Tips for Using Lyft & Uber at Disney World
Thinking of using Uber or Lyft instead of a taxi, rental car, or bus transportation at Walt Disney World? Ride-sharing services are the most efficient way for getting to parks, resorts, and Universal Studios Florida; these tips will help save money and improve your experience with it. (Updated March 24, 2021.)
During the phased reopening, Walt Disney World transportation options are limited and operating at reduced capacity. Fewer parties are allowed on each bus to accommodate physical distancing, and the result has been longer and more unpredictable wait times for buses. We discuss how bad this has gotten as of Spring Break 2021 in Bus Wait Times at Walt Disney World.
Consequently, our “Temporary Abnormal” Guide to Walt Disney World recommends avoiding the buses for this reason. Unfortunately, the Minnie Van private ride service has been suspended and is not returning any time soon–if ever. That essentially leaves two options: Uber or a rental car. However, the latter option comes with a couple of big downsides…
While we’re fans of the freedom having your own vehicle offers, not everyone wants to drive on vacation and there are obvious downsides in paying for parking and hassling with the car at the airport. Beyond that, there is currently a severe rental car shortage.
Last year when travel essentially stopped, the rental car industry sold off more than a half a million cars, about a third of their combined fleets, to generate cash they needed to survive the crisis. Although demand has now returned, rental car companies are unable to rebuild their inventory because of supply chain issues facing the auto industry.
Consequently, many Florida airports are now totally sold out of rental cars for peak travel dates (including Orlando International) with other dates having insane prices–like $100 to $300 per day for a rental. Suffice to say, if you didn’t book a rental car for your Walt Disney World vacation far in advance, Uber or Lyft might be your only alternative to Disney’s buses. As such, we’ll rundown the pros & cons of rideshare at Walt Disney World here…
First and foremost in terms of a post-reopening update, both ride share companies have new health safety programs. You can read about Lyft’s here and Uber’s here. Both are essentially the same, with face masks being required for drivers and riders, new cleaning procedures, and keeping the windows open when possible.
Masks are important and well-understood at this point, but we would emphasize opening the windows. Study after study has shown that ventilation is one of the keys in reducing transmission risks (check out “We Need To Talk About Ventilation,” which breaks things down in lay terms). When using taxis or ride share services, professors at Harvard’s School of Public Health suggest that you “open up the windows just a bit, even if everyone is feeling fine…doing so will dilute the concentration of viral particles in the car.”
Thankfully, even as bus transportation has gotten worse at Walt Disney World, using Uber and Lyft has actually gotten better over time! Cast Members and security have become more familiar with ride-sharing services, and Walt Disney World has introduced policies for consistent drop-off/pick-up.
As such, we highly recommend using Uber or Lyft for rope drop in the morning–especially at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, where arriving in time for opening and the Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance boarding pass dash is imperative. (Unless you’re staying at a Skyliner resort.) Uber and Lyft can also be incredibly useful if you’re leaving any of the parks at closing time, and there are long lines at the bus stops.
In fact, using ride-sharing at Walt Disney World has been a such a positive experience for us that we thought we’d return to offer the ins and outs of it, and why we think it’s worth the added cost for the added convenience. We’ve used Uber and Lyft extensively at Walt Disney World in the last 5+ years, and have updated this advice as of March 2021…
For most people, Uber or Lyft will be cheaper than renting a car, but some people still might prefer the perceived freedom of their own car. We also wanted to provide some new tips based on things we’ve learned with more recent experiences using Uber.
To start, although the details here are specific to Walt Disney World, the high-level advice can be applied to Disneyland and virtually anywhere else Lyft and Uber operate in the United States. In many cases throughout this post, we reference only Uber, and that’s simply because they have a larger presence. Corporate culture aside, Uber and Lyft are nearly identical in guest experience and service, and these tips apply equally to both ride-sharing services.
By way of background (you can skip all of this if you’ve ever used Uber), Uber is ride service that allow users to request rides via robust mobile apps. These apps show drivers in your vicinity, anticipated pick-up time, and have a host of other features. When a ride is requested, nearby drivers are pinged, and can accept or decline the riders.
Riders then see that their ride has been accepted, the driver’s name, vehicle, license plate, average score, current GPS location, and arrival time. This is all virtually instantaneous: the amount of time from requesting a ride to a ride being confirmed is usually under 10 seconds. If all of that doesn’t totally make sense, think of Uber as a taxi for the modern age, with a really nice app.
Does that all sound pretty good? Well, it should, because it is. Uber and Lyft have exploded in popularity, which has wrecked havoc for taxi companies that are rapidly losing business and are in danger of obsolescence in some areas. Taxi companies have fought bitter political and legal battles to keep Uber out of many areas, with the dispute boiling down to one thing: money. Taxi companies want to keep making money, and Uber makes that difficult for them.
As a consumer, the only pertinent concerns are whether Uber safe, efficient, and less expensive. Uber is obviously less expensive. That’s the whole reason taxi companies are fighting Uber tooth and nail. It’s cheaper because it’s more efficient, allocating resources via the app in a way that makes best use of them, with the app likewise providing a more efficient experience for riders.
Finally, safety. None of the above would matter if Uber isn’t safe. Uber performs background checks on its drivers (as do taxi companies), but more important is the rating system in the app. If a driver’s score falls below 4.5/5, they run the risk of being dropped by Uber. The flip side of this is that drivers also rate riders, so if you’re constantly an angry, drunken buffoon, you run the risk of not being picked up.
By contrast, ask any regular Uber rider how many negative experiences they’ve had with ride-sharing drivers. The horror stories are few and far between, with most riders instead gushing over how much better the experience is than traditional taxis. Friendly drivers who come from interesting backgrounds and will make pleasant conversation with you, or simply leave you alone if you don’t feel like chatting.
Now that we’ve established some background, let’s get into the tips…
General Tips
- Payment is automatically made via the app (and your attached credit card) at the end of the app. No cash payments.
- Tipping originally was not part of the Uber “culture” but it is becoming increasingly customary to tip drivers. You can now do so within the apps for both Uber and Lyft. (We recommend tipping.)
- A pleasant way to end each ride is by saying, “thanks for the great ride, I’ll be sure to give you 5-stars.” (Which also helps increase your chances of receiving a positive review from the driver.)
- If you have more general questions about using Uber that this post doesn’t answer, refer to the Uber Help page for FAQ.
- If you’re new to the Lyft, you can get a free or reduced-cost first ride via this link.
Disney Tips
- Average Uber/Lyft cost within Walt Disney World is $10-15 per trip. This works out to be around one-third to half the cost of a Mears taxi for the same distance.
- Average Uber cost from Walt Disney World to Universal Orlando’s drop-off point is $20-25 per trip.
- Average wait for a pick-up at Walt Disney World is 4-8 minutes.
- Security check-point and parking plaza Cast Members are familiar with the Uber service, and will allow drivers to pass (without paying for parking) if they show an ID and indicate they are there for guest drop-off.
- DO NOT show your Annual Pass or parking voucher at the parking plazas, as your driver will be directed to regular parking, which is farther away from the front entrance of parks than the guest drop-off points.
- Surge pricing is becoming less common in Orlando as more drivers flock to the area, but if there is a surge, it’s most likely to occur around 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 9:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
- Lyft and Uber pickups are now allowed at MCO; there’s an airport surcharge added to your tab, but it’s not too bad. Uber drop-offs are also allowed at the airport. Uber and Lyft are far faster than Disney’s Magical Express.
- Drivers can see your GPS location, but sometimes the system is a bit wonky. Immediately after requesting an Uber, message the driver and indicate your exact location if it’s not the main lobby (e.g. “I’m wearing a ballin’ tie dyed EPCOT Center shirt outside Building 4 at Pop Century Resort. Turn left as soon as you pass security and follow the signs.)
- To decrease your wait time for a pickup, drop a pin for the location where you want the pickup as you walk to that location, but be sure you can beat the driver there based on the estimated arrival time.
- Uber has unveiled the Uber + Car Seat in Orlando, which will bring parents an Uber vehicle with a car seat inside, on-demand.
Magic Kingdom
- Standard pickup and drop-off location for the Magic Kingdom is the Ticket & Transportation Center; from there, you take a monorail or ferry to the Magic Kingdom.
- Instead, consider specifying the Contemporary or Grand Floridian as your destination and walking to Magic Kingdom.
- Security at the Contemporary isn’t always the easiest to pass, so don’t be surprised if you’re turned away there. Grand Floridian is the better option, but the walk is slightly longer.
Epcot
- The Uber process at Epcot has improved considerably. The only downside is that the roadway into the park and parking lot itself are both lengthy, making pickups take longer than at the other 3 parks.
- If possible, we recommend using the International Gateway entrance at Epcot, and walking to/from Beach Club for pickups and drop-offs. This is simpler, and often faster.
- The pickup and drop-off spot at the front entrance of Epcot has constantly changed, but as of now, it’s near the Preferred Parking section.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- Drop-off and pickup at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is right next to the Disney Skyliner gondola station (lower left corner in the photo above). This location is very convenient.
- Due to the popularity of Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, the drop-off line can back-up early in the morning before DHS opens. Plan accordingly and allow yourself a bit of extra time.
- If you request an Uber ride as you exit the park, your driver will often arrive within 2 minutes after you get to the taxi point at DHS. Just make sure you double-check that there isn’t a driver already near the Studios lot when you make the request, as you don’t want your driver having to wait for you!
Disney’s Animal Kingdom
- Animal Kingdom is another park with a long roadway leading into the park, so pickups can take a bit longer here, but it’s still pretty simple.
- The drop-off/pickup spot is also pretty simple at Animal Kingdom. You can see it as the pin on this map.
That about covers the major points, I think. If you’re new to using Uber, you can get a free ride credits by signing up via this link for Uber or a free ride on Lyft via this link. They are constantly changing their sign-up incentives, so if you don’t see any credit amount on those screens, definitely Google signup offers. There’s usually an incentive or promo code for your first ride on both Uber and Lyft.
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
Your Thoughts
Any additional experiences using Uber that you’d like to share? Do you prefer Uber, Lyft, Minnie Vans, or using Walt Disney World’s standard (bus, monorail, boat, Skyliner) transportation? If you’ve used Uber or Lyft at Walt Disney World, did you find the services efficient? Do you agree or disagree with our Uber/Lyft advice? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
We are meeting up with friends for dinner reservations at Disney Springs but need to be back at Magic Kingdom for a fast pass that we tried very hard to get. Can Uber get us from Disney Springs to Magic Kingdom? I’ve never used Uber before, is their a minimum fare? Would Uber do this trip? We are cutting the time close so Disney transportation is probably out, we don’t want to have to cancel on our friends and at the same time we do not want to give up our fast passes.
Very helpful article, thanks. We are coming down in April for the Eagles/Jimmy Buffet concert at Camping World Stadium and are staying at Old Key West. I Uber/Lyft an option for getting to the stadium, or would it be better to rent a car. Thanks!
Do you know if UberXL has room to pick up 3 adults with two travel scooters? We are worried about making our breakfast reservations at MK coming from POR.
A couple of questions. We are staying in Reunion and will be going to the various Disney parks as well as Universal, SeaWorld, Disney Springs and various Disney resorts for dinners. Is Reunion to far away for Uber to make sense (rentals cars are looking expensive during our stay)? Also we are going during a peak week (Feb break), is Uber still a good idea? Thanks!
Reunion is out at the edge of where I’d not want my own rental car, but yes, it’s Uber-able and if you can’t find a truly cheap car rental rate, you’ll likely come out ahead. Check with the gate guard though at Reunion re. getting in — security is tight.
ANyone have experience using Uber Car Seat with a child under one?
Hi!! I had a question about resort pick up locations. I saw in the post that you mentioned texting the driver to tell you exactly where you are including a building number at a specific resort. I also saw in another post elsewhere (some other blog) that they can only pick-up/drop off at the main building. I was curious as to whether or not they *can* drive back into the rest of the resorts to pick a passenger up closer to your room or not.
We’ll be staying at ASMovies if that has any effect on the policy for ride sharing.
We are staying at The Swan 2 nights and then The Wilderness Lodge. Does The Swan haves its own taxi service?
The Swan has taxis out front at all times. You can also use Disney bus service but it will not take you directly to another resort.
Thinking of using Uber or Lyft to get our family from WDW to Universal Studios and back again… a nice option instead of renting a car and driving in a a strange city.
We have a large group going and staying off property, has anyone had experience with Uber or Lyft with a big group? 10 total 3 in car seats
Uber XL can take a max of 6 passengers. You would have to request at least 2 vehicles with 10 people.
I’m new to using Uber, does the free ride credits have an expiry date? We’re planning to visit Epcot and Animal Kingdom in February 2018.
They generally do have expiration dates, I would wait to sign up until a few days before your trip so whatever sign up specials are being offered will still be valid. Also, Lyft (which is the one I prefer) does send specials from time to time. I just received 10% off all rides this week for example. I imagine Uber offers periodic specials as well.
We are planning a trip to Disney in February. We need transportation from Disneyworld to Port Canaveral for a Disney Cruise. Disney’s bus transportation is so expensive and I’m wondering if Uber would or Lyft would be a less expensive option. Any thoughts on this?
Both Lyft and Uber have fare estimate calculators on their websites. I would use those to input your exact pick up and drop off locations to give you an estimate of how much it will cost.
Tom, you likely will cover this in your mega post next week but I am wondering if there is a known roll out to other resorts, specifically, either POFQ or POR? I am going in about 2 months.
Is there a specific location for Disney Springs? We will be seeing La Nouba and would rather take Uber back to the hotel (POP) then wait for the bus or even have to walk to the stop and wait.
Hey everyone – I appreciate all of the interest in Minnie Vans, which wasn’t expected with my brief teaser in there. I’m going to be doing a full (read: long) post about Minnie Vans next week, so if your question can wait until then, I’m almost positive I’ll answer it in that post.
With that said, feel free to pose the questions now in the comments here (if you’d like) and I’ll be sure to address them in the post! 🙂
Thank you! Will be doing MVMCP for the first time mid-Nov and Minnie vans sound great. Just need one toddler seat…car seats available?
Are there ada scooter equipped vans ?
With regard to Minnie Vans, yes! The right van on the top photo is one such Minnie Van.
Does the Minnie Van service have CAR seats available upon request?
I have used both Uber and the Minnie Van service at Disney World. First off, my experiences with Uber at Disney World have been terrible. I use Uber all the time when I travel and I’ve had nothing but great experiences in New York, Houston, LA, New Orleans, etc., but for some reason, they are TERRIBLE at Disney World. We’ve had people who don’t speak english, people who took us to security gates or wrong entrances… one tine we even had somebody who was an off-duty cast member who used his cast member pass to get onto Disney property but then was completely stuck as to where he could drop us off. It’s always been a nightmare.
When I first hear about the Minnie Vans I thought “nope! Too expensive. No chance.” but now that I’ve actually used one, I have to say, it’s pretty great. Disney trains the castmembers driving you, so it’s not just a random Lyft driver. They know about the parks, and they have access to take you where you actually want to go. We were at Yacht Club one night after Epcot closed and, for complicated reasons, our rental car was in the Epcot lot. We couldn’t get back into Epcot to walk through it to get to our car, so we called a Minnie Van. Our driver was friendly, he was knowledgable about Disney. His car was perfectly clean and didn’t smell like axe body spray (unlike all Ubers). And, he was allowed to actually take us to our car in the parking lot, rather than having to drop us at the regular Uber/Lyft/Taxi passenger dropoff point.
The Minnie Vans are more than I’d want to pay if this were something i was going to use a lot during my trip, but for one or two rides when we’re all tired or really need to get somewhere quickly, I would definitely recommend the Minnie Vans over Uber, or even another Lyft driver.
Hey now, I’m planning on doing a full Minnie Van review next week. This comment is basically beating many of my points to the punch! 😉
Please add if they have scooter equipped vans
I’m a bit confused by the Uber pick up spot by the Contemporary.. I can get picked up ACROSS the street from the Contemporary? Isn’t that a busy road for the Uber driver to stop and pick me up on the southbound/west side of road? What am I missing?
At HS: are there signs for the taxi/Uber pick up spots.. Do I have to cross in front of oncoming Disney Buses?
Thanks so much for this information!
I had the same thought. What is the benefit of using the Minnie van service when it would be more expensive than Uber or Lyft.
I think the benefit for some people might be that they are operated by Cast Members, so people might feel safer with that system than they would with a regular ride share? You can also get them called for your from the front desk, so you don’t need to navigate an app. For that reason, I could see them appealing to folks who are not used to or comfortable with ride-sharing. I am thinking about my parents here, who would probably use this service but would never use Uber or Lyft on their own. Plus, they drop you off at more convenient locations, for example right at the bus stop at MK. Also, they are super cute and Minnie mouse themed, so there’s that 🙂 I could definitely see it appealing to people who are looking for a magical Disney experience and are willing to pay a little bit more for it.
Also, I am not sure what the price breakdown is for a party of six for an Uber or a Lyft, but it might not be that much more for a Minnie Van? I know for me and my husband it doesn’t really make sense to use the Minnie Vans, but it could be a negligible difference for a big party.
I’m a bit confused by your references to the Minnie Van Service. I thought it was a straight $20 per ride (which is pricey), not whatever Lyft usually charges by time/distance? (Also I didn’t know it was powered by Lyft, but either way I had heard it was $20 a pop?)
The Minnie Vans are 20 dollars a ride, for up to six people. They are run by Lyft, but are operated by Cast Members and only go around Disney property.
Does the Minnie Van service have cat seats upon request?