Some Haphazard Disney World Tips – Part 1
Transportation
We haven’t exactly been the most outspoken fans of Disney transportation on this blog, but it does seem that things on improving…at least in terms of buses. I don’t think we ever waited more than 15 minutes for a bus to arrive, and in many cases, Cast Members were present with iPads doing something official looking and, presumably, making sure buses were properly distributed. This is nothing new, but it isn’t always the case, and is reassuring to see because it means (hopefully) no instances of seeing 6 consecutive Animal Kingdom buses while none show up for Magic Kingdom.
Even more impressive, we saw the future of transportation at the Contemporary bus stop, where there were LED displays with the arrival times of the next bus for each destination. While we never used the buses from here to put the system through the paces, we walked past it on numerous occasions while using Uber, and its arrival times seemed accurate based on the buses that were sitting there. Now, if Disney can make this a My Disney Experience app feature, I swear I will never complain about the buses again!
Speaking of Uber, due to staying at so many off property hotels and not having a rental car, we found ourselves using Uber a lot (20+ times) this trip. I didn’t keep track of how many times or the total cost of our rides, but I know it’s still cheaper than a rental car if you’re at hotels that charge for parking or would have to pay for parking at Universal.
Since our original Uber v. Rental Car at Walt Disney World post, Uber has clearly penetrated more of Walt Disney World and gained marketshare. In the comments to that post, we had a few readers report having issues with security and at the parking plazas, so we asked drivers about this.
Almost universally, drivers indicated that they were getting more pick-up/drop-off requests within Walt Disney World, that Disney Cast Members were now more familiar with them, and didn’t give them as much trouble as they used to. This was good to hear, as some (including myself) were concerned that Mears might pressure Walt Disney World to keep Uber out.
Here are some specific tips to keep in mind when using Uber at Walt Disney World:
- MCO still doesn’t allow Uber pickups (there are ways around this if you’re clever), but does allow drop-offs. We used it both ways and it was far more convenient than Disney’s Magical Express.
- The average Uber cost at Walt Disney World with non-surge pricing is around $7-15. This works out to be around one-third to half the cost of a Mears taxi for the same distance.
- Uber drivers can see your GPS location, but sometimes the system is a bit wonky. Immediately after requesting an Uber, call the driver and indicate exactly where you are and provide a quick synopsis of how to get there if it’s not the main lobby (e.g. “I’m wearing a ballin’ tie dyed EPCOT Center shirt outside Building 5 at Port Orleans French Quarter. Turn left as soon as you pass security and follow the signs.)
- If visiting the Magic Kingdom, using the Contemporary as a transportation hub and walking 5 minutes to Magic Kingdom is better than being dropped off at the TTC.
- Security at the Contemporary isn’t always the easiest to pass (word on the street is that they now employ the keeper from the Bridge of Death due to people trying to circumvent parking rules), so an even better option is to be dropped off and picked up at the intersection before the Contemporary. I’ve dropped a pin on this map showing the exact location.
- At Epcot, we were informed the new policy is to not allow Uber drivers to pick-up and drop-off in the taxi area, but to go to the handicapped parking area. This was true on two occasions with us. You can see the approximate location as the pin on this map.
- In light of the above, Epcot is the most difficult park at which to use Uber. Rather than using it at the front, we used it to/from Beach Club, and walked to/from the International Gateway entrance to Epcot. This is much simpler, and usually, faster.
- Surge pricing was frequently in effect throughout Walt Disney World right around park opening and right after the conclusion of Wishes. We saw surge prices as high as 3.1x from the Polynesian 20 minutes after Wishes.
- Uber is by far the most convenient–and fastest–way to get between Walt Disney World and Universal. The cost of a one-way trip is cheaper than the cost of parking at Universal.
- If you’re new to the Uber scene, you can get a free ride up to $15 by signing up via this link for Uber (or use code tomb3417 if the link doesn’t work).
Okay, that covers it for what we learned about transportation and hotels on this visit to Walt Disney World. We’ll be back in a couple of days with updates on construction, dining, and other assorted thoughts!
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? If you’re interested in learning more about hotels, our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page is a good place to start. For where to eat, try out our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews page. If you want to save money on tickets or determine which type you should get, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. OurWhat to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at unconventional things you should take on your trip. Once you arrive at the parks, our Walt Disney World “Ride Guides” are great for determining what to do and when to do it. For overviews of all of these topics and so much more, the best place to start is our comprehensive Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide to make the most of your experience!
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YOUR THOUGHTS…
Have any feedback on any of the hotels at which we stayed? Other recommendations for us in our hotel-hopping “adventures”? Any Uber feedback of your own? If you haven’t used it yet, could you see yourself using Uber at Walt Disney World instead of renting a car? We love to hear from readers, so if you have any thoughts or questions, post them in the comments!
Hi Tom, We just got back from Disney last night, stayed at the Bora Bora Bungalows.
Based on an earlier article you wrote on Uber we tried it and were so pleased. We used Uber from the Polynesian to Beach Club (for a lunch reservation) and were charged 8$, and did it in reverse after a long day at epcot for the same fee.
We used Uber leaving epcot because we were at the rear exit of epcot and much closer to the Beach Club.
Both times the drivers came right up to the doors of the hotel entrance, were there within minutes of our calling, were polite and had nice clean cars.
It was a huge time savings and in our case my husband has very bad knees and it saved a tremendous amount of walking.
I feel if you are going to blow 11$ on a beer, 8$ for a ride is nothing!
Your last line hits the nail on the head for me. People don’t even blink at spending that much money on a drink, but won’t pay for transportation since Disney provides it for “free.” Well, free isn’t so free when it takes an extra hour. Vacation time *is* money.
Great tips about Uber! We were there a few weeks ago in September for our “Disneymoon” and used Uber to get from All Star Music to Universal for around $15 one way. It was super easy! They picked us right up in the taxi/shuttle circle at the hotel! They were also very prompt. I think we waited less than 10 minutes each time.
For our Disney Park days we used Disney buses and noticed the screens for bus arrival times too. They seemed pretty accurate! I hope they integrate this into the app soon too!
Thanks so much! Going to WDW and Universal in May and just trying to plan ahead. We’re staying at Port Orleans Riverside and wanting to do two days at Universal. I was planning to get the Universal ticket that includes roundtrip transportation to/from Disney hotels, but it still seems pretty expensive to me ($700+ for park tickets for two people, two days). Are familiar with that service and would you recommend Uber above it?
Uber is going to be around $30-40 for roundtrip transportation (total), so yes, I’d stick with Uber and standard Universal tickets.
We took an Uber from the Swan and Dolphin Food and Wine Classic back to our resort, which was the best thing we did all trip. Our only other option was to take the bus (or boat) to a park, and then take a bus from that park to our resort (taking 45 minutes to an hour I’m sure), but instead we paid $6 for an Uber that showed up 3 minutes after we requested it, and drove us directly to our resort. Perfect! Best money I spent all trip.
Thanks for this information. Do you know how many passengers Uber can accommodate. We are a family of five wanting to go from the Poly to Discovery Cove and back? Thanks.
You should probably go with UberXL instead of UberX.
Also, kudos for referencing “The Keeper of the Bridge of Death”. Uber driver’s should bone up on the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow.
Pretty sure that’s included in the Uber Driving Test. If not, it should be.
Those boards are at all resorts now, I think. I saw them at at least 3, including an All Star, on my recent trip. And they all seemed to be accurate
If I may vote, more details on French Quarter soon. We’ll be there in a matter of weeks and we’ve never been to Disney. I would love to know what to expect.
About how much were you paying each way (before surge pricing) for Uber to Universal? Staying at Pop Century next month and trying to decide between Uber and Mears shuttle (for 2 people). Thanks
We paid $13-14 each way from POR when my husband and I went to Universal a couple times in the spring.
Would the hassle at the gate at epcot be negated by us having an AP? We have 8am breakfast in future world so Beach Club International gateway is not a good option
I am very excited about the LED transportation screens! Thanks for posting that. I am in complete agreement about linking it with the app. That has to be coming soon! Great update! Keep up the great work Tom!
Thanks for the info. I have been coming to Disney World from Toronto Canada quite often lately but have always used Disney transportation while here. Our biggest concern has always been “but we can’t go to church on sunday without a car” and never even thought of Uber as an option. Cab fares from Disney Resorts to a local church always seemed so expensive just to go to church but that was the only option offered to us by the concierge desk. Can uber pick up from a Disney Resort or do we have to walk to the gate to meet the driver? We have stayed at Saratoga Springs, Animal Kingdom Lodge and Pop Century over the years.
Which hotel was the first photo under “Hotels” taken at? It looks great!
That is the one bedroom villa at the Wilderness Lodge.
So you recommend taking Uber from MCO to my hotel rather than ME but they don’t allow pickups at MCO…what do you recommend? I rarely fly to FL (drive) so I’m not familiar with the area to walk somewhere. Going in December, staying at Boardwalk.
plsese clean up
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board walks resorts
This feels like an obvious question, but reading through past transportation discussions I am still not 100% sure – are you just taking Uber between one park and a hotel (or other offsite location), or between parks? I’m going to Disney World in December and hoping to parkhop a little bit, and I’m not sure if Uber would be quicker than the Disney buses (I would say more reliable, but happily this update seems to indicate a little more reliability than before!).
Typically not between parks, just because that’s an unnecessary expense, and usually park-to-park isn’t that bad, especially Epcot <-> MK (monorail) or Epcot <-> DHS (boat, foot). We usually try to strategize so we’re using monorail or boat between the parks.
Awesome, thank you!
Thanks for re-reviewing French Quarter, planning on staying there in May, so hope we made the right choice.
Thank you!!!
Thanks for the updated Uber information, especially suggested drop off points.
No problem! The intersection drop-off is easier if you don’t have kids (and less of a hassle than going through Contempo’s security), but probably not advised if you have kids.