Minnie Van Pricing Changed?

[PSM]

While doing research for our recent trip to Disney World, I had read that Minnie Vans cost a flat fee of $25 per trip to anywhere on property. I remember this being advertised when they first came out but has this policy changed recently?

I ask because we were staying at Art of Animation last week and had to use one to get four adults and a baby to Magic Kingdom. I expected the $25 price when I booked it through the Lyft app but the price was $39.14 (plus tip) to get there. I had to pay it because our plans for a breakfast reservation didn't figure in waiting in the huge line for the bus that morning, so I was disappointed that with tip it came to almost double the price I expected (and our driver was great, so I would have felt really guilty not tipping appropriately). But I certainly would have planned for the bus line if I had known it was going to cost that much for a quick ride to the Magic Kingdom to get to our reservation.

Just curious if I missed the news about a pricing change at some point. I had a lot of planning to do with 14 people involved in the trip, so I didn't have time to keep up with the finer details of every aspect over the past few months.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Minnie Van Service to move to distance based pricing and expanding to non-Disney hotels

Taking a ride in a Minnie Van will soon be priced accordingly to distance travelled.

www.wdwmagic.com

Dated 9/11/18

 

[PSM]

Minnie Van Service to move to distance based pricing and expanding to non-Disney hotels

Taking a ride in a Minnie Van will soon be priced accordingly to distance travelled.

www.wdwmagic.com

Dated 9/11/18

Ah, thanks. Guess I missed that change by quite a few months. At $25, that would be worth it for the type of situation we were in (special occasion reservations with groups, etc) but at the price we paid, it's just not worth it unless you have no other option. Over $40 one way from point A to B - both on Disney property - is the equivalent of a $3.50 bottle of water.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Ah, thanks. Guess I missed that change by quite a few months. At $25, that would be worth it for the type of situation we were in (special occasion reservations with groups, etc) but at the price we paid, it's just not worth it unless you have no other option. Over $40 one way from point A to B - both on Disney property - is the equivalent of a $3.50 bottle of water.

It all depends on how far you're going. Other trips would be less than the original $25. Art of Animation to the Magic Kingdom is crossing property from the Southeast edge to the far Northern corner.

Minnie Van is a decent value for my family because they have two car seats. Uber and Lyft can only ever guarantee single car seats and those are very expensive.

We still don't do it because I consider them unreliable. I've tried it twice and there were no cars available for us. If we had been counting on them with no backup plan, we would have been in a real bind.

 

[PSM]

It all depends on how far you're going. Other trips would be less than the original $25.

Minnie Van is a decent value for my family because they have two car seats. Uber and Lyft can only ever guarantee single car seats and those are very expensive.

We still don't do it because I consider them unreliable. I've tried it twice and there were no cars available for us. If we had been counting on them with no backup plan, we would have been in a real bind.

Yeah, it took a good 5-10 minutes from the time I confirmed my request until they found us a driver, and then we had to wait another ten or more for them to get there. It all took long enough that I started to get nervous that even with the Minnie van, I might have cut it too close with the reservations. It all worked out but with how many buses showed up for the long line to Magic Kingdom, we might have only added on another ten minutes or so going the bus option vs Minnie Van. So that's an expensive 10 minutes at $40+ just to get to Magic Kingdom from Art of Animation.

Oh well, live and learn.

 

[DeAtley]

It all depends on how far you're going. Other trips would be less than the original $25. Art of Animation to the Magic Kingdom is crossing property from the Southeast edge to the far Northern corner.

Minnie Van is a decent value for my family because they have two car seats. Uber and Lyft can only ever guarantee single car seats and those are very expensive.

We still don't do it because I consider them unreliable. I've tried it twice and there were no cars available for us. If we had been counting on them with no backup plan, we would have been in a real bind.

My family of 6, including 2 2.5 year olds requiring car seats, and a double stroller, tried Minnie van from Polynesian to Hollywood Studios. It was a disaster. After the driver struggled to get the car seats set up, and finally had one ready, he figured out the back door would not close with the double stroller folded up. He tried taking the wheels off the stroller. Spring went flying... Part of my family took the Minnie Van and part of took the bus. We were about an hour late for park opening arrival, the ride cost $36 plus tip, and the driver may have thought his constant commentary on the growing wait time for SDD was funny, but it was not. He suggested instead of booking through the app, book through the resort transportation desk, and requesting a larger vehicle. On the up side, guest services at HS gave us a free fast pass to the ride after verifying that my story was true, so we likely still saved time, despite the struggle.

Being a glutton for punishment, we tried to request a larger Minnie Van at the Polynesian, and found out they only allow families with wheel chair users to use their larger vans.

 

[PSM]

My family of 6, including 2 2.5 year olds requiring car seats, and a double stroller, tried Minnie van from Polynesian to Hollywood Studios. It was a disaster. After the driver struggled to get the car seats set up, and finally had one ready, he figured out the back door would not close with the double stroller folded up. He tried taking the wheels off the stroller. Spring went flying... Part of my family took the Minnie Van and part of took the bus. We were about an hour late for park opening arrival, the ride cost $36 plus tip, and the driver may have thought his constant commentary on the growing wait time for SDD was funny, but it was not. He suggested instead of booking through the app, book through the resort transportation desk, and requesting a larger vehicle. On the up side, guest services at HS gave us a free fast pass to the ride after verifying that my story was true, so we likely still saved time, despite the struggle.

Being a glutton for punishment, we tried to request a larger Minnie Van at the Polynesian, and found out they only allow families with wheel chair users to use their larger vans.

I'm glad they made it right. As someone who's never been on SDD and actually had a fast pass for it at one point while planning this trip - then had to give it up due to other scheduling limitations - I would have been really upset to miss it.

As far as the Minnie Vans go, I had a moment of panic during our experience when the driver opened the rear hatch to install the car seat because 1) we were pushing it time-wise to make our reservation and didn't know how long it would take her to set it up and 2) it really didn't look like there would be enough room behind that back seat for our stroller. We don't have a large stroller but there was VERY little room in the hatch area behind the back seat.

In the end, everything worked out but it was a tense hour or so for me from the moment I saw that huge bus line for Magic Kingdom until we actually had our full party ready to be seated at Crystal Palace.

 

[mkt]

When using Uber/Lyft at the park, I opt for the cheapest car that'll fit my group. The Minnie Vans are nice, but are not necessary.

 

[Muffinpants]

When using Uber/Lyft at the park, I opt for the cheapest car that'll fit my group. The Minnie Vans are nice, but are not necessary.

The only upside to minnie vans vs uber/reg lyft is that they are disney employees. Some people who do not use ride services other places might feel safer and more comfortable still being with a disney employee.

 

[PSM]

When using Uber/Lyft at the park, I opt for the cheapest car that'll fit my group. The Minnie Vans are nice, but are not necessary.

The only upside to minnie vans vs uber/reg lyft is that they are disney employees. Some people who do not use ride services other places might feel safer and more comfortable still being with a disney employee.

Do the regular Uber/Lyft vehicles (ie non-Minnie Vans) get to drop you off at the bus stop area at Magic Kingdom right near the gates? I didn't think that was the case, so being with a baby, his stroller, all his stuff, and trying to make a morning reservation right around park opening time, that seemed to be a huge benefit. But it would be good to know for next time.

 

[mkt]

Do the regular Uber/Lyft vehicles (ie non-Minnie Vans) get to drop you off at the bus stop area at Magic Kingdom right near the gates? I didn't think that was the case, so being with a baby, his stroller, all his stuff, and trying to make a morning reservation right around park opening time, that seemed to be a huge benefit. But it would be good to know for next time.

They don't, but they've dropped me off at the contemporary, and I walk over then.

 

[PSM]

They don't, but they've dropped me off at the contemporary, and I walk over then.

Good to know, thanks. If it's just adults heading to MK with no timeline in mind then that definitely makes sense to save money. Feels like I made the right choice for our situation at that time, though, even if it did cost extra.