Mears going into the rideshare business!

[JimMIA]

The highly-regarded, family-owned transportation company, Mears, has been sold to two investor groups -- and the main purpose for buying Mears was to enter the rideshare business as a competitor to Uber and Lyft.

They are going to start in Orlando and expand from there.

It will be very interesting to see where this goes.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-mears-transportation-buyout-20180402-story,amp.html

 

[Minnesota!]

Whoa. Wonder what that means for DME?

 

[JimMIA]

They say it means nothing for existing operations, although that remains to be seen. Mears has a very long and strong relationship with Disney, and I'm sure they would want to continue that. They will still be operating all of their current transportation businesses (taxis, buses, shuttles, limos, etc.).

 

[OKW Lover]

Whoa. Wonder what that means for DME?

Can't see any reason that would affect DME.

 

[Best Aunt]

Can't see any reason that would affect DME.

I think Mears runs DME.

 

[JimMIA]

I think Mears runs DME.

Right, but they've said they're not changing anything about their existing business. It's just a new line of business the new owners want to go into.

 

[SteveH]

All I can say is it's about time. They are way late to the game, same for the Taxi companies with their previous monopoly. It will be interesting to see how this plays out. The impact of Lyft/Uber are significant (and growing) so its survival time either change and be innovative or end like like Toys-R-Us.

 

[Best Aunt]

Right, but they've said they're not changing anything about their existing business. It's just a new line of business the new owners want to go into.

Yup. I was answering somebody else's question.

 

[JimMIA]

All I can say is it's about time. They are way late to the game, same for the Taxi companies with their previous monopoly. It will be interesting to see how this plays out. The impact of Lyft/Uber are significant (and growing) so its survival time either change and be innovative or end like like Toys-R-Us.

Well, I think the motivation for this was simply the Mears family wanting to cash out of their long-established transportation business.

The investors who purchased Mears are looking to get into the rideshare business, and saw Mears as an opportunity to do that. I assume they looked at Mears as a sound, established, profitable foundation to build from.

The problem is that rideshare is dependent on individual consumer decisions, rather than a taxi company "buying the door" at a resort or contracting with Disney to provide bus service. So Mears rideshare will have a local business, with zero out-of-town customers to start (and no established way to reach them prior to arrival in Orlando), competing with two fairly well-established rideshare companies with legions of existing customers, numerous ways to reach and encourage those customers to use them on vacation, and billions of dollars in the bank. Mears won't have any trouble recruiting existing Uber/Lyft drivers; their challenge will be obtaining customers.

 

[SteveH]

Well, I think the motivation for this was simply the Mears family wanting to cash out of their long-established transportation business.

I completely agree and can't blame them one bit. It will be interesting to see how things fare for them in the ride share arena. A natural would have been with Disney but Lyft got their foot in that door already.

 

[MillauFr]

Well, I think the motivation for this was simply the Mears family wanting to cash out of their long-established transportation business.

Good for them. They are cashing out while the business still has some value. The value of those taxi medallions in NYC are dropping fast and the traditional taxi companies will be out of business in a few years.

 

[JimMIA]

I completely agree and can't blame them one bit. It will be interesting to see how things fare for them in the ride share arena. A natural would have been with Disney but Lyft got their foot in that door already.

Yes, but nothing is forever, so Lyft's foot in the door could be temporary.

OTOH, the new ownership of Mears is NOT the same people who have the long-standing Disney relationship -- so it's hard to say what that relationship will be in the future as well.

The really natural fit here would be for Mears to "buy the door" at all Disney properties, run Minnie Van for Disney on their app (which they have yet to develop) like Lyft does, and have exclusive pickup rights everywhere on property for non-MV rides. I'm not at all sure that's doable, but that would be the quickest way for them to get established.

 

[SteveH]

The really natural fit here would be for Mears to "buy the door" at all Disney properties, run Minnie Van for Disney on their app (which they have yet to develop) like Lyft does, and have exclusive pickup rights everywhere on property for non-MV rides. I'm not at all sure that's doable, but that would be the quickest way for them to get established.

Agreed! Or in Disney's case, Greed! Look at the price they are charging for the MinieVans, there is a good profit margin for Disney for that and if Mears can sneak that away from Lyft they could do well. But as you noted it's not the same ownership so who knows. I will be interesting to look back in 2 years and 5 year and see how things change.

At least the owners of SuperShuttle didn't buy Mears.

 

[AngiTN]

I think Mears runs DME.

They do but by contract with Disney. The contract won't change anytime soon. If they are smart they'll want to keep it

Agreed! Or in Disney's case, Greed! Look at the price they are charging for the MinieVans, there is a good profit margin for Disney for that and if Mears can sneak that away from Lyft they could do well. But as you noted it's not the same ownership so who knows. I will be interesting to look back in 2 years and 5 year and see how things change.

At least the owners of SuperShuttle didn't buy Mears.

Yeah, look at it and compare apples to apples. Minnie Vans are not over priced. Not at all.
Price a XL with car seat sometime. On an avg route on property. Bet it comes darn close to $22 or so, on avg.
And XL + car seat is the only way to compare. If you don't NEED that then it's not a comparison, because you are sizing up by choice. For those that do need the XL + Car seat. Minnie Vans are indeed a fair price.

 

[SteveH]

Bet it comes darn close to $22 or so, on avg.

I'm not seeing prices anywhere close to $25. Ride guru show's XL's; Poly to Swan; $13.42 and Poly to Disney Springs; $17.29 even a Uber Select is only $22.38 to DS.

 

[joelkfla]

I'm not seeing prices anywhere close to $25. Ride guru show's XL's; Poly to Swan; $13.42 and Poly to Disney Springs; $17.29 even a Uber Select is only $22.38 to DS.

Did you request an XL with a car seat? That adds $8 to the cost, IIRC.

 

[AngiTN]

I'm not seeing prices anywhere close to $25. Ride guru show's XL's; Poly to Swan; $13.42 and Poly to Disney Springs; $17.29 even a Uber Select is only $22.38 to DS.

With a car seat? Got to specifically add the car seat
And I don't use Ride Guru. I use the actual app. Ride Guru isn't the one that figures my actual charges, the ap does. I've never used Ride Guru so I have no clue how accurate it is at all times. The app on the other hand, is.

4 different actual ride costs from just 5 min ago, on property.
They show both X and XL with car seat. Minnie Van is only equal to XL+ Car Seat. In some cases, Minnie Van would be cheaper

 

[AngiTN]

Couple interesting comparisons here too
Say you wanted to go to MK from Boardwalk.
With Uber you have to go to CR and walk or TTC and take monorail or ferry
Here's the two different prices for that. I entered MK TTC for the destination that reads Magic Kingdom
Minnie Van would take you to the MK Bus Stop, #11

 

[joelkfla]

Couple interesting comparisons here too
Say you wanted to go to MK from Boardwalk.
With Uber you have to go to CR and walk or TTC and take monorail or ferry
Here's the two different prices for that. I entered MK TTC for the destination that reads Magic Kingdom
Minnie Van would take you to the MK Bus Stop, #11

That MK fare is like totally bogus, dudette. You may have entered MK TTC, but the app is routing you around the back of MK and ending up backstage, it looks like behind Main Street West! I hope Uber isn't actually basing a preset fare on that, but who knows?

I've gotten the correct location by entering just Ticket and Transportation (or vice versa, I can't remember which), but it's not right that it should be so difficult to get Uber to the right destination. It's no wonder drivers are getting lost with the Uber app pulling dumb blunders like this one.

 

[AngiTN]

That MK fare is like totally bogus, dudette. You may have entered MK TTC, but the app is routing you around the back of MK and ending up backstage, it looks like behind Main Street West! I hope Uber isn't actually basing a preset fare on that, but who knows?

I've gotten the correct location by entering just Ticket and Transportation (or vice versa, I can't remember which), but it's not right that it should be so difficult to get Uber to the right destination. It's no wonder drivers are getting lost with the Uber app pulling dumb blunders like this one.

That may be but I have no control over the route. All I can do is enter the destination. I didn't give it the route, that is the route it provided all by itself. I'd take it up with Uber, not me. I sure didn't make up the fare

And yeah, had I taken that ride that is the fare I would have been charged

And it's not that far off. They all are not that far off