I am planning a trip in Sept. Oct. of 2022. First two weeks WDW then moving to Universal Studios For a week. Question is which is better transportation from MCO to WDW, then WDW to Universal, then back to MCO. Never used Uber or Lyft. How do they work? Don’t know if I trust them. How expensive are they. Have Uber app on phone and maybe Lyft. Do they pick up at MCO to WDW resorts? Do they transfer you WDW to Universal? I could use Mears for everything but how reliable are they now a days. Could use Mears and Universal Superstar shuttle but I just did Universal Superstar Shuttle both way from MCO to Universal which was fine but pickup from Universal back to MCO was delayed with a bullshit excuse when and if I could get them to answer their phone. Turned out OK but I am wondering if Uber or Lyft are more on time and reliable and safe. Any ideas or experiences would help. We are a retired couple. Thanks.
It seems like Lyft is usually cheaper than Uber (and both are cheaper than a taxi). You can always check both apps at the time you want to hail a ride and they will tell you exactly how much it costs at that time.
The apps are both very intuitive. Once you have your credit card info entered, it’s very easy to use. I would try using it at home once so you can have a positive rating history and generally know how it works.
Mears can be cheaper if it’s just one or maybe two people. The more people you have, the more economical a ride share or Van/Limo will be. Mears has been pretty reliable, especially if you do the dedicated shuttle rather than the Express. If you use the Express you might wait up to 40 minutes.
Happy Limo gets good reviews if you decide you want your own vehicle without having to use an app.
Uber and Lyft are platforms that connect riders to independent drivers, so there is no enforcement of consistency, and if you have a bad experience its just luck of the draw- the company is not particularly concerned. I have used them a lot and not found it to be any worse than calling a taxi- some drivers have flaked/cancelled and you need to get a new one, which at peak times can be tough/expensive but I build in plenty of time for contingencies so I’ve never missed a flight using them. The gig economy is hard on people and I dont begrudge drivers their own music or air freshener, but if you would be upset to get a smelly car or one with torn seats you might not like ride sharing.
I have used Lyft a few times in Orlando around WDW without issue. I have had bad experiences with Taxis in Florida (Miami) before and refuse to use them. At least with Lyft, the payment fully takes place in the App.
For my trip at end of March, we are going to use Mears Connect to go to WDW (POR). Then use Lyft to return to the airport so that we don’t have to go 3 hours early. (Short 4 night trip, with just Carry On) Looking at prices, it did not appear to be much more to use Lyft - for 2 people.
Edit to add: if you have not used Lyft before, you can get promo codes to get discounts on your first rides. I believe I used somethings thru Delta. They also send me promo codes, so I usually get a discount. I have skymiles, so this how I signed up for Lyft. https://www.deltalyft.com/