The popular Minnie Van transportation service at the Walt Disney World Resort is celebrating a major milestone of 1 million guests magically transported!
To celebrate, Disney has just announced that Lyft is now the official rideshare of Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort and that new enhancements will be added to the Walt Disney World Resort service as early as this fall.
This fall, Lyft and Disney will be enhancing the app experience at the Walt Disney World Resort. The update will make it easier to request a Minnie Van ride, find the most convenient pickup location, and even select a wheelchair accessible vehicle.
Have you guys compared price differences between Lyft and Uber? That would be great info!
Last year we were staying at Old Key West and the buses to the Magic Kingdom were not running on time and there was a huge backup of guests waiting for an MK bus. I used the Lyft app to contact a regular Lyft driver, not a Minnie Van. The driver was there within 5 minutes and the cost to the MK was only $7. I don’t think you can get in a Minnie Van for $7. He could not drop us off where the Minnie Vans do, but he dropped us in the Contemporary/BLT Resort parking lot so we could take the walkway to MK. Worked out better because the security line was shorted on the walkway from the resort.
I wonder if Disney does any additional vetting in terms of the drivers. Both Uber and Lyft are notorious for having creepers as drivers, especially if you are a woman traveling alone. They also do very little if you report bad drivers or a bad experience. A friend of mine had her driver keep the doors locked until she gave him her phone number. Completely random and they had barely talked at all during the ride. She was understandably shaken and I was angry to no end when Uber wanted “proof” it happened. Please be vigilant and travel with someone else if you plan on using a service like this. Literally ANYONE can be a driver.
Minnie Van drivers are actual cast members, so they go through all the vetting a normal cast member goes through and actually, extra vetting. During my latest college program, I went to an introductory class on the role, and they actually required a minimum of three years driving, while Lyft and Uber do not have a minimum.
I used standard Lyft drivers multiple times during my most recent stay and had great experiences with all of them. A couple had Disney music loops going on Pandora, the conversation was pleasant, and they knew where they were going. One driver even remarked he had over 3,000 trips on property since he started driving. I’ve heard horror stories about Uber around WDW though!