Everthing you wanted to know about Uber/Lyft at WDW

[southjerseymom]

I am new to both Lyft and Uber. I have been hesitant to use them for several reasons. What the heck do you do if you have a dangerous driver? I was in a serious accident last year so I have a lot of anxiety in cars. Also, how do you know some nut case isn't picking you up? What kind of vetting do either of the companies do? Lastly, car safety. Are the vehicles forced to maintain a certain maintanence standard? I know I sound like a rube - but I would like to take advantage just scared. It has to be putting taxi drivers out of business. Doesn't seem fair when they have to buy into their job. PS. Not a fan of Airbnb either. My next door neighbor does it. Nothing sucks more then buying a single family home in a quiet neighborhood and having your loser neighbor rent his home out. Makes me crazy.

 

[joelkfla]

I am new to both Lyft and Uber. I have been hesitant to use them for several reasons. What the heck do you do if you have a dangerous driver? I was in a serious accident last year so I have a lot of anxiety in cars. Also, how do you know some nut case isn't picking you up? What kind of vetting do either of the companies do? Lastly, car safety. Are the vehicles forced to maintain a certain maintanence standard? I know I sound like a rube - but I would like to take advantage just scared. It has to be putting taxi drivers out of business. Doesn't seem fair when they have to buy into their job. PS. Not a fan of Airbnb either. My next door neighbor does it. Nothing sucks more then buying a single family home in a quiet neighborhood and having your loser neighbor rent his home out. Makes me crazy.

Both Uber & Lyft run a basic background check on new drivers. It's nothing extensive, just a search of public records. I think they search driving records and criminal records, but I'm not sure exactly what's involved.

Lyft does a very basic inspection of a car when the driver first signs up. They just have an experienced driver check that essential systems are working: doors, lights, seatbelts, etc. It's not a mechanical inspection, just a walk around. I don't remember Uber doing an inspection when I signed up. Neither company does any continuing inspections that I'm aware of (at least not in the Orlando market.)

Your primary protection is the driver rating system. After each ride, the rider has the opportunity to rate the driver from 1-5 stars, and add any specific comments. Presumably, if a driver is unsafe or scary or if their vehicle is unsafe, they will quickly accumulate a poor rating. Drivers with poor ratings can be dropped from the system.

You always have the right to refuse a ride, or ask the driver to let you out before reaching your destination. You may be charged a cancellation fee, but you can appeal that if you have a good reason.

 

[OKW Lover]

What the heck do you do if you have a dangerous driver?

Same thing you would do if you were in a taxi.

 

[ibob52]

I am new to both Lyft and Uber. I have been hesitant to use them for several reasons. What the heck do you do if you have a dangerous driver? I was in a serious accident last year so I have a lot of anxiety in cars. Also, how do you know some nut case isn't picking you up? What kind of vetting do either of the companies do? Lastly, car safety. Are the vehicles forced to maintain a certain maintanence standard? I know I sound like a rube - but I would like to take advantage just scared. It has to be putting taxi drivers out of business. Doesn't seem fair when they have to buy into their job. PS. Not a fan of Airbnb either. My next door neighbor does it. Nothing sucks more then buying a single family home in a quiet neighborhood and having your loser neighbor rent his home out. Makes me crazy.

It may be best for you to stay with taxi service . . .

you already have at least 2 strikes against Uber.

 

[AngiTN]

I am new to both Lyft and Uber. I have been hesitant to use them for several reasons. What the heck do you do if you have a dangerous driver? I was in a serious accident last year so I have a lot of anxiety in cars. Also, how do you know some nut case isn't picking you up? What kind of vetting do either of the companies do? Lastly, car safety. Are the vehicles forced to maintain a certain maintanence standard? I know I sound like a rube - but I would like to take advantage just scared. It has to be putting taxi drivers out of business. Doesn't seem fair when they have to buy into their job. PS. Not a fan of Airbnb either. My next door neighbor does it. Nothing sucks more then buying a single family home in a quiet neighborhood and having your loser neighbor rent his home out. Makes me crazy.

It's never entered my mind to wonder about any of these things. We've taken a lot of Uber/Lyft rides at Disney, and around Orlando and Tampa, and always felt 100% safe. They have a limit on how old the cars are, so all of them are newer than mine (LOL)
I'd say the vast majority of drivers I get are off duty Theme park employees or retirees. DH can talk to a car seat so he is always chatting them up, learning lots about them.
I've been in Taxi's way less but I do know the Taxi's I have been in were older, more worn vehicles and I'd have no way to know if those drivers were safe either. Bottom line, you get in a vehicle with anyone besides you behind the wheel you take a chance. I feel it's not a dangerous risk and I'm very glad the services are there. We'll be using them a lot next week too

 

[yellowfish78]

Does my 7 year old need a booster seat? Would that be included in the +car seat option? Or is it not necessary? (He's in the 'recommended' range of FL law...)

 

[AngiTN]

Does my 7 year old need a booster seat? Would that be included in the +car seat option? Or is it not necessary? (He's in the 'recommended' range of FL law...)

Law is 6 and under so no, he is not required to be in one

 

[joelkfla]

Law is 6 and under so no, he is not required to be in one

Angi, you are right that one is not required, but the law is actually 5 and younger; 6 yo's do not require one.

From https://www.flhsmv.gov/safety-center/driving-safety/child-safety/:

• 
  Car Seats and Booster Seats
  • Children ages 0-3, such restraint devices must be a separate carrier or a vehicle manufacturer’s integrated child seat.
  • Children ages 4-5, the restraint device should be a separate carrier, an integrated child seat or a child booster seat.

 

[AngiTN]

Angi, you are right that one is not required, but the law is actually 5 and younger; 6 yo's do not require one.

From https://www.flhsmv.gov/safety-center/driving-safety/child-safety/:

• 
  Car Seats and Booster Seats
  • Children ages 0-3, such restraint devices must be a separate carrier or a vehicle manufacturer’s integrated child seat.
  • Children ages 4-5, the restraint device should be a separate carrier, an integrated child seat or a child booster seat.

Wow, so shocking and so sad that it's even younger than 6. Amazing. Though I know that's not the conversation. Just can't get past it

 

[JennLTX]

Apologies if this has been addressed elsewhere. We're going to use Uber on our TL day, and had tentative plans to meet up with another family at SAB afterwards. I really didn't want to change clothes there, then come back to YC and change again, but I also don't want to breech Uber etiquette by being damp in someone's car. I'd make sure we WERE no more than damp and had clean, dry towels to sit on. I saw someone else suggested that drivers who pick up at TL and BB are aware that their passengers have just spent time at a waterpark and can choose to accept or not accept the fare accordingly. Can someone with experience speak to this?

 

[scrapquitler]

We used uber today for the very first time and I was not sure I should have given the driver a tip. Tomorrow we are going to universal using uber and I would love to be prepared with a tip if thats the case. Thanks

We used Uber for the first time last week at WDW, and the driver loaded and unloaded all 4 of our suitcases and our 3 carryons into the back of the minivan. There was no way that I wasn't going to tip him.

 

[bryanb]

Apologies if this has been addressed elsewhere. We're going to use Uber on our TL day, and had tentative plans to meet up with another family at SAB afterwards. I really didn't want to change clothes there, then come back to YC and change again, but I also don't want to breech Uber etiquette by being damp in someone's car. I'd make sure we WERE no more than damp and had clean, dry towels to sit on. I saw someone else suggested that drivers who pick up at TL and BB are aware that their passengers have just spent time at a waterpark and can choose to accept or not accept the fare accordingly. Can someone with experience speak to this?

I've taken rides from Typhoon Lagoon several times. I usually try to make sure I'm completely dried off before getting on board, or I bring a change of clothes (although once that backfired on me -- a minute after I called a Lyft, the skies turned dark and several buckets of water poured over my head. I'm talking seriously drenched from head to shoe. Then the sun came back two minutes later).

Yes, most drivers are probably aware of the risks of picking people up from a water park. But from an etiquette standpoint, I would not feel comfortable getting into someone's car with damp clothes unless it was out of my control.

 

[JennLTX]

I've taken rides from Typhoon Lagoon several times. I usually try to make sure I'm completely dried off before getting on board, or I bring a change of clothes (although once that backfired on me -- a minute after I called a Lyft, the skies turned dark and several buckets of water poured over my head. I'm talking seriously drenched from head to shoe. Then the sun came back two minutes later).

Yes, most drivers are probably aware of the risks of picking people up from a water park. But from an etiquette standpoint, I would not feel comfortable getting into someone's car with damp clothes unless it was out of my control.

Okay, I'm chuckling at your Lyft story, and I suspect that will be enough to prompt the Universe to say, "You like that, huh? Hold my beer."

Thanks very much for the information; greatly appreciated!

 

[bryanb]

Okay, I'm chuckling at your Lyft story, and I suspect that will be enough to prompt the Universe to say, "You like that, huh? Hold my beer."

Thanks very much for the information; greatly appreciated!

It was really a classically comical moment, because next to me there was a sopping wet lady. Her husband walks out of the gate (maybe having been in the restroom), the only person completely dry, turns to her, and says "what just happened?" #Florida

 

[Allison]

What the heck do you do if you have a dangerous driver?

The scary/dangerous driver I encountered was driving a Mears taxi.

The Uber vehicles I have been in certainly appeared to be in better shape than many taxis I have traveled in.

 

[Gator Kate]

We're going to AK Memorial Day weekend for opening of Avatar rides. My crazy family thinks it will be fun...personally I'd wait until the fervor dies down. I'm trying to determine the easiest way to get to the park mid-day on 5/28. I'm considering uber from the Swan. Do the drivers have to go through the parking entrance booths or is there a lane where they can skip that? I'm guessing the parking entrance will be pretty backed up all day and would like to avoid that mess. Also, where do they drop you off? Many thanks to anyone who can help with this. I LOVE the DIS!

 

[RideShareRob]

We're going to AK Memorial Day weekend for opening of Avatar rides. My crazy family thinks it will be fun...personally I'd wait until the fervor dies down. I'm trying to determine the easiest way to get to the park mid-day on 5/28. I'm considering uber from the Swan. Do the drivers have to go through the parking entrance booths or is there a lane where they can skip that? I'm guessing the parking entrance will be pretty backed up all day and would like to avoid that mess. Also, where do they drop you off? Many thanks to anyone who can help with this. I LOVE the DIS!

We use the same booth. Generally at wdw the unspoken rule is thru traffic to the right. At AK it says "buses right lane" but anyone can use it since its not a wdw bus lane (like at epcot, mk, etc). We drop and pickup all the way around right by the main entrance.

 

[bumbershoot]

It may be best for you to stay with taxi service . . .

you already have at least 2 strikes against Uber.

If I were southjerseymom I would rent a car and drive myself. Just going by her having been in a bad accident relatively recently. When I was in a freaky accident that didn't involve me ending up face down in a swollen river, if my car hadn't been in the shop for 2 weeks I would only have driven myself. My brother, who is a very good driver, nearly drove me crazy when he was driving me around during a visit after the accident. There's no way I could have been in a stranger's car.

Does my 7 year old need a booster seat? Would that be included in the +car seat option? Or is it not necessary? (He's in the 'recommended' range of FL law...)

Well, if he doesn't fit in the seatbelt properly, physics demands that he's in a booster. Doesn't matter what FL says IMO. We started going to WDW when DS was 6.5 and we bought a Bubble Bum inflatable booster seat. Weighs a pound. He carried it himself. We brought it until he was consistently fitting every single seat/belt combo we found.

Wow, so shocking and so sad that it's even younger than 6. Amazing. Though I know that's not the conversation. Just can't get past it

And it used to be lower in FL.

 

[Farro]

Hi!

In October we will be at AK and heading back to Polynesian for dinner at 8:45. Is the pick up in AK still in the same location? Do you know an average wait time after we request?

thanks!

 

[joelkfla]

Hi!

In October we will be at AK and heading back to Polynesian for dinner at 8:45. Is the pick up in AK still in the same location? Do you know an average wait time after we request?

thanks!

The current pick up area is at the taxi stand in the corner of the handicapped parking lot nearest the park entrance, just beyond the tram turn-around. Walking out from the park exit, bear left past the trams. If there are taxis waiting there, Uber/Lyft is supposed to pick up in front of them.

There do seem to be fewer drivers in the AK area because it's so isolated from the rest of WDW, but I don't think you'll have to wait more than 10-15 minutes for a standard-sized car without car seat.