What is the advantage of Minnie van over Uber?

[AngiTN]

I;m confused on just How to call for a Minnie Van? I am older and don't have a smart phone. Can you still tell concierge or the valet service that you want a Minnie Van? This is the main reason we would not use Lyft, but have used regular cabs before with no complaints.
Thanks in advance

It's been my understanding that you must use Lyft app. But someone posted yesterday they were able to request one without the app by speaking to bell services (who I guess requested it for them?).'However, it didn't go well. They waited over 30 min and without the app, had no way to know that it was taking that long. They ended up leaving, with no way to cancel the ride. I don't think they are supposed to do it like that, which is why it didn't work right. You need to app to "lock" a car in to you and your location. If that makes sense.

 

[disneyseniors]

It's been my understanding that you must use Lyft app. But someone posted yesterday they were able to request one without the app by speaking to bell services (who I guess requested it for them?).'However, it didn't go well. They waited over 30 min and without the app, had no way to know that it was taking that long. They ended up leaving, with no way to cancel the ride. I don't think they are supposed to do it like that, which is why it didn't work right. You need to app to "lock" a car in to you and your location. If that makes sense.

Ah, now I understand I had a smart phone, but long story short, it broke down completely and I had to try and move Mt. Everest to get a refund or replacement, so I just got frustrated and decided to use my old flip phone for now!
I am going to get an ipod touch. I know you can get apps put on it, and I will try then.
Thanks for the information, Angi
by the way, we lived in Tennessee for about 12 years, and loved it. A beautiful place.

 

[JimMIA]

I;m confused on just How to call for a Minnie Van? I am older and don't have a smart phone. Can you still tell concierge or the valet service that you want a Minnie Van? This is the main reason we would not use Lyft, but have used regular cabs before with no complaints.
Thanks in advance

If you don't have a smart phone, you may be out of luck. I don't think there is any way to order a Minnie Van other than through the Lyft App. You can check with the CMs when you get there, but I think it has to be done through your smart phone.

 

[SaintsManiac]

They are only added automatically for guests of Deluxe resorts. Once the vehicle option is added to your Lyft account anyone can use it, no matter where you are staying (provided it's a Disney resort of course, not off site)
You can ask when you visit a Deluxe resort to have the service added to your Lyft app. They may or may not accommodate you. No harm in asking.

Do you know if this is case for a separate trip? We are staying at POP next month and want to use them again.

 

[AngiTN]

Do you know if this is case for a separate trip? We are staying at POP next month and want to use them again.

Not sure I know what you mean by "separate trip"
Do you mean you are going back for another trip after you've stayed at a participating resort? If so, yes. That's what I meant when I said, once the vehicle option is added as an option to your Lyft account you can use it no matter where you are staying. Same requirements as always though, it's only available for Disney resorts and parks (DS is included of course)

 

[SaintsManiac]

Not sure I know what you mean by "separate trip"
Do you mean you are going back for another trip after you've stayed at a participating resort? If so, yes. That's what I meant when I said, once the vehicle option is added as an option to your Lyft account you can use it no matter where you are staying. Same requirements as always though, it's only available for Disney resorts and parks (DS is included of course)

We used it at BC last month. Next month we are staying at POP. I was curious if we could request one from POP.

 

[AngiTN]

We used it at BC last month. Next month we are staying at POP. I was curious if we could request one from POP.

Yes, that's what I meant when I said, once the vehicle option is added to your Lyft account you can use it for all trips, doesn't matter where you are staying. As soon as Lyft app sees you are back on property, Minnie Van will return to the list of available vehicle options

 

[SaintsManiac]

Yes, that's what I meant when I said, once the vehicle option is added to your Lyft account you can use it for all trips, doesn't matter where you are staying. As soon as Lyft app sees you are back on property, Minnie Van will return to the list of available vehicle options

Awesome thank you

 

[JimMIA]

Yes, that's what I meant when I said, once the vehicle option is added to your Lyft account you can use it for all trips, doesn't matter where you are staying. As soon as Lyft app sees you are back on property, Minnie Van will return to the list of available vehicle options

At some point, Disney will wake up and discover that not only are MVs being used by guests not staying in Deluxe resorts, they're being used by people staying offsite for travel between Disney facilities.

Lyft doesn't care; they're getting paid no matter who uses the service. But Disney will get tired of complaints caused by excess demand on their small fleet, and will look for some fix...which I suspect would be pretty simple.

 

[AngiTN]

At some point, Disney will wake up and discover that not only are MVs being used by guests not staying in Deluxe resorts, they're being used by people staying offsite for travel between Disney facilities.

Lyft doesn't care; they're getting paid no matter who uses the service. But Disney will get tired of complaints caused by excess demand on their small fleet, and will look for some fix...which I suspect would be pretty simple.

Of course Lyft doesn't care, they aren't in charge of it at all, they are simply the go between.
Disney doesn't want it to be ONLY guests at Deluxe resorts. Nor is it going to be limited to those guests forever. They have ordered more vehicles and will expand to additional resorts. I don't foresee any changes to remove the service from those who have had it added to their accounts. I only see it expanding. They want it for all guests eventually, not fewer.
I can't imagine a huge number of off site guests are using it as they can only have it added manually by bell services. That is very easy to control by having bell services say No when asked. But for on site guests, I can't imagine they are going to limit them much at all. Not once it is on their account. Not as they continue to expand.

 

[JimMIA]

I can't imagine a huge number of off site guests are using it as they can only have it added manually by bell services. That is very easy to control by having bell services say No when asked. But for on site guests, I can't imagine they are going to limit them much at all. Not once it is on their account. Not as they continue to expand.

Right, and guests won't park in the DS area and ride the free buses to avoid Disney parking fees -- because they read it here on the DIS -- either. lol.

 

[AngiTN]

Right, and guests won't park in the DS area and ride the free buses to avoid Disney parking fees -- because they read it here on the DIS -- either. lol.

I'm not sure what one has to do with the other. Using Minnie Vans doesn't avoid parking fees

 

[SL6827]

I'm not sure what one has to do with the other. Using Minnie Vans doesn't avoid parking fees

I think that poster was just trying to be sarcastic as to what guest will do. I guess, I don't know for sure? But I didn't know that "for the moment" that Disney was only wanting guest at Deluxe resorts to use the service, or am I wrong? I was thinking that they would care less who used it as long as they got paid. But since they have limited capabilities right now, they are trying to roll out the service in "stages"? I know you are pretty much on top of all this transportation stuff, so I know you know what you are talking about.

 

[AngiTN]

I think that poster was just trying to be sarcastic as to what guest will do. I guess, I don't know for sure? But I didn't know that "for the moment" that Disney was only wanting guest at Deluxe resorts to use the service, or am I wrong? I was thinking that they would care less who used it as long as they got paid. But since they have limited capabilities right now, they are trying to roll out the service in "stages"? I know you are pretty much on top of all this transportation stuff, so I know you know what you are talking about.

No, I am by no means an expert, that's for certain. But yes, they are trying to roll out in stages and it really is all quite logical. They don't want to overtax the service, though I think you can question if they have succeeded in doing that or not.
In their attempt to keep the number of guests who have access to the service "easily" at a limited number they are rolling it out slowly.
Adding them a few resorts at a time, as they thought the service could handle it.
Where they went wrong, so to speak, was giving Bell Services the leeway to add the service upon request, as they saw fit, to guests who weren't guests of participating resorts. This may have added to the service being over taxed. Who knows, since no one can really say how many guests were added manually who wouldn't have otherwise qualified to have it. If that makes sense. I do know that sometimes Bell Services said no, they were unable to add it and sometimes they said yes. My best guess (again using logic) was maybe they had an allotment of how many manual, non-guest authorizations they can give out per day? One possible explanation for why sometimes they would, sometimes they wouldn't.

I did talk with a driver (several actually) during my 2nd stay after Minnie Vans started, about using it when we weren't staying at the participating resort and the drivers did tell me that once you have the service activated it was no problem to use at all. They want the service used. Used means it isn't going away. They want it to stick around, expand. Cars are ordered. A permanent staging area is being added (right now they have temp trailers in a parking lot). They intend to add a stop for the Minnie Vans to each bus depot at each park (like it is at MK at stop 11), so there is consistency.

I think where I and the PP disagree is there aren't going to be large numbers of off site guests who are going to Bell Services to ask to have the service added to their Lyft account. Some sure, but not a large enough number that they are going to be a huge drain on the service. Because what advantage would they gain in doing that? It's $20 a pop for them to use it. That isn't a cost savings for anyone over parking their car somewhere

 

[SL6827]

Do you tip the Minnie Van drivers, because if you are not allowed to I don't see that big of a difference in cost right now. (because we always tip our drivers, no matter who they drive for) But when/if there ever becomes a nice size difference in the cost of Uber and the Minnie Vans and Disney were to see a decline in their service, will they ban Uber at some point? Just wondering I guess.

 

[AngiTN]

No, you don't tip Minnie Van drivers.
There's been a few mixed reports of some drivers accepting tips but they aren't "supposed to" accept them. They are working in a non-tipped position. They do use the honor system though, since they aren't watched/monitored so some have been accepting the tips, some have been turning them down.
The app will allow you to include a tip, as it will for any Lyft ride but the drivers don't get those tips like they will with other Lyft rides (per drivers)
And no, Disney is not going to ban all Uber or Lyft from property because they have Minnie Vans. Remember, Minnie Vans can't go off property. Unless they plan to ban off property guests (which is absurd, they aren't going to do that) they aren't going to ban Uber. I mean, can you imagine the back lash if someone drove themselves home to Disney, drank too much and because Uber or regular Lyft was banned drove home and had an accident. They then told media "I'd have used Uber to go home but Disney wouldn't allow them on site". Not a valid excuse of course but one someone would give and still horrible press. So no, they'll never ban them.

 

[SL6827]

No, you don't tip Minnie Van drivers.
There's been a few mixed reports of some drivers accepting tips but they aren't "supposed to" accept them. They are working in a non-tipped position. They do use the honor system though, since they aren't watched/monitored so some have been accepting the tips, some have been turning them down.
The app will allow you to include a tip, as it will for any Lyft ride but the drivers don't get those tips like they will with other Lyft rides (per drivers)
And no, Disney is not going to ban all Uber or Lyft from property because they have Minnie Vans. Remember, Minnie Vans can't go off property. Unless they plan to ban off property guests (which is absurd, they aren't going to do that) they aren't going to ban Uber. I mean, can you imagine the back lash if someone drove themselves home to Disney, drank too much and because Uber or regular Lyft was banned drove home and had an accident. They then told media "I'd have used Uber to go home but Disney wouldn't allow them on site". Not a valid excuse of course but one someone would give and still horrible press. So no, they'll never ban them.

Good point. You always have the right answer and I'm like, why didn't I think of that! Lol.

 

[JimMIA]

I wasn't being sarcastic above. I was just pointing out that folks love to try to find workarounds for limitations that any system puts on them. They have been disruptive to Disney's bus system to a degree, and have generated a lot of complaints in the past. I no longer own DVC, so I'm not current on how big a problem it is today, but at one time it was a common complaint.

It also wouldn't take much to create a problem with the MV system. They already have numerous instances where no vans are available. We see those reports almost daily here. We've always known that scaling MV would be the biggest problem, and anything that creates unintended demand will aggravate that problem.

*****
On the other question, NO, Disney won't bar Uber and Lyft from their property.

First, I think there is a legal question about whether they could even legally bar them from WDW. I know all the arguments about private property, but barring the rideshares would clearly fly in the face of the new law just passed by the legislature a few months ago. Disney has lawyers, Uber and Lyft have lawyers, and all of them would make tons of money -- but that's not a fight anybody wants to have.

The main reason Disney would never bar Uber/Lyft is that they bring thousands of offsite visitors to WDW every single day. And at the end of the day, they take them back to their offsite lodgings. Disney has absolutely nothing to gain by trying to interfere with that flow of guests. The Mouse may be wild and crazy, but he ain't stoopid!

 

[scrapquitler]

Seems like it would be more expensive and can't think of any advantage. Planning to use one or the other this trip. Never used either of them.

I think the main advantage is that they have the two car seat/booster seats. If you UBER and request a car with a carseat, it's a carseat, not a booster, and only one.

 

[Nole95]

Curious if you can schedule a Minnie Van in advance through the app. If I knew I wanted to be picked up at 8am at BCV on a certain day, could I schedule that the evening before or even right when I woke up in the morning? Or is it first come first serve on the app?