I’ve used Uber to get dropped off at the Contemporary without a food order or reservation.
I think the security guard realizes that once you’re at the gate, even if they say no, you can turn around and get dropped off at the corner. So there’s no point in saying no.
FYI: All 2021 book chapter proofs are now available for comments. I’ve added the Accommodations and Dining chapters today.
I’ve not gone through those yet for updates, so let me know if you see anything wonky. I’m working on those today, too.
Part 5: Accommodations
Pg. 93 Covid tip - this might be a good first place to introduce that Early Magic Hours will be replaced by early park entry
Pg. 94
4. Extra Magic Hours …. Add: (soon to be Early Park Entry)
5. Disney’s Magical Express … Add: (to be discontinued in 2022)
@len, accommodations page 108- I didn’t think MVT still had the same group sales rates? I know they added Aswan/dolphin special and a Universal special rate, it I thought Disney stopped many of the MVT specials?
Are you adding info about the Touring Plans agency?
I’ll check. As of December they still had rates better than anything Disney was offering to the public.
We’re not adding anything about the TP agency. It’s a “separation of church and state” thing with the book - it has to be above any question about playing favorites.
They do still have group offer rates. I priced them out a few weeks ago when I was planning my March 2021 vacation. They only had standard view rooms so I didn’t end up booking with them. But it was cheaper than Disney’s deal.
They lost the ability to offer heavily discounted tickets though.
Thanks for the info on Uber/Lyft especially for Rope Drop! I’m thinking we will be using Uber or Lyft most of the time that we go to the parks on our upcoming trip (late Feb./early Mar). Since I’m unfamiliar with the resorts and how covid social distancing restrictions are affecting access to things, I’m curious if you’re aware of any ways that this has affected using Uber/Lyft to Rope Drop. I’ve read that some people enjoyed visiting the different resort hotels to go to restaurants, shop & enjoy the environment but are unable to do this in the same way during covid (ie. requiring reservations to eat or enter resorts to look around - maybe this is misinformation?).
Are there any restrictions to the walkways that we would use after Ubering to a nearby resort hotel or Disney Park parking lot and then walking to the park?
If we Uber to a park before the parking lot is open, what are the best places to have Uber drop us off? Contemporary for MK and Swan/Dolphin for the IG entrance of Epcot are the only specific drop off locations I’ve noticed in the Unofficial Guide.
A couple of suggestions for adding more information about how Covid has affected driving to the parks:
Special Section: Covid
pg. 10 Transportation:
Add a line to this section that says something about parking lots opening later than usual when security and temperature checks open.
Part 9: Arriving
pg. 457-459 Driving to and From the Theme Parks:
Add a Covid Tip or an additional numbered section to this part about being turned away if you arrive too early to the parking lots and expecting long lines of cars if you are trying to “Rope Drop.”
This is how it is phrased in the blog post on the Touring Plans blog (“Rope Drop” During COVID-19 | TouringPlans.com Blog):
Cars
A simple option to avoid Disney transportation is to drive yourself. For resort guests and annual passholders parking is free. There are a few changes in the parking system. First, parking lots are not open until temperature screening and security are open. Disney would rather have a backup of cars at the toll booths in cars, than in lines at the entrance at the parks. Once you park, an empty space is left between cars so guests are socially distanced when leaving their cars. The final change is no trams. Like everything else, people arrive early and there is a backup.
Taxis and Rideshares
Taxi and rideshare have similar restrictions on personal cars. The Disney operated Minnie Van service is unavailable. The best way to use a taxi or rideshare is to have them drop you off at a hotel where you can then walk to a park. Without a dining reservation, a Disney hotel may turn you away. You will have no problem being dropped off at the Swan a Dolphin. For the Magic Kingdom, there is a drop-off area at the TTC.
Thinking Outside the Box
With walking being the best option, but not an option for all parks or hotels, you will need to get creative. If you have an early dining reservation you can be dropped off by a rideshare at the hotel, eat, and then walk to a park. If this option doesn’t work for you, there is one more option. To get from one hotel to another hotel it is going to take two buses. The video below documents my experience getting from Pop Century to Hollywood Studios. I took a bus to the Animal Kingdom, then a bus to the Boardwalk, and then walked to Hollywood Studios.
APs only have free park parking (MK AK EC HS) but not free resort parking. All of this gets confusing… careful wording is important 
Thanks, there was a lot of grumbling precovid since the 2020 deals seemed higher than the Disney discounts.
I’ve added all of these. Thanks!
The Swan/Dolphin also works for Hollywood Studios. There’s no good alternative for Animal Kingdom, unfortunately.
There are no restrictions on the walkways.
I’m going to add this in the theme park chapters, and in the Arriving chapter.
Here’s the latest PDF proofs for chapters 0 to 10 of the 2021 edition. This should be very close to what gets printed. Let me know if y’all see anything that looks crazy. I’m going through it now.
2021 Unofficial Guide to WDW Parts 0 to 10
Thank you for the help in getting this one out the door!
The PDF of the 2021 UG is available here for a limited time, for those of you who participated in this thread.
Thank you all for the help with this. Let me know if you see anything wonky.
Which reminds me I have to place my pre-order for the hardcopy!
Thanks!
I use Magical Vacations Travel, Darren Wittko, frequently, so I looked at the index. It lists them on pages 97, 101, 103, but I think they’re really on 97, 101 and 102, not 103.
Oooh. Thanks.
You bet!
Love this book! I noticed a couple things:
Page 108 references underwater music at the big blue pool, but I’ve read online that this has been discontinued.
Page 396 lists 60’’ as the minimum height for the bay slides (it is correctly listed as 60’’ and under on page 655)
Page 651 lists Height requirement: 60" for T-Bar (it doesn’t specify that this is a max height)
I have the kindle version of the 2020 book and noticed the waterpark height requirement inconsistencies there originally.
There’s an error on p.598, Part 14:
"The fast but unreliable nature of Disney’s Wi-Fi means that you should,
if possible, have as many people as possible try to obtain boarding groups
for your entire party at 7 a.m. and at 2 p.m. "
The other time references correctly say 7 a.m. and 1 p.m.