellow Cab for you. With Disney service on your side the response time is usually faster than if you call yourself and there's no question whose taxi is next when multiple guests are waiting. The longest time I have had to wait for a cab is about 5 minutes. If you are a party greater than 3, be sure to let the valet know that you will need a van.

Benefits to Taking A Taxi Include:

Direct Resort to Resort Transportation
Direct Transportation to Special Events
Save Time Getting to Your Destination
No Waiting in the Bus Line at the End of the Night
Longer Hours than Complimentary Disney Transportation

Taking a taxi is now a regular part of my vacations for when I'm running short on time, or just want to get back to the hotel more quickly. It gives me a greater flexibility without having to rent a car. When budgeting for taxis during your vacation include both the estimated meter cost and a 15% tip for your driver. I always budget for $25 plus tip per trip, and whatever money is left over goes into my spending cash.

Have you used taxi service when staying at the Walt Disney World resort? Do you love the time it saves you, or another benefit of taxi service? Leave me a comment and let me know if you think Mears taxi's could be a benefit n your next vacation!

Are you looking for more, fast, point to point transportation options at Walt Disney World Resort? Read our article Uber Orlando: Navigating Your Way Around Walt Disney World to see if it's right for you.

In:

honeymoonin wrote on Tue, 02/07/2012 - 14:59:

When there in November we used taxi service a few times. Once it was because the line leaving a park was obscene and there was no one waiting for a taxi. Another time was when we wanted to go to the boardwalk one night but didn't feel like doing the bus shuffle. We also used it for our dinner reservations at the dolphin and on the way back to our resort we were picked up by a fancy town car. Overall, to get to and from the parks we bussed it (with the exception of one time). to go to other resorts for dinner it was 100% worth it.

Tony.Y wrote on Tue, 02/07/2012 - 16:06:

Even though that is a lot of money per trip for a taxi there are some great benefits to it. You can go where you want when you want and you don't have to rely on someone else or be limited on where you are going.

Taking a cab to get around at Disney can be more fun than the online shuttles because you can go where you want but they are expensive to use.

Kristen K. wrote on Wed, 02/08/2012 - 00:49:

So glad that I'm not the only one who sees the benefit of taking a taxi! Especially at the end of the night with a Loooooong line for the bus, it sure makes things easier!

murppa wrote on Sun, 02/12/2012 - 03:59:

I am thinking that the crowds on the buses will be brutal after a Magic Kingdom parade or fireworks show. Any thoughts on taking a cab FROM the Magic Kingdom to the Epcot resorts at a time like that? How far away would the cab be from the entrance of Magic Kingdom? Would I need to call the cab or are there cabs available?

Kristen K. wrote on Mon, 02/13/2012 - 12:45:

The best choice for that is to walk from the MK gate to the Bay Lake Tower across the street from the bus stations. You'll need to take the bus sidewalk to the left hand side and just head towards BLT. There they will be able to hail you a cab and it will be much faster. Expect about $20 for that trip.

The other spot to grab a cab from the magic Kingdom is at the TTC, which means you would still have to deal with a crowded monorail or boat before arriving at the cab. Much simpler to just head over to Bay Lake Tower by foot.

Samantha wrote on Tue, 09/04/2012 - 14:42:

From Magic Kingdom I generally walk to the Continental Hotel and take a cab from there.

Pat wrote on Sun, 04/07/2013 - 05:24:

Need from airport for 3 people to the grand floridan

Kristen K. wrote on Mon, 04/08/2013 - 01:03:

Hi Pat. You'll have no problem getting a cab for 3 people to the airport from the Grand. Ask at the valet desk regarding pricing, or call Mears directly.

Raquel M wrote on Sun, 04/21/2013 - 21:33:

Does anyone knows how can I get a cab from Magic Kindgom to outside the Disney hotels? I will be at International Drive hotels.

Thank you.

Kristen K. wrote on Mon, 04/22/2013 - 15:22:

Hi Raquel! From the Magic Kingdom you will either need to take the monorail to one of the Hotels or the Ticket and Transportation Center. You will be able to get a cab at any of those locations that can take you back to I-Drive.

jekyllcat wrote on Mon, 06/24/2013 - 17:43:

A quick question re: cabs and car seats. We'll have a toddler in tow and are not planning to fly in with his car seat. Generally we aren't planning to take cabs but I suspect we will need one to get from MK to DTD in order to get to a slightly inconveniently early ADR. Is it going to be challenging to get a cab with a carseat? Longer wait? Higher fee?

Thanks!

Kristen K. wrote on Tue, 06/25/2013 - 12:41:

Hi Jekyllcat!

I'm afraid that I don't know the answer to your question. However, the cabs that run on Disney property are generally run by Mears transportation. Try giving them a call for the most accurate answer. The direct number to Mears Transportation is (407) 699-9999.

Brian Lamew wrote on Fri, 09/06/2013 - 15:23:

I am staying at Port Orleans and would like to arrive at the MK 90 before the park opens in order to for my family to have a better chance to be picked as the Family of the Day. Can a taxi get me all the way to the kingdom gates that early?

Thanks,

Kristen K. wrote on Sat, 09/07/2013 - 14:13:

Hi Brian!

I believe that the Taxi stop for the Magic Kingdom is at the Transportation and Ticket Center. The Resort Monorail Loop starts running at 7am.

Alternatively, you could take a taxi to the Contemporary Resort Bay Lake Tower and walk across the street to the MK Main Gate.

I hope that helps!

Mycroft S. wrote on Thu, 09/12/2013 - 15:04:

Hi,

I'll be staying at the Port Orleans resort in late January. I have booked a fishing excursion at Epcot lake for 7:00 am. Do you know if taxi service is available at 6:30 am?

Kristen K. wrote on Thu, 09/12/2013 - 18:35:

Hi Mycroft - Yes, Taxi service is always available. However, Port Orleans doesn't have a valet, so you may want to arrange for it ahead of time. Have fun fishing!

Nicole B wrote on Sun, 11/24/2013 - 04:07:

We will be staying at the All Star Movies Resort. Do you know if they have a valet or if we should arrange for a taxi ahead of time.

Kristen K. wrote on Mon, 11/25/2013 - 14:33:

Hi Nicole! They don't have a valet, however the Bell Desk will be more than happy to call a cab for you at Pop Century.

Ashley wrote on Wed, 12/11/2013 - 13:32:

Hi, I'm trying to get a cost estimate from Port Orleans resort to various parks and resorts for characters breakfasts, but the link above is sending me to a page not found. Is there an updated link that I'm not seeing?

Also, is it possible to get a cab directly from Port Orleans to Animal Kingdom?

Thank you!

Kristen K. wrote on Thu, 12/12/2013 - 12:51:

See if the Mears website can help you estimate your costs. http://www.mearstransportation.com/

I always estimate $25-30 per cab ride. Sometimes it's under $20, but only for very short trips. You can indeed take a taxi from one hotel to another.

Trish wrote on Thu, 12/26/2013 - 14:27:

Looking to go from Disney's transportation ticket center to Universal Studios. Is it possible to use your service from there and leave Disney property? Do you need to schedule or are there usually taxis available at that location? If the above is possible, what about returning from Universal? Again, schedule or are taxis readily available at Universal? TIA

Kristen K. wrote on Fri, 12/27/2013 - 12:52:

Hi Trish!

We are not Disney or Mears Transportation, we are a fan site. I can tell you that there is a taxi stand at the TTC. Give Mears Transportation a call and they can answer more of your questions. Mears Transportation is (407) 699-9999

Todd wrote on Sun, 01/26/2014 - 18:33:

Are the taxi stands at each Disney park close the the gate or where the Disney buses drop off?

Kristen K. wrote on Mon, 01/27/2014 - 12:57:

Yes Todd, there are!

At the Magic Kingdom though the Taxi Stand is at the Transportation and Ticket Center, not the bus stop.

Heidi wrote on Sat, 02/08/2014 - 18:06:

We have a family of 10 and would like to get from Disney's All Star Music Resort to a Catholic Church for 6pm Saturday Mass. What would be our best option of doing so? Someone suggested taking a taxi from Down Town Disney. Any ideas?

Kristen K. wrote on Sun, 02/09/2014 - 16:23:

Hi Heidi! I have no idea where the nearest Catholic Church is but taking a taxi or hiring a van will probably be your best best.

Randy wrote on Wed, 04/02/2014 - 16:41:

We'll be staying at the Staybridge Hotel, just outside the Disney property. What are my best options for catching a cab to and from MK and AK? Thanks.

Kristen K. wrote on Wed, 04/02/2014 - 16:50:

Hi Randy, I haven't stayed off property for years so I'm not sure who the Staybridge uses. However coming back from both MK and AK you should be able to catch a cab through Mears Transportation.

Jennifer wrote on Tue, 04/22/2014 - 13:35:

We need to get from Magic Kingdom to Downtown Disney for a Bibbidy Bobbidy Boutiqe appointment during our trip in June. I was concerned about how long it would take using Disney transportation to get there and back. A few people suggested taking a cab. I was told cab rides were around $10-$15 (even to places like Hoopty Doo Review)...are there other more affordable cabs in Disney World besides Mears?

Kristen K. wrote on Wed, 04/23/2014 - 12:29:

Hi Jennifer -

The cab stand at the Magic Kingdom is actually at the Ticket and Transportation Center, so you would first have to take the boat or monorail there or to the Contemporary Resort and then grab a cab from one of those locations. I've never paid as little as $10-$15 to get across property via cab. The distance you'll be covering is about 6.5 miles, and my estimate is that a cab ride would cost closer to $30.

If you're looking for economy, then the Disney Transportation will be your best bet. Just leave Magic Kingdom early enough that you have time to get back. If you are looking for speed, I suggest walking to the Contemporary and catching a cab from the valet stand there.

Bill K wrote on Wed, 04/30/2014 - 16:26:

Cab from Downtown Disney to Grocery Store at Lake Beanu Vista and then to Hotel Bay Lake Towers

Kristen K. wrote on Thu, 05/01/2014 - 20:28:

I don't see why not Bill :-)
Cabs are not limited to the WDW property.

Yong wrote on Thu, 12/04/2014 - 21:29:

Hi, found out that I will arrive at the Animal Kingdom by a tour bus, but will have to pick up the ticket from another location. Guess my only choice is to take a cab there then back. How easy/hard is it to get a taxi from Animal Kingdom? Thank you.

Kristen K. wrote on Fri, 12/05/2014 - 22:15:

It's really easy Yong. There is a cab stand right outside the main gate.

Bethany wrote on Mon, 12/22/2014 - 20:16:

We are staying at the Art of Animations in Jan. We have a reservation for 7:55 at the Polynesian Resort. We are thinking that the Disney transportation is not going to be available. Will I able to use the taxis service from resort to resort? And what would be the charge for four people?

Kristen K. wrote on Tue, 12/23/2014 - 14:19:

Hi Bethany!

Yes, you are able to take a cab from resort to resort, there's a Bell desk right outside the front door at Art of Animation and they can hail you a cab. I believe when I took a cab from AoA to the Poly in 2012 the cost was about $30 plus tip. The trip takes about 25 minutes.

Danna wrote on Mon, 01/19/2015 - 00:47:

Is it possible to get a taxi from rental car center to a disney hotel?

Kristen K. wrote on Mon, 01/19/2015 - 13:20:

I'm sure that it is Dana. However the Rental Car Center also provides a complimentary shuttle to the WDW Resorts.

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/car-rental-services/

Carrie wrote on Thu, 01/29/2015 - 18:33:

I'm going there for a work conference which is being held at Disneys beach club resort. Unfortunately we were unable to get a room there and they were putting overflow at Animal Kingdom lodge. Having to travel back and forth each day, I'm wondering if it would be best to get a cab or rent a car? Suggestions?

Kristen K. wrote on Fri, 01/30/2015 - 17:43:

I think that since you'll have to go back and forth a lot that renting a car may be a better option for you.

You could take the Disney to Downtown Disney and Transfer there to/from a Beach Club or Animal Kingdom Lodge bus, however the bus trip could take a fair amount of time.

Ben wrote on Fri, 02/27/2015 - 21:51:

We are a party of 6 people with one stroller. We are planning to take taxi service from Art of Animation to other resorts for dinning reservations. We will pay based only in distance or distance plus party size? Any inconvenient with the stroller?

Kristen K. wrote on Sun, 03/01/2015 - 13:52:

Hi Ben! It's been a while since I've taken a taxi with the whole family, but I do believe that you still pay by distance. There shouldn't be an extra fee for the stroller. Just remember that as with all things Disney it's subject to change.

Scot wrote on Sun, 03/08/2015 - 23:26:

We will be staying at Epcot with the young grandkids to watch the light show. We are worried that getting the Disney bus back to Wilderness Lodge afterward will take forever. Is it possible to arrange or at least get a taxi at Epcot to get us back to the resort in good time? Thanks!

Kristen K. wrote on Mon, 03/09/2015 - 20:50:

Yes, there is a Taxi stand outside of the Epcot near the bus stops. There should be many waiting to take you where ever you would like.

gabe wrote on Tue, 04/07/2015 - 15:35:

What about taxi service to go outside of Disney? Say I want to get some bottled water or medicine to bring back to my room? How simple is the cab exit and return process?

Kristen K. wrote on Tue, 04/07/2015 - 19:42:

Gabe - that would be the same as going anywhere else. Pretty easy, though possibly very costly. If you'd like groceries delivered, check out the "Garden Grocer" they deliver to all the WDW Resort hotels.

Peg wrote on Thu, 05/14/2015 - 03:48:

Do the cabs accept credit card or should I have cash on me?

Kristen K. wrote on Thu, 05/14/2015 - 13:02:

I'm not sure Peg, you'd have to call the number in the article to find out. I always use cash.

Mari wrote on Thu, 05/21/2015 - 09:44:

I will be staying at the all star hotel. I have breakfast reservation at 8 am at magic Kingdom. Normally how long does it take to get to the park and what is the earliest I shall call for a cab. Thanks in advance

Kristen K. wrote on Thu, 05/21/2015 - 15:00:

Hi Marie! I usually allow for 30 minutes travel time anywhere on property by cab. However the cabs do not drop you off at the Magic Kingdom directly, they drop you off at the Ticket and Transportation Center when going to the Magic Kingdom. I suggest allowing an extra 20 -30 minutes for your monorail ride, and then time to walk through the park to your destination. If I were you I would be leaving the hotel between 6:30am, and no later than 7:00am.

Primary links

Secondary links