You’ve finished planning for your trip to Walt Disney World. Well, almost. You’re having trouble deciding how to manage the transportation process. Do you want to drive and have the freedom to go wherever, whenever you want? Should you take advantage of Walt Disney World’s elaborate transportation system? What about ridesharing – is that even an option?
Can you Uber to Disney World? You can use a rideshare service almost anywhere at Walt Disney World, though there are some restrictions at certain parts of the parks. If you want a more direct route between locations and want to avoid paying for parking at your resort and at the theme parks, ridesharing may just be a viable option for you.
Let’s look a little deeper at some of your options. By the end of this article, you will have a lot more information about your choices for getting to, from, and around Walt Disney World.
Can Uber (or Lyft) Drop You Off at the Magic Kingdom?
Let’s cover this one straight away.
Rideshares can’t take you directly to the Magic Kingdom, but they can drop you off at the transportation center. You will be able to take the ferry or the monorail to the Magic Kingdom from there.
Some have even suggested that you can have a rideshare service drop you off and pick you up at one of the premier property resorts (The Grand Floridian, The Contemporary, or The Polynesian). The resorts tend to frown upon this practice, however, and can make it challenging for non-guests. The transportation center is probably your best bet.
Can Uber (or Lyft) Drop You Off at Disney Springs?
Another area with some limitations as to where rideshares can pick you up is at Disney Springs (formerly Downtown Disney). Rideshares can pick up and drop off passengers at either end of Disney Springs – near the Cirque du Soleil building or behind the Disney Days of Christmas store in the Marketplace area.
Can Uber (or Lyft) Drop You Off at Coronado Springs Resort?
The third area that has some rideshare access limitations is at Coronado Springs Resort. You can have a car pick you up or drop you off at the main building, but the Casitas sections are off-limits.
All-in-all, these minor restrictions are very easy to work around.
Rideshare and Other Transportation Options in and Around Disney
You may find that one singular option isn’t in your best interest. Perhaps you want to have the flexibility to use a combination of various transportation methods. Here are a few:
Drive your own car
Some people prefer to do a family road-trip as part of their vacation experience. If you prefer to stick with what you know and want to take your own car, there are a few things to consider:
- Gasoline – This is a tourist town, and as such, usually has much higher gasoline prices than you may be used to.
- Tolls – If you’re not used to having change available for toll roads, make sure you stock up before you leave home. There are toll roads on the way to Disney, and you’ll be challenged to avoid them.
- Parking Fees – Many of the resorts, timeshares, and hotels charge a daily parking surcharge on top of your room rate. The daily fee amount varies based on where you stay.
- Parking Restrictions – Disney resorts/area hotels sometimes restrict parking to just people that are staying there
- Theme Parks Fees – Each theme park (including the Disney Transportation Center) charges a daily parking fee too. You’ll get a snazzy little ticket you can put in your scrapbook later in exchange for your fee, but you’ll have to decide if that’s really worth it.
Rent A Car
You can take everything we just discussed driving your own car, and then add the rental car fees on top of them. Granted, you can get some pretty good deals on the car fees in the off-season, and you won’t have to worry as much about vandalism because it should be covered by the extra insurance you’ll want to purchase.
Take Advantage of Disney’s extensive transportation system
Busses that go everywhere, monorail, water taxis, even sky gondolas. There are a lot of options when it comes to Disney transportation. The rub for people tends to come in when they want:
- A direct route – Just as you would experience on a city bus route, the Disney busses have a route they take too. Whether that be to all of the resorts, to the transportation center, and then to Disney Springs and then to a Theme Park…You get the picture. Patience, experiencing the journey, and enjoying the free ride are all your friends when you’re using Disney’s transportation.
- Crowding – There are certain times of the day – or of the year when you can count on very crowded buses and monorails. Again, if you’re used to this because you live in a major metropolitan area and use public transportation, then it may be no big deal.
If, on the other hand, you tend to get claustrophobic, learning to avoid the busses during the park opening, park closing, and after the parades, may be in your best interest.
Arrange for a taxi or car service
This is another option that can quickly add up. You also need to be careful that you are hiring a legitimate service that has been licensed and bonded in the Orlando area.
Use a rideshare service
If you like the idea of leaving the driving up to someone else, but don’t want to use your time seeing all of the Disney properties on the bus route, then ridesharing may be for you. With the exception of the areas we discussed above, ridesharing is allowed – even encouraged at Walt Disney World.
There are three options for you to consider:
Uber
Uber tends to be the most recognized name in the ridesharing game, so it’s typically the first name riders think of. Uber has three different levels of service available for its riders:
|
| UberX | UberXL | UberSelect |
|
| Seats Up To 4 | Seats Up To 6 | SUV/Van |
| Base Fare | $1.00 | $3.00 | $3.00 |
| Per Minute | $0.11 | $0.20 | $0.30 |
| Per Mile | $0.65 | $1.15 | $1.65 |
| Cancellation Fee | $5.00 | $5.00 | $10.00 |
| Service Fee | $1.85 | $1.85 | $1.85 |
Minnie Van
If you need a transportation option that includes car seats, this option run by Disney may be a good one for you. You can arrange for the Minnie Van service by using the Lyft app anywhere in the Walt Disney World Resort area. You can prearrange a pickup up-to 60 minutes in advance.
Lyft
Lyft is the other well-known rideshare service and since their app is used by Disney for their Minnie Van service, it has excellent benefits. Not only can you arrange for your Lyft driver via the app, but you can also indicate the exact building number where you’re located to help you and your driver locate one another.
When you arrange for your ride, you will receive your driver’s name, a photo of your driver, the make and model of their car, and the car’s license plate #. Safety first. Some drivers also have the colored LED Lyft Amp sign on their dash that will have your name on it.
There are five different levels available for Lyft rides:
|
| Lyft | Lyft Plus | Premier | LUX | LUX SUV |
|
| 4 Riders | 6 Riders | 6 Riders | 4 Riders | 6 Riders |
| Initial Cost | $1.15 | $3.00 | $3.00 | $7.75 | $12.00 |
| Service Fee | $3.20 | $3.20 | $2..70 | $2.70 | $2.70 |
| Price Per Minute |
$0.14 |
$0.20 |
$0.30 |
$0.71 |
$0.90 |
| Price Per Mile |
$0.82 |
$1.21 |
$1.71 |
$2.00 |
$3.40 |
| Minimum Fare |
$4.45 |
$6.20 |
$9.15 |
$15.75 |
$20.00 |
| Maximum Fare |
$400.00 |
$400.00 |
$400.00 |
$400.00 |
$400.00 |
| Cancellation Fee |
$5.00 |
$5.00 |
$10.00 |
$10.00 |
$10.00 |
Whatever transportation decisions you make, you now know that you have several options, including utilizing thewonderful world of ridesharing.
Enjoy your trip and take time to experience the magic!