Taxi Appreciation Day

[disnutt]

There have been a few taxi questions of the board recently and it made me think about how much I appreciate the taxis at WDW.

I was listening to a podcast about running and the person doing the podcast was complaining about trying to get around WDW during the Wine & Dine Half Marathon packet pick up. He railed on and on about wasting 4 hours using the Disney bus system because he didn't stay at one of the race host hotels that provided direct bus service to WWOS for packet pick up.

During the whole podcast I'm screaming in my head, "Just get a taxi!" He never once said, "I didn't want to spend the money to get a cab." or anything. He just complained about how difficult it was to get around using the bus system.

I've even visited WDW w/ experienced Disers who seem unaware of the availability of the taxi as a viable transportation option.

Why don't more people consider the taxis? Don't they see the cheerful yellow wall of them waiting outside their hotels or the parks? They seem to be everywhere.

I've used them mostly for resort to resort travel or for rush trips for my ADRs. I try to budget in enough for one 'emergency' taxi trip if I'm not renting a car for my trip. The most I've ever forked over was $20 including the tip.

Does anyone else appreciate taxis at WDW like I do?

 

[Lewisc]

Some people don't normally take taxis. They have no idea what it costs. Some people think the price is per passenger not per taxi. Others may be afraid of being "long hauled" or being caught in traffic. I have no idea what convoluted routing and traffic jams were present marathon day. I'd be concerned a taxi ride would either require a very long, indirect route, or would take a long time. $$$

I think more people would consider taxis if there was a flat rate system instead of a meter.

 

[seashoreCM]

Needed: A more guest friendly means of resolving complaints, perhaps administered by Disney, and withot the need to go before a municipal taxi regulation board long after the vacation has ended and the guest has gone home.

In that cheery yellow cab may be a sour surly disgruntled driver or a rogue ripoff artist.

 

[lylone]

When we went to Disney back in 2005 it was a flat $7 to go anywhere inside the world. This last trip in may 2011, it cost us $20 to go from BC to AKL for dinner. The prices seem to discourage folks from using them.

 

[sammielynn]

So you think it would not cost more than $20 to go anywhere in the world by taxi? There are one or two times I think that would be grand. Anyone ever pay more than $20 going from one Disney property to another?

 

[prncess674]

Many people have never taken taxis in their life. Suburbanites are very car centric and don't know the first thing about hailing a taxi. My sister is like that. I travel for work and mentioned I take taxis a few times a week. She was very perplexed and wondered if I was scared and couldn't imagine that I do it alone.

 

[sammielynn]

I live in a small town in East Tennessee, we have taxi's but they mainly carry booze not people....................

 

[lylone]

I am from Chicago (learned to whistle before I was 8) but live in the burbs of Atlanta. In the Atlanta burbs taxis carry boozed people, but in Disney World they carry people who want to get boozed!

 

[Alesia]

So you think it would not cost more than $20 to go anywhere in the world by taxi? There are one or two times I think that would be grand. Anyone ever pay more than $20 going from one Disney property to another?

MK to AK is about $25, plus tip.

 

[disnutt]

I live in a small town in East Tennessee, we have taxi's but they mainly carry booze not people....................

LOL! I'm originally from WV and that's what most taxis were for- liquor/cigarette pick up.

 

[disnutt]

Needed: A more guest friendly means of resolving complaints, perhaps administered by Disney, and withot the need to go before a municipal taxi regulation board long after the vacation has ended and the guest has gone home.

In that cheery yellow cab may be a sour surly disgruntled driver or a rogue ripoff artist.

Maybe I'm lucky but I have always had great drivers. Maybe a little heavy on the gas pedal but they've always been outgoing and cheerful. Most of them have been immigrants and I love to hear their stories in the few minutes we have together. Very inspiring.

 

[disnutt]

Many people have never taken taxis in their life. Suburbanites are very car centric and don't know the first thing about hailing a taxi. My sister is like that. I travel for work and mentioned I take taxis a few times a week. She was very perplexed and wondered if I was scared and couldn't imagine that I do it alone.

I'm originally a hillbilly from WV and there is nothing that makes me feel cooler or more grown-up than hailing a cab. It seemed sooooo sophisticated/exotic when I was a kid and saw it on TV or the movies.

One day I want to go to London and ride in their super cool cabs! I'd be willing to do it by myself if I had to!