Everthing you wanted to know about Uber/Lyft at WDW

[magyargirl]

Both taxi drivers and rideshare drivers have to pass pretty rigorous background investigations. I don't know about Lyft or taxi, but Uber updates every driver background annually.

But you are correct -- there is a BIG difference in the safety features built into the various systems, and it's a clear advantage to rideshare.

Lyft has some safety features, but this is one area where Uber is clearly superior to both Lyft and taxi. Here's what is going on behind the scenes on an Uber ride:

• Driver identification -- Pretty frequently, Uber requires drivers to take a selfie in the driver app for facial recognition confirmation. This ensures that the person behind the wheel IS, in fact, the person who is supposed to be behind the wheel. Lyft does not use facial recognition -- my Lyft picture is from two years ago. My Uber picture is one week old, and I'll probably have to reconfirm the next time I drive.
• Driver tracking -- Uber GPS tracks us continuously, from the time we turn the app on and for some time after we go offline. Whether we are on a ride or not, we are being tracked.
• Rider tracking -- Uber tracks the rider from the time you turn the app on, throughout your ride, and for a short period of time after your ride is ended. So before, during, and after your ride, you are being tracked independently of the driver.
• Sharing your ride info -- you can choose to allow trusted friends or family to follow your ride in real time through the Uber rider app. If you do that, you have a person you trust also tracking your ride.
• Newer features currently being rolled out -- Not sure if these are in the Orlando market yet, but Uber is putting in a system for calling 911 directly from both the driver and rider apps. The importance of this is that not only can you make the call easier, but emergency responders will have access to your actual GPS location, rather than the approximate cellphone tower location...which can be several miles from where you actually are. Responders will know where you are. There are some other aspects of these upgrades, but we don't have them yet so I'm not sure what all the features are.
• Dashcams -- these are optional, but many rideshare (and taxi) drivers use dashcams to record all of their rides. Mine has two cameras -- one looking forward at traffic, and the other looking inward into the passenger compartment. Dashcams are important safety protections for both drivers and riders.

This is awesome info! Thank you!

 

[JimMIA]

Thank you for all the info. This clarifies a lot for me. I will have to see about writing down an estimate of what it may cost for 12 days, 10 of them un the parks. We booked a rental from Costco last night for a compact at $368 for 12 days. But then you add $220 for 10 days of parks and thats almost $600. I am just not sure but glad we at least have a rental in case we decide not to ride share.

Okay, you need to do the FULL math job here, but I'll give you a sample.

For starters, your rental car expense will be $588 plus gas and tolls, assuming your Costco quote included all taxes.

Per Ride Guru, for one day at Magic Kingdom, with a mid-day trip back to your resort and then back to MK, and back to your resort at the end of the day:

Without boring you with the details, the four rides on Uber X (max 4 people), comes to about $64 without tip. For the purposes of this exercise, forget tips.

Trips to DHS and Epcot might be a little less, AK might be a little more. It's also possible that you would not want to go back to your resort every day (although if you have a small child, those trips are very wise). If you skip the mid-day trips a few days, you lower the cost somewhat.

But for the sake of argument, let's assume you to two round trips per day, do NOT tip , and it all equals out in the end. So for 10 days you spend about $640 with Uber.

But you still have three missing pieces to your transportation puzzle:

1. Your trips on the two days you don't do parks
2. Your non-park trips (DS, dinner, shopping, etc)
3. And your transfers back and forth to the airport

The airport transfers are about $23-$25 each, which puts us at about $700 using Uber -- not including any tips for your drivers, and you still have the non-park days and rides to account for.

You should do your own math, but for a 12 day trip staying offsite I personally wouldn't want to be without a car. And I think the rental car will work out less expensive.

 

[magyargirl]

Okay, you need to do the FULL math job here, but I'll give you a sample.

For starters, your rental car expense will be $588 plus gas and tolls, assuming your Costco quote included all taxes.

Per Ride Guru, for one day at Magic Kingdom, with a mid-day trip back to your resort and then back to MK, and back to your resort at the end of the day:

Without boring you with the details, the four rides on Uber X (max 4 people), comes to about $64 without tip. For the purposes of this exercise, forget tips.

Trips to DHS and Epcot might be a little less, AK might be a little more. It's also possible that you would not want to go back to your resort every day (although if you have a small child, those trips are very wise). If you skip the mid-day trips a few days, you lower the cost somewhat.

But for the sake of argument, let's assume you to two round trips per day, do NOT tip , and it all equals out in the end. So for 10 days you spend about $640 with Uber.

But you still have three missing pieces to your transportation puzzle:

1. Your trips on the two days you don't do parks
2. Your non-park trips (DS, dinner, shopping, etc)
3. And your transfers back and forth to the airport

The airport transfers are about $23-$25 each, which puts us at about $700 using Uber -- not including any tips for your drivers, and you still have the non-park days and rides to account for.

You should do your own math, but for a 12 day trip staying offsite I personally wouldn't want to be without a car. And I think the rental car will work out less expensive.

Thank you for all this. I started an estimate using rideguru for just one day with lyft to mk with mid day break and came to 46x10 thats 460..plus airport transfer amd dinners or shopping...u broke it down so much more directly but came to very similar totals. I dont see any savings...just stress. I think if we were on a shorter trip that might work but not this one. I was even contemplating on upgrading my park ticket to an AP and get the free parking...I am about 40 to 50% sure we may return next june. Either way...I am convinced a rental is our best bet. Thank you for all the help!

 

[JimMIA]

Thank you for all this. I started an estimate using rideguru for just one day with lyft to mk with mid day break and came to 46x10 thats 460..plus airport transfer amd dinners or shopping...u broke it down so much more directly but came to very similar totals. I dont see any savings...just stress. I think if we were on a shorter trip that might work but not this one. I was even contemplating on upgrading my park ticket to an AP and get the free parking...I am about 40 to 50% sure we may return next june. Either way...I am convinced a rental is our best bet. Thank you for all the help!

You're welcome. One thing about using the estimates is that you have to check fares both ways. Because fares are demand-based, they will usually be a little higher from park to resort than the trip to the theme park. I think that's probably the difference in our numbers. The same is true for airport trips -- more demand at the airports, so the trip from the airport will be more expensive than the trip back.

 

[magyargirl]

You're welcome. One thing about using the estimates is that you have to check fares both ways. Because fares are demand-based, they will usually be a little higher from park to resort than the trip to the theme park. I think that's probably the difference in our numbers. The same is true for airport trips -- more demand at the airports, so the trip from the airport will be more expensive than the trip back.

Yeah I noticed. I even did a return trip from DS to blue tree because I know that is closer. But it wasnt that much savings...not enough to choose ride share strictly. I really wanted to give it a go this year but its just not in the savings. And if rideshare costs me what renting would...I will stick with renting. We rented last year thru Alamo and LOVED it. Got a minivan for 8 days for $321 thru Alamo!! Cant even get a compact for that anymore lol! Thanks again!

 

[Clare Voince]

I thought I would share my experience using Uber & Lyft, as I had never used either before this trip. Getting the first pickup at the airport took awhile, and there were so many people getting picked up by friends and family in the same area that it was kind of mass confusion. I was very happy once I found my driver though!

I hurt my knee getting off the bus, so when I went to the Halloween party, I wanted to use a Minnie van, but I could not figure out how to do it in the lyft app, so I just took a regular lyft to the TTC. I had no idea how far of a walk it was from where they dropped you off to security & the monorail, so that sucked with a sore knee. When I left the party, I had the brilliant idea of taking a monorail to the Poly, and having driver pick me up there! It took longer than walking to the CR, but I didn't have to walk as much (and the resort monorail was a short wait). The driver that picked me up at the Poly told me that he had two requests for pick ups at the TTC and had to cancel them both because the people were still on the monorail when he got to the TTC. He was not pleased that they were requesting rides before they were there.

I spent an afternoon doing some resort hopping, so it was great to not have to go to a park then transfer to the resort. I finally figured out how to request a Minnie Van, so I took one from the Dolphin to the AKL. It was an amazing experience. The service and the driver were just awesome. If I had unlimited funds, I would have used the Minnie Van every time. I asked the CM about how the service was going, and he said that were in high demand and that they were expanding their fleet because of how popular it is. I really wish I had figured out how to request them before my MK day.

After my resort hopping day, my bank froze my credit card because of the frequent uber/lyft charges, even though I had told them ahead of time that I would be travelling in Florida, so I had to call and straighten that out.

Most drivers did not have the Uber or Lyft logo on their windshield which would have made identifying the cars much easier. I thought they were required to have the logo, or am I wrong about that?

Uber was always a dollar or two cheaper than lyft, so other than the one time, I chose Uber. I mostly tipped in cash, but once or twice I did it in the app.

It was $38+ to go from the airport to my resort around 7 pm on a Wednesday, and $33+ to go from the resort to the airport around 6am on a Monday. Rides within Disney property were usually $7-9 for uber and a buck or two more in the lyft app.

I have a friend who is staying in the bonnet creek area, and when I told him how inexpensive it was to travel within Disney property, he's decided to use uber instead of renting a car, because it will cost about the same as parking at the theme parks and he'll save on the rental cost.

 

[joelkfla]

Most drivers did not have the Uber or Lyft logo on their windshield which would have made identifying the cars much easier. I thought they were required to have the logo, or am I wrong about that?

Depends on the jurisdiction. Not required in FL. It's supposed to be required at the airport, but that doesn't mean all drivers conform.

 

[Best Aunt]

Most drivers did not have the Uber or Lyft logo on their windshield which would have made identifying the cars much easier. I thought they were required to have the logo, or am I wrong about that?

Be very careful about that. Earlier in the year, I posted about my experience outside the Javits Convention Center in NYC. I requested an Uber and while I was waiting, a driver stopped in front of me with an Uber sign in the window. He told me to get in. It was not the driver which had been assigned to me. I knew this because I checked his license plate. (You also are supposed to check to see if the driver's face matches the photo in the app.) I refused to get in. I worry that he fools people into getting into his vehicle. For all we know, he doesn't even drive for Uber. He could make up a rate. He could take you anywhere. He could be an ax murderer.

Anyway, the moral of the story is: just because you see an Uber or Lyft logo sign in a car does not mean that it is the driver which was assigned to you.

 

[kaytieeldr]

People who are less than satisfied are much more likely to do a negative rating.

Thanks to this information, I always rate my drivers!

Uber Pool (not offered in Orlando currently) riders rate low.

My neighbor uses Über Pool. She was waiting for a ride one evening and tracking the vehicle periodically. It kept getting further and further away. After about a half hour, she giot a message from the company that they realized she was still waiting and would cancel her trip with no penalty, and they rebooked her with a driver who actually showed.

The driver that picked me up at the Poly told me that he had two requests for pick ups at the TTC and had to cancel them both because the people were still on the monorail when he got to the TTC. He was not pleased that they were requesting rides before they were there.

Ridiculous. Don't riders understand how it works? Everybody should have access to JimMIA's guidelines.

For all we know, he doesn't even drive for Uber. He could make up a rate. He could take you anywhere. He could be an ax murderer.

Ah, but without the correct rideshare connection, he couldn't actually charge you!

 

[JimMIA]

Most drivers did not have the Uber or Lyft logo on their windshield which would have made identifying the cars much easier. I thought they were required to have the logo, or am I wrong about that?

As Joel said above, logos (technically called "trade dress") are not required except at airports and seaports in Florida.

But a car displaying trade dress actually means nothing. You can buy dozens of varieties of Uber/Lyft trade dress online. I think you can even go to the companies' websites and download trade dress and print it at home for nothing! So anybody can get their hands on an Uber or Lyft logo.

And just because a car has trade dress, that does not mean it's an authorized driver. You should rely on the vehicle description, tag number, and especially driver photo provided on your app to be sure you're getting in the right car. You can also follow your driver's approach to your pickup on the app.

If the driver behind the wheel does not match the picture on you app, you have to assume three things, both bad:

• neither you nor the rideshare company have any idea who that driver is
• the driver has not had a background check
• there is no insurance coverage on your ride

 

[Best Aunt]

Ah, but without the correct rideshare connection, he couldn't actually charge you!

Regarding the NYC driver with the Uber sign in his window who told me to get into his car even though he was not the driver assigned to me -

He couldn't have charged ME, because I know how the app works. But I am concerned that he might have made up a dollar amount and told a rider that they had to give him cash or a credit card directly rather than paying through the app. If someone knew so little about Uber that they were willing to get in the car with him, then they might have fallen for it if he told them to pay him directly. He probably couldn't process a credit card payment, but he could steal someone's identity if they handed him the card.

 

[JimMIA]

My neighbor uses Über Pool. She was waiting for a ride one evening...

PLEASE tell your neighbor NOT to take Pool at night!

Unlike regular rides, on an added Pool ride, the driver has no idea who the additional rider is, and no ability to reject them. They are simply automatically added and the driver is supposed to go pick them up. There are a slew of bad outcomes for a woman riding Pool or Lyft Shared at night:

• The new rider could be Prince Charming...OR...he could be a nasty, smelly drunk who finds your friend very attractive...and they could be sharing 10-20 minutes of quality time together. Believe it or not, some losers actually take Pool/Shared rides for the purpose of meeting people!
• There could be a considerable detour, delay, etc with the ride
• Your neighbor could get dropped off first. Now, that smelly drunk who thinks he's Prince Charming knows where she lives. Think about that one for a minute.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Speaking of that, did i ever mention the Lyft driver who told me he was hoping it would help him meet women? Not me, i'm at least old enough to be his mother.

Re: my neighbor. It was dark, but because the days were short. So, technically not night. She went grocery shopping. And yes, a drunk could know where she lives, but its a 100+ unit building.

 

[AngiTN]

Both taxi drivers and rideshare drivers have to pass pretty rigorous background investigations. I don't know about Lyft or taxi, but Uber updates every driver background annually.

But you are correct -- there is a BIG difference in the safety features built into the various systems, and it's a clear advantage to rideshare.

Lyft has some safety features, but this is one area where Uber is clearly superior to both Lyft and taxi. Here's what is going on behind the scenes on an Uber ride:

• Driver identification -- Pretty frequently, Uber requires drivers to take a selfie in the driver app for facial recognition confirmation. This ensures that the person behind the wheel IS, in fact, the person who is supposed to be behind the wheel. Lyft does not use facial recognition -- my Lyft picture is from two years ago. My Uber picture is one week old, and I'll probably have to reconfirm the next time I drive.
• Driver tracking -- Uber GPS tracks us continuously, from the time we turn the app on and for some time after we go offline. Whether we are on a ride or not, we are being tracked.
• Rider tracking -- Uber tracks the rider from the time you turn the app on, throughout your ride, and for a short period of time after your ride is ended. So before, during, and after your ride, you are being tracked independently of the driver.
• Sharing your ride info -- you can choose to allow trusted friends or family to follow your ride in real time through the Uber rider app. If you do that, you have a person you trust also tracking your ride.
• Newer features currently being rolled out -- Not sure if these are in the Orlando market yet, but Uber is putting in a system for calling 911 directly from both the driver and rider apps. The importance of this is that not only can you make the call easier, but emergency responders will have access to your actual GPS location, rather than the approximate cellphone tower location...which can be several miles from where you actually are. Responders will know where you are. There are some other aspects of these upgrades, but we don't have them yet so I'm not sure what all the features are.
• Dashcams -- these are optional, but many rideshare (and taxi) drivers use dashcams to record all of their rides. Mine has two cameras -- one looking forward at traffic, and the other looking inward into the passenger compartment. Dashcams are important safety protections for both drivers and riders.

Driver review/safety feature differences are why we have switched to mostly Uber quite honestly.

Be very careful about that. Earlier in the year, I posted about my experience outside the Javits Convention Center in NYC. I requested an Uber and while I was waiting, a driver stopped in front of me with an Uber sign in the window. He told me to get in. It was not the driver which had been assigned to me. I knew this because I checked his license plate. (You also are supposed to check to see if the driver's face matches the photo in the app.) I refused to get in. I worry that he fools people into getting into his vehicle. For all we know, he doesn't even drive for Uber. He could make up a rate. He could take you anywhere. He could be an ax murderer.

Anyway, the moral of the story is: just because you see an Uber or Lyft logo sign in a car does not mean that it is the driver which was assigned to you.

Ok, this may be awful of me to say but I'm sorry, anyone should be smart enough to know this. Any adult that uses these services should be smart enough to not get in a car that they didn't request and you clearly know which is your car. There are too many ways to verify it's your vehicle. And you don't have to be an experience ride share user to know this. I won't go so far as to say that anyone that did get in a car they didn't request or didn't stop to check first deserve something bad happening to them because obviously, they don't but seriously I can't fathom anyone that would jump in any old car that pulled up just because it has a logo on it.
I come from a small southern town and had never even used a regular taxi in my entire 50+ years and I knew not to get in a car that #1, didn't match the one assigned, #2, didn't match the driver, #3 (the most important actually) the driver didn't know MY name, and #4, the driver confirmed their name (though they could always lie). Everyone has got to have enough common sense to know these things or I have to question how they know to breathe in and breathe out each day. Yes, I don't tolerate fools well.

Anyway, as to the marked vehicles, we must require markings here. I've noticed all the Uber/Lyft cars have beacons and/or stickers here now. Most have the beacons that light up. Since we are such a small market they probably require them or something.

 

[joelkfla]

Anyway, as to the marked vehicles, we must require markings here. I've noticed all the Uber/Lyft cars have beacons and/or stickers here now. Most have the beacons that light up. Since we are such a small market they probably require them or something.

It's a matter of law -- like I said, by jurisdiction. FL passed a rideshare law that does not specifically require trade dress, and for the most part prohibits cities and counties from regulating rideshare.

In states that don't have an overriding rideshare law, local jurisdictions can require trade dress if they so desire. That's one thing that the companies have not fought cities on.

 

[JimMIA]

Speaking of that, did i ever mention the Lyft driver who told me he was hoping it would help him meet women? Not me, i'm at least old enough to be his mother.

LOL, I wasn't talking about the DRIVERS!

I was talking about other RIDERS, who neither you nor the driver have any ability to keep from joining you. I said, "...some losers actually take Pool/Shared rides for the purpose of meeting people!"

 

[JimMIA]

... but seriously I can't fathom anyone that would jump in any old car that pulled up just because it has a logo on it.

Believe me, it happens hundreds of times every single day -- especially in crowded venues like airports, athletic events, concerts, etc.

Almost every time I take a rider to Miami International Airport, I see this happening. As I drive through the Departures areas on the upper level, I see someone standing at the curb, looking at their phone, wondering where their Uber or Lyft is. A driver, with or without trade dress, pulls up and asks them if they are waiting for Uber. Rider says yes. Driver asks where are you going? And then, if it's a decent ride, they ask how much Uber is charging. Rider: $30. Driver: I'll drive you there for $20 cash. Done deal.

I'll bet that happens at least 100 times a day at MIA alone. The MIA Landside Operations personnel who police this sort of thing do not patrol Departures much, and the bandit drivers know that.

I've also been flagged down in Departures immediately after a dropoff, and asked to give someone a ride. I tell them they have to first go downstairs to Arrivals, and then request a ride in the app and a driver from the nearby lot will come pick them up.

The problem is even worse at Hard Rock Stadium where UM and the Dolphins play football. I avoid Hard Rock like the plague, but I don't think anyone does legitimate rides from there!

 

[Clare Voince]

Oh, I checked the license plate and driver photo every time, but at the airport, there were so many regular people picking up friends and family, that seeing the logo would have helped me find him in the sea of other cars.

 

[pooh2001]

At the CR drop off - what about going inside side the CR - take the escalator up to the next floor and get onto the monorail to MK ?

 

[AngiTN]

At the CR drop off - what about going inside side the CR - take the escalator up to the next floor and get onto the monorail to MK ?

It's a really long way to MK.
Stops at TTC, then Poly, then GF, then MK.
But you can by all means.
Gonna take a while to get there.