Which towncars take cash? Do all charge $9 gate fee to MK resorts?

[bjakmom]

Looking for a towncar service to pick up DH when he joins us - cash makes the most sense to me - want him to be able to grab a cab if there is a problem.
I also see on FL tours site that a $9 gate fee is applied for all MK resorts - do all the companies add this? A friend is also flying in our last morning and meeting us at Chef Mickey's - looks like this could end up costing her $59.00 plus tip. Neither needs round trip as we'll have a van and are all flying home together (after a few days at USF). Any other suggestions?
Anyone know what cab fare is from the airport to BWV or Contemporary? Thanks! (all my planning and I almost forgot to book transportation for those coming behind me!! )

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Originally posted by bjakmom
Looking for a towncar service to pick up DH when he joins us - cash makes the most sense to me - want him to be able to grab a cab if there is a problem.
I also see on FL tours site that a $9 gate fee is applied for all MK resorts - do all the companies add this? A friend is also flying in our last morning and meeting us at Chef Mickey's - looks like this could end up costing her $59.00 plus tip. Neither needs round trip as we'll have a van and are all flying home together (after a few days at USF). Any other suggestions?
Anyone know what cab fare is from the airport to BWV or Contemporary? Thanks! (all my planning and I almost forgot to book transportation for those coming behind me!! )

all but Mears charge that 9.00 fee. It is something Disney charges them. As to cab fare, I really cannot help you there.

 

[safetymom]

When I took a cab from CSR to MCO it cost almost $50 before the tip.

 

[dommett]

FL Tours says they only charge the fee if you are doing a round trip or one way ORIGINATING from the resorts. (Sorry for the caps - couldn't get my italics to work.)

 

[bjakmom]

Thanks for the replies! -

safetymom - glad to know the approximate cab fare is comparable to the towncar rates- that's what I was hoping for!

dommett - I'll check that out with FL tours - we only need one way to the resorts for each of them.

gail- do you know if FL Tours is the only service that takes cash instead of prepaid credit card?

Hope it's a slow week as I've left this go a little late!

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Originally posted by bjakmom
Thanks for the replies! -

safetymom - glad to know the approximate cab fare is comparable to the towncar rates- that's what I was hoping for!

dommett - I'll check that out with FL tours - we only need one way to the resorts for each of them.

gail- do you know if FL Tours is the only service that takes cash instead of prepaid credit card?

Hope it's a slow week as I've left this go a little late!

Gee, I am sorry, I don't know.

 

[tjmw2727]

I know Tiffany takes cash, in fact I have never been asked for a deposit or paid by CC'd with them.

For comparison purposes we paid $56.00 plus tip from the Dolphin to MCO in August. If you really don't want to pay the $9.00 fee have the town car take you to another resort and then grab disney transportaiton to Chef Mickey's.

TJ

 

[DisneyArk]

We used Cartier and had great service! We paid in cash and they did NOT require a credit card to reserve the towncar. We stayed at the Wilderness Lodge and they did NOT charge the $9.00 fee for a Magic Kingdom hotel.

We booked online at http://www.cartiertowncar.com

Best of luck!

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Originally posted by DisneyArk
We used Cartier and had great service! We paid in cash and they did NOT require a credit card to reserve the towncar. We stayed at the Wilderness Lodge and they did NOT charge the $9.00 fee for a Magic Kingdom hotel.

We booked online at http://www.cartiertowncar.com

Best of luck!

It is built into their rate or they are absorbing it, or going a different way.

 

[4greatboys]

FL Tours only takes cash. We have used them 2 times and they were great both times.

 

[married2grumpy]

We just had a great experience (again) with Tiffany. They do not charge the gate fee. I did ask our driver about the fee because of all the questions on this board about it. He said that some companies do charge it but in his opinion and mine, they shouldn't. I believe what he told us was that it was a fee that the driver had to pay only once per day. So, if our driver goes to a MK resort 10 times in a day, he only pays $9 once. Tiffany either has the cost built into their prices or just absorbs it. I don't think I would ever use a company that passed on the gate fee.

Tiffany also takes cash or credit cards.

 

[quicksilver]

The driver you had must be very nice and I understand he wouldn't complain about paying the fee to his passengers.

Most drivers only go once to MK resorts and have to pay out of their pocket this entrance fee. Companies that do charge that fee are actually thinking about their drivers. A Roundtrip to Magic Kingdom is about $ 85.00, which is the same for most resorts outside the MK area. So, if you deduct the $ 9.00 from that total you end up with $ 76.00. Tiffany and some other companies also have a $ 5.00 coupon, so the driver ends up with $ 71.00 + tip.
Allow me to continue...
There is a $ 5.00 fee at the airport, $ 4.00 tolls for the roundtrip, and about $ 8.00 for gas. $ 76.00 - $17.00 = $ 59.00.
So, about $ 30.00 each way.
Almost forgot. Most drivers (Tiffanies included) are subcontracted and pay $ 200.00 per week to the company. This is about $ 20.00 per Roundtrip.

We are getting to a $ 20.00 per way.

Conclusion. The $ 9.00 fee some companies charge is not so absurd afterall.

How does he know all that???

Well, I drove for them...LOL

Have a great day.