Fido Chuckwagon
Well-Known Member
They need to train the drivers.
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News Walt Disney World's Minnie Van service confirmed to return summer 2022
- Thread starter wdwmagic
- Start date
nickys
Premium Member
Fido Chuckwagon
Well-Known Member
To use the back-end lyft system and make sure they understand how to pick up fares, report where they are. It also tests the system in general.To drive a minvan?
Not really the same as testing though, regardless.
castlecake2.0
Well-Known Member
Do you think Disney is just going to hand over car keys to a cast member and say have at? Working a popcorn cart usually has three days of on the job training, operating a vehicle on live roads with guests onboard probably weeks. They also need to test the operating systems and the vehicles themselves to make sure the entire service is ready for daily use. Not sure how that’s not considered testing.To drive a minvan?
Not really the same as testing though, regardless.
nickys
Premium Member
The operating systems aren’t new, are they? Unless like I say they’ve taken this in house.
I’d call it training not testing, that’s all I meant.
correcaminos
Well-Known Member
With Disney IT mixing in with requesting cars I'd call it testing too. With all the app updates since 2020 they need that aspect of testing.
- In the Parks
- No
Actually my only experience was in 2019, and we had the Magic Behind our Steam Train Tour....before park open so I scheduled a minnie van with lyft app.....it never came at we ended up getting a cab, which like you dropped us off at the TTC.....we about ran to get there in time. I hope that was just a fluke......
......walking through park empty was priceless, getting there was not.
Chip Chipperson
Well-Known Member
Actually my only experience was in 2019, and we had the Magic Behind our Steam Train Tour....before park open so I scheduled a minnie van with lyft app.....it never came at we ended up getting a cab, which like you dropped us off at the TTC.....we about ran to get there in time. I hope that was just a fluke......
Oof! I'd be sweating bullets (and probably cursing anyone involved with the Minnie Van/Lyft partnership) the entire time. I don't know how much that tour cost you, but knowing Disney prices I'm sure it was more than enough to keep you from caring about missing out - and potentially missing out because a Disney service failed to meet expectations would be the cherry on top of that s*** sundae. My nearly-missed reservation was just a Be Our Guest breakfast (which, had I realized the quality of the meal we'd get, I may have paid more to miss than I would to get there on time). I'm glad you made it.
cranbiz
Well-Known Member
By the time a bus driver is fully trained, you are looking at close to 6 months (2 weeks of CDL/Bus specific training and 3 weeks to a month at each hub). I can easily see a Minnie Van driver needing several months seeing as it is all onsite locations AND MCO. Could it be shortened, probably. I could see a few days to a week on the vehicle and processes and procedures, then a week of location training for each hub and MCO. So to fully train a Minnie Van CM, I wouldn't be comfortable with anything less than 6 weeks.To drive a minvan?
Not really the same as testing though, regardless.
It’s 8 days. MCO training is separate (and not all of drivers can/want to do it, so not all were trained on it), but I don’t know how long it is. Definitely not another 8 days though.
flynnibus
Premium Member
Bus drivers don't get to just follow the GPS on an app - Presumably the Minnie Drivers have a smart phone with GPS?
cranbiz
Well-Known Member
IMHO 8 days is a bit short on training and we all know how well GPS works on property.
I'm not against Minnie Vans. They certainly serve a purpose and fill badly needed void, even at the ridiculous cost. For that cost though, I want a highly trained, well vetted CM. To achieve that, I just don't feel that 8 days of training is enough.
I'm not against Minnie Vans. They certainly serve a purpose and fill badly needed void, even at the ridiculous cost. For that cost though, I want a highly trained, well vetted CM. To achieve that, I just don't feel that 8 days of training is enough.
What "badly needed void" do Minnie vans fill? Genuinely curious, as Disney provides in-resort transportation between all resorts and theme parks plus the Springs, transportation to/from Port Canaveral, and used to provide transportation to/from MCO (that was and is again filled by 3rd parties). If you're talking about resort-to-resort transportation, 3rd parties already provide this service.
Disney Begins Process of Rehiring for Minnie Van Service at Disney World
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blogmickey.com
Well, if it makes you feel any better, it’s one of the few front line positions you have to specifically interview for. You can’t just apply for a transfer, which in most roles is done by seniority.
The also won’t interview a person if they haven’t already been with the company for so much time.
In the interview, they ask you questions such as, “how would you get from Caribbean Beach to the Polynesian?” And they ask for the road names specifically. They also have every single hotel, attraction, restaurant, experience, etc, listed on individual pieces of paper in a bowl, and you are asked to draw them out at random and explain where that location is as well as what it is. (Seems easy until you realize even the lesser-known QS restaurants at the value resorts are included too).
Basically, they make sure you already HAVE most of the knowledge needed ahead of time. And obviously they ask you standard guest service related questions to make sure you are courteous, professional, and personable. And they ensure you have a clean driving record, of course. They don’t let just anyone drive the Minnie Vans.
As for the training itself, 1 of the days is dedicated entirely to the car seats, and another day is dedicated entirely to the ADA vehicles and procedures. The rest of the days are spent driving around to all the locations (which again, if you were hired into this role, you already know most of them already). There’s really not much more to it. The CMs themselves already know how to drive, you know?
I’m sorry you feel that 8 days is not enough. Have you had a driver in the past who was lacking in knowledge or service?
Andrew C
You know what's funny?
There are many that have more confidence in using mini-vans than a third party...and and certain cases, they provide more convenience (below for example). If there wasn't a demand to meet, there would be no point in bringing this service back.
TikibirdLand
Well-Known Member
Yet it uses a third-party app to run.
The only real demand I can see is early morning dining reservations, which again is a choice people are making based off of Disney's ability/inability to provide transportation. The problem there lies with Disney, and they are monetizing the solution to a problem of their own making. Maybe don't allow those staying outside a particular resort to book breakfast earlier than, say, 8am? Crazy! I know, I know, the consumers want these early dining times so they have to do it.
Consumers don't want to wait for a bus so Disney has to provide Minnie Van's to cart guests to their next destination.