Only Minnie Vans at Poly Tower

[HooperSnag]

We’re staying at the Poly Tower. Loving it! We planned on taking a rideshare to MCO after but see on the Disney app that only Minnie Vans pick up/drop off at the Tower. What’s up with that!? Total PITA to drag our luggage to the CH.
We do not want to pay the inflated prices for MV.
Any thoughts?

 

[Mikey15]

*Disclaimer: I don’t have firsthand experience with this.
I believe this is a consequence of the way Island Tower parking is set up. It’s not connected, at least currently, to the main porte-cochere or parking lot at the rest of the Polynesian. Instead, it has an unmanned gate that’s opened for registered guests via MagicBand / room key. Because it’s unmanned, there’s no way for a general Uber or Lyft driver to open the gate, the way a Minnie Van driver could.

It’s a bit unorthodox but maybe instead of walking to GCH, I suppose a guest could meet a rideshare driver just outside the gate, but I don’t want to suggest anything that could get you or them in hot water with security.

Alternatively, perhaps get a porter to bring your luggage from your room to GCH for a rideshare pickup there? At least that way you don’t have to personally lug it? I’m sure that service and any gratuity involved would be cheaper than the Minnie Van upcharge over Uber.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Have bell services bring your bags to GCH. You’ll need to plan more time of course but they’ll be used to this request. If you’re meeting your rideshare shortly after just tell them and they won’t put your bags into storage.

 

[HooperSnag]

We ended up wheeling our luggage to the CH but used the front paths accessed through the front of the building. Not too bad of a walk but, considering the DVC rooms at Pago Pago have rideshare access, it's not too much to ask for the new Tower.
Having said that, the Tower was lovely and well laid out, convenient, and thanks to excellent soundproofing, you could barely hear the very busy traffic on Floridian Way.

 

[Minniesgal]

Walk to the Grand Floridian it’s no distance at all and call a Lyft from there

 

[DebbieB]

I stayed in the tower last April, I wheeled my luggage to the main building. The reason is Uber/Lyft doesn’t have access to the gate at the Tower. I would call a bellman before paying $299 for a Minnie Van (each way). They will drop off at the Tower, I gave the driver my magic band to use at the gate,