Which Is Better: Uber or Lyft From Orlando Airport?

I’m someone who has traveled pretty frequently inside the United States, and I’ve had my fair share of navigating airports internationally as well. Yet, when I flew into Orlando Airport recently for a short trip, I found myself a little lost on how to get from the airport to Disney World.

I knew what my options were, as I had looked them up before, but I didn’t know if it would be better to grab an Uber or a Lyft when it came to rideshares. I also could have taken a LYNX bus and saved some money (which I DID do on a later trip), but in this instance, I was trying to get to the park as quickly as possible, so I figured a ride share was the best bet. I was right, but I learned a valuable lesson while on that trip — there is no ONE answer to which rideshare is better, because it CHANGES.

Before I flew, I made sure to have both Uber and Lyft downloaded to my phone and ensured I was logged into my accounts on both. Which, yes, also meant that I made my accounts before my trip as well. In my case, I made the accounts years ago, so they already existed, but if this is your first time using a rideshare service and you’ll need to create an account, I recommend doing it well before your trip begins.

The two most popular rideshare services are Uber and Lyft, though when you’re in Disney World, you also may see Minnie Vans on the Lyft app, as Disney and Lyft have partnered to create the special service. Rideshares are great if you want a private ride to where you’re going, or the fastest route, but it’s important to note that there are other options available as well, such as the previously mentioned LYNX bus, as well as Mears Connect.

In my experience, I landed, and as I was walking towards the rideshare pickup (located on the second floor of the airport on the far right side when you step outside as an arrival — you’ll want to look for number 20, which will say rideshare), I checked both apps to see what price would be better. What I found surprised me — Uber would have been cheaper normally, but since I hadn’t used Lyft as often, I had a special deal that made it less than Uber, so that’s what I went with.

These were deals I didn’t know I had, so I hadn’t been able to plan for them in advance. It ended up working out great, so that’s another reason I suggest having both — you never know what deal may be available on either app. What I did find helpful, when it came to budgeting, is that you’re able to look up what your route will cost on another day of the week, around the time you know you’ll be traveling. Not only can it help you get an idea of how much it may cost you, but you can also plan out how long your ride may take with traffic, which is essential if you’ve got a tight schedule.

For me, heading to Disney World on a weekday around 10:30 AM, my rideshare took me just around half an hour, and then around 25 minutes when heading from EPCOT back to the airport around 7:30 PM that same night. The heavier traffic is expected to be (usually during rush hour, which I count as 8-9:30 AM and then 4:30-6 PM in Orlando; in Atlanta, it’s any time that’s not 3 AM), the more expensive your ride will be, so keep that in mind when you’re planning your flights if it matters for your budgeting.

While I normally drive to Disney World, I have to admit that hopping on a 1.5 hour long plane ride and then being driven to the park was a nice change of pace, and is totally something I plan on doing more in the future if and when flight prices go down.

We’ll continue to keep you updated on all the latest and greatest Disney news, and ways to help prepare for your trip, so stay tuned to AllEars!

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Do you have a preferred rideshare service? Tell us in the comments!