MAJOR change coming to MCO -- Uber/Lyft pickups

[jdisnut]

The roadways are Reedy Creek's, but the resorts are private property, and probably the theme park lots as well. IMHO Disney would be within their rights to exclude Uber & Lyft from the resorts & park lots.

DS is a gray area to me. The surface lots may be Disney property. I think the new garages were built by Reedy Creek for tax advantages, but I don't know who technically has control of them.

My understanding, which is admittedly rudimentary, is that Disney has no legal way from stopping Uber and Lyft from dropping guests off on property. Whether the company can prevent pick-ups, the same way the airport has for years outlawed pickups, is another story, and I'm not entirely sure of the answer. The legal situation regarding Disney property is so convoluted and strange that it would take someone with a better legal mind than I to untangle it.

All that said, I'd be surprised if Disney ever tries to fully outlaw Uber and Lyft from property. I know it's the prevailing belief at this point, but I don't foresee it. Time will tell.

 

[JimMIA]

The roadways are Reedy Creek's, but the resorts are private property, and probably the theme park lots as well. IMHO Disney would be within their rights to exclude Uber & Lyft from the resorts & park lots.

DS is a gray area to me. The surface lots may be Disney property. I think the new garages were built by Reedy Creek for tax advantages, but I don't know who technically has control of them.

The rideshare companies already have access to pick up and drop off throughout WDW -- with the normal restrictions in certain places that other forms of transport have for safety and traffic flow reasons.

Could Disney exclude them? I assume they could to some degree, but I'm not sure. But as others have said, that could become a public relations nightmare -- and especially if they were excluding rideshares so Disney could sell another product!

And for what? To have Disney CMs drive people around for Uber rates ($.65 per mile)?

But the much bigger deal, especially for people staying offsite, will be the opening up of pickups at MCO. Currently, only Uber's highest platform in the Orlando market (Uber Select) is allowed to pick up at the airport. I don't think Lyft even offers Lyft Premium (the comparable level to Select) in the Orlando market.

But this new law will open up airport pickups for the full range of vehicles -- including UberX at 1/3 the price of taxis.

 

[phil1914]

In Las Vegas, the hotels are in cahoots with the cab companies so they're incentivized to promote taxis over Uber/Lyft. While they're not outright denying Uber/Lyft access to their properties, they do make it less convenient such as not allowing them use of the taxi drop off/pick up areas and/or designating far off, less accessible areas for them to pick up their riders. Some hotels have gone so far as changing the pick up/drop off points frequently. And of course, the bell hops are less than helpful.

I'm don't think Disney is in the same boat and don't think they have a reason to do this at WDW.

 

[seashoreCM]

Disney could prohibit "private" cars (which include Uber cars) from using "taxi stands."

Currently Disney restricts all "taxis" other than Mears taxis from coming into WDW for a pickup although there are no restrictions on dropoffs.

Currently non-Mears taxis have to pay the parking fee to pass through the toll plazas including to go to the resorts near Magic Kingdom.

I take it that Uber, etc. will do airport pick ups at the "car" areas as opposed to at the "bus" areas, "taxi" areas, "shuttle" areas, or "limo" areas.


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[JimMIA]

Disney could prohibit "private" cars (which include Uber cars) from using "taxi stands."

Yes. Setting up designated pickup locations is one of the exceptions still allowed to local government.

ANY private property (like a WDW resort, onsite or offsite) could always set up pickup sites and restrict them however they want.

Currently Disney restricts all "taxis" other than Mears taxis from coming into WDW for a pickup although there are no restrictions on dropoffs.

Currently non-Mears taxis have to pay the parking fee to pass through the toll plazas including to go to the resorts near Magic Kingdom.

Nothing in this new law applies to taxis.

In many respects, the taxi drivers would probably benefit from a similar statewide law that standardized their requirements and got some of the corruption out of that system.

I take it that Uber, etc. will do airport pick ups at the "car" areas as opposed to at the "bus" areas, "taxi" areas, "shuttle" areas, or "limo" areas.

I don't know the MCO restrictions, but possibly Rob or Joel can explain.

The big difference for Uber/Lyft is that ALL Uber/Lyft drivers will now be able to pick up at MCO.

Previously, only Uber Select drivers (the highest platform in the Orlando Uber market) could pick up at MCO. Many tourists used Uber Select because it provided nicer cars at a price that was still lower than taxis. Now, visitors will have the full range of rideshare choices, with MUCH lower rates than taxis.

The result will probably hurt Uber Select and taxi drivers, but will benefit arriving visitors.

 

[joelkfla]

I take it that Uber, etc. will do airport pick ups at the "car" areas as opposed to at the "bus" areas, "taxi" areas, "shuttle" areas, or "limo" areas.

Uber currently picks up in the "Express Pickup Tunnel" downstairs in the garage. That could change, but it's up to the airport. I don't know who all else picks up there; I've seen limos lined up waiting to get into its entrance.

The obstacles to picking up at the airport (and Port Canaveral) have been the requirements to have a livery license, a vehicle for hire permit issued by the airport (or port), and commercial insurance. The new law prohibits all of those requirements.

 

[wilkeliza]

Disney could prohibit "private" cars (which include Uber cars) from using "taxi stands."

Currently Disney restricts all "taxis" other than Mears taxis from coming into WDW for a pickup although there are no restrictions on dropoffs.

Currently non-Mears taxis have to pay the parking fee to pass through the toll plazas including to go to the resorts near Magic Kingdom.

I take it that Uber, etc. will do airport pick ups at the "car" areas as opposed to at the "bus" areas, "taxi" areas, "shuttle" areas, or "limo" areas.


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I've never had an issue with Disney restricting pick ups. We have had it no problem at the hotels and no problem at the parks. They usually just tell them they are picking someone up and get waved through to the pick up lot. At Epcot that is over by the buses, DHS and DAK it is the front of the parking lot, and then for MK it is at the TTC or Contemporary where ever you tell the driver to go.

 

[CdnKayDee]

Future prediction of a post on this forum.
I took Uber from MCO to SSR cost me $45 I thought great. Then after fireworks at MK one night I got Uber again I didnt want to crowd on the bus you know. Got to SSR and it was 80 bucks what the Goofy are you talking about I said. He blabbered something about surge pricing. You know there really should be a law about how much they can charge.

 

[JimMIA]

Future prediction of a post on this forum.
I took Uber from MCO to SSR cost me $45 I thought great.

That would be the Uber Select fare, about $15 or so less than a taxi.

However, after July 1, you'll be able to take Uber X for about $20, or XL for about $35.

Then after fireworks at MK one night I got Uber again I didnt want to crowd on the bus you know. Got to SSR and it was 80 bucks what the Goofy are you talking about I said. He blabbered something about surge pricing. You know there really should be a law about how much they can charge.

You are given the fare up front, before you order the ride. If it's too high, you don't have to take it.

Plus, that would be one HUGE surge (about 11.0x ) From MK to SSR is normally about $10, so you're talking about a surge like nobody in Orlando's ever seen.

I know you're just talking hypothetical, but let's be realistic. Realistically, people complain about 1.2x surges on New Year's Eve...

 

[gottalovepluto]

Disney security could just not allow Rideshare drivers to enter Resort grounds. Had that one happen to me 2 years ago! It was a fluke of a Disney security guard who didn't know any better but not allowing access to the resorts would be the easiest way to slow ride share services way down at WDW. I hope they don't do it, but if they do it sounds like it's a long way off.

SO excited Uber is coming to MCO in full!!!! This news has MADE MY DAY.

 

[JimMIA]

Disney security could just not allow Rideshare drivers to enter Resort grounds. Had that one happen to me 2 years ago! It was a fluke of a Disney security guard who didn't know any better but not allowing access to the resorts would be the easiest way to slow ride share services way down at WDW. I hope they don't do it, but if they do it sounds like it's a long way off.

SO excited Uber is coming to MCO in full!!!! This news has MADE MY DAY.

I agree that they could, but I really don't expect Disney to do that.

It's one thing to offer nice alternative services -- like DME -- to encourage people to stay onsite and remain onsite, so that all their money is spent onsite. It's something else again to refuse paying customers entry to their resort just because they're riding in someone else's car. I think Disney would lose more than they gained with that approach.

Other than DME, what would guests use? Rental cars are MUCH worse than Uber for Disney, because if they rent cars, they'll go to competing theme parks, shop offsite at the outlet malls, eat offsite, etc. Goodness, after a trip or two like that, they might even STAY offsite!

Are they going to require people to pay $60 to Mears taxi instead of a $20 Uber ride? There are two problems with that, in addition to Grumpy customers. Visitors have less money to spend, and none of that $60 goes to Disney. They're better off letting guests take Uber.

Certainly the airport part of the equation will be much more important for offsite guests. And onsite guests already have full access to Uber/Lyft.