There is a guide to using the ride-sharing company at Disney World.
Would you use a ride-sharing service at Disney World instead of renting a car?I used ride sharing services for transportation to Universal, from the airport, and to the Magic Kingdom and other parks after abandoning my rental car.
For those not familiar with ride sharing services, they are essentially nicer alternatives to taxis that allow users to request rides via robust mobile apps.The apps show drivers in your vicinity, anticipate pick-up time, and have other features.I don't understand why they are called ride sharing, as you pay for the rides, and the driver is doing this as a full or part time job.They have both exploded in popularity in the last couple of years and have proven to be market disrupters that have wrecked havoc for taxi companies.This will be relevant later in the post.
The idea was inspired by a comment in my recent post about renting a car at Disney World.I have never been a big fan of renting a car at Disney World, as I enjoy the "escapist" experience of simply relying on Disney transportation, so I immediately jumped at the idea.
I already had a quote from AutoSlash, and they had scored me a good price on an economy car for the duration of my trip, which was a pretty good deal.I wasn't sure if I could beat this by using an app, but I figured if it was in the same area, I would use one instead of the other.With my CarRentals CarRentals canceled, I was off to MCO with both apps loaded in my phone.Dun dun dun!
Is this an economical or convenient alternative to renting a car or using Disney transportation?Let's look at it!
There was a rocky start to my experiment.I used a third party website to calculate the cost of some fares to make sure I wasn't going to lose my shirt on this plan, and one of the routes I checked was the airport to my Disney Springs hotel.
One of the places where ride sharing battles take place is in the state of Florida.It is no surprise that they are trying to keep ride-sharing services out of the area.If you don't pay high fees and get terrible service, what fun is transportation in Orlando?
When I arrived at the airport, I was told that they couldn't do airport pickups.I was worried about the message because I knew that a cab from the airport to Disney World could cost $60 or more.
With the prospect of going to the parks on the table, I quickly jumped into MacGruber mode, and found a way to destroy this bomb by taking an off-site parking shuttle to a random spot outside the airport.Within 5 minutes, I had a ride.
I was told by my driver that if you don't want to go the parking shuttle route, you can drop your pin at the airport, request a driver, and then call and let them know you're there.The best way to pick up is at the departures area.Most drivers will do this, although some won't.YMMV.
My driver took me to my hotel in 18 minutes for a total cost of $16.01.Not bad for a 14.6 mile drive from the airport, and even with the parking shuttle my total time spent on this was around 35 minutes, making it faster than a normal Disney's Magical Express ride and comparable to getting a rental car.Had I dropped the pin at the airport, it would have taken about 25 minutes.
My plan for the trip was to use a hybrid approach of relying on both Disney and Uber, and I was successful in doing so.When it was a midday hour, which is when I feel Disney transportation is most unpredictable and least efficient, I would use the ride-sharing service.
I used the ride-sharing service 4 times for a total of $38.03.It cost $12.57 to get from Caribbean Beach Resort to the Contemporary one morning.
Several readers have asked about the best way to get to early morning classes and I think this is worth mentioning.If you want to go through the Ticket & Transportation Center, you need to specify the Contemporary.It felt like the bus would be a hassle on other rides.
Over the course of these random tips, I learned that it is a good practice to call your driver and let them know where you are.This is important for a number of reasons.Sometimes the driver's map can be wrong, and they might take them to the wrong place.
Even if there is no issue with the route, it might be difficult for them to tell the specific spot at the resort where you are located unless you call and tell them.There are some drivers who don't know the ins and outs of Walt Disney World's transportation grid.It wasn't an issue for us as our drivers always called us if there was any confusion, but you might want to be proactive so they arrive as quickly as possible.
I played it a bit conservative and used it less than once a day.I used to walk across the street from the Disney Springs bus stops to get to the first bus to show the Crescent Lake Resorts, and I was able to grab a bus on a couple of occasions.
The shops on Main Street are open until about an hour after the park closes, which means the buses are parked there waiting for me at the end of the night.There was no one else on the bus when I took Disney'sMagical Express back to the airport.I only had one airport charge.
I am an outlier because my use of Disney's transportation in these situations isn't what the average guest will experience.For the sake of discussion, let's say an average guest would have used the service 4 times for a total cost of $40 more.
Surge pricing is one of the things to consider if you are an average guest trying to figure out how much you will spend.When demand is high to get more drivers on the road, pricing increases by 1.5 to 2x.At rush hour and as the parks close, demand is highest at Walt Disney World.Surge pricing can be paid if these are the primary travel times.It's still cheaper than a taxi.
Traveling from Walt Disney World to Universal Orlando Resort was the greatest case for both companies.This is a question we get a lot.Renting a car on-site for the day is the best option for those who don't have a rental car.It's not cost-effective or appealing when you add on the parking fee.
The cost for the ride-sharing service from Caribbean Beach Resort to Universal Orlando Resort in the morning was 14.31.The cost on the way back was more than double what it was during rush hour.Both trips took 19 and 26 minutes.
For the two of us, it was $30, and it would have easily cost $50-$100 for a 1-day rental car (including parking) or shuttle, plus either alternative would take longer.If you don't want to rent a car for the duration of your trip, you can get from Walt Disney World to Universal.
I had my best experience with transportation at Walt Disney World in ages, after spending $84.27.Even removing my special circumstances from the equation and spending another $40-60, a normal guest still would have come out ahead by using the ride-sharing service instead of a rental car.
I found the additional upside to be efficiency and convenience.Sometimes it feels like taking a swan pedal boat might be faster than a Disney bus.In terms of service, it was perfect.In order to make the experience positive for riders, drivers go the extra mile.Some taxis complain when you try to pay with a credit card instead of cash.
There is no one answer for the best means of transportation around Walt Disney World.To supplement Disney transportation or to replace a rental car is an ideal option for me, until Launchpad invites me to fly on his private plane.
I was able to save money on a rental car and not worry about driving.Even though I still had to deal with Disney transportation, my issues and delays were very minimal.The added upside was that I didn't have to worry about getting lost, finding a parking spot, or driving at the end of a long day.
If you are new to the scene, you can get a free ride up to $20 if you sign up via this link.It is a good option for a long ride if you do not use all of the great on your first ride.Don't use it to get to the Polynesian.You should walk between the two.
Are you planning on going to Disney World?The Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page is a good place to start learning more about hotels.You can find restaurant reviews for the Walt Disney World.If you want to save money on tickets or determine which type you should get, read our Tips for Saving Money on Disney World Tickets post.The post "What to Pack for Disney Trips" looks at unconventional things you should take on your trip.The Walt Disney World "Ride Guides" are great for determining what to do and when at the parks.The best place to start is with our comprehensive Walt Disney World trip planning guide.
Do you still prefer the freedom of a rental car over using a ride-sharing service at Disney World?Would you pay $9 to avoid a long wait at a bus stop?Do you know any other ways to use ride hailing services at Disney World?If you have any questions or thoughts, please post them in the comments.
//!"0bb744f8-e16f-4cfa-af9f- 73aec7a2b9ee" is written by Tom Bricker.
//!"0bb744f8-e16f-4cfa-af9f- 73aec7a2b9ee" is written by Tom Bricker.
A family of 6 are going to Disney World in July and have one day at Universal.Is it still going to be the most cost effective way to get around?The Old Key West Resort is where we are staying.
Where will they pick you up?Can you tell me if the resort is close to my room?
We have early am breakfast at magic kingdom and would like to save time by using lyft.Can they drop you off in front of the park?Saving time going to transportation area parking.Where would we return to after we're done?
They meet you at the transportation center.Thanks for the information!I wonder if there is anything that prevents someone else from jumping in your ride.I got a ride-sharing service after a concert and there were about twenty four-door sedans.
The driver's name is being given with their picture.The type of car they drive has a picture of what it looks like and their license plate number.
The driver's picture is given to you.The type of car they drive has a picture of what it looks like and their license plate number.
The cost of my ride was $35 and $38, including tips.Trips to and from the parks were all over the place.If you want to drive over to Keynes in the morning, you have to pay for gas, maintenance, and their time, since they get less than 50% of the fare.If you are a Mr Pink, I don't recommend taking the ride-sharing service.
It took me right to where I was going if I waited more than 5 minutes for a car.I did not have to park at the back end of the lot and walk for ten minutes to get to the park.It was easy to walk from the drop-off to the hotel.I didn't have to schedule an hour for transportation when I got to the park.Getting home at the end of the night is the same thing as door to door service.There is a parking lot.
Surge pricing is when everyone wants a ride, which is not EMH or the end of the night.I didn't see surge pricing, but the dates of my stay at the park were always full.
Mr Pink is a person who doesn't tip.When given as a tip, the $2 that buys you half of a bottled water in the park may serve you better.
We are going for a 2.5 day trip.This article is the perfect information I needed right now.We are staying at a Disney Springs hotel that does not have a bus system that I know nothing about.Thanks a lot for this helpful info!
This alternative will save even more money now that WDW has begun charging resort guests parking.
We are driving from Texas to Florida.What would be cheaper, parking or ride sharing?I am aware of Disney charges like 24 or parking.The website fare was calculated at 15 per trip.How much more or less is the surge charge for Disney?
I've been to Disney World parks twice in the last few years and used both services as my main mode of transportation.You don't have to deal with parking and there are convenient pick-up/drop off locations for ride share services at the parks.The cost for using ride share services was less than if I had used a taxi.
You can get your first ride free with these discount codes.Both services should be options.There is a discount code for Lyft.
I hired Flitways taxi a few days ago after living in NYC for several years.They take a reasonable price for your rides.The driver was very professional.I liked Flitways taxi services.