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!
does anyone know if the same uber app is used worldwide? I am from the UK and use uber all the time, but was wondering if i would need to download another app when using uber in orlando in March??
I’m from the UK too; it’s the same app worldwide.
Family of 4 with 2 being small children. Do they usually let an adult sit in the front seat and 3 in the back? Or do we have to do the XL?
Yes, an adult may sit in the front seat. I think it’s polite to ask the driver first, but there’s no “rule” against it, and we regularly do this to accommodate 5 in an uberX.
I used Lyft to go to the airport, and the driver picked us up in his Ford 150 truck. So we threw all the luggage in the back, and I got in front with the driver, and my two daughters (15 and 24) and husband got in the backseat of his cab. We were all comfortable and driver was great. So, if you think about doing Lyft, they have room for 4 passengers plus luggage in their vehicles. I only rode twice so far, but the other one drove an SUV, so we sat the same way, with all luggage fitting in back. The only thing I’m wondering is do more people drive for Lyft with trucks and SUVs, which is fine by me, or Uber? I ask because if I don’t have to break down my wheelchair every time and can throw it in the back of a truck, i’d rather do that.
I see that Uber is on WDW property… any signs of Lyft being out there yet? In SoCal it’s our preferred ride service as we seem to get a better pick of drivers than with Uber.
We have never used Uber. Going to WDW in June. Have made reservations for ‘Learn to Surf’ in Typhoon Lagoon but it is at 5.40am! What time would you suggest that we call Uber at to get to Typhoon Lagoon for possibly 5.25am.? Would you think that they would be operating at that time? We are staying at The Beach Club. Another quick question- what is the approximate price from MCO to Disney World (The Contemporary, we’re doing a split stay). Thanks for all your hard work
Do you know what the limit is on the number of passengers? We typically do Disney as a party of 7. Probably we’d need two cars, yes?
Thanks!
Uber offers an “XL” option, but that maxes out at six riders, so your best bet is two cars.
An Anaheim Uber story: Last year, we stopped off in Anaheim for a couple of days on our way out to Japan. We were staying near Disneyland because that was the focus of our full day there but, we decided to take an Uber out to Warner Brothers Studios to do the batman tour on the half-day of our arrival.
All the way out, we had a wonderful chat with out Uber driver. When we got to Warner Bros. I wanted to take a picture… only to discover that I had left my phone in the Uber car that had just driven away. My PHONE. The phone with our plane tickets to Japan, our hotel confirmation, all of our tour confirmations… gone with the Uber! It was like that moment in a cartoon when the character looks down and realizes they’ve run off the edge of the cliff and they’re not standing on anything.
I used my husband’s phone to log into my Uber account. I contacted Uber and told them what happened and they immediately put me in contact with my Uber driver who happily agreed to bring me my phone at the Grand Californian that evening. I have never been so relieved in my life as I was when our Uber driver pulled up that evening. She was so sweet about it, I tipped her more than what our original ride had cost to thank her.
I know from experience that leaving something in a cab means it’s gone. At best, you might get it back when they mail it to you next month. With Uber, I got my phone back same-day and it saved my vacation.
Where is the Universal drop off point? No matter what I type into the cost calculator, it either can’t find or tries to send me to Universal in California.
Just beyond the parking structure. I’ve never had that issue with the actual app–whenever I type in “Universal Orlando Resort” as the destination, it goes to the right spot. Maybe the cost calculator just REALLY thinks you want to visit California?! 😉
Is there any way to get the drop off closer to the park entrances, like at Citywalk or one of the nearby hotels? I’m going to try it out but have difficulty walking around, so I will be using a small ECV, and packing it into the Uber or Lyft driver’s trunk. Or is there no way to avoid that mess where the security is? You have to be dropped at parking garage? There’s no passenger drop off area, like at Magic Mtn or Disneyland, where you’re right next to the ticket gates?
Another tip: as long as your travel companions have their own phone and credit card, you can chain sign up to get multiple bonus rides:
1) PersonA signs up using Tom’s code above, he gets $15
2) Person B signs up using PersonA’s code (they can find it within the app), both PersonA and PersonB get $15
3) repeat for as many adults you have in your party.
Great tip–I’ve gone back to include that in the original post. (Although I’d personally prefer that everyone in the party just use my code, for obvious reasons. 😉 )
My wife & I constantly use Uber at our home in Southern California and love it. San Diego, Palm Springs, Anaheim, everywhere……it works fantastic.
However, we’ve noticed the standards aren’t quite as high for Uber drivers in the Orlando area. On several occasions drivers have spoken very little if any English, and seemed to have difficulty following directions to the locations.
You didn’t seem to have these problems.
Have we just had terrible luck??
I also live in and use Uber extensively in SoCal, and can confirm that the driver demo is much different out here. I’ve never had issues with drivers in Orlando speaking very little English (I have had that issue with taxi drivers), but it seems like it’s mostly retired guys and people who do Uber out of boredom here (lots of luxury vehicles, even at the UberX level).
Orlando is more representative of Uber as a whole than is California, in my experience.
I have a pre-park opening ADR at Magic Kingdom. Staying at Carribean Beach. Since I haven’t been to DisneyWorld since the year Epcot opened :O , I’m pretty nervous about getting around. Was planning to rely heavily on Uber! Any thoughts on how early I should plan to call for the Uber to CB to get to MK before 8? Thanks!!!
7:15 a.m. is what I’d do.
Thanks very much!
Thanks so much for the update to your original uber article Tom. I raised a transportation issue on your forums last week (Hilton Lake Beuna Vista to Orlando) and after being directed to your original article we’re convinced that as intrepid Aussies the uber option is certainly better for us. Having read the updated article I’m even more convinced that instead of booking expensive transfers we’re actually going to uber from MCO on arrival to the Hilton as well as from Pop Century to Port Canaveral for our cruise!! Thanks so so much for putting our mind at ease and giving us a cost effective option without the hassles of navigating, driving and parking a hire car.
Anyone know bout cost & use of Uber from Sanford airport?
Karolyn,
If you download the Uber App or go to the Uber website, you can do a fare estimate. i just did this for Sanford to WDW and it was $48-61 for Uberx.
How early would you suggest getting picked up to go from Saratoga Springs to Universal Orlando for opening?
Given that you have to go through security, walk to the front, etc., I’d do 45 minutes to an hour, depending on season and how safe you want to play it.
Your posts on this subject have convinced my husband that we should use Uber instead of renting a car for the day when we travel from the Boardwalk to Universal Studios. Thanks!
Yeah, that one would be a no-brainer for me. Cost of rental car, plus gas, plus parking will far outweigh the cost of Uber. Plus, you don’t have to waste time picking up the car and dropping it off.
Any suggestions for downtown Disney uber pickup?
For Disney Springs, we either go to the taxi stand or walk to one of the nearby hotels depending upon where we are when we want to leave. A couple of those hotels are like a 5 minute walk, and with construction ongoing at Disney Springs, that can make the whole process a lot easier.
I love all your hard work on this site. Hard work being a relative term…. Regarding Uber vs. Taxi companies, the primary thing you are overlooking is that taxi companies are forced to pay regulatory fees miles beyond that of Uber per vehicle, and this disparity certainly does seem highly unfair. It is about money, but Uber has an unreasonable cost advantage. Sure their technology is way better than no technology at all from the standard taxi company, but the playing field should be leveled.
You’re exactly right. Hence my comment: “There are countless articles you can find via Google on the aforementioned political and legal battles. As a consumer, the only pertinent concerns are whether Uber safe, efficient, and less expensive.”
As a consumer, it behooves me to choose the service offering the most value for my money. Irrespective of the reasons for that, that’s Uber.
With that said, I agree that the playing field should be level because ultimately someone is subsidizing Uber’s “fair share” of regulatory fees, but it disadvantages me to take my business elsewhere in light of that consideration.
You’re going to hence me?? Just kidding. All fair points. I guess my only counter (and I have no taxi affiliation or family affiliation) is that you say uber is cheaper because it is more efficient – not 100% true. They are cheaper because they are more efficient and skirt commercial and (soon to be argued) labor laws. I am an Uber user as well, but the public should know that uber isn’t winning just because they have the technology piece figured out. They’re winning because of all the previous reasons and also because they are losing money like crazy. Seriously, though, I love your website.
Haha, very fair points. Can’t ‘hence’ you on any of that! 😉
I would also recommend Lyft. I prefer Lyft over Uber (I like that you can tip in app and that their corporate privacy policies are more respectable.) Also used them to get from Celebration to the Swan on NYE and left my purse – their customer service got back to me in minutes and I had my purse back within an hour. They’re also not big on surge pricing which Uber can be at times. Let me know if you’d like a referral code for a ride next time you’re on this coast!
The thing for me with Lyft is availability. They haven’t permeated the market as well as Lyft, so pickup times always seem to be longer. For an impatient person like me, that’s a big deal. I tried Lyft a few times in SoCal and once in Orlando, but ultimately ended up deleting the app. Maybe I should test again to see if things have gotten better.
Great to hear about the purse! We left a backpack in the trunk of an Uber car on this last trip when we got to the airport, and I was able to call the driver and she was back within 10 minutes. Our hearts sank when we realized we left the bag behind, because we figured it would take a couple of hours to get back…and we didn’t have that kind of time at the airport.
Would you be willing to share the work around for Uber X at MCO? Appreciate all of your help – this was a fantastic blog as we love Uber! We have found it so useful on all of our trips around the world but have not yet used it at Disney. Have a great day!
The easiest option is to take a hotel or rental car shuttle, and then request the Uber from there. This is what we typically do.
The most convenient option is to drop the pin right outside the airport in a location that *clearly* isn’t where a spot where a pick-up would normally occur, and then IMMEDIATELY call the driver once they accept to tell them you’re actually at the airport, and to see if they will do the pick-up, telling them you totally understand if they won’t. Most know the game, and know where you *really* are when you drop that pin in the middle of nowhere, but you want to give them the option anyway, as they can get a ticket at the airport.
When we have done this, we’ve done the pickup from the departures drop-off area (instead of arrivals), too.
What is the cost for UberX from MCO to Disney Resorts?
Thanks for the comparison. Do you, or anyone else, know how things work with Uber for kids needing car seats? Or is that not an option?
You do need car seats in the state of Florida. We have a 4 and 7 year old. We used Uber when we went to Disneyland last fall and I bought 2 Bubble bum car seats (inflatable- but legal- I bought mine on Amazon but show-roomed it at a local big box store). When deflated the 2 fit in the bottom of my umbrella stroller with room to spare for water bottles, snacks and purchases. I will be bringing them for our upcoming WDW-DCL vacation too!
I had the same question during a recent trip, and found information here: http://www.dmv.org/fl-florida/safety-laws.php
Unless I am interpreting it incorrectly, only children under the age of 5 are required by law to have a car seat in FL. The last two times we have been to WDW (in November and December), my child was 6 and 7 and we did not use a car seat while using Uber.
This is not to say that your personal preference may be to use a car sear for your child’s additional safety, but unless they are 5 or younger, they are not required to have one. If your child does require one (or you want to use one), a friend of mine took a booster seat to WDW and strapped it in quickly when they used Uber (with three different drivers). If you are unsure though, I would email the Uber customer service and ask them. I have contacted them several times and they have been very helpful!
I wonder how Uber would be if you are doing a cruise after your stay at WDW? Disney offers transportation from the resorts to the port, and from the port back to the airport after the cruise for I think $70 per person round trip. I wonder if Uber would be cheaper, especially considering a family of 4 could come to $280 round-trip with Disney?
I would venture for that cost you might just want to get a private car hire with a towncar or limo company, especially if you have luggage for 4.
The other issue is how many drivers would want to take a potentially long ride out there when you may not have much demand for a return fare?
I looked into this this summer. You can Uber from WDW to Port Canaveral, but Uber isn’t officially in Port Canaveral yet, so getting back might be iffy. (I ready that there were some drivers over there, so you might get lucky.) Instead of paying Disney rates, we did a 1-way rental from Alamo at Port Canaveral to the location in the Swan/Dolphin. It cost ~$40 after tax – cheaper and faster than Disney transporation.