After you land in Orlando from your Breeze Airways PVU-MCO flight, your first hurdle is getting from the airport (MCO) to your hotel. Universal offers an "easy" solution: Universal's SuperStar Shuttle.
It's an official bus service that you add to your vacation package, promising a seamless transfer to your hotel. For our recent trip, we used this service to get to Cabana Bay Beach Resort.
Honestly? We were not impressed, and we don't recommend it. Here's our full Universal SuperStar Shuttle review and why we'll be taking an Uber next time.
1. Our Experience: The Wait
After we got our bags, we headed to the Universal Orlando desk on Level 1 of Terminal A. The process was fine, but the wait for the bus was pushing 30 minutes.
We were told to wait for our shuttle, and we ended up waiting quite a while. When the bus finally did arrive they took our luggage and loaded it while we got on the bus. The trip itself also took longer than expected, as the shuttle makes multiple stops at other Universal hotels.
The whole process felt slow and inefficient. After an easy 5-hour travel day from Provo, this was a frustrating speed bump.
2. The Cost: A Full Breakdown
This was the biggest issue. We paid $39 per person for the round-trip service. For the two of us, that was $78 total.
Let's look at the math on that.
- Universal SuperStar Shuttle (Round-Trip):
- Adult: $39 per person
- Child (3-9): $29 per person
- Rideshare (Uber/Lyft):
- An UberX from MCO to Cabana Bay is typically $35 - $40 one-way (so, ~$70 - $80 round-trip).
- An UberXL (for a family with more luggage) is typically $50 - $55 one-way (so, ~$100 - $110 round-trip).
3. The Verdict: Is It Ever Worth It?
The math makes the value proposition very clear.
For 1-2 People (Like Us): The cost is a complete wash. We paid $78 for the shuttle, and a round-trip Uber would have also been about $78. But for the same price, the Uber would have been private, direct, and on our schedule. We wasted 30-45+ minutes to save zero dollars.
For a Family of 4 (The Real "Gotcha"):
- Shuttle Cost: (2 Adults @ $39) + (2 Kids @ $29) = $136 Round-Trip
- UberXL Cost: (~$54 one-way) x 2 = ~$108 Round-Trip
For a family of four, the SuperStar Shuttle is ~$28 more expensive and it's a slower, shared ride that makes multiple stops.
Our Recommendation: Skip the Shuttle
The Universal SuperStar Shuttle is simply not a good value.
- It's slower than a direct rideshare.
- For 1-2 people, it costs the same as a private Uber for a worse experience.
- For 3 or more people (i.e., most families), it is more expensive than an UberXL.
Our advice? When you land at MCO, just follow the signs to the rideshare pickup area (Level 1, just outside Terminal B). You'll be in a private car and on your way to the Cabana Bay lazy river before the shuttle bus has even left the airport.
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