Everthing you wanted to know about Uber/Lyft at WDW

[JimMIA]

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[cepmom]

Hi All - heading to Disney next week and will not have a rental car. We will need to use some kind of transport to get from our hotel (Beach Club Villas) to the ESPN Wide World of Sports for daughter's dance competition. My other daughter wants to use the Minnie Van service $20 flat rate because she's worried about the safety of Uber. I have never used Uber and can not speak to safety etc. On one day we will need to use it 4 times ($80!). From hotel to WWoS for comp, from WWOS to DS for lunch, back to WWoS after lunch for more comp. and to BCV at the end of the day. I would rather consider Uber as I think it may be cheaper ( I know fares can not be discussed) Just asking as to the safety of Uber drivers as I have never used Uber and really don't know anything about it. Thoughts?

 

[AngiTN]

Hi All - heading to Disney next week and will not have a rental car. We will need to use some kind of transport to get from our hotel (Beach Club Villas) to the ESPN Wide World of Sports for daughter's dance competition. My other daughter wants to use the Minnie Van service $20 flat rate because she's worried about the safety of Uber. I have never used Uber and can not speak to safety etc. On one day we will need to use it 4 times ($80!). From hotel to WWoS for comp, from WWOS to DS for lunch, back to WWoS after lunch for more comp. and to BCV at the end of the day. I would rather consider Uber as I think it may be cheaper ( I know fares can not be discussed) Just asking as to the safety of Uber drivers as I have never used Uber and really don't know anything about it. Thoughts?

Uber is 100% as safe as Minnie Van. I would, and do, use it without any hesitation what so ever.

 

[cepmom]

Uber is 100% as safe as Minnie Van. I would, and do, use it without any hesitation what so ever.

thank you so much, I really appreciate your input!! I will download the app and see how the price compares once we are there. We will need XL as we will be 5/6 people most of the time. Thoughts on a young female adult using Uber alone at @430-445 am? My 20 yr old daughter that dances is not flying home with her team; she is spending the last day with us and has been told by her coach she needs to vacate the hotel room when the team does (430 am) and take a taxi to my hotel so she isn't "alone" (idk...the coach is crazy and a big witch lol ) anyway daughter tells she will Uber but the mom in me thinks a young female shouldn't Uber alone (or taxi for that matter)

 

[AngiTN]

thank you so much, I really appreciate your input!! I will download the app and see how the price compares once we are there. We will need XL as we will be 5/6 people most of the time. Thoughts on a young female adult using Uber alone at @430-445 am? My 20 yr old daughter that dances is not flying home with her team; she is spending the last day with us and has been told by her coach she needs to vacate the hotel room when the team does (430 am) and take a taxi to my hotel so she isn't "alone" (idk...the coach is crazy and a big witch lol ) anyway daughter tells she will Uber but the mom in me thinks a young female shouldn't Uber alone (or taxi for that matter)

My young female DD used it alone just last week, to go to the airport. DH and I were already off to Disney and she was flying off a totally different direction and didn't want to have her car at the airport for a week so she used Uber to go from the house to the airport.

I've used it alone with DD and DGD any number of times also, at all hours.

Besides, you stand as good a chance getting a female driver as you do a male. I know we have had just as many of both.

 

[FCDub]

https://ride.guru can show you prices for Uber/Lyft/cab etc.

 

[cepmom]

https://ride.guru can show you prices for Uber/Lyft/cab etc.

thank you!

 

[KMarston]

We took Uber with car seat from Poly to AoA last March (a lifesaver I might add not to have to trek back to MK bus stop) and the driver said that at that time there were only 2 drivers working the area who had car seats. Anyone know if that has increased? Taking our grandson soon and would love to depend on Uber car seat!

 

[joelkfla]

We took Uber with car seat from Poly to AoA last March (a lifesaver I might add not to have to trek back to MK bus stop) and the driver said that at that time there were only 2 drivers working the area who had car seats. Anyone know if that has increased? Taking our grandson soon and would love to depend on Uber car seat!

Uber has stopped adding drivers with car seats, so I would expect the number to gradually be decreasing rather than increasing.

Checking right now, I see a 15 minute wait for X with car seat; I can see 4 vehicles in the WDW area on the map.

 

[KMarston]

Uber has stopped adding drivers with car seats, so I would expect the number to gradually be decreasing rather than increasing.

Checking right now, I see a 15 minute wait for X with car seat; I can see 4 vehicles in the WDW area on the map.

Thanks very much for checking! Hopefully we will be lucky enough to find one with a fifteen wait! It seems that having a car seat would be popular! I didn't realize Uber added or took them away. Thought it was just the driver's choice.

 

[joelkfla]

Thanks very much for checking! Hopefully we will be lucky enough to find one with a fifteen wait! It seems that having a car seat would be popular! I didn't realize Uber added or took them away. Thought it was just the driver's choice.

The driver needs to complete a waiver, affirm that they know how to use the seat, send Uber a picture of the seat's expiration date, etc. Uber has just stopped accepting all that from any more drivers.

 

[Wubar]

That news of Uber no longer accepting driver applications with car seats is disappointing, if not also unusual. Aren't rates almost double for cars with car seats, and you would think there would be plenty of families with a young child who would use Uber if they could (it's Disney, tons of families in attendance)! After all, you could just store the car seat in the trunk if not needed, correct? I would look to use them, since I can't use the Minnie Vans, but if the number of Uber XLs with car seats is decreasing, I may not get that chance....

 

[Best Aunt]

That news of Uber no longer accepting driver applications with car seats is disappointing, if not also unusual. Aren't rates almost double for cars with car seats, and you would think there would be plenty of families with a young child who would use Uber if they could (it's Disney, tons of families in attendance)! After all, you could just store the car seat in the trunk if not needed, correct? I would look to use them, since I can't use the Minnie Vans, but if the number of Uber XLs with car seats is decreasing, I may not get that chance....

I don't know, I don't have a kid - how long does it take to put a car seat in and take a car seat out? And where would the driver be pulling over to do that? Seems like it would be a pain in the neck. If the driver gets passengers without kids and it's in the trunk, it's taking up space in the trunk so that limits luggage. If the driver gets passengers without kids and it's set up, that cuts down on the number of passengers who can fit in the car. If I were a driver and I wouldn't make the money I had in mind just doing rides with the car seat in, I might not want to have a car seat at all.

 

[JimMIA]

That news of Uber no longer accepting driver applications with car seats is disappointing, if not also unusual. Aren't rates almost double for cars with car seats, and you would think there would be plenty of families with a young child who would use Uber if they could (it's Disney, tons of families in attendance)! After all, you could just store the car seat in the trunk if not needed, correct? I would look to use them, since I can't use the Minnie Vans, but if the number of Uber XLs with car seats is decreasing, I may not get that chance....

I don't think the rates are anywhere near double, except maybe for a minimum fare ride. There is an additional fee, but I'm not sure what it is.

I'm sure Uber looked at the use of car seats and decided on balance that it wasn't worth doing. I'm sure there was a lot of administrative hassle with the program, and probably a declining number of drivers who were interested. Lyft has never offered car seats in their vehicles, nor do taxis, and I've never heard of Uber offering car seats in any other market.

A driver could store a car seat in their trunk, but it would be taking up valuable luggage space for something the driver probably uses only occasionally.

I suspect car seats was one of those ideas that sounded good in some meeting, but just didn't work out in real life.

 

[joelkfla]

That news of Uber no longer accepting driver applications with car seats is disappointing, if not also unusual. Aren't rates almost double for cars with car seats, and you would think there would be plenty of families with a young child who would use Uber if they could (it's Disney, tons of families in attendance)! After all, you could just store the car seat in the trunk if not needed, correct? I would look to use them, since I can't use the Minnie Vans, but if the number of Uber XLs with car seats is decreasing, I may not get that chance....

Uber never made it easy for drivers to sign up for car seats. First, the driver had to buy the car seat at their own cost from a list of a dozen or so deemed acceptable by Uber; the cheapest is around $125. The driver only gets $6 extra for a car seat ride, so it takes more than 20 rides just to break even.

Second, the driver had to sign a document that they had received training in how to install the seat (who receives training in how to use a car seat?), that they had installed and removed it something like 20 times (before accepting the first ride), and that they could install it within a ridiculously short time limit. Then there was the waiver saying Uber and it's insurance company had no responsibility if a child was injured. And consider that Uber only accepts child seat requests in the tourist corridor between Universal & Disney, and from the airport; it was useless anywhere else in the Orlando area. The car seat takes up a big chunk of space in the trunk, which cuts into luggage space for airport rides.

When Uber first piloted Uber Family in NYC, Uber supplied the car seat, and trained and certified the drivers. By the time it arrived in Orlando, all the burdens had shifted onto the drivers' shoulders.

I suspect that the small number of drivers signing up for it caused Uber to decide it wasn't worth the administrative effort to keep it going.

 

[KMarston]

Uber never made it easy for drivers to sign up for car seats. First, the driver had to buy the car seat at their own cost from a list of a dozen or so deemed acceptable by Uber; the cheapest is around $125. The driver only gets $6 extra for a car seat ride, so it takes more than 20 rides just to break even.

Second, the driver had to sign a document that they had received training in how to install the seat (who receives training in how to use a car seat?), that they had installed and removed it something like 20 times (before accepting the first ride), and that they could install it within a ridiculously short time limit. Then there was the waiver saying Uber and it's insurance company had no responsibility if a child was injured. And consider that Uber only accepts child seat requests in the tourist corridor between Universal & Disney, and from the airport; it was useless anywhere else in the Orlando area. The car seat takes up a big chunk of space in the trunk, which cuts into luggage space for airport rides.

When Uber first piloted Uber Family in NYC, Uber supplied the car seat, and trained and certified the drivers. By the time it arrived in Orlando, all the burdens had shifted onto the drivers' shoulders.

I suspect that the small number of drivers signing up for it caused Uber to decide it wasn't worth the administrative effort to keep it going.

That makes a lot of sense. Hadn't thought about the administrative costs involved. When we took it from Poly to AoA, the car seat was installed in the Grand Caravan and the driver hopped out and threw our stroller in the back. He actually said at one point he had carried two but didn't any longer. Fee was 22.00 and I tipped the guy $20.

It would have been much easier to fly this trip but keeping up with a two year old, luggage AND a car seat in the airport sounded worse than a 7 hour drive with a two year old. It just seems that there would be such a market for it, like with the Minnie vans. I'd have easily paid double on a bad knee day! Thanks for spelling out the hassle involved. It's understandable how much of an inconvenience it would be.

 

[AngiTN]

That makes a lot of sense. Hadn't thought about the administrative costs involved. When we took it from Poly to AoA, the car seat was installed in the Grand Caravan and the driver hopped out and threw our stroller in the back. He actually said at one point he had carried two but didn't any longer. Fee was 22.00 and I tipped the guy $20.

It would have been much easier to fly this trip but keeping up with a two year old, luggage AND a car seat in the airport sounded worse than a 7 hour drive with a two year old. It just seems that there would be such a market for it, like with the Minnie vans. I'd have easily paid double on a bad knee day! Thanks for spelling out the hassle involved. It's understandable how much of an inconvenience it would be.

And a factor will be Minnie Vans, as they expand, it will be cheaper to use than the ride you reference. Little to no one will be using Uber Family when they can use a Minnie Van for flat rate, and have 2 car seats offered.

The drivers have all told us they have ordered more vehicles and will expand. And many guests do have good luck with requesting the service to be activated even when not a guest of a participating resort so a guest from AoA who is at Poly can get the service activated while at Poly. Though that is not 100% at this time.

 

[JimMIA]

I'm sure liability is also a big issue for Uber with child seats.

They can draw up all the legal mumbo-jumbo waivers they want between them and the driver, but those are not binding on the riders. Besides, Uber is charging a FEE for this service. I believe they charge the customer $8 and pay the driver $6. You can't sell something and then claim that some legal gymnastics that don't involve the injured party exempt you from all liability. I'm sure a good personal injury attorney would laugh those waivers right out of court.

In addition, Florida's new rideshare law requires a $1 million insurance policy be in effect for all rides. That law was not in effect when Uber started this program, but it's been effective since July 1, 2017, and I can't imagine a court allowing some piece of paper between a driver and Uber to exempt them from state law.

Legally, I think this issue is similar to the issue of unaccompanied minors being transported. That's prohibited by both the Uber driver terms of service and the riders' terms of service (and it's illegal in some states). Lots of jailhouse lawyers on social media will tell you those TOS prohibitions mean any minors transported are not covered by insurance. But Uber's insurance company, James River, says naw...everybody's covered, no matter what the TOS's say.

 

[JimMIA]

My other daughter wants to use the Minnie Van service $20 flat rate because she's worried about the safety of Uber.

I want to come back to this safety concern, because it is so important -- especially for new users of rideshare services.

First of all, Uber/Lyft drivers and the Minnie Van drivers both have to meet Florida's pretty stringent background investigation requirements, which include 5-6 major local, state, and federal criminal history checks, Homeland Security watch list checks, complete driving record review, etc, etc, etc. I'm a retired law enforcement officer, and I can tell you that it's a pretty darn extensive background check.

Secondly, it may help to know that your trip is actually double-tracked by GPS from start, to finish, and for a few minutes after completion of the ride. All of the driver's movements are tracked through their Driver's app. All of the passengers movements are tracked simultaneously through their Rider app -- so there is actually double coverage of your ride. That is exactly the same system that is used to track Minnie Van rides, because Minnie Vans use the Lyft app and the same tracking is part of that.

There are a number of other safety features built into the apps. With Uber and Lyft, you will receive the driver's first name, a vehicle description including tag number, and a photograph of the driver's face. In some markets, you may also receive a photo of the car picking you up -- either a photo of the actual car, or a stock photo showing the make and model of the car.

The driver's photo is the biggest safety key, and Uber periodically has us take a new picture which is then verified with Uber's facial recognition program to be sure that the person behind the wheel actually is the authorized driver. We're not permitted to go online until we are verified. The picture shown on your rider app is the most current photo we've taken.

Lyft (and therefore Minnie Van) does not do that periodic check, but they do provide photos. And of course, the Minnie Van driver is a Disney employee, and I assume they carry Disney ID.

You should also ASK the driver's name. Don't ask, "Is your name Jim," because the driver might just say yes. ASK "What is your name?". In a perfect world, the driver will also ASK your name and will confirm your destination.

To me, the current photo of the driver and the automatic ride tracking make rideshare more safe than many other options.

 

[Kaytie]

and you would think there would be plenty of families with a young child who would use Uber if they could (it's Disney, tons of families in attendance)!

But it wouldn't be feasible to have one type of service only in limited areas, especially since Lyft and Über operate internationally.

After all, you could just store the car seat in the trunk if not needed, correct?

Depends on the size of the trunk, and probably general needs.

nor do taxis, and I've never heard of Uber offering car seats in any other market.

I had a Lyft driver a couple of months ago who had a career at in the trunk. It could have just been his own, for his own child, but I just surmised he also drove for Über.