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