What's the latest on Minnie Van service?

[fiasco32]

Last time we visited was January of 2018 and Minnie Vans had only been rolled out to deluxe resorts. We stayed at WL and used the MVs maybe a total of 4 times.

A couple of times (once at the end of a long night at MK) I tried to hail a MV with no luck...none available.

Other than that, I loved the experience. Planning a possible trip for September and thinking about flying but not renting a car. But I don't want to rely on the bus system.

So has the service improved? More vans at more locations?

 

[bigbabyblues]

I am pretty sure they are available at more locations, but the price has gone up.

 

[JimMIA]

Yes, more vans at more locations. You can now get MinnieVans from any Disney resort. However the price has also changed enormously. Previously $20 and then $25 flat-rate, MVs are now $15 + $2.75 per mile (I think; someone please correct if wrong). So a few rides are less expensive, but most rides are more and can be in the $40-$50 range.

Other than the buses, you also have the options of Uber, Lyft, or taxi and all of those will be readily available.

 

[KrazeeK120]

We had a good experience in October. We took Minnie Van from Poly to Epcot for EMH. It was $26.45 (+ tip). I was pleasantly surprised at the cost.

 

[JimMIA]

We had a good experience in October. We took Minnie Van from Poly to Epcot for EMH. It was $26.45 (+ tip). I was pleasantly surprised at the cost.

I have not done the actual math, but for rides less than about 3 1/2 miles the new MV fare schedule should be a little less than the prior $25 flat fare. A little longer ride will be a little more (your ride was a little over 4 miles). Longer rides can be quite a bit more.

For comparison, the comparable vehicle would be Uber or Lyft XL. Poly to Epcot via XL should be about $13. An XL will not have child seats (some Uber XLs do, but the fare is $8 more, I believe), and you will miss the cute factor. But it will probably be a bit nicer car than the MV.

 

[msb578]

Anywhere and everywhere at WDW, defined broadly to include the DS Hotels, Bonnet Creek, Flamingo Crossings, and the Four Seasons.

 

[KrazeeK120]

I have not done the actual math, but for rides less than about 3 1/2 miles the new MV fare schedule should be a little less than the prior $25 flat fare. A little longer ride will be a little more (your ride was a little over 4 miles). Longer rides can be quite a bit more.

For comparison, the comparable vehicle would be Uber or Lyft XL. Poly to Epcot via XL should be about $13. An XL will not have child seats (some Uber XLs do, but the fare is $8 more, I believe), and you will miss the cute factor. But it will probably be a bit nicer car than the MV.

The biggest factor for us was the need for a car seat. I felt comfortable that the CM would install it properly. I didn’t have the same confidence in a random Uber driver.

 

[fiasco32]

Anywhere and everywhere at WDW, defined broadly to include the DS Hotels, Bonnet Creek, Flamingo Crossings, and the Four Seasons.

But are they running more frequently? Have they expanded the fleet to account for all the resorts? I'm just curious as to if the experience of trying to hail a MV has improved since we were there last.

 

[JimMIA]

The biggest factor for us was the need for a car seat. I felt comfortable that the CM would install it properly. I didn’t have the same confidence in a random Uber driver.

The big advantage to parents of young kids is that ALL MinnieVans have 2 car seats.

Some Ubers carry one, but no more than one. If you order an Uber with a child seat, you are not getting "...a random Uber driver." Uber Car Seat vehicles are a separate classification of ride, and I'm sure the drivers know how to properly install a child seat. I can't imagine a driver volunteering for the child seat classification, purchasing the child seat...and then not knowing how to use it.

We were in NYC last week, and I noticed that Uber has child seat vehicles there too. I don't know of any other cities where they have them.

Lyft has no vehicles with child seats.

But are they running more frequently? Have they expanded the fleet to account for all the resorts? I'm just curious as to if the experience of trying to hail a MV has improved since we were there last.

Yes, they have greatly expanded the fleet from their original size.

 

[Twilight Sparkle]

We used the Minnie Vans several times last month, and we never had to wait long for a car. Most waits for a car were under 5 minutes. Our longest was 8. All of our rides were over $25. We used the service for rides to/from SSR for HS, AK, and MK. We loved the ease of the MV service, but it is expensive. We will probably try uber or regular lyft next time we are without a car.

 

[KrazeeK120]

The big advantage to parents of young kids is that ALL MinnieVans have 2 car seats.

Some Ubers carry one, but no more than one. If you order an Uber with a child seat, you are not getting "...a random Uber driver." Uber Car Seat vehicles are a separate classification of ride, and I'm sure the drivers know how to properly install a child seat. I can't imagine a driver volunteering for the child seat classification, purchasing the child seat...and then not knowing how to use it.

We were in NYC last week, and I noticed that Uber has child seat vehicles there too. I don't know of any other cities where they have them.

Lyft has no vehicles with child seats.

There are a lot of people, in general (many parents included) who unknowingly have their car seat installed incorrectly. From what I understand, Minnie Van drivers go through training to ensure that they know how to correctly install the car seats. I could be wrong, but I don’t think Uber requires drivers to go through any kind of car seat training.

To me, any rideshare is a “random” person, as opposed to a Disney employee. If it were just me (or me and my husband) in the car, I wouldn’t be concerned. But knowing that my son is safe in his car seat is of huge importance to me. We only have 1 child, so technically we could use Uber, but my comfort level is so much higher with the Minnie Van.

We had a wonderful experience and I’d certainly use it again.

 

[JimMIA]

There are a lot of people, in general (many parents included) who unknowingly have their car seat installed incorrectly. From what I understand, Minnie Van drivers go through training to ensure that they know how to correctly install the car seats. I could be wrong, but I don’t think Uber requires drivers to go through any kind of car seat training.

You are right about MV driver training. I don't know whether Uber provides any training or not, but my guess is not.

To me, any rideshare is a “random” person, as opposed to a Disney employee. If it were just me (or me and my husband) in the car, I wouldn’t be concerned. But knowing that my son is safe in his car seat is of huge importance to me. We only have 1 child, so technically we could use Uber, but my comfort level is so much higher with the Minnie Van.

Regardless of who you use, THE most important aspect of any ride is safety. If you feel safer with MV, the price differential is inconsequential. Especially with something like a child seat, I would never suggest anyone take any ride unless they were completely comfortable.

 

[disneygirl1972]

Will a Minnie van pick-up at outer buildings of resorts (Port Orleans Riverside), or only from the main lobby building?

 

[Twilight Sparkle]

Will a Minnie van pick-up at outer buildings of resorts (Port Orleans Riverside), or only from the main lobby building?

When we stayed at Saratoga last month, the Minnie van drivers picked us up and dropped us off at our building.

 

[Jennygt]

Where do the mini vans drop off at dhs? I have been reading about a long walk from buses/parking. My mom cant handle that so if the drop off is closer ,for us it would justify the price.

 

[Jimmy Mouse]

We used Minnie Van service a lot over Christmas week last month. We never waited more than 15 minutes. Most of the time it was less than 10.

 

[jdisnut]

The price of a Minnie Van is so ridiculously high that we literally burst out laughing when we open the Lyft app to consider calling one on our last trip. We were at the Swan and were debating grabbing a ride to Disney Springs instead of waiting for the bus. A typical Lyft would've cost about $7. A Minnie Van? Try $40. It was -- and I don't use this word lightly -- unbelievable. Then again, Disney has come up with tons of ways over the decades to convince people pay more for lower-quality goods and services they could find elsewhere, so maybe I shouldn't be surprised that fans actually use the Minnie Van service. I can say definitively that at a 470% increase, we never will.

Oh, one last thing: The story above is just one specific example, but it was indicative of the markup we saw throughout our trip last month. It wasn't a fluke.

 

[Twilight Sparkle]

Where do the mini vans drop off at dhs? I have been reading about a long walk from buses/parking. My mom cant handle that so if the drop off is closer ,for us it would justify the price.

The Minnie van drop off and pick up was closer at HS than the bus area. We used the bus for arrival but took a Minnie van at park close. That was our longest wait for a Minnie van, but it was still only 8 minutes. We just sat on a parking spot curb and waited for the van. The walk from the bus when we arrived wasn't unbearable, but we were happy to use the van service after walking in the park all day. If your mom has trouble walking long distances, I would definitely use a Minnie van both ways at HS.

 

[Jennygt]

Has anyone used mini van with a fold up wheelchair?

 

[JimMIA]

Has anyone used mini van with a fold up wheelchair?

I have not, but I drive the same type of vehicle as the MinnieVans, and have an MIL who uses a folding wheelchair.

Even with six people aboard, there would be room for the wheelchair behind the third row. If you had fewer than 6, the driver could simply fold down part of the third row seat to make more room.

The issue -- if there is any -- would be the ability of the disabled person to transfer from the wheelchair to the SUV. There is a bit of a step up which will present difficulties for many disabled persons. And, getting out, they may need some support to exit safely...depending on the extent of their disability.