News Walt Disney World's Minnie Van service confirmed to return summer 2022

[Disney Glimpses]

I know people balk over the idea of Minnie vans and label them as "overpriced ubers," but the benefit of being dropped off in front of the Magic Kingdom on top of new, clean and properly installed car seats is worth the premium, IMHO.

Or it requires extra training and Insurance as they would be off property

Staffing related, airport transfers will return eventually.

 

[Figgy1]

That's weird. Wouldn't that be how they make the most money since ME is gone? Or maybe they charged too much and most people didn't use for Airport Transfers...

When the service started they didn't offer the airport option so maybe they're still building up staffing and want to get things running smoothly on property first?

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I know people balk over the idea of Minnie vans and label them as "overpriced ubers," but the benefit of being dropped off in front of the Magic Kingdom on top of new, clean and properly installed car seats is worth the premium, IMHO.


Staffing related, airport transfers will return eventually.

Definitely understand why families who need (multiple) car seats use them. And if the extra $ isn't a big deal to people to get dropped off closer than great.

Glad they are back for people who use them ... Interested to see how pricing is now vs prior

 

[DCBaker]

I don’t know if I can’t link to another website, but some of you may have seen the article floating around - “Disney Cleans House, End of the Road for Many Experienced Minnie Van Drivers.”

I can confirm it is 100% true. All of the former drivers were invited to reapply to the Minnie Vans to be the first to have a chance to be in the department once it reopens. A vast majority reapplied. You’d think they’d all be a shoe in, right? So far, that I am aware of, not one driver was rehired after their interview. Only two people were invited back so far that I know of - one was a manager and one was the equivalent of the “coordinator” role. Disney did their former drivers dirty by giving them hope to reapply and then taking almost nobody.

To follow up on this, in the release sent to media, Disney stated that more than 75 drivers who were part of the service before the pandemic shutdown have returned.

 

[Indy_UK]

Im Glad they are back but I wish Disney would at least offer the option to take families over the Vero Beach.

 

[mikejs78]

I know people balk over the idea of Minnie vans and label them as "overpriced ubers," but the benefit of being dropped off in front of the Magic Kingdom on top of new, clean and properly installed car seats is worth the premium, IMHO.


Staffing related, airport transfers will return eventually.

We loved minivans we went in 2019. Yes, they're a bit overpriced, but the convenience factor and the car seat situation was a win-win for us. You never know what you're going to get from a car seat perspective from Uber or Lyft, but with minivans it was pretty much guaranteed that you'd get a good car seat installed correctly.

Too bad the service starts the day after we leave, otherwise we would have done this. Hopefully we could get on one of the test runs.

 

[mikejs78]

To follow up on this, in the release sent to media, Disney stated that more than 75 drivers who were part of the service before the pandemic shutdown have returned.

So.. the original report was fake news?

 

[JTH781]

Question is the Minnie Van service limited to only WDW Property ?

 

[mikejs78]

Question is the Minnie Van service limited to only WDW Property ?

Yes.

 

[ABQ]

Great, though I have to ask, if they can get all these MiniVan drivers, can they not get a couple cast to run the blue flag launches around Bay Lake?

 

[mikejs78]

Great, though I have to ask, if they can get all these MiniVan drivers, can they not get a couple cast to run the blue flag launches around Bay Lake?

I mean, they rehired old minivan drivers. Don't know if those same people would have wanted to come back to do blue flag launches.

 

[natatomic]

So.. the original report was fake news?

As a former Minnie van driver, I can’t even think of 10 former drivers that were welcomed back. So…it’s either 75 drivers I don’t know (there were some 200 in the department, so I’m not totally discounting it), or that number is BS.

 

[MisterPenguin]

 

[SteveAZee]

"more than 75+ former Minnie Van drivers" - does that mean more than 76 drivers (it's more than a number greater than 75 so at least 77 drivers?), or is he redundantly redundant?

 

[M:SpilotISTC12]

Hopefully that airport route comes back soon. Our family would love to use it for our trip in January! Also remember if you have the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Reserve, you get 5% and 10% respectively for using the Lyft app! Link those cards and save the cash!

 

[Dayma]

So happy this service is back. We used it whenever possible, to avoid the bus rides. So happy for this!

 

[trainplane3]

I know people balk over the idea of Minnie vans and label them as "overpriced ubers," but the benefit of being dropped off in front of the Magic Kingdom on top of new, clean and properly installed car seats is worth the premium, IMHO.


Staffing related, airport transfers will return eventually.

The fact I can easily go hotel to hotel directly is the main reason I use them. And to treat friends coming to WDW with me to one less painful bus wait at minimum.

They are overpriced imo but handy for avoiding odd bus trips (hotel to hotel).

 

[mikejs78]

The fact I can easily go hotel to hotel directly is the main reason I use them. And to treat friends coming to WDW with me to one less painful bus wait at minimum.

They are overpriced imo but handy for avoiding odd bus trips (hotel to hotel).

And unless you're staying around the Seven Seas Lagoon, it's the best way to get to MK.

 

[lewisc]

That's weird. Wouldn't that be how they make the most money since ME is gone? Or maybe they charged too much and most people didn't use for Airport Transfers...

Or it requires extra training and Insurance as they would be off property

Given flight delays an airport pickup could easily tie up a MV for 2 + hours. Time to drive to MCO, wait then drive back to WDW. That would lead to even more delays with onsite requests.

 

[RememberWhen]

I’m hoping they are staffing up enough to meet the demand.