Everthing you wanted to know about Uber/Lyft at WDW

[LynnTH]

Yes, it's just regular UberX or UberXL now, and the same for Lyft. Uber & Lyft pick up on level 2, outside the baggage claim.

Taxis pick up on level 1. I think you can still get black cars thru Uber, as well; they also pick up on Level 1.

Oh good. That will work great than. Thanks.

 

[JimMIA]

The airport queue is a little bit looser. Uber has said there are times when a driver dropping off a rider at the airport will get a return rider without going into the queue; I really don't understand how that works.

I don't understand how it works either, but it's a beautiful thing when it happens!

Also at the airport, at busy times Uber (and possibly Lyft as well) will send drivers from the staging area towards the terminal, hoping that a request comes in before they get there. If one doesn't, I think the driver is supposed to head back to the staging area, and they stay at the top of the queue.

That's correct, although I've never had it happen with Lyft. But then, I almost never get a Lyft airport ride anyway. As a rule, I don't wait in airport queues.

 

[JimMIA]

I think you can still get black cars thru Uber, as well; they also pick up on Level 1.

I think it's Select. I don't believe they have UberBlack anywhere in Florida. You guys have Select; we have Lux and LuxSUV, but they're not necessarily black.

 

[joelkfla]

I think it's Select. I don't believe they have UberBlack anywhere in Florida. You guys have Select; we have Lux and LuxSUV, but they're not necessarily black.

Yeah, I was just using black cars in the generic sense of limos. I'm pretty sure it's limited to fully permitted professional drivers for OIA pickups.

 

[psac]

Any issues getting an Uber or Lyft at MCO at midnight or a little after? Our flight tomorrow got cancelled and they put us on one getting in at midnight, plus the luggage time and all that good stuff.

Thanks!

 

[JimMIA]

Any issues getting an Uber or Lyft at MCO at midnight or a little after? Our flight tomorrow got cancelled and they put us on one getting in at midnight, plus the luggage time and all that good stuff.

Thanks!

I don't think you'll have any problem. Saturday night at midnight should be prime time for Uber/Lyft drivers, so I'm sure there will be someone in the staging lot.

 

[psac]

I don't think you'll have any problem. Saturday night at midnight should be prime time for Uber/Lyft drivers, so I'm sure there will be someone in the staging lot.

I assumed that, but good to hear! Thanks!!

 

[hsmamato2]

Yes, it's just regular UberX or UberXL now, and the same for Lyft. Uber & Lyft pick up on level 2, outside the baggage claim.

Taxis pick up on level 1. I think you can still get black cars thru Uber, as well; they also pick up on Level 1.

so... to my other questions a while back..... is Uber phasing out carseats? How much trouble do you think we'd have at say 10:30-11 pm on a Friday night from Mco-Dolphin,requesting uber x with carseat? (total 5 people plus suitcases) and what level,level 2?(baggage claim level?) I'm getting concerned about the carseat option... or would we be needing uberxl with carseat???/ I'm so confused

 

[AngiTN]

so... to my other questions a while back..... is Uber phasing out carseats? How much trouble do you think we'd have at say 10:30-11 pm on a Friday night from Mco-Dolphin,requesting uber x with carseat? (total 5 people plus suitcases) and what level,level 2?(baggage claim level?) I'm getting concerned about the carseat option... or would we be needing uberxl with carseat???/ I'm so confused

Uber is not phasing out car seats exactly. They just are not signing up any more. Those with them can continue. No clue how hard they are to find. You can always test for yourself by getting on the app at the time you plan to arrive, put the pin at MCO and look at availably.

Yes they pick up on the same level as baggage claim

 

[joelkfla]

(total 5 people plus suitcases) and what level,level 2?(baggage claim level?) I'm getting concerned about the carseat option... or would we be needing uberxl with carseat???/ I'm so confused

Yes, it is likely that 5 people with luggage will not fit in an UberX with car seat. You should request an UberXL with car seat.

Yes, UberX & UberXL pick up on Level 2 at MCO.

I don't know about current availability. As Angi suggested, you can go into the Uber app on your phone from home at about 30 minutes after your flight is scheduled to arrive, enter the destination & pickup, and see what the availability is without actually hitting the Request button.

 

[hsmamato2]

Yes, it is likely that 5 people with luggage will not fit in an UberX with car seat. You should request an UberXL with car seat.

Yes, UberX & UberXL pick up on Level 2 at MCO.

I don't know about current availability. As Angi suggested, you can go into the Uber app on your phone from home at about 30 minutes after your flight is scheduled to arrive, enter the destination & pickup, and see what the availability is without actually hitting the Request button.

so we can check the app for availability before we leave,which at least 3 hours before? what will it show without a request?

 

[FCDub]

It will show you car availability at that exact moment, so you can gauge how soon a car might arrive when you actually need it.

 

[AngiTN]

so we can check the app for availability before we leave,which at least 3 hours before? what will it show without a request?

I would even go so far as to check the same day and time that you will arrive, if you can
For example, if your flight is due in on a Tuesday at 6:00 then on a Tuesday at about 6:30 open the app, move your pick up on to MCO and switch car type to XL with car seat. See how many cars show. It isn't perfect but should give you a general idea of what will be around when you arrive

 

[JimMIA]

so... to my other questions a while back..... is Uber phasing out carseats? How much trouble do you think we'd have at say 10:30-11 pm on a Friday night from Mco-Dolphin,requesting uber x with carseat? (total 5 people plus suitcases) and what level,level 2?(baggage claim level?) I'm getting concerned about the carseat option... or would we be needing uberxl with carseat???/ I'm so confused

UberX is any 4-door car with 5 seatbelts and the capacity is 1-4 passengers. It could be my Buick Enclave SUV, or it could be a Prius.

If you order X for 5 passengers, the most likely outcome is that the driver will cancel because too many passengers were present, and you will be charged a $5 cancellation fee.

You will need an XL...at a minimum.

I don't drive the Orlando market, but if I did and I had an XL vehicle with a carseat, I would focus on daytime arrivals at MCO-- not late night arrivals.

You might get lucky, and others can tell you better than I -- but to me, an XL w/carseat at 11 PM sounds like a very low percentage possibility. In fact, ANY Uber with a car seat sounds pretty unlikely to me at that hour. It's just not "family prime time."

Four adults and a child, plus suitcases, also strikes me as a maybe-not.

My last Lyft ride today was 3 adults and cruise luggage. They ordered LyftPlus (same as XL) and fit fine, but we would not have been able to accommodate them if there was another adult. They travel a lot, but they do NOT travel light!

When my family travels (2 adults and DD15 with luggage) we take XL to and from the airports.

For your group, my plan would be as follows:

• Take your own car seat/booster. It will simplify your life.
• Plan for two Ubers
  • one Uber XL
  • one UberX
• order the Uber XL first, and if you all fit -- great!
• if you don't fit, order an additional X (you will need an additional Uber account; can't order two cars on one account at the same time), and split your party
• If the Uber plan fails, take a full-sized van, like SuperShuttle or the Mears vans, etc. You will be much more comfortable...and safer. (also compare the price of this option to the UberXL + UberX option -- this might be an attractive option in your particular case.)

Good luck, and have a great trip!

 

[hsmamato2]

UberX is any 4-door car with 5 seatbelts and the capacity is 1-4 passengers. It could be my Buick Enclave SUV, or it could be a Prius.

If you order X for 5 passengers, the most likely outcome is that the driver will cancel because too many passengers were present, and you will be charged a $5 cancellation fee.

You will need an XL...at a minimum.

I don't drive the Orlando market, but if I did and I had an XL vehicle with a carseat, I would focus on daytime arrivals at MCO-- not late night arrivals.

You might get lucky, and others can tell you better than I -- but to me, an XL w/carseat at 11 PM sounds like a very low percentage possibility. In fact, ANY Uber with a car seat sounds pretty unlikely to me at that hour. It's just not "family prime time."

Four adults and a child, plus suitcases, also strikes me as a maybe-not.

My last Lyft ride today was 3 adults and cruise luggage. They ordered LyftPlus (same as XL) and fit fine, but we would not have been able to accommodate them if there was another adult. They travel a lot, but they do NOT travel light!

When my family travels (2 adults and DD15 with luggage) we take XL to and from the airports.

For your group, my plan would be as follows:

• Take your own car seat/booster. It will simplify your life.
• Plan for two Ubers
  • one Uber XL
  • one UberX
• order the Uber XL first, and if you all fit -- great!
• if you don't fit, order an additional X (you will need an additional Uber account; can't order two cars on one account at the same time), and split your party
• If the Uber plan fails, take a full-sized van, like SuperShuttle or the Mears vans, etc. You will be much more comfortable...and safer. (also compare the price of this option to the UberXL + UberX option -- this might be an attractive option in your particular case.)

Good luck, and have a great trip!

thanks for the detail...this is just what I was concerned about! SInce we're looking for a fam with a 5 yo and a 1.5 yo, we were hoping to NOT bring the 1.5 yo car seat along and just use the uber+car seat option. But flight gets in around 10-10:30 pm. This is actually my bro's family,and they were planning on bringing a booster for the 5yo....urggg.... to any and all here reading this, what's the best option to get to Dolphin? (I feel guilty b/c I assured them it would be simple to grab an uber to get there ,I've never dealt with the carseat thing)

 

[kaytieeldr]

Mears.

 

[hsmamato2]

Mears.

thank you all for the info! I appreciate it- I'm going to tell him to either book Mears (and call and ask about carseats etc) Or he can book a one way car to hotel and rent a carseat for an extra $10 for baby. ANother question- odds of getting an uberxl with carseat from Dolphin back to MCO on a sunday morning around 8 am? Or should he just forget the Uber idea for that trip too?

 

[joelkfla]

thanks for the detail...this is just what I was concerned about! SInce we're looking for a fam with a 5 yo and a 1.5 yo, we were hoping to NOT bring the 1.5 yo car seat along and just use the uber+car seat option. But flight gets in around 10-10:30 pm. This is actually my bro's family,and they were planning on bringing a booster for the 5yo....urggg.... to any and all here reading this, what's the best option to get to Dolphin? (I feel guilty b/c I assured them it would be simple to grab an uber to get there ,I've never dealt with the carseat thing)

Again, you should download the Uber app, go into it at 11pm Eastern time on the same day of the week you plan to arrive, and see if UberXL's with car seats are available. You may find it's not a problem.

Other options include the Mears shuttle, which is essentially the paid version of ME. Car seats are not required on the motor coaches. They might substitute vans at times; I don't know whether car seats are required in the vans.

I noticed on the Mears site that you can request a car seat when you make an advance reservation for one of their limos. Go to mearstransportation.com for info, and call them for details about what kind of vehicle could accommodate your family and the availability of car seats.

Many taxi drivers have car seats. Some people have expressed concern, though, about the cleanliness and condition of them. I think taxi vans, which you would need for 5 riders, are especially likely to have a car seat. Taxi vans charge the same fare as regular taxis in Orlando.

 

[candeeapril]

We plan on taking at uberxl to port canaveral, can we book it the night before or just do it that morning?

 

[JimMIA]

We plan on taking at uberxl to port canaveral, can we book it the night before or just do it that morning?

Don't bother trying to pre-schedule.

"Scheduling" only really means one thing: your ride gets calendared to be dispatched to all Uber drivers 15-20 minutes or so prior to your requested pickup time. If the driver who accepts the ride is right there (and they may well be), the most likely outcome is that you get hit with a $10 cancellation fee and have to start all over.

For a ride like that, you could just order the ride whenever you are ready to load up and go. The drivers should receive a "Long Trip Notification" that your ride request is a 45+ minutes, but they won't know where you are headed.

If I were you, I would download UZURV and use that service to schedule that ride. A long ride like that, requiring XL, is exactly what UZURV is designed to facilitate. I'd do the scheduling the day before.

With that service (which I think will cost you $3), the driver will know your pickup location, your dropoff destination, times, distance, etc. So there will be no surprises. There is also the ability to offer some "incentive" for the driver to take your request -- like $3 to cover their UZURV fee, or more if you don't get positive responses quickly..

Drivers indicate their interest in your ride, and then you have the ability to review each of their driver profiles to learn more about them, what kind of car they have, etc. Don't jump at the first driver who responds. Take your time and choose. Then you select a driver and coordinate with them. There are also meaningful consequences for drivers not showing up as scheduled, so there is some protection there.

Just be sure your ride is conducted through the Uber app. Cash rides are illegal under Florida law, and you would also be riding with zero insurance. Using the Uber app, you have $1 million insurance coverage as required by Florida law.