by J. Scott Lopes
AllEars Guest Blogger
Over the last several months, Disney has been offering a new transportation method that guests can use to travel around Walt Disney World. Using the Lyft app (a ride-share service that is similar to Uber), guests can order a private ride in a brand-new Minnie Mouse-style polka-dotted vehicle. According to the Disney Parks Blog, “with [the] Minnie Van service, Disney cast members will then whisk you away to wherever you want to be at Walt Disney World Resort”.
To start using the service, you will first need to stop by the concierge desk at a Disney resort, where they will send you a text message with a special link to enable the Minnie Van service on your Lyft account. (I recommend signing up for a Lyft account and installing the app ahead of your visit to save time.)
Once you receive the text, open the link which will then open the Lyft app to enable the Minnie Van car type.
From there, you can then request a ride by selecting your vehicle type…
Once inside the vehicle, there are charging cables in case you need to charge up your phone, and they also have Disney music playing on the radio.
One of the nice things with this service, according to my driver, is that you are able to go directly to the Magic Kingdom front gate, bypassing the Ticket and Transportation center. If choosing this as a pickup location, the app will instruct you to get on the monorail to go to the TTC. My driver said to ignore this because that would be for regular Lyft vehicles. Minnie Vans pick up at bus stop 11 at the Magic Kingdom bus depot.
Another plus is that the vans keep two car seats on hand to accommodate younger passengers. I was told by a new mom in my group that they are a top-of-the-line car seat, which is usually not offered in a Lyft economy car.
According to my driver, the Minnie Van program has been so successful that Disney plans to expand it, purchasing 60 additional 2018 model-year vehicles.
I hope he’s right! I thought this service was great and highly recommend that you take a ride in a Minnie Van on your next visit to Walt Disney World!
Do you think the Minnie Van would pick you up at the Speedway Convenience store?
DEBK REPLIES: I don’t think so, even though it’s very close to the Epcot resort area. As of December 2017, the Minnie Vans were just picking up at deluxe resorts and villas or Disney Springs, and dropping off at Disney locations. No further expansion has been officially announced yet. The best thing to do would be to ask at the front desk or lobby concierge of your Disney resort.
Can you tell me how many people these vans sit when one person is in a car seat? I see it says seats 6 and there are two car seats available, but was a little unclear as to how using the car seat would affect the number of adult passengers.
Thanks!
DEBK REPLIES: Having ridden in one of these Minnie Vans, I would say that the car seat would take up one space, so that the vehicle would then hold one car seat and five other passengers.
We used this service and it was a great experience. The Minnie VAN for wheelchairs is what we needed. It is a great way to move around WDW versus the bus. My aunt was very comfortable using this Minnie Van service. We enjoyed being with the cast members who are very patient and considerate. I would use this service again.
We attempted to use this service on Thanksgiving evening to travel from Bay Lake Tower to the Yachtsman for dinner. The app was very easy to load. The frustrating part was having to resubmit the request every 5 minutes, as your request times out if not answered by a driver within that time. We waited for 45 minutes, resubmitting our request 9 times. We finally gave up, used the regular lift app, and had a ride to our destination within 8 minutes.