I would like to use Lyft WAV vehicles during my next stay- Minnie vans upcharge is too high for regular use so curious if anyone has tried to use regular Lyft WAV? Was it reliable enough? Did it cost less than a Minnie Van? Any information is appreciated.
WAV Lyft at WDW
- Thread starter Artuitus
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Which may be why it isn’t offered — demand could far outpace availability, leaving folks stranded or with very long waits
mamabunny
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We budget for Minnie Vans now; we know that at least once per day, we are going to look at bus stop, and one of us will "Let's get a Minnie Van" and no one ever disagrees.
While I agree that the Minnie Van prices are high, I view it that you are getting a custom, personalized trip across Disney property *with* a knowledgeable CM behind the wheel. We chat with every one of our drivers, and have learned so many things over the years. Some Disney-related, some just interesting facts about Orlando and living in that area.
The Minnie Vans are (at least in our experience) very clean, and very comfortable. You can have a Disney Playlist on the sound system, something else, or nothing at all if what you need is peace and quiet. And, most importantly, everyone gets a seat - no one is left standing, hanging on to a strap, squished by sweaty strangers. My power chair is strapped down securely, and I have a seat belt, and the option to transfer to a seat if I wish. If it's hot outside, the AC is icy cold, and on cool/cold nights, the heater is toasty.
Plus, the Minnie Vans are, hands-down, faster than the bus - not only in arriving (especially if we are looking at waiting for the next, or possibly 3rd from now bus) but also in just moving across the property. Our bus left the same time we did to go from MK to Animal Kingdom Lodge, and we arrived at least 10 minutes earlier. We were already down at The Mara, eating our mobile order snack, when folks we saw board that bus stumbled in to get their food.
And, at the Resorts, getting dropped off at the front, or under the porte-cochère is just *lovely*. When it's raining, when it's so hot your brain has melted into a puddle, when you are so tired you can't wiggle... getting dropped off right up front is just wonderful.
So yep, we really enjoy using the Minnie Vans, and we plan for them, and make sure we budget for them. For our family there *is* value there; how much emphasis you and/or your travel party put on those same things may not be the same, and that's OK.
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Yes but only for guests book Club Level.
I will be making use of them a couple of times for sure. But being there for 13 nights and being 'lazy vacationers'-meaning we take midday breaks everyday- the cost could add up very quickly. SO was hoping to have another option but WAV isn't in Orlando for UBER or Lyft. Still we'll figure it out-hopefully next year sometime I get my hip operated on and recover to the point of not needing an ECV but for now it is what it is.
mamabunny
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I get it - honestly, I have been waiting for a long time to see Uber or Lyft bring in accessible - or at least "friendly" vehicles - as a ride share or taxi-style transport service. The reality of running a ride-share vehicle strictly for mobility devices is that loading and unloading can take (in some cases) as much time as the trip itself, and driver gets paid only when the vehicle is in motion, just like a taxi driver. So there is little incentive for "outside" vendors to run a service for mobility devices; most drivers will not want to run for the same rate per mile, but have to help load/unload mobility devices at the start and completion of every trip. Not to mention the additional wear and tear on their vehicle from loading/unloading devices. Even if they only take ECVs that break down into mangeable sections, it is still a losing proposition from the viewpoint of the drivers.
Over the years, many of us here have watched as the idea of buses just for mobility devices has been floated again and again, always from the Guest POV. You can probably imagine how impractical that would be; if you took all the seats out of the lower level, you could maybe (maybe) tie down 5 devices at most - and at least one of those would have to be a standard manual chair to fit 5. (Honestly, not sure you could get 5 - that's just a back of the envelope kind of math LOL) Additional bipedal family members would have to sit up in the back of the bus, or stand holding the straps & rails next to their loved one's device. Running buses just for 5 devices at a time just doesn't make sense; putting aside the financial considerations, running just under 30 buses (so, allocate at least 1 bus for each Resort Hotel including the Campgrounds) is a *lot* - but then you have to multiply those 30 buses by *6* - 1 bus for each of the 4 theme parks, plus 1 to cover the 2 water parks, plus 1 for Disney Springs - for each Resort hotel including the Campgrounds. That requires a fleet of 180 buses, just to offer on-demand service that compares to the "regular" bus system, for mobility device users and their families. Last I heard, the active Disney bus fleet is about 200 buses on any given day..
Yes, that is a case of argumentum ad absurdum, but I think we can all agree that even having a fleet of 25 buses dedicated solely to moving mobility devices around the property wouldn't be as efficient, swift, or useful as we would want it to be.
So, we have the Minnie Vans. And remarkably, those of us who use the Minnie Vans that are accessible pay the same rate as a non-accessible or "regular" Minnie Van. We hail those special vans using the exact same software as a "regular" van, and generally speaking, we wait about the same amount of time for one to arrive as a "regular" van. It's expensive, but we are all paying the same rate, and we are all being treated the same. When you think about it, that part is pretty cool.
There are folks who want the Skyliner to stretch to every corner of the property; I personally do not care for the Skyliner; I would love to see the Monorail extended, and ultimately even a transportation hub - not unlike what Uncle Walt originally envisioned for WDW - that would allow you to go to one place to transfer to any other. The hub-and-spoke system writ Mickey-style, as it were. Absent the Skyliner *or* the Monorail (or The Walt Disney Memorial Transport Hub) I would love canals or "river" systems that would offer a second mode of transport for many of the destinations around the property. Like the Skyliner and the Monorail, the boats are easy and fairly fast to load mobility devices, and like buses, you can run one to a destination right after another at peak times, as soon as the first has emptied and reloaded and moved away.
Anyway - I'm glad that we have had this conversation, if only because it has helped *me* remember that the logistics of moving an increasing number of mobility device users around the WDW property is a real problem for the company, as well as those of us who use the devices. And while I think that the new buses may not be quite the solution that everyone hoped they would be, I give Disney credit for trying to utilize state-of-the-art safety restraints for our devices.
(and I apologize for the length of this post... Apparently I am more passionate about this topic than I thought I was!
)
100% agree and understand the logistics of it. No way they could have enough ecv only busses for sure. I wouldn't mind paying a little higher rate for a WAV vehicle however I wonder if Lyft worries about running afoul of ADA if they upcharged for that? The rates I was seeing for Minnie vans is just a bit too high to be practical for day to day use so I'll pick and choose when to use it.I get it - honestly, I have been waiting for a long time to see Uber or Lyft bring in accessible - or at least "friendly" vehicles - as a ride share or taxi-style transport service. The reality of running a ride-share vehicle strictly for mobility devices is that loading and unloading can take (in some cases) as much time as the trip itself, and driver gets paid only when the vehicle is in motion, just like a taxi driver. So there is little incentive for "outside" vendors to run a service for mobility devices; most drivers will not want to run for the same rate per mile, but have to help load/unload mobility devices at the start and completion of every trip. Not to mention the additional wear and tear on their vehicle from loading/unloading devices. Even if they only take ECVs that break down into mangeable sections, it is still a losing proposition from the viewpoint of the drivers.
Over the years, many of us here have watched as the idea of buses just for mobility devices has been floated again and again, always from the Guest POV. You can probably imagine how impractical that would be; if you took all the seats out of the lower level, you could maybe (maybe) tie down 5 devices at most - and at least one of those would have to be a standard manual chair to fit 5. (Honestly, not sure you could get 5 - that's just a back of the envelope kind of math LOL) Additional bipedal family members would have to sit up in the back of the bus, or stand holding the straps & rails next to their loved one's device. Running buses just for 5 devices at a time just doesn't make sense; putting aside the financial considerations, running just under 30 buses (so, allocate at least 1 bus for each Resort Hotel including the Campgrounds) is a *lot* - but then you have to multiply those 30 buses by *6* - 1 bus for each of the 4 theme parks, plus 1 to cover the 2 water parks, plus 1 for Disney Springs - for each Resort hotel including the Campgrounds. That requires a fleet of 180 buses, just to offer on-demand service that compares to the "regular" bus system, for mobility device users and their families. Last I heard, the active Disney bus fleet is about 200 buses on any given day..
Yes, that is a case of argumentum ad absurdum, but I think we can all agree that even having a fleet of 25 buses dedicated solely to moving mobility devices around the property wouldn't be as efficient, swift, or useful as we would want it to be.
So, we have the Minnie Vans. And remarkably, those of us who use the Minnie Vans that are accessible pay the same rate as a non-accessible or "regular" Minnie Van. We hail those special vans using the exact same software as a "regular" van, and generally speaking, we wait about the same amount of time for one to arrive as a "regular" van. It's expensive, but we are all paying the same rate, and we are all being treated the same. When you think about it, that part is pretty cool.
There are folks who want the Skyliner to stretch to every corner of the property; I personally do not care for the Skyliner; I would love to see the Monorail extended, and ultimately even a transportation hub - not unlike what Uncle Walt originally envisioned for WDW - that would allow you to go to one place to transfer to any other. The hub-and-spoke system writ Mickey-style, as it were. Absent the Skyliner *or* the Monorail (or The Walt Disney Memorial Transport Hub) I would love canals or "river" systems that would offer a second mode of transport for many of the destinations around the property. Like the Skyliner and the Monorail, the boats are easy and fairly fast to load mobility devices, and like buses, you can run one to a destination right after another at peak times, as soon as the first has emptied and reloaded and moved away.
Anyway - I'm glad that we have had this conversation, if only because it has helped *me* remember that the logistics of moving an increasing number of mobility device users around the WDW property is a real problem for the company, as well as those of us who use the devices. And while I think that the new buses may not be quite the solution that everyone hoped they would be, I give Disney credit for trying to utilize state-of-the-art safety restraints for our devices.
(and I apologize for the length of this post... Apparently I am more passionate about this topic than I thought I was!
I'll look into this as well thank you for the information.
There was a point in time where if you had 3 or more mobility devices in your group, they could call a special vehicle for your group if you were having issues with getting a bus.I get it - honestly, I have been waiting for a long time to see Uber or Lyft bring in accessible - or at least "friendly" vehicles - as a ride share or taxi-style transport service. The reality of running a ride-share vehicle strictly for mobility devices is that loading and unloading can take (in some cases) as much time as the trip itself, and driver gets paid only when the vehicle is in motion, just like a taxi driver. So there is little incentive for "outside" vendors to run a service for mobility devices; most drivers will not want to run for the same rate per mile, but have to help load/unload mobility devices at the start and completion of every trip. Not to mention the additional wear and tear on their vehicle from loading/unloading devices. Even if they only take ECVs that break down into mangeable sections, it is still a losing proposition from the viewpoint of the drivers.
Over the years, many of us here have watched as the idea of buses just for mobility devices has been floated again and again, always from the Guest POV. You can probably imagine how impractical that would be; if you took all the seats out of the lower level, you could maybe (maybe) tie down 5 devices at most - and at least one of those would have to be a standard manual chair to fit 5. (Honestly, not sure you could get 5 - that's just a back of the envelope kind of math LOL) Additional bipedal family members would have to sit up in the back of the bus, or stand holding the straps & rails next to their loved one's device. Running buses just for 5 devices at a time just doesn't make sense; putting aside the financial considerations, running just under 30 buses (so, allocate at least 1 bus for each Resort Hotel including the Campgrounds) is a *lot* - but then you have to multiply those 30 buses by *6* - 1 bus for each of the 4 theme parks, plus 1 to cover the 2 water parks, plus 1 for Disney Springs - for each Resort hotel including the Campgrounds. That requires a fleet of 180 buses, just to offer on-demand service that compares to the "regular" bus system, for mobility device users and their families. Last I heard, the active Disney bus fleet is about 200 buses on any given day..
Yes, that is a case of argumentum ad absurdum, but I think we can all agree that even having a fleet of 25 buses dedicated solely to moving mobility devices around the property wouldn't be as efficient, swift, or useful as we would want it to be.
So, we have the Minnie Vans. And remarkably, those of us who use the Minnie Vans that are accessible pay the same rate as a non-accessible or "regular" Minnie Van. We hail those special vans using the exact same software as a "regular" van, and generally speaking, we wait about the same amount of time for one to arrive as a "regular" van. It's expensive, but we are all paying the same rate, and we are all being treated the same. When you think about it, that part is pretty cool.
There are folks who want the Skyliner to stretch to every corner of the property; I personally do not care for the Skyliner; I would love to see the Monorail extended, and ultimately even a transportation hub - not unlike what Uncle Walt originally envisioned for WDW - that would allow you to go to one place to transfer to any other. The hub-and-spoke system writ Mickey-style, as it were. Absent the Skyliner *or* the Monorail (or The Walt Disney Memorial Transport Hub) I would love canals or "river" systems that would offer a second mode of transport for many of the destinations around the property. Like the Skyliner and the Monorail, the boats are easy and fairly fast to load mobility devices, and like buses, you can run one to a destination right after another at peak times, as soon as the first has emptied and reloaded and moved away.
Anyway - I'm glad that we have had this conversation, if only because it has helped *me* remember that the logistics of moving an increasing number of mobility device users around the WDW property is a real problem for the company, as well as those of us who use the devices. And while I think that the new buses may not be quite the solution that everyone hoped they would be, I give Disney credit for trying to utilize state-of-the-art safety restraints for our devices.
(and I apologize for the length of this post... Apparently I am more passionate about this topic than I thought I was!
As for me, I don’t want a monorail system, I would like something like this Personal Rapid Transit system discussed here, the article mostly talks about the issues with this becoming mainstream, but if there was ever a good use case for this type of sytem, this would be it. They can arrive continuously just like the skyliner, I am sure they could be made larger to accommodate mobility devices as well and can go straight to the destination without stopping, no traffic lights, no other vehicles getting in the way, no traffic at all, just works overall. And most importantly for Florida could have air conditioning in them.
Maybe flying cars will fix all our problems-in a couple hundred years time give or take
mamabunny
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That's an interesting article - I have seen some of those types of systems before; to me it's kind of like the People Mover and a Monorail car had an adorable baby. And the fact that it could be put up fairly easily (save for WDW, which as we all know is still a swamp, just with a really pretty top layer
) should be in it's favor. I do remember seeing people say that when they had 3 devices that a special vehicle was called, but it's a been a while since anyone has mentioned that here - maybe before the pandemic? It seems like nowadays, you just have to be ready to split up the group.
Prior to the new buses at least they would call a special vehicle if you had to wait more than two or three buses to get your party on or if there were a large number of mobility devices waiting already. DH and I have also seen times where the front desk calls an accessible Minnie Van and waives the charge for it. DH saw one person that was so upset on the first day of her trip by how poorly she was treated trying to get on the bus with her mobility device at OKW that they ended up just telling her to use only the accessible Minnie Vans and all charges would be waived, they even gave her credit to offset tipping the drivers. It was really bad apparently how she was treated, but that was before the pandemic.
disney-inspired
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I'm still trying to figure out how i'll get from USO to WDW with my ECV. I may just pay the higher cost and book two separate reservations so I don't have to deal with that.
mamabunny
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Mears has Accessible Taxis; as others have indicated here, it’s best not to try and book that in advance, but just call when you are ready. I have no experience with Mears in Orlando; just passing along information.
Mears calls it a wheelchair van. Scooter goes up a ramp. You can transfet or stay in the ecv.
You can call, request in the app or request on the web. Allow 20 minutes, generally less.
Price is reasonable.
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