Taxis & Ride Service Tips

Taxis or on-demand ride services like Uber & Lyft can save you time at Walt Disney World (and to a lesser extent at Disneyland California) and improve your comfort level — both of which increase the value of your vacation! While Disney has a FREE transportation system at Walt Disney World (mostly buses, but also boats, monorails and skyliners), occasionally it’s not terribly convenient or can take a long time. We’ve compiled information about Disney World and Disneyland taxis and ride services – a fare estimator, the best usage, and general tips below.

On-Demand Ride Service (Lyft) Tips (applies to both Disney parks)

We recommend Lyft in both Orlando and Southern California. We’ve taken literally hundreds of rides in many different cities, using various ride services including Lyft, Uber and others, and our overall experience with Lyft and its drivers has been better than with other ride services. In addition, Disney’s Minnie Van service in Walt Disney World uses the Lyft app, so you’ll want to have it installed if you go to Disney World. That said, Uber is available in both California and Florida should you prefer it.
Lyft is available throughout Walt Disney World and the rest of Orlando, and all of Southern California. Lyft requires their drivers in both Florida and California to be licensed and registered as ride-service drivers, and also does their own screening and background checks. Taking Lyft is as safe as taking a taxi (but not always quite as convenient, read on for more).
Lyft has “surge pricing” which raises the rates during periods of high demand, in order to incentivize more drivers to come to the area and pick up passengers. When a park is closing on a busy holiday night, or a big event or party is letting out, the prices for Lyft could theoretically exceed taxi rates, though so far we haven’t heard of that level of surge pricing kicking in.
Using an on-demand ride service is pretty straightforward. The Lyft app is available for iPhones and most newer Android phones. Basic instructions:
- Sign up with Lyft. (If you use our link just below to sign up, we’ll get a referral bonus, and Lyft will give you $5 off your first ride.) It’s easiest if you do this at home, rather than while you’re on vacation.
  - Sign up with Lyft here and get $5 off your first ride! (It may say it’s $5 off in Seattle, or it might show your local region; the discount is actually available in all cities Lyft operates. You can also download the app and use MOUSESAVERS as a promo code once you get your account set up.)
- Download the Lyft app from the Google or Apple app store on your phone.
- Run the app and familiarize yourself with the basic functions. If you haven’t already added a credit card for payment, now is a good time to get it entered. You can try to set up a sample ride so you can see how to choose the various options and how to find the destination. Don’t worry, you won’t accidentally call for a ride unless you hit the big “Request Lyft” button that comes up after you’ve selected where you’re going. If the ride service is available in your home town, you might want to take a trip or two before you leave on your vacation, just to get comfortable with the whole process.
- When you’re ready to take a ride, first walk to a location where Lyft can legally pick you up. At most locations in Walt Disney World or Disneyland Resort, there are designated pickup zones and you need to be standing in them before you call for a car. If you don’t know where you need to go, just ask a cast member, “where does Lyft pick up here?” If you’re somewhere outside the main theme park areas, anywhere a car can legally pull over is generally OK (except for Minnie Vans, which can only pick up in designated locations).
- Once you are standing somewhere Lyft can pick you up, bring up the app and confirm that you are where it thinks you are. Sometimes the phone’s location is a little off, so check first; you don’t want the driver to show up on the other side of a busy street. Lyft allows you to adjust the pickup point by dragging the map with your finger, so move it until the pickup pin is actually pointing to where you want to be picked up. Then tap the button to move to the next step, where you type the address or name of where you want to go. You can check the price estimate or choose a different level of service (should you want a larger or fancier vehicle). When you’re satisfied that the trip is correct and you’ve chosen the right type of car, just hit the big button at the bottom of the screen to call the car.
- We cannot emphasize this enough: do not leave the spot where you called for the car! Lyft’s systems will not tell the driver if you walk somewhere else after calling for the ride, so the driver will always go where you called for the car. You need to stay nearby, somewhere you can see the car arrive. If, for reasons beyond your control, you need to go somewhere else, use the app to call the driver and let them know you’ve had to move.
- Once the car arrives, check the car’s license plate against the license plate number displayed on your phone, just to be sure you’re getting the right car. The driver will typically also call you by name to ensure they’re picking up the right party.
- Once you get to your destination, just thank the driver and get out. Your trip will be charged to the credit card you have on file. You can bring up the app and rate your driver on a 1-5 star scale, and you’ll be asked if you want to add a tip at your discretion.

General Advice for Walt Disney World

If the price of a rental car is expensive at the time you plan to travel, in some cases it will be cheaper to use a shuttle, towncar, van or limo to get to and from the airport, and then use taxis or Lyft to get around while you’re at Walt Disney World. By using taxis instead of a rental car you don’t have to worry about parking fees, valet tips, or accident insurance. Plus, you will be dropped off at the front gate (except at Magic Kingdom, see below), won’t have to remember where you parked, and your family will not have to climb into a hot car!

Using a taxi or Lyft is especially terrific if you have little ones and decide to stay late in a theme park to enjoy the fireworks. Instead of rushing out with the crowds after the show and waiting for three Disney buses before it’s your turn, you call a cab and get those tuckered-out kids back to the hotel in a fraction of the time. Keep in mind that if your kids need a car seat, most ride services don’t provide them because of the complexities of handling different-sized children. There are some exceptions you can read about in the on-demand ride service section below.

Even if you’re staying on property, a taxi or Lyft can drastically reduce the hassle factor of going out to dinner at Disney’s resorts (including the Hoop Dee Doo Revue dinner show), since there is no direct resort-to-resort transportation.

The longest trip you could take on Disney property should seldom exceed $35 (tip included) for a taxi, or $17 for the basic level of Lyft. To get a general idea, you can use the Ride Guru site, which gives pretty good estimates by actually measuring out likely driving routes. We would advise you to round up: we’ve found fares can be 10%-20% higher at times because of construction, traffic, or drivers taking a less optimal route. During peak times, ride services can have surge pricing that can be 2X the normal price or more (we have not heard of surge prices that high at Disney World, but that could change as more people use these services).

One key caveat for the Magic Kingdom: taxis, on-demand ride services and private vehicles can’t drop off or pick up at the Magic Kingdom front gates (except Minnie Vans); the normal taxi and rideshare drop-off area is across the lake at the Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC). You then have to take a monorail or ferry to the main gate. Most of the time it is easier to just get dropped off or picked up at the Contemporary (or the Bay Lake Tower, right next door) and take the walkway that connects the Contemporary to the Magic Kingdom. It’s about a 10 minute walk to the main gate, which is only about 5 minutes longer than the walk from the furthest bus stop at the Magic Kingdom. Occasionally, the Contemporary will turn away anyone who isn’t staying there, to keep traffic congestion down, and then you’ll most likely have to head to the standard dropoff point at the TTC.

Taxi Tips for Walt Disney World

If you choose to use traditional taxis to get around at Walt Disney World, here are some tips to remember:

Use only the yellow cabs (sedans and vans) with meters! There are different brand names on the vehicles (Yellow Cab, Checker, City or Safety), but they all are yellow and all operated by Mears Transportation, which has an official relationship with Disney.
If possible, have the front desk or valet parking staff at your hotel call over a waiting taxi or call Yellow Cab for you. The response will usually be faster than if you call yourself. If you are not staying at a Disney hotel, be sure to specify that you want Yellow Cab, because some non-Disney hotels have arrangements with overpriced independent cab companies.
You can also call for a cab directly: the number is (407) 699-9999. This number dispatches yellow cabs from all of the companies listed above. If possible, carry a cell phone with you to call for service when away from your hotel. There is also a Mears app available for iOS and Android, which (so far) just lets you call a cab to your location; it doesn’t handle payment or allow you to set your destination the way you can with Lyft.
If you are a group of 5-7, be sure to request a taxi VAN, which has a capacity of up to 7 people and costs the same as a regular taxi sedan. You may have to wait a little for one, but they are often waiting at taxi stands and hotels. Just ask a valet or the taxi stand attendant to call one for you.
In addition to meter cost of the taxi ride, be sure to budget for a standard tip (approximately 10-15%) for the driver.
Some of the cabs carry child car seats, but the type and quality is notoriously variable. Typically they’re front-facing booster-type seats for larger toddlers through early grade schoolers, but you can ask for a different kind and they can try to find a taxi that’s carrying one.
Price estimates for taxi service:
- Between Orlando International Airport (MCO) and the Walt Disney World area: $65-$75 plus tip each way, depending on where in Walt Disney World you’re going to or coming from.
- Between Universal Orlando and the Walt Disney World area: $35-$45 plus tip each way, depending on where in Walt Disney World you’re going to or coming from.

Lyft Tips for Walt Disney World

Lyft picks up and drops off at almost all locations in the Walt Disney resort area: any of the resort hotels (Disney and non-Disney), Epcot, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, the Ticket & Transportation Center, all golf courses, the two water parks and two locations at Disney Springs (one at each end). They cannot drop off directly at the Magic Kingdom, but you can get dropped at the Contemporary and take the pedestrian walkway to the Magic Kingdom from there. Ask a cast member to direct you if you need assistance.
At resorts that are spread out like Saratoga Springs or Caribbean Beach, usually the Lyft driver can pick you up at your building. If they can’t, the driver will call you and let you know you need to walk to the main building, or in some cases the app will tell you where the nearest pickup area is.
Lyft does not yet have a car seat option in Orlando. They offer them in New York City, so it’s entirely possible they’ll roll out the same service in Orlando at some point. But for now, if you need a car seat with Lyft you need to bring your own. See, however, the Minnie Van service, which is offered via the Lyft app, and includes two car seats per vehicle.
With a group of 7 people, it’s usually cheaper and more convenient to take a single taxi van than two Lyft vehicles. If you’re at a hotel or cab stand, just ask the valet or cab attendant to get you a van.
With a group of 5-6 people, taking a taxi van might be cheaper than Lyft’s larger-vehicle service (called Lyft Plus), especially for shorter rides inside Walt Disney World.
For groups of 4 people or less, regular Lyft costs less than a Mears taxi, though it’s not a huge difference for short distances. If you’re going from point to point within Walt Disney World and are leaving from somewhere with a taxi stand, in our experience it’s faster to just hop in a taxi and go, so consider your cost vs. time preferences. When you request Lyft, it takes a few minutes for the car to arrive, since they are usually not allowed to wait near the pickup zone.
For longer distances, like Walt Disney World to/from Universal Orlando or the airport, the cheaper rates definitely add up. We often still take a cab or limo service from airports (not just in Orlando), because when the airport is busy we’ve had to wait 10 minutes or more for an Lyft to get from their waiting lot to the pickup zone, whereas taxis are waiting at the stand and can leave immediately, and a pre-booked limo service will be waiting for you. It’s really a matter of cost vs. time.
Price estimates for Lyft service:
- Between Orlando International Airport (MCO) and the Walt Disney World area: $35-$45 plus tip each way, depending on where in Walt Disney World you’re going to or coming from.
- Between Universal Orlando and the Walt Disney World area: $20-$25 plus tip each way, depending on where in Walt Disney World you’re going to or coming from.

Disney’s Minnie Van Service at Walt Disney World

Disney has an on-demand ride service at Walt Disney World called “Minnie Vans” available for everyone at Walt Disney World Resort. Normal hours of operation are 6:30 am to 12:30 am daily.

The vehicles themselves are actually not usually vans. There are a variety of different vehicles in use, but most are midsize SUVs. All of the various vehicles are painted red with cheerful white polka dots. They hold six passengers (in addition to the driver), with three people sharing the back bench seat. They carry two adjustable car seats that can handle any size child from infant to school age.
You use the Lyft app to call for service, but the service itself is operated by Disney, with actual Disney employees driving the vehicles. You may want to look over our advice about how to download the Lyft app and use it above. Most of the advice we give about Lyft applies.
As an added bonus, the Minnie Vans can drop you directly at the Magic Kingdom, using the bus turnarounds, which other car services and taxis can’t. They can also drop you right next to Pioneer Hall at Fort Wilderness, where the Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue and the Trails End Buffet is located. (Normally when you arrive at Fort Wilderness by taxi or Lyft they drop you at the entrance, and then you have to take an internal shuttle bus to Pioneer Hall, which takes extra time.) They also can use the main bus turnaround in the center of Disney Springs rather than using the two drop off points at either end. For some locations that can save a lot of walking.
The cost is significantly higher than regular Lyft or even a Mears taxi, and more comparable to the price for Lyft’s luxury (black) SUV service. For example, a trip all the way across WDW from the Contemporary to Disney Springs costs roughly $45 with Minnie Van. For comparison, that same trip would be $15 with regular Lyft, $20 with Lyft XL, $35 with Lyft Black or $55 with Lyft Black XL. A regular (Mears) taxi or taxi van would be around $30. Tips are accepted by Minnie Van drivers, but not required.
Minnie Vans can go to most places on Disney property (the Disney-owned resorts, the four theme parks, the golf courses, the water parks, Shades of Green, the Swan & Dolphin, Four Seasons and Disney Springs). Minnie Vans can also go to Bonnet Creek, Flamingo Crossings and the Disney Springs Resort Hotels. The vans cannot go to off-property locations like Universal Studios or offsite hotels other than the ones mentioned above.
Minnie Vans cannot pick up from sidewalks or non-designated pickup zones! They must be called from one of the designated spots at each park, or from the front driveway of hotels, where the valets and bell folks are.
Minnie Van is popular, and at peak times they have trouble keeping up with demand. Sometimes a van is right nearby, or even waiting at the hotel, but if one isn’t nearby it could take 15 minutes or more to get a Minnie Van, and even more at super-peak times like when a major park closes.
Minnie Vans can also take passengers to or from the airport, but in that case the fare is an eye-popping flat $155 each way. For comparison, a taxi to the airport is about $55-$65, a limo maybe $65-$75 and a Lyft is about $24-$35. To be honest a limo or town car seems like a preferable option to us, and cheaper to boot. To request a trip to or from the airport you or your travel agent need to make a reservation in advance by calling (407) WDW-PLAY (939-7529). The Lyft app cannot be used to book airport trips in a Minnie Van. (Please note: transportation to and from the airport is currently unavailable.)
Similarly, Minnie Vans can take passengers to or from Port Canaveral, but the rate is a flat $249 each way. If you have a full car of 6, that’s actually only a little more than Disney’s per-person rate to take the bus, which is $35 * 6 = $210. It’s significantly more than a Lyft would cost (about $75), or even a taxi ($170), or a town car or limo ($180-$200).
Overall, Minnie Van is a nice way to travel point-to-point in Walt Disney World in style, but is very pricey. For families that need a car seat, though, it’s one of the few reliable alternatives to driving your own car (or a rental car) with your own car seat.

General Advice for Disneyland California

Disneyland Resort itself is quite compact, and there’s no real reason to take a taxi or Lyft anywhere from one part of Disneyland to another. You can walk from one end to the other in less than 15 minutes, and that’s if you stroll. You may want to use a taxi or Lyft to travel between Disneyland and the airport or another attraction like Knott’s Berry Farm or Universal Studios Hollywood, though we recommend checking Ride Guru for a cost estimate; depending on the airport or attraction, the taxi fares can be very high. If you have small children, do keep in mind that taxis and on-demand ride services rarely carry car seats, and if they do there’s no guarantee they’ll be the right size. If you plan to travel a bunch in Southern California with children, we recommend bringing your own car seats (and probably renting a car, as it will take time to set up and remove the car seat in each taxi or other vehicle you use).

Taxi Tips for Disneyland

Taxi service to/from the airport is quick and easy, but can get pricey. With larger parties (4 or more people) it can be an economical option from Orange County or Long Beach airport. Normal sedan-style taxis generally can carry 4 passengers, and taxi vans generally can carry 7 passengers. The price is the same for both kinds of taxi.
Car seats are required in California for children who are not yet at least 8 years old or 4′ 9″ tall. If you need car seats, be aware that most taxis will not carry them, and the ones that do carry a car seat may not have the right ones for your children. You will probably want to bring your own if you plan to take a taxi.
To take a cab from the airport, just follow the signs to the taxi stand. If you need a van, look for one in the waiting area, or ask the attendant to call you one.
To take a cab from your hotel, generally you can call the front desk or concierge about 15 minutes before you want to leave and they’ll either call one or tell you the procedure. At larger hotels, including the Disney hotels, there will typically be cabs waiting in front, and you just need to come out to the driveway and ask a bell services employee or valet for a cab.
Price estimates for taxi service:
- Between Orange County/John Wayne (SNA) or Long Beach (LGB) and Disneyland: $55 plus tip each way. Fares can go higher if there is significant traffic.
- Between Los Angeles (LAX), Ontario (ONT) or Burbank (BUR) and Disneyland: $100-$115 plus tip each way. Fares can go higher if there is significant traffic.
- Between Universal Studios Hollywood and Disneyland: $100-$115 plus tip each way. Fares can go higher if there is significant traffic.
- Between Knott’s Berry Farm and Disneyland: $30-$35 plus tip each way. Fares can go higher if there is significant traffic.

Lyft Tips for Disneyland

Lyft picks up and drops off at five locations in the Disneyland Resort area: the entrances to the three Disneyland hotels, the Downtown Disney drop off zone, and the drop off zone outside the Disneyland entrance on Harbor. Ask a cast member to direct you if you need assistance.
Lyft does not yet have a car seat option in California. They offer them in New York City, so it’s entirely possible they’ll roll out the same service in California, but for now, if you need a car seat with Lyft you need to bring your own.
With a group of 7 people, it’s usually cheaper and more convenient to take a single taxi van than two Lyft vehicles. If you’re at a hotel or cab stand, just ask the valet or cab attendant to get you a van.
With a group of 5-6 people, taking a taxi van might be cheaper than Lyft’s larger-car services (called Lyft Plus), or at least not much more.
For longer distances, like Disneyland to/from Universal Hollywood or the airport, the cheaper rates definitely add up. We often still take a cab or limo service from airports, because when the airport is busy we’ve had to wait 10 minutes or more for an Lyft to get from their waiting lot to the pickup zone, whereas taxis are waiting at the stand and can leave immediately, and a pre-booked limo service will be waiting for you. It’s really a matter of cost vs. time.
Price estimates for Lyft service:
- Between Orange County/John Wayne (SNA) or Long Beach (LGB) and Disneyland: $25-$30 each way. Fares can go higher if there is significant traffic.
- Between Los Angeles (LAX), Ontario (ONT) or Burbank (BUR) and Disneyland: $55-$65 each way. Fares can go higher if there is significant traffic.
- Between Universal Studios Hollywood and Disneyland: $55-$60 each way. Fares can go higher if there is significant traffic.
- Between Knott’s Berry Farm and Disneyland: $15-$20 each way. Fares can go higher if there is significant traffic.