Disney to Universal Transportation for Split Stays

Quick answer: The easiest way to get from a Walt Disney World resort to a Universal-area hotel without a car is a private car booked ahead: it picks you up at your Disney resort with all your bags and drops you at the door of your next hotel. With Grayson Towncar, a Towncar for up to 4 guests is a flat $85 one way from any Walt Disney World resort to a Universal-area hotel, and an SUV for up to 6 is $120 one way. Fares are per vehicle, not per person, with tolls and taxes included, and car seats are free. Book your pickup for right after you check out, and check your new hotel's check-in time so you have a plan for your bags.

Splitting a vacation between Disney and Universal lets you see more of Orlando, and Epic Universe gives families one more reason to add a few days on the Universal side. This guide is about moving day: getting your family and your luggage from one hotel to the other. For the airport ride, see Universal Orlando transportation or Disney World transportation. For park-day rides to the new park, see Epic Universe transportation.

Disney to Universal transportation: fares by vehicle

These are the current flat fares on our rates and booking page from any Walt Disney World resort to a Universal-area hotel. Every price covers the whole vehicle.

Going the other way, from a Universal-area hotel to a Walt Disney World resort? The Towncar, Mini Van and SUV fares are the same. The Van is $130 one way ($250 round trip) and the Van (14 Pax) is $155 one way ($300 round trip). Staying at a hotel outside those two areas? We cover all of Central Florida, so tell us the address and we'll quote a fare.

Disney first or Universal first?

Either order works, and in a Towncar, Mini Van or SUV the fare between the two areas is the same both ways. Most split stays come down to three one-way rides, each booked on its own:

1. Arrival: Orlando International Airport (MCO) to your first hotel. MCO to a Walt Disney World resort or a Universal-area hotel is $105 one way in a Towncar or $140 in an SUV. Your chauffeur tracks your flight and meets you inside baggage claim with a name sign.
2. Moving day: Disney resort to Universal-area hotel (or the reverse), $85 in a Towncar or $120 in an SUV.
3. Going home: your second hotel back to MCO, $105 in a Towncar or $140 in an SUV.

That's $295 for all three rides in a Towncar, or $400 in an SUV, for the whole family, not per person. Fares for the larger vehicles are on the rates page.

Timing moving day: checkout, pickup and check-in

Moving day goes smoothly when you plan it around two times: your checkout time at the first hotel and your check-in time at the second. Both are in your hotel reservations.

• Book the pickup for after you check out. Settle your bill, then bring everyone and every bag to the lobby before the car arrives.
• Plan for your bags before your room is ready. If you arrive before check-in, ask your new hotel whether it can hold your luggage so you can go enjoy the day.
• Give yourself breathing room. How long the ride takes depends on traffic that day, so tell our dispatch team your checkout time and plans when you book, and we'll help you pick a pickup time.
• Moving late? Pickups between 10 PM and 6 AM have a flat $20 after-hours fee.

Here's how a hotel pickup works under our reservation policies:

• A 10:00 AM pickup means you're in the vehicle at 10:00 AM, with everyone and all the bags.
• There's a 10-minute grace period. If your chauffeur is late, the clock starts when he gets there.
• Running behind? We can hold the car up to 15 more minutes for $30 on the card on file.
• At 25 minutes the car has to go, because someone else is waiting on it. That counts as a no-show and the fare isn't refunded.

Luggage and car seats on moving day

By the middle of a trip, most families have more than they arrived with: park souvenirs, a stroller, maybe a few extra shopping bags. Choose your vehicle by suitcases, not only by people. A family of four with four big suitcases is already past the Towncar's 3-suitcase limit, so a Mini Van (5 suitcases, with room for a stroller) or an SUV (6 suitcases) is the better fit. If you're right at the limit, go one size up so every bag rides with you.

Car seats are free, and your chauffeur installs infant, convertible and booster seats. That means you don't have to carry your own seats from hotel to hotel. Tell us your children's ages when you book. More on car seats and family rides.

Adding Epic Universe days to your trip

If Epic Universe is on your list, there are two easy ways to fit it in:

• Move to the Universal side for your Epic days. Book the moving-day ride above to your Universal-area hotel. Helios Grand, Stella Nova and Terra Luna are the hotels on the Epic Universe campus. Give us your hotel name when you book so we price the right route.
• Stay at Disney and make it a day trip. We pick you up at your Disney resort, take you to Epic Universe, and pick you up when you're done. This route isn't printed on the rate card, so ask us for a quote. Route details are on our Epic Universe transportation page.

New to the park? Our Epic Universe guide covers the basics before you go.

Stops, bag drops and second rides

On a hotel-to-hotel ride, plan the route before the day:

• A stop is something on the way. Any stop that isn't on your reservation is an additional charge. Ask us ahead of time and we'll tell you the price before your chauffeur heads there. Your chauffeur can't add a stop himself.
• Somewhere else you're going is a second ride. Dropping your bags at the new hotel and then heading to a park is two rides, and we'll book it as two.
• The free 20-minute grocery stop is for airport pickups, so it isn't part of a hotel-to-hotel ride. If you want groceries for your second hotel, ask about adding a stop when you book.
• A busy day with several places to go? An hourly booking can fit better than a string of transfers. Hourly service starts at $105 per hour for a Town Car ($120 SUV, $130 Van, $160 Sprinter), with a 5-hour minimum. Our guide to hourly car service vs a fixed transfer helps you choose.

Ending your trip with a cruise instead of a flight? See Disney to Port Canaveral transportation.

How to book your hotel switch

Book online on our rates and booking page. The fare you see is the fare you pay, with no hidden fees. Have these ready:

• The names of both hotels
• Your checkout time and the pickup time you'd like
• How many people, how many suitcases, and the ages of any children who need car seats
• Your other rides (airport arrival, Epic Universe day, flight home), if you want to book them now

Cancelling is simple: 48 or more hours before pickup is a full refund, 24 to 48 hours is a 50% refund, and less than 24 hours is no refund. We run 24/7, and you can reach a real person at (407) 212-7190 or reservations@graysontowncar.com. Grayson Towncar has served 20,000+ happy families. Gratuity is optional and never added automatically.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get from Disney World to Universal without a car?

Book a private car to pick you up at your Disney resort and take you straight to your Universal-area hotel. With Grayson Towncar, it's a flat $85 one way in a Towncar for up to 4 guests or $120 in an SUV for up to 6, per vehicle, with tolls and taxes included and free car seats. Rideshare is another option, but its fares change with demand.

How much is a private car from a Disney resort to a Universal hotel?

From any Walt Disney World resort to a Universal-area hotel, a Towncar for up to 4 is $85 one way or $170 round trip. A Mini Van for up to 5 is $105 one way, an SUV for up to 6 is $120, a Van for 7 to 10 is $135 and a Van (14 Pax) for 11 to 14 is $160. Prices are per vehicle.

Is it the same price from Universal back to Disney?

In a Towncar ($85), Mini Van ($105) or SUV ($120), yes. From a Universal-area hotel to a Walt Disney World resort, the Van is $130 one way and the Van (14 Pax) is $155 one way.

Can the driver drop our bags at the new hotel and then take us to a park?

That counts as two rides, not a stop, so book it as two. A stop on the way is an additional charge, and we'll tell you the price ahead of time. Ask your new hotel whether it can hold your bags if you arrive before check-in.

Can you take us from our Disney resort to Epic Universe for the day?

Yes. We pick you up at your Disney resort, take you to Epic Universe and pick you up when you're done. That route isn't on the rate card, so ask us for a quote when you book.

Do we need to bring our own car seats?

No. Car seats are free and your chauffeur installs infant, convertible and booster seats. A Towncar includes 1 car seat or booster, a Mini Van 1 car seat and 1 booster, and an SUV or Van 2 car seats and 2 boosters.