At the busy theme park, sometimes the journey can be as much a part of the fun as the destination.
If you’ve ever been to Disney World, you’ll know how crucial it is to plan transportation.
Between six parks and 25 resorts on more than 27,000 acres, even a day in which you carefully plan every move and ride can get hard on the feet very quickly.
Disney (DIS) – Get Walt Disney Company Report parks have a number of transportation options for getting to and from the the rides.
While driving down the Interstate 4 is how most people first get there, there are also regular and free buses between the parks and different hotels. Guests of hotels like the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa and Disney’s Wilderness Lodge also have access to a water ferry.
For those who like to travel through the air, there is also the Monorail and the Skyliner gondolas that take guests to the entrances of the park.
While that can seem like a lot of different options, most are geared towards larger groups. Prior to the pandemic, Disney had partnered with Lyft (LYFT) – Get Lyft, Inc. Class A Report for a private ride service with the cute name Minnie Vans.
The concept is not particularly different from ordering a Lyft ride but the cars with red and white polka dots soon became a beloved park sight.
The Minnie Vans Are Finally Back
While the Minnie Vans were one of the last Disney services to be reinstated post-pandemic, some fans have reported seeing them outside park gates earlier this month.
On Thursday, Disney Parks confirmed that the vans would be coming back on their TikTok account.
“It really works! Minnie Vans connected by @Lyft are rolling back in this #Summer at #DisneyWorld,” Disney Parks wrote without providing a concrete date for when the service would resume.
Driving Is Getting Expensive. Will The Minnie Vans Be Too?
Amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, gas prices have been through the roof for the last couple of weeks.
While down from last week’s high of $4.33 a gallon, Friday’s price of $4.234 is still nearly double what it was a year ago.
Dedicated Disney fans calculated that around 2020, a Minnie Van ride started at a $15 base pick-up rate and from $2.75 to $3.00 to subsequent mile for what would average around $30-$35 for a ride between a park and a hotel.
While details on the Minnie Van fare have not even been mentioned by Disney Parks, it seems unlikely that the cost of a ride will get any cheaper.
Between gas prices and regular inflation, those looking for budget options may be better off taking the free Disney buses.
