Everthing you wanted to know about Uber/Lyft at WDW

[patty57]

Somehow I don't think the airport hotel folks will appreciate that.

It doesn't feel right to me. Kind of like sneaking into the pool at another resort. The hotels are paying for the shuttle and the driver. It's not something I can see myself doing.

 

[Ladygoldenhair]

I blame MCO and the taxi's. I should be able to make a choice between q hired car and taxi. It is America and unless Uber is found in contempt of the civil rights, trespass on private property or other issues, there should be freedom of choice. I think taxis are filthy based on any I had used. The one time I used a mini van taxi at Sports to POR it was okay, kind of worn out, but the driver was nice. The airport taxi was filthy.

 

[Ladygoldenhair]

We're not staying on site at Disney, so we won't be using their transportation. Thanks for the advice. My plan is to keep watching what happens with a rental at Sanford. They are still well over $220 for a compact, so I guess it's a waiting game.

Call dollar I think they are 800-800-4000 use the code FIX09 for a SUV, $139 mid size or $149 standard size Equanox, with taxes 1 week, 2 hrs came to $231.07 total cost. I had trouble getting it online, you can try by clicking

 

[Ladygoldenhair]

I looked at the Uber app on my phone. When I put the Hyatt in, the app says they can't pick up at the airport. I don't know how to get around that.

On the Ap there is a little pin that is you. Place it near the hotel and text the driver to your location at the hotel, or perhaps a rental car lot.

 

[patty57]

On the Ap there is a little pin that is you. Place it near the hotel and text the driver to your location at the hotel, or perhaps a rental car lot.

I wonder if that would work for a pickup in front of the Hyatt, or if an Uber driver wouldn't drive onto airport property? Has anyone here done that successfully? I would be happy to take Uber to the Dolphin, if there is a way other than using a hotel's shuttle.

 

[nkereina]

Somehow I don't think the airport hotel folks will appreciate that.

It doesn't feel right to me. Kind of like sneaking into the pool at another resort. The hotels are paying for the shuttle and the driver. It's not something I can see myself doing.

Many hotels have shuttles going back and forth to the airport at regularly scheduled intervals. No difference to anyone if they are actually transporting a person during that time. In fact, the driver would probably prefer it, assuming you tip them.

 

[patty57]

Many hotels have shuttles going back and forth to the airport at regularly scheduled intervals. No difference to anyone if they are actually transporting a person during that time. In fact, the driver would probably prefer it, assuming you tip them.

Maybe...I don't know. It would just feel wrong to me.

 

[Dis5150]

My DD and I will be staying off site at Bonnet Creek for the W&D Half Marathon in November. We plan on using Uber a lot while we are there. My question is about getting picked up at Epcot during/after the after party. It runs until 4:00 am and I don't think we would be comfortable walking to the Boardwalk (as is suggested in the first post) to get picked up from there. Would it be a hassle to get picked up at Epcot during that time?

 

[nkereina]

My DD and I will be staying off site at Bonnet Creek for the W&D Half Marathon in November. We plan on using Uber a lot while we are there. My question is about getting picked up at Epcot during/after the after party. It runs until 4:00 am and I don't think we would be comfortable walking to the Boardwalk (as is suggested in the first post) to get picked up from there. Would it be a hassle to get picked up at Epcot during that time?

Do you mean because of traffic? I can't speak to that but my only concern would be driver availability at that time. Since frequent drivers in the area know an event is ending at that time, they may make themselves available for potential fares. But otherwise, I'd suspect drivers would be few and far between.

 

[Dis5150]

Do you mean because of traffic? I can't speak to that but my only concern would be driver availability at that time. Since frequent drivers in the area know an event is ending at that time, they may make themselves available for potential fares. But otherwise, I'd suspect drivers would be few and far between.

Actually I just meant because he stated in his first post that Epcot is a pain and they request that you walk to Boardwalk and call from there. The after party is huge so I'm sure there would be a lot of potential fares.

 

[nkereina]

Actually I just meant because he stated in his first post that Epcot is a pain and they request that you walk to Boardwalk and call from there. The after party is huge so I'm sure there would be a lot of potential fares.

Oh I see... sorry, missed that. I agree there would be lots of potential fares. But many of the Uber drivers I have encountered have "day" jobs so they wouldn't necessarily be up in the middle of the night to take advantage of it. I suspect most of the trips that night will be short ones to area resorts, which means fares won't be very high either so I don't know how many would consider it worth their while. Maybe Rob or Ladygoldenhair can opine!

 

[SuzanneSLO]

I blame MCO and the taxi's. I should be able to make a choice between q hired car and taxi. It is America and unless Uber is found in contempt of the civil rights, trespass on private property or other issues, there should be freedom of choice. I think taxis are filthy based on any I had used. The one time I used a mini van taxi at Sports to POR it was okay, kind of worn out, but the driver was nice. The airport taxi was filthy.

You should blame MCO and Uber.

MCO apparently generates $10M per year from fees charged to transportation companies with access to the airport property. Uber believes it is not a transportation company (it says it's a technology company) and therefor does not have to pay the same fees as taxis and hotel shuttles. A suit has been filed and until it is resolved, uber will not provide information about people wanting be picked up at the airport to its drivers.
-- Suzanne

 

[Ladygoldenhair]

I wonder if that would work for a pickup in front of the Hyatt, or if an Uber driver wouldn't drive onto airport property? Has anyone here done that successfully? I would be happy to take Uber to the Dolphin, if there is a way other than using a hotel's shuttle.

Off airport rental car site. From other Uber I think Ron can advise you best as he drives this area, i am not a driver in that market.

 

[patty57]

Off airport rental car site. From other Uber I think Ron can advise you best as he drives this area, i am not a driver in that market.

Is there a way to get to an offsite car rental place other than using the rental car company's shuttle? I wouldn't feel comfortable with that either.

 

[disney1474]

Hello Everyone!

I had the pleasure of driving some wonderful DisBoards members on property recently and I wanted to take a moment to answer some questions and provide information on how Uber at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, FL works with some FAQ:

1)Are drivers allowed in the parks and resorts for pickup or dropoff?
YES YES YES! For resorts, we can pickup simply by stating we are there for pick up and we get right in. (Exception: One guard at Caribbean Beach will want to know the full name and room number of who is being picked up)Dropping guests at resorts is also easy, but you still must be staying there or have a dining reservation.

For Parks, we do not have to pay for drop off or pickup. Again, we simply state we are droping off, or picking up, and we get let right through. Generally speaking, here are the pickup/drop locations for the parks and Disney Springs:

MK: Ticket/Transportation Center, in front of the taxi queue. Also: you may choose to walk to the Contemporary and get picked up from there. (No dropoffs at Contemporary unless you are staying there!)

Epcot: This one is by far the biggest pain. I recommend that you walk to the Boardwalk Inn, and call for a ride from there. We usually sit at the gas station across the street and can have you picked up in a minute or less. If you must request from the front of Epcot, expect a 7-8 minute wait just for us to get over, around, and in. We will be directed to pick you up in handicapped parking. Generally, it is the one located on the far right (if your back is to the park) near Working Cast Parking. We'll be right there at the end of the first row. Again, please use Boardwalk since many of us will not pickup from the front of Epcot at all for UberX.

Hollywood Studios: Again, we are right near the taxis. This will be the first full row of Stage, and and there is a helpful white ground sign for pickup/dropoff.

Animal Kingdom,: This time we are near handicapped parking. There is a white tent along the sidewalk and we will pull right up to it.

DTD/Disney Springs: Due to the construction, this tends to change on an almost daily basis. For Westside, there is a drop/pickup lane in the parking garage, ground floor. If getting picked up, you must be at that spot, since we can't park there, and will get directed right back out of the garage and onto the road. This could easily be a 10-30 minute delay and most drivers will cancel you for that and leave entirely. For marketplace, there is no parking or anything on that side of the street. Please proceed across the street to Casting, and wait in front of the building. The castmember on duty over there will be accommodating as this happens quite a bit (it used to be the old pickup/drop spot before the garage)

Water parks: theres a drop/pickup spot near the entrance so no problems.

Port Canaveral: No problems. However, the rates coming back will be higher than going out.

2)Are larger vehicles available for my family?
Yes. As of 8/31/15 when I wrote this, UberXL can carry up to 6 passengers. Expect a minivan or large SUV (I drive a white Buick Enclave..if you get me, say you saw this post!). We are also cheaper than taxis on property.

3)Can uber take me to the airport?
Yes. We cannot pick you up from the airport property (You may want to take a free shuttle offsite somewhere and then request a pickup). We can however, drop at the airport no problem and we're all happy to do it.

4)Who drives for uber at WDW? Will I get a CastMember?
Odds are pretty good that you will get a castmember, or former castmember. I also happen to know a guy personally who works at the Wyndham Bonnet Creek and drives UberX. Having said that, Disney is an obvious place for new drivers to go since it's big and there's always alot of traffic so you'll get some of these and it'll be obvious. If you get a driver you really like, go ahead and ask for our number for future rides. If we can accommodate you, we will.

5)Can I go a long distance such as Cocoa, Tampa,etc?
Yes. Although we ask that you do it earlier in the day/evening, and contact your driver to make sure it's ok. I once had a run to Sarasota from the Yacht Club which picked up at 7pm. It was an hour and a half out, plus an hour and a half for me to get back. So if it had been too much later at night, I would've had to decline.

If you have any specific questions about using Uber at WDW, please feel free to reply to this thread and I'll try to keep it updated. I do want to keep this informational, however questions about how the app works, your account, pricing,etc is offtopic and this is not the venue for that.

Have a Magical Day!
Rob

Hi!

Can I use this service to get from Disney's Old key West resort to discovery Cove?

 

[Ladygoldenhair]

Is there a way to get to an offsite car rental place other than using the rental car company's shuttle? I wouldn't feel comfortable with that either.

Only if you hop scotch and taxi to a neutral area as a mini mart, or restaurants.

 

[JamieH]

Do you ever pick up at TTC at the end of a night, after the fireworks? What about on a party night, since it would be around 12:30-1am?

 

[GWS]

Great Thread!

I have never used Uber before but would like to, so I have a few questions.

1. How long in advance should I make a Uber request?
2. If I decide to use Uber to take me and my family (3 of us) to the Airport, what Uber would you recommend for us and the luggage (2 large suitcases, 2 carry on cases and a backpack)?

Thanks in advance!

 

[alievans719]

I'm also looking into doing Uber for when we visit Universal. Most of my concerns are answered, but I often see a lot of deals, such as your first ride is free, or discounted, etc. How does that work for the driver? I would assume they're paid, but I was just interested in how they are taken care of if I used a promo code.

 

[nkereina]

Great Thread!

I have never used Uber before but would like to, so I have a few questions.

1. How long in advance should I make a Uber request?
2. If I decide to use Uber to take me and my family (3 of us) to the Airport, what Uber would you recommend for us and the luggage (2 large suitcases, 2 carry on cases and a backpack)?

Thanks in advance!

1. You can check the app at any point to see how many cars are in your proximity and about how many minutes they estimate one will be able to get to you. If you've just landed and the app says 3 minutes, you might as well wait until you're ready to exit before calling one. Typically its only a few minutes, as there's a higher volume of cars where there is potential for fares.

2. Tough call, it's right on the borderline IMO. I might try to squeeze in an UberX. If you call an UberXL, there are fewer of them and their fare is higher. UberX cars I've ridden have been as small as a Toyota Prius but as large as a Ford F-150 or Ford Escape where it would fit with no problem.

I'm also looking into doing Uber for when we visit Universal. Most of my concerns are answered, but I often see a lot of deals, such as your first ride is free, or discounted, etc. How does that work for the driver? I would assume they're paid, but I was just interested in how they are taken care of if I used a promo code.

If you call an Uber and use a promo code, I believe the driver is still compensated the same amount they would be if you were paying (usually 80/20). I suspect Uber absorbs the cost of a promo code because it's part of their marketing. Hopefully Rob or Ladygoldenhair can confirm this for you.