The only exception I know of is that there are busses to Wilderness Lodge from the Settlement Bus Stop after HDDR shows. (Just like the bus from WL to FtW drops off at Settlement, not at the front one, which is really helpful.) That is how we have gotten to HDDR and home to WL in 2022 and 2023, the middle and last showtimes.
I seem to recall that they may have also run busses direct to MK from the Settlement after shows, but the rest of the bus options were the internal loops (orange and purple lines on your map) that bring you to the front, to the other bus stop and parking.
I value my time & energy as $$$… . I’d rather include the price of the rideshare as part of my booking…
Sometimes just because something is “free” doesn’t mean it isn’t going to cost you something…
In this case using the “free” transport means a lot of hassle. You have to walking a lot and navigate multiple means of transport with crowds for over an hour or more after being stuffed with food and beer! (Especially if you have your family with you.)
With a rideshare I can be back at my hotel in 15 minutes with ease.
I’m not “rich”, but if I’m at WDW then I must have some disposable income. I’d rather spend my money this way than buy one more t-shirt or stuffed plush.
Agree. Most of the time the buses are fine if I don’t have a rental car. But whenever I’m doing something resort-resort or similar I will lean into rideshare (though not Minnie van)
Same… I’m a standard Lyft user. I like to suggest Minnie Vans to people that don’t do it regularly as way to make them comfortable by using the Disney branding.
This is DH. I’m fine with the buses or whatever transport is offered by Disney. DH surprisingly wants to take Lyft at the end of the night from the parks (unless the Skyliner or a boat is an option).
Really? We don’t wait but a few minutes. DH will call the Lyft before we even leave the park though. It also helps that we leave a little before park close if not earlier.
Yes. I’ve heard this argument before, but I just don’t (entirely) agree. Time is money, sure…but money is money. I could argue that paying $60 for a Minnie Van could save me an hour…but that means I’ve added $60 to the total cost of the trip. I budget for my trip, not for how much I get done in a specified time period.
If I spend an extra $60 on a Minnie Van, it means cutting something else out that cost that extra $60. The reason we can go to Disney as often as we go already is because I’m extremely tight with my budget. We splurge on things when we have the money for…but splurging on, perhaps, an extra ADR adds value to my trip. Splurging on a Minnie Van doesn’t add value, even if it saves time. It is just a more expensive way to get from A to B that I can do for free.
But, I understand everyone else has their own priorities/preferences/whatever.
I include rideshares in my budget. I think that’s where we differ… I don’t consider these “splurges”, but necessary to get around theme parks at times if I’m going to the “edge” of the bubble or out of it for activities.
I’m not doing rideshares every day for every occasion that’s for sure!
I used WDW transit exclusively last trip.
However, when attending HDDR I’m going to add a ride back to the hotel in my budget.
I will use WDW buses to get over there before dinner!
After I’m full & happy I don’t want to navigate WDW’s logistical “maze” to get back to my hotel!
If that means one less ADR to my trip or T-shirt to my pile I’m fine with it! My body will thank me later!
The one time I ever considered using a Minnie Van was around 8:30am when the bus came and picked up my whole family from BCV but there wasn’t room for me or my FIL with the stroller. So I tried to get a Minnie Van so we could arrive around the same time as my family who were already on the bus. But according to the app, the wait time for the Minnie Van was longer than just waiting for the next bus, so I changed my mind. Thankfully another bus came soon afterward.
Same! I don’t have a problem with WDW transport, and it’s often some of the best times of the trip. (The boat to Downtown Disney, I mean, Disney Springs, holds a special place in my heart.) I like the Minnie Vans for special situations. Like when we traveled with a two year old and needed a car seat. Or, as others have mentioned, when it’s been a long day and you’re just ready to get where you are going. I did not get the hype until actually using them. With a sleepy two year old at the end of the night, the driver dropped us off in the parking garage instead of the lobby so we would be closer to the room. The driver knew the location well because having worked there previously. And on our early morning KTTK tour, I didn’t want to worry about getting to MK on time. You never know when you’ll have to wait for the next bus because the first one was too full, and all other rides won’t get you to the front door of MK. There was a major traffic jam and the CM knew how to get us around the traffic. Even showed us the spot where the fireworks are launched. It’s true I have used Uber more times than a Minnie Van, but when the destination is nuanced, I will choose the Minnie Van. I would rather pay for that than
Genie/MLLP.
There’s no right or wrong answer. It all comes down to what’s more important, which is different for all of us.
My sister loves Minnie vans - but so far she’s not paid over $30 for a trip.
I don’t find the resort to resort musical bus situation to be as onerous at Epcot but I’ve mostly done that when staying at SSR whose Epcot bus stop is a few steps - even for me - from where busses have dropped me off. The
MK bus stops wear me out.
Sometimes we’ve had a Minnie van in less than a minute while other times the wait could have been equivalent to taking a bus to Epcot for a transfer.
I do love chatting with other bus or boat passengers. We’ve had some memorable times on Disney transport.
I’m always thankful for the options Disney provides.
She didn’t give cents when I asked so I’m thinking she rounded
We might have gone from WL to POR also that trip. I think she started requesting the ride while we were in the store and it cane back that the Minnie van was less than a minute out. I didn’t think I could get outside in less than a minute so it might have been Dec 23 instead.
