What Disney Fans Should Know about Ridesharing in Orlando Right Now
Okay, let me be clear at the start. What we’re about to discuss seems trivial relative to the cause of the matter.
Yes, gas prices have increased in this country. Another country has performed an unlawful invasion and accidentally tanked its own economy in the process.
For this reason, nobody else will purchase anything from them, including oil.
This behavior has led to a surge in gas prices. No, the prices didn’t have to go up. Oil companies are using this situation to turn a huge profit. Yes, that’s gross.
Anyway, the point is that events far beyond any of our control have spiked the cost of gas. And the fallout from that could impact your next Disney visit.
Here’s what you should know about ridesharing in Orlando right now.
The Basics
You’re likely to use a service like Uber or Lyft at some point during your Walt Disney World trip.
Yes, Disney offers free transportation once you’re on the Disney campus. But, unfortunately, that won’t help you when you’re flying into Orlando International Airport.
You must make your way from the airport to your Disney hotel. So, you may use ridesharing at this point.
Similarly, you’ll sometimes need to go from Point A to Point B quickly. Sadly, Disney transportation, while reliable enough, isn’t time-sensitive.
You never really know when a bus or boat will arrive. Disney posts expected arrival times at some bus depots, and My Disney Experience lists the information at some hotels. Everything is guesswork, though.
When you’re late for a dinner reservation or a show like Cirque du Soleil, you cannot wait. So you seek a ride that will get to you in a matter of minutes.
Also, some people don’t like to wait in general. Therefore, they may view Disney transportation as superfluous and choose to use ridesharing regularly.
Yes, you will pay more during your Disney vacation by adopting this approach. However, you’ll control your itinerary more with this strategy.
I should add that a smarter approach for such people might be a car rental… at least in theory.
In execution, parking at Disney comes with its own challenges. Also, it isn’t free everywhere. Finally, rental cars remain hard to come by as the pandemic winds down.
As such, I suspect that you’ll prefer ridesharing as your travel method for the Disney campus.
Ridesharing during Normal Times
Using Uber and Lyft around the Disney campus isn’t challenging. In truth, it works the same way as ridesharing anywhere else in the country.
You’ll download the appropriate app and then signal when you need a ride.
At that point, potluck comes into play. Of course, some drivers are better than others, but that’s beyond your control during your next visit.
You can and should favorite drivers you prefer, as you could use them again during later vacations.
Like everyone else, I’ve had some good drivers and some that I’m surprised haven’t gotten permanently lost in the woods.
A good driver is someone who arrives promptly, makes small talk when you want, leaves you alone when you don’t, and supplies you with water, snacks, and USB chargers.
Yes, you may need to pay extra for the water and snacks, but it’s an optional choice. The good ones have the supplies on hand in case you need them.
A bad driver is someone who doesn’t show up on time, talks too much/too little, acts like they hate you, and/or gets lost.
We once had a former military officer who delighted us with his stories and knew his way around Orlando like he’d lived there all his life.
Our scheduled driver never showed up on another occasion but billed us anyway.
Four months later, we got randomly assigned the same person, and they did it again. Ridesharing isn’t perfect, my friends.
The Cost of Ridesharing
Something I love about ridesharing services is that you can find calculators for all the major ones.
Some third-party ones are sometimes more honest, but I’m lazy enough that I usually just use Uber’s site.
A quick calculation notifies me that a trip from Orlando International Airport to my hotel could cost as little as $38. For a family needing a car seat, it’d be $68.
Lyft prices start at $60 and go up dramatically from there, which meshes with my experiences. Lyft usually costs more than Uber.
Both services offer various options like UberX, UberXL, UberBlack, Lyft, Lyft XL, and Lux. So, you can find the price and amenities to match your needs.
The one thing you should know if you don’t already is that mileage matters. You’ll pay more for a 10-mile trip than you will for a 5-mile one.
I would hope that’s common sense, but I’ve seen some people act surprised about that.
This topic is also why ridesharing is such a vital subject at the moment.
About Ridesharing Right Now
The gig economy can be brutal at times. For instance, imagine that you’re an Uber or Lyft driver.
Good news! You're able to pick up Uber and Lyft at MCO, and we've now improved signage to help you get to the right spot. Look for new "Ride App Pickup" signs on level 2 (baggage claim) in Terminal A or B. Pick up spots are at each end of the curbs. 🚘 pic.twitter.com/utTwWS8Prr
— Orlando International Airport (@MCO) December 4, 2018
You spend all your workday driving people around. So, your primary work expenses are car maintenance and fuel.
If you didn’t know, car maintenance costs are through the roof right now due to supply shortages.
Now, gas has soared in price. In fact, one source indicates that prices have increased by 22 percent in just two weeks.
That means your driver is paying 22 percent more for that expense.
Please keep that in mind if you use DoorDash or Shipt or Uber or whatever. We should all be tipping more than usual at the moment.
Anyway, the increase in gas prices has caused some drivers to stop showing up for work. Their business model is less profitable right now.
For this reason, you may struggle more to snag a rideshare driver at the moment.
Also, you’ll pay more. Uber and Lyft both announced “temporary surcharges” on the price of a ride.
A recent Uber quote states, “We’ve been closely monitoring rising gas prices and their impact on our driver community.”
So, the company has added a surcharge of 55 cents (45 cents in some areas) for Uber and 45/35 cents for Uber Eats.
The company indicates that this money will go directly to drivers to help them overcome the surging gas prices.
Uber is doing the right thing, but rideshare users are the ones footing the bill. Please be aware of this during any upcoming Disney visits.
The situation is unlikely to change until matters in Eastern Europe resolve themselves, hopefully peacefully.