Taking a Car Service (Lyft, Uber, etc)

[GoingtoDisBig]

Does anyone regularly use something like Lyft or Uber to get to the parks from their hotel? We're considering using it instead of the bus from AKL but I was just wondering if there are any "gotchas" that I should be aware of. It seems easy enough to use at Disney, but let me know your experiences!

 

[DisneyRobin]

We always use Uber to get around and it’s wonderful! We hate the busses and Uber is always fast and very inexpensive. Before Uber existed, we would use taxis to get around. They are always waiting outside of the resorts and at the parks. Uber is less expensive and is automatically charged to our acct making it super easy so we use Uber. We’ve tried the Minnie vans and they were cute but took longer than Uber or a taxi to arrive for pickup.

 

[Carol_]

I use personal cars but I’ve taken the MinnieVan via Lyft before on Disney property and it was easy and worth its weight in gold. We were deep in fort wilderness and had to take 2 busses to get back to art of animation. I was at my limit with an abundance of extra equipment and less than fully mobile family. I collapsed and begged for mercy at one of the trading posts. MinnieVan showed up and took us door to door (to door) helping me pick up my bag from one family room and drive it to the other side of the resort to our room. (2 of the 3 stops were only reachable by MinnieVans and not reachable by regular Lyft or Uber) God bless that CM driving, and his patience with a very cranky me.

 

[GoingtoDisBig]

I use personal cars but I’ve taken the MinnieVan via Lyft before on Disney property and it was easy and worth its weight in gold. We were deep in fort wilderness and had to take 2 busses to get back to art of animation. I was at my limit with an abundance of extra equipment and less than fully mobile family. I collapsed and begged for mercy at one of the trading posts. MinnieVan showed up and took us door to door (to door) helping me pick up my bag from one family room and drive it to the other side of the resort to our room. God bless that CM driving, and his patience with a very cranky me.

The distance of AKL is one of the reasons I'm considering it too. Is there a designated pick up/drop off at the parks?

 

[GoingtoDisBig]

We always use Uber to get around and it’s wonderful! We hate the busses and Uber is always fast and very inexpensive. Before Uber existed, we would use taxis to get around. They are always waiting outside of the resorts and at the parks. Uber is less expensive and is automatically charged to our acct making it super easy so we use Uber. We’ve tried the Minnie vans and they were cute but took longer than Uber or a taxi to arrive for pickup.

Very good to know about the timing! I thought the Minnie Vans would be faster, so I'm surprised to hear the opposite.

 

[Best Aunt]

I used Lyft and Minnie van exclusively my last trip. It was very hot and humid and I just did not want to deal with buses.

To get to MK: Minnie Van has a bus slot. Regular lyft or uber takes you to ttc. Alternative is uber or lyft to contemporary and walk from there.

Dhs had a well marked pick up and drop off spot.

AK had a spot which felt like it was in the middle of the parking lot. I ended up taking bus to AKL Jambo, getting a cupcake at the Mara and getting Lyft from there.

Stayed at BCV so walked to epcot.

Have both uber and lyft on your phone and check each time to see which is cheaper. Lyft often gives me discounts but uber has more safety factors in the app.

Minnie van takes a lot longer to arrive. A few times I had to wait 15 minutes. It has two car seats if you need those.

Great uber lyft thread on here but i can’t do link. It is called Everything You Want To Know About Uber and Lyft at WDW.

 

[Pucks104]

We used Minnie Vans several times during our stay with waits between 3-15 minutes. At the end of the after hours events though it was still prior to the cut off time we couldn’t get one. One time we took a regular Lyft which was fine. I prefer the Minnie Vans as the drivers were more personable and knowledgeable about the parks.

 

[GoingtoDisBig]

I used Lyft and Minnie van exclusively my last trip. It was very hot and humid and I just did not want to deal with buses.

To get to MK: Minnie Van has a bus slot. Regular lyft or uber takes you to ttc. Alternative is uber or lyft to contemporary and walk from there.

Dhs had a well marked pick up and drop off spot.

AK had a spot which felt like it was in the middle of the parking lot. I ended up taking bus to AKL Jambo, getting a cupcake at the Mara and getting Lyft from there.

Stayed at BCV so walked to epcot.

Have both uber and lyft on your phone and check each time to see which is cheaper. Lyft often gives me discounts but uber has more safety factors in the app.

Minnie van takes a lot longer to arrive. A few times I had to wait 15 minutes. It has two car seats if you need those.

Great uber lyft thread on here but i can’t do link. It is called Everything You Want To Know About Uber and Lyft at WDW.

I will look for it - thanks so much for all the information!

 

[JimMIA]

Here's the link: https://www.disboards.com/threads/everthing-you-wanted-to-know-about-uber-lyft-at-wdw.3443634/

 

[Best Aunt]

Here's the link: https://www.disboards.com/threads/everthing-you-wanted-to-know-about-uber-lyft-at-wdw.3443634/

Thanks for posting it!

 

[JimMIA]

One thing about MinnieVan -- they have greatly increased their fares since they started. There are no more $20 or $25 flat rate fares -- MinnieVan is now $15 base + $2.75 per mile, so it can get expensive.

You can get Uber and Lyft fare estimates from RideGuru, and you will see your actual fare on the apps prior to actually requesting a ride. On RideGury, you will note that they have tabs for cars and SUVs now. Regular Lyft and UberX or Uber Comfort are for 4 or fewer riders with no luggage. XL is for up to 6 riders, and some of the larger SUVs can carry 7.

 

[JimMIA]

To get to MK: Minnie Van has a bus slot. Regular lyft or uber takes you to ttc. Alternative is uber or lyft to contemporary and walk from there.


Have both uber and lyft on your phone and check each time to see which is cheaper. Lyft often gives me discounts but uber has more safety factors in the app.

^^^^^These are two KEY suggestions to keep in mind.

The other one I would add is to always be ready to get in the car before you order the ride. If you order your ride early, the result might be a cancellation fee because the driver arrives and you are not there or are not ready.

 

[GoingtoDisBig]

^^^^^These are two KEY suggestions to keep in mind.

The other one I would add is to always be ready to get in the car before you order the ride. If you order your ride early, the result might be a cancellation fee because the driver arrives and you are not there or are not ready.

Thank you for the tips! I think we're going to go for uber versus the Minnie Vans this time because of the time and cost. I really like the idea of walking from the Contemporary too!

It looks like the drive is about 20 minutes from AKL to MK. Does anyone know if that's realistic when taking a ride share service? I'm sure it's not with busses.

 

[JimMIA]

It looks like the drive is about 20 minutes from AKL to MK. Does anyone know if that's realistic when taking a ride share service? I'm sure it's not with busses.

That looks about right, but obviously it will vary some depending on traffic.

 

[seashoreCM]

On the subject of "gotchas":

If your phone battery dies you could mess up a Uber or Lyft ride possibly resulting in a cancellation fee.

"Get In The Right Car!"

Match up the license plate and description of the car with that given by Uber/Lift/(also town cars) on the phone. before getting in. Feel free to walk around to see it.

Do not give out your name if asked. Instead ask the driver to say your name first, like, answer his question with a question, like, "Whom are you picking up?".

 

[easyas123]

Just wanted to chime in - we've used Uber a LOT during our past 2 or 3 trips. This last May we used them to and from the airport, between resorts, from resorts to parks, and from parks to resort...it's a fabulous way to get around and cost effective (for us, in our opinion) in terms of time saving and quickness.
Honestly, it's spoiled us. I'm not sure if we can go back to waiting for buses regularly!!

 

[chilly2336]

We will be flying out of Sanford and flight leaves at 9:00 PM. If we use Uber/Lyft to the airport what time should we plan to leave?

 

[GoingtoDisBig]

Just wanted to chime in - we've used Uber a LOT during our past 2 or 3 trips. This last May we used them to and from the airport, between resorts, from resorts to parks, and from parks to resort...it's a fabulous way to get around and cost effective (for us, in our opinion) in terms of time saving and quickness.
Honestly, it's spoiled us. I'm not sure if we can go back to waiting for buses regularly!!

Do you mind me asking what resort you've used it from?

 

[easyas123]

Do you mind me asking what resort you've used it from?

Nope, not at all.
During our last trip we used Uber from MCO to Cabana Bay
Uber from Cabana Bay to Contemporary
We had a split stay, so after 2 nights at Contemporary, we moved to Saratoga Springs.
Used it frequently during our stay at WDW to and from different parks and Contemporary & Saratoga, as well as taking it back to MCO.

On other trips we've taken it to/from Beach Club, Boardwalk and POR.

 

[JimMIA]

Do not give out your name if asked. Instead ask the driver to say your name first, like, answer his question with a question, like, "Whom are you picking up?".

I wouldn't be real adamant about this point, because there is some controversy over which is better.

The problem for drivers is that if I pull up and ask, "Are you Julie?" nine times out of ten BOB will say yes! Riders often are not really paying attention, can't hear well because of ambient noise (especially in a busy place like an airport), and they will just agree to anything. Also, some riders will ask for their name to be repeated, get the wrong name, and then jump in the car because they either misunderstood or weren't paying attention.

On social media, most experienced drivers tell newbies to ask the rider for their name, and also confirm their destinations because there are a lot of common names. OTOH, Uber tells riders to ask the driver who they are picking up. So there is confusion.

When I ride, I look for two things: the car description including tag number, and the picture of the driver's face. If the face behind the wheel doesn't match the picture on your app, there is something very wrong and you should NOT get in that car.