Minnie Vans

[JARNJ3]

What are folks experiences - good, bad, ok?

Is this a tippable service? I know if I use regular Lyft - I would tip.

We always take a cab from BWV to the Contemporary on California Grill night - and I think I spend about $20 - with tip. Would spring for the extra $5 -- if I didn't have to tip on top of that.

Also - we will need one that can accommodate an ECV - I think some of the minnie vans do - correct?

Last year I used the regular Lyft service from BLT to BC (my quick way of getting to Epcot for dinner) - price was very reasonable - even with the tip

 

[Tksolomom]

It is now a tipped position. It wasn’t when it started, they had to decline them.

 

[goofynut41]

How do you go about renting one?

 

[richmo]

How do you go about renting one?

I haven't done it yet, so some will have better answers. I believe you need to have a Lyft registration and app on your phone. If you are located somewhere on property that has Minnie Van service, I believe it will show up as an option on the Lyft app.

 

[tseitel]

The Minnie Van will show up in the Lyft app once on property.
Not sure if they have changed anything, but when we were there in October we also needed a van that could accommodate an ECV.
What we had to do was request the van thru the app, then immediately call the driver & let them know. They would then call in the accessible van. I know Disney is always tweaking things, so this may have changed by now.

 

[Crazyhorse]

We used it twice in December. Yes, you can Uber cheaper but the Minnie's can go places that regular Uber can't...the closest entrances, etc. We tipped $3.00 on top of the $25.00. I realize percentage wise that's not very much....but both drivers seemed very thankful.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

We used Minnie Vans on both our August and December trips. The good - as time goes on, the fleet seems to be getting bigger, so the availability and speed of getting one seems to be increasing. That was our experience, anyway, from the August to December trips. The service was far from perfect (difficult to even find one sometimes, one driver couldn't find us even though we were in the designated EP pick-up lot, etc.), but I felt more comfortable using Disney's service than random uber and lyft drivers. All of the CM's who drove us seemed to have been working in Disney guest services for quite a long time, so they were quite personable and experienced CM's.

There are not as many accessible vans in the fleet, so I would give yourself plenty of time to get over to Cali Grill if you decide to go the Minnie Van route.

 

[coast2coastmickey]

We used a Minnie Van on our most recent trip while staying at Yacht Club. This was before it was a tipped position.

It was fine. We almost couldn't get one, as it seemed that the morning hours placed too much demand on the service, but one popped up just in time for us. We had an early breakfast reservation at Tusker House at Animal Kingdom, and we got there just in the nick of time. I'll never advocate for speeding, but our driver was almost overly cautious to the point where we were consistently 5 mph under the speed limits (weather was not a factor).

The main draw for us was that car seats were included, and the drop off location was right where the Disney buses drop off, so minimal walking to the entrance. We have a little baby and it was nice knowing that she was secure, rather than sitting on our lap or something.

We only used the Minnie Van that one time, but would definitely use it if we end up on-site again in the future (we usually stay off site).

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Love the service, especially with our littles.

Too costly to use all the time, but for select times where we don’t like messing with a bus or where time is of the essence, it’s a great option.

With one exception, have had excellent, and I mean really excellent CMs. Knowledgeable, helpful, friendly, really know their stuff about parks, times, etc.

Had more trouble this last trip (first week of April) finding availability than I had on prior trips. A lot of that was probably it being the week after Easter, some was also a few of those times I was looking for them while at AKL. May have just been bad luck/timing.

 

[goofynut41]

So you have to get the lyft app? and then call them?

 

[hedberg1661]

I really love the service however, the price bump is a bit much for me. Having said that, if I am staying out later somewhere and I want to send my mother back it is certainly worth the money for the peace of mind for both of us that a cast member is taking her back to the resort.

 

[goofynut41]

And the cost is 25?

 

[Denise W]

And the cost is 25?

Yes, $25 plus tip.
Denise

 

[brent02139]

We used in during our Dec 2017 trip, it was great to have as a backup. We still mostly used the bus from AKL but during those times when it's too crowded or we're just too tired to wait for the bus to come, it's a godsend.

You have to have lyft app, and request one through the app.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

So you have to get the lyft app? and then call them?

You need the Lyft app and to sign up for an account, which includes entering credit card info. You pay for Minnie Vans through the Lyft app, not through anything Disney related.

On your check-in day, when you open the MDX app it ‘should’ give you a pop-up screen about Minnie Vans and tell you to click a link to activate it (or something along those lines). If you do not get a pop-up window, check with your resort - they need to give you a code to make Minnie Vans appear in the Lyft app.

 

[AngiTN]

So you have to get the lyft app? and then call them?

You use the Lyft App to request one just like any other Lyft vehicle. You don't call at all.

We used it twice in December. Yes, you can Uber cheaper but the Minnie's can go places that regular Uber can't...the closest entrances, etc. We tipped $3.00 on top of the $25.00. I realize percentage wise that's not very much....but both drivers seemed very thankful.

Fortunately, and unfortunately, they are popular. Fortunate in that it means they are sticking around. Unfortunate it means it can be hard to get one.

Price wise, they are actually very competitive when you compare apples to apples. You must compare Minnie Van to Uber XL + Car Seat. Lyft actually does not have a comparable service at all, as they have no other service that offers even 1 car seat, much less 2. But if you need 1 car seat (and Minnie Vans will provide 2) Minnie Vans will typically run you about the same, and sometimes even less. I did some comparison pricing last weekend. While these routes are strange in a few instances, they are not far off, and they are for only 1 car seat, not 2. It will show you that for anyone needing a car seat, requesting a Minnie Van is not a luxury. Now, for those who don't need XL vehicles and for sure who don't need car seats, it's a luxury. You are requesting more vehicle than you need. But that's not Minnie Vans fault. Should Disney offer a level of service that doesn't always provide car seats as a way to reduce cost? Maybe that's a valid point. But if you compare evenly, they are actually, pretty spot on. As long as you aren't comparing them for the trip to MCO. That is ridiculously over priced.

 

[goofynut41]

I would like to use this to get from BC to Hoop-Dee-Doo...

 

[AngiTN]

I would like to use this to get from BC to Hoop-Dee-Doo...

It would be a great choice, as they can go right to Pioneer Hall

 

[Lisa75]

How is everyone adding the tip now that they can accept these? Use the tip feature on App or hand cash at the end of the ride? Maybe like $5? Would be interested in what others do especially AngiTN since your posts helped me a lot before the first trip we used them!

 

[AngiTN]

How is everyone adding the tip now that they can accept these? Use the tip feature on App or hand cash at the end of the ride? Maybe like $5? Would be interested in what others do especially AngiTN since your posts helped me a lot before the first trip we used them!

I tip right in the app as I rarely carry cash around (yeah, I know the advice it to carry some but I don't always have some)