Minnie Vans Returning to Disney World in June 2022!
Walt Disney World has announced that the Minnie Vans private vehicle service by Lyft is coming back soon! This post shares everything we know so far–dates, details, plus our commentary about what to expect from this transportation offering when it resumes in the coming months. (Updated June 7, 2022.)
For those who are unfamiliar with Minnie Vans, the paid vehicle service can be requested at every Walt Disney World resort via the Lyft app. Disney has made a significant investment in the program, with a huge number of vans and SUVs added to the fleet. Walt Disney World considers it a ‘priority’ transportation option, with private point-to-point service that’s almost always more efficient than buses.
Like so many other things, Minnie Van service was “temporarily suspended” when the parks reopened following the multi-month closure two years ago. When the parks & resorts reopened, there were persistent rumors that Minnie Vans were gone for good–or at least, would not be returning anytime soon.
Minnie Vans were even purportedly spotted outside of Walt Disney World, leading some fans to wonder whether the fleet had been sold off–as many rental car companies had done–during the closure. While we never could confirm or deny that, it didn’t seem far-fetched.
Given Walt Disney World’s persistent staffing shortages and reluctance to put guests and Cast Members in prolonged, close-contact situations it seemed like it’d be a while.
June 7, 2022 Update: planDisney announced in a transportation update that Minnie Vans will officially return to service on June 29, 2022, and guests can enjoy being driven around Walt Disney World property by expert, specially trained cast members.
Per theme park journalist Scott Gustin, test rides will begin this week, meaning you could see Minnie Vans available in the Lyft app as an option to book prior to June 29. However, it will be at random and not something you can request added by Guest Services or other Cast Members. Either you’ll have the option in-app, or you won’t.
Guests needing an accessible Minnie Van will be able to reserve using the Lyft app–previously, this required a phone call to request. Walt Disney World has stated that over 75 former Minnie Van drivers have returned to the program.
Walt Disney World has not issued a dedicated press release about the return of Minnie Vans nor have any other details been announced. All we know at this point is what’s stated above.
One of the big unanswered questions is, naturally, going to be about pricing. Between the nonstop price increases on pretty much everything at Walt Disney World plus higher gas prices, it stands to reason that the cost of Minnie Vans will be going up. By a lot. Expect prices to be significantly more expensive than they were two years ago.
For those who are curious about what Minnie Vans previously cost, the last time we used Minnie Vans, the base rate was $15 per pick-up, plus a per mile fee that varies based upon demand, but was typically around $2.75 to $3.00 per mile. (It’s possible there was another price increase after we last used it, but I don’t think so. Feel free to contradict in the comments.)
With most park to resort trips being between 6 and 8 miles, this means the average cost for a Minnie Van was in the neighborhood of $30-35, with some trips being over $40. With an average Lyft or Uber ride costing around $15 to $20, you’re paying a significant premium for the Disney-branded Minnie Vans.
If we had to guess, we’d bump that base rate to $20 and the mileage to be somewhere around $3-4 when Minnie Vans return in Summer 2022. That would put the average cost in the range of $40 to $50. (It seems like that should be well above the balking point for the vast majority of guests, but nothing surprises me anymore when it comes to Walt Disney World pricing and what people are willing to pay.)
Another wild card is that Walt Disney World’s free shuttle service between MCO and the company’s resorts, Disney’s Magical Express, has ended since Minnie Vans were last available. Guests now need to find their own ground transportation from the airport to their hotel, and we cover the range of options in our Guide to Airport Transportation for Walt Disney World.
For many guests with deep pockets, using the Disney-branded Minnie Vans will be the most attractive alternative. This is despite the Sunshine Flyer and Mears Connect, or even Uber/Lyft and private car services would probably be cheaper. Enough guests feel more comfortable using something with the Disney brand, regardless of price. To be clear, we’re not talking anywhere near a majority of guests–if even 1% of all visitors use Minnie Vans, that’s still a ton of demand versus the total vehicle capacity.
Given all of the issues Walt Disney World has had with staffing, it’s entirely possible that Minnie Van service will be limited at first. (That, or the full fleet won’t be available for one reason or another after not being used for ~2 years.)
In such a scenario, it’s entirely possible that Disney will prioritize Minnie Vans for airport runs. Sort of the same way some Uber and Lyft drivers try to game the app and avoid shorter routes, except with Disney being more obvious about it. The longer trips between Orlando International Airport and Walt Disney World’s resort hotels will be more lucrative for the company, so that would certainly make sense in a supply-constrained environment with high demand.
Before the closure, the Minnie Van airport service was offered to guests with airline flight departures out of Orlando International Airport between 9 a.m. and midnight and flight arrivals 7 a.m. until 10 p.m. The cost was a flat rate fee of $155 per trip. Expect that to also increase by a significant amount–my guess is that it goes up to $200.
On the plus side, airport Minnie Vans accommodated up to 6 people per vehicle, including up to three car seats for guests. Guests wanting to request a Minnie Van to get to MCO were advised to use their hotel’s Resort Airline Check-In for additional information. (For what it’s worth, we regularly use Uber/Lyft to get to MCO, and our cost rarely exceeds $40 per trip.)
Speaking of car seats, that’s probably the biggest demographic that will be excited for the return of Minnie Vans. For families with multiple children who need car seats, there’s no option for efficient transportation (aside from your own vehicle) at Walt Disney World.
From what we’ve heard repeatedly from readers, Uber and Lyft are very hit or miss with car seats. We have no reason to doubt this, as Uber and Lyft are hit or miss in Central Florida, as a general matter. (Some drivers are absolutely fantastic, but we’ve also had far more drivers who are unfamiliar with the local layout more than anywhere else. Rideshare services can be a popular temporary position for recent transplants.)
Overall, we are very happy to hear that Minnie Vans are returning to Walt Disney World in Summer 2022. We won’t be using them since we are more price-conscious and prefer to splurge on substantive offerings without comparable substitutes (e.g. Uber and Lyft). Nevertheless, we understand there’s a huge market for Minnie Vans and many guests love them. It’s always good to see popular offerings come back at Walt Disney World, even if they’re not for us–not everything needs to be.
The reason we are hyped about Minnie Vans resuming service is because it’s yet another sign of the return to normalcy. In fact, it’s an incredibly significant one, as it involves prolonged close contact between guests and Cast Members. From a health safety perspective, Minnie Vans will likely be one of the very last things to return. Now we just need more royal dining, Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, and a range of entertainment options and Walt Disney World will be back to normal–or at least as normal as it’s going to get until staffing shortages are sorted out. Hopefully more news is coming very soon–we’ll keep you updated!
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
Are you excited about the return of Minnie Vans? More enthusiastic about what this means for the return of normalcy at Walt Disney World? If you’ve used a Minnie Van, do you agree or disagree with our take on the service? What do you think of the pricing–too high, or fair for what’s offered? Any questions about Minnie Vans we can help you answer? Hearing feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
My big question is Disney resort to resort ability with Minnie Vans.
One of my favorite things to do is to go between resorts and check out their lobbies, stores, lounges, etc. Lately, Disney has been cracking down harder at the security gates for Ubers/Lyfts dropping off guests at Disney Resorts without a resort/dining reservation.
Would using a Minnie Van potentially help get pass the security gate at Disney Resorts without a dining reservation?
As someone who won’t use Uber/Lyft/Minnie Vans I can see the benefit to me. Less people on the free bus service. After watching a family struggle with a stroller one morning I can definitely see the benefit for a family with littles. I think it will be kind of neat to see them driving around also.
This will be my first trip since the Disney Express is gone and we aren’t driving or planning to rent a car. Curious you mentioned you typically always Uber to the airport from resorts how much lead time do you give yourselves? I know the buses build in a big time waste of being too early.
Do the Minnie vans drop you off where the buses are at MK? We once paid $20 to Uber from Wilderness Lodge to MK so we could make it to a dinner reservation only to be dropped off at the ticket and transportation center. The ferry didn’t take very long and we made it, but I didn’t think it was worth the expense. The driver was nice and really, we should have known. Now we do!
I can only speak about pickup and drop off for MK…..but when I last used the Minnie Vans, they picked us up and dropped us off at the MK Disney Bus Loop, whereas Uber and Lyft had to use the TTC for MK dropoff.
Uber/Lyft Pro Tip: Set pickup and drop off for the Contemporary and it’s only a little further walk than MK Bus Loop for some big savings.
The last time we used a Minnie van was in the summer of 2018. When I made the reservation I told them we needed 2 carseats.. By the time I was finished with my request the driver was out in front of the Contemporary already installing the second car seat! We paid $25 to get to Epcot from the Contemporary and it was well worth it. We couldn’t use the monorail because we had early breakfast reservations ! Kids loved riding in the Minnie van.
I love the Minnie Van service. The drivers are vetted and the service outstanding. Lyft is just their means of reservation. Used them on out last trip there a couple times. The prices did increase from the last time you took them I’m pretty sure because we paid much more than the rate you stated. It was so worth the price tho. Saved tons pf time over waiting for all of the public transportation, great driver, and excellent service.
In my opinion, most kids are so excited to BE at Disney World, they’re not going to balk at taking a minivan they consider a bit “girly.” Especially when their parents tell them that taking a resort bus will take much longer, with many more stops, and possibly be uncomfortably crowded. Disney is profit oriented – if the “Minnie” van wasn’t making tons of money, they wouldn’t bring it back. For any family that would refuse it based on polka dots, 10 other families will be delighted to ride in a Minnievan. It’s a non issue.
Soooo excited about this! We have three kids under three and had a nightmare experience with Mears connect last week. I put very clearly in our reservation that we needed “1 rear facing infant seat and two forward facing toddler car seats for a total of three car seats”. After a four hour flight delay plus additional delays getting to the gate and several meltdowns around and post bedtime, we finally arrived at MCO baggage claim around 10pm (all three kids go to bed at 7). When we went to get in the car, there were only two car seats. The driver very matter of factly told me to just hold one of our two year olds on my lap. When I said I wasn’t comfortable doing that and that I clearly wrote that we needed three car seats in the reservation the driver became angry and me and told me that “no driver would ever have three car seats”. I said “even if you had two months notice?” And he said “everyone only has two.”. I called Mears to complain and although they admitted they could see my request in the reservation, they said the best they could do was offer an infant seat, a toddler seat & a booster seat although not every driver has one. Totally unsafe so no matter the price, we’ll be using the mini vans until our kids are out of car seats. It’s just not worth the risk of having a child injured in an accident.
Hmmmm… Doesn’t this look interesting? On one of our last trips to Disney World, when having to wait for an inordinate amount of time for the WDW Buses to come, my suggestion, in the survey at the end of our trip, was to implement “Minnie” buses that would get from where you are staying directly to specific destination points. Having to wait for a bus and then go through every single other stop on the way to your destination adds so much unnecessary, wasted time to your vacation. Glad to see that they listen to their customers!
Excited to see them come back. Our kids love them and the drivers tend to be just a touch nicer than some of the Uber/Lift drivers. Last trip the wife was pregnant so we used Uber more because we were either always late for something or when she was done she was done. Amazes me how little some of the drivers know the property. Never a good sign with the people from KS have to give the driver directions on how to get somewhere in Orlando.
Killing DME may limit the market for Minnie Vans as they are very much a product of the on-site bubble. A sizeable number will just rent a car, and others will discover ride-sharing services for the first time.
This is fantastic news. We have two kids in car seats, and back in December defaulted to driving to the parks every day – in the old days Minnie Vans were always our first choice. So much faster, more easy and convenient, and lovely for the children too. (Boggling at some of the comments above: my little boy sleeps with a plush Minnie. And a shark.)
You do pay for the privilege, but we’re already accustomed to Disney being a very expensive holiday, and budget accordingly.
Do you know if any of the Minnievans are equipped to carry scooters for disabled passengers? I’d pay what they charge if they could transport me & my rented Scooterbug from my DVC to a park & save me the time of waiting for a bus. With the emphasis on specific arrival times (Genie+,etc) I don’t want to rely entirely on the great (and I mean that) Disney bus service.
On our recent trip when we requested Lyft or Uber we told them we had to fit a scooter and a special adult sized stroller. We were accommodated.
How much have Uber/Lyft prices increased over the same period since Minnie Vans went away?
Just curious of how much (if any!) of Tom’s 30%-40% assumed increases isn’t due just to the Disney Difference.
I’ve used Minnie Vans once or twice, when I had two kids in car seats. There isn’t a comparable on-demand service that can accommodate young kids
Carrying and installing car seats is one of the most annoying parts of traveling with children! While it’s definitely a premium over Lyft, it’s per family and not per person.
I agree. Finding an Uber or Lyft with a child seat was a bear last time we were there. The added cost of the Minnie Van was well worth it knowing that they had a proper seat for our daughter. We didn’t use them a ton but getting from resort to resort they were a real time saver. Plus they were allowed to drive right up to Pioneer Hall for Hoop-Dee-Doo so we didn’t have to worry about the internal busses at Fort Wilderness. Great time saver when dragging around small children.
We had multiple times of paying the premium for a car seat with Uber and then having the driver show up without one. Also have only had one driver ever actually have 2.
Say the airport Minnie Van is $200 by fall. Is that per person? If say 6 people share the ride can they each pay $33.33? What is the max #they can hold? I’m learning so much from your site; thanks!
It’s not a ride “share” in that sense of the term. It would be a flat rate for a single party of up to 6 people. If you wanted to split the cost with others, you’d have to convince them on your own.
Wow, what a strange bunch of comments. Thanks Tom, for your input.
It’s weird that anyone thinks of transportation as having a gender. My sons wouldn’t have thought twice about riding in a Minnie Van. Just as girls probably don’t think twice about riding Goofy’s barnstormer, or Seven Dwarf’s Mine Train, or Peter Pan’s ride. For years girls wore Mickey Ears, as there were no Minnie Ears. I don’t recall a single complaint.
While we always tried to accommodate our sons wishes while on vacation, what vehicle we arrived to the resort in would never be one of them.
Without prejudice to the service, I find the name questionable. While there is a sound reason for Disney to coin the term ‘Minnie Van’ to refer to the minivans serving as taxis at Disney World, the name and the paint job are very feminine. As a small child I would have assumed the Minnie Vans were just for girls and would have resisted riding in one.
I will pray for your family and the people in your life that uses such a defined version of what gender should be. This attitude can harm others.
Trans and nonbinary young people in search of support can contact The Trevor Project’s TrevorLifeline 24/7 at 1-866-488-7386, via chat at http://www.TheTrevorProject.org/Help, or by texting START to 678-678.
Robert, I adore you and your perfect response!
I’d first like to emphasize that we’re talking about Walt Disney World, a resort visited by tourists of all cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds, from all over the world, run by a media company best known for its animated features where princesses are rescued by handsome princes. If your first reaction to someone recognizing a distinction between boy and girl is to insinuate that they could drive a young person to suicide, then I don’t really know what you’re doing commenting on a website for Disney fans. And it’s not clear to me how we can support trans or nonbinary youth by forcing little boys to do girls’ things against their will. Indeed, the struggle of trans and nonbinary youth can be accurately described as their being forced to do things unbecoming of their gender identity, against their will. I admit that the hypothetical objection of my younger self to riding in a Minnie Van is not altogether reasonable, but your comment seems to be a non sequitur.
Thanks, Anonymous, well said. As a male child I didn’t want to wear polka-dot bows on my head, and when my son was growing up he didn’t want to wear polka dot bows on his head. But that doesn’t mean that either of us were taught that choice of accessory was wrong, or that we were forced against our wills into conforming with harmful gender norms. It’s an undisputed fact that most (not all) boys like “boyish” things and most (not all) girls like “girlish” things without being forced into those preferences — yet despite those facts, that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t accommodate and embrace those whose preferences don’t align with the majority.
But honestly per the original comment, if I was 6-12 years old and my parents ordered a Minnie Van, I’d have pleaded with them to order a “Mickey Van!” There are certainly girls and non-gender conforming kids who feel the same way! And given how that same scenario likely holds true for a great number kids, it’s undoubtedly something Disney has had to think through in terms of their marketing efforts.
Side-stepping the odd turn this conversation took, I’d offer a couple of observations:
1) Minnie Vans were incredibly popular pre-closure. Unless something dramatic has changed since then (and there’s no reason to believe that’ll be the case), they will be popular upon return. Disney can ‘afford’ to lose the business of any guest not interested because of the polka dots. Not all that much different than height requirements or any of the many other things that limits a potential audience.
2) Since when do kids have veto power over their parents’ transportation purchases? I know with Walt Disney World things are a bit different, but my parents never asked me what color or type of car I wanted them to rent when I was a kid. To the contrary, one of my dad’s go-to lines began, “when you get a job and start paying rent, then you can [insert pretty much anything here].”
Minnie Vans…mini vans….
It’s a play on words.
And offering language like “boys get in boy cars” is toxic because it sets up a gender expectation and creates a bias.
I admit that children don’t usually get to veto modes of transportation, but they can pout, cry, or throw a fit if they don’t get what they want. Children, even children with good parents, are famous for not always acting reasonably or proportionately to the causes of their displeasure. Since most parents are probably at Disney World primarily to please their children, anything that is prone to displease children is ipso facto prone to displease parents, whose business Disney wants. For that reason, if I worked at Disney I would have argued against the Minnie Mouse theming for the taxis. Perhaps it’s not as big of an issue as my experience as a child would suggest, though.
Thank you all for a really good laugh. The week was getting too serious for me as I was raising funds and goods for Ukraine these last few days and forgot what it was like to live in a society where we no longer need to spend sunrise to sunset gathering wood, planting the fields and hunting for food to survive.
Thank the Lord we have the time to see an innocuous play on words for what it truly is.
I understand the play on words, Heather, which is why I noted the sound reason for calling the taxis “Minnie Vans” in my initial post. But if you’re really opposed to setting up gender expectations, your quarrel is with Disney, which has assigned a gender to its Disney World taxis. An adult can see easily that the Minnie Vans aren’t gender-exclusive, but I’m sure you can understand how a small child who is learning about gender norms, for example how there are different bathrooms for men and women, would find the Minnie Van name and appearance confusing.
To be clear, it’s not just the play on words but also the appearance of the vans that I think are bound to unsettle little boys. It may seem like a small thing to you, but complaints about Disney World rarely involve a matter of life or death, so if you find this discussion laughably frivolous then I would invite you to copy and paste your comment in every other post on disneytoruistblog.com. And I’m not aware that the Ukraine has been reduced to a preindustrial civilization, so I don’t really believe you’ve forgotten what it’s like not to have to plant seeds and hunt all day.
A few years ago we took our entire family (12) to DisneyWorld and planned on another trip so the younger grandkids would enjoy it more. However, with the discontinuance of the Majic Express and other pluses that now cost money, there is no way we will be making any future trips to Disney. The Disney corporation has become to greedy which is a shame. We will be visiting Universal Studios from now on.
I’m super excited about this! Less excited about the potential price…
One more step towards normalcy! Love it!
Who knows–maybe I’m wrong about the price increases and it’ll return at the same costs as before!
Tom, I don’t think you’re wrong about the price increase. Almost everything we use has increased in price post-pandemic. I’m sure Disney isn’t willing to take a cut in profits to keep the price the same as it was and will happily pass the increase onto their loyal guests. They’re good like that (if that’s your definition of good).
That’s good news! We saw a whole fleet of Minnie Vans parked at the Disney Princess 5k last month and we were hoping they were reinstating the service (rather than gathering them up to auction them off). We use Uber/Lyft from the airport but it would be nice to have a fun park-to-park/hotel-to-hotel option until the bus service is fully reinstated.
They’ve been moved around a few times during the closure, if I recall correctly. Just in the last month rumors of their return were growing stronger, but I was still skeptical. Great to see the announcement, though.