Minnie Vans - Disney’s new transportation service
This past weekend at Disney’s 4th biennial D23 Expo in Anaheim, California, Bob Chapek, Chairman of Walt Disney Parks & Resorts, announced two new modes of transportation coming to the Walt Disney World Resort: the Disney Skyliner, a gondola system which will initially serve Disney’s Art of Animation, Pop Century, and Caribbean Beach Resorts, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Epcot’s International Gateway and “Minnie Vans.”
“Getting around Walt Disney World can take a bit longer than you really want,” said Chapek during the Parks and Resorts Presentation. “Since we’re all about exceeding guest expectations and making every aspect of your vacation uniquely Disney,” “We’re creating a new point-to-point transportation service in a way that only Disney can do.”
Not every guest visiting Walt Disney World arrives by car. Some rely solely on Disney transportation to get around the massive resort. In recent years, “personal transportation has been revolutionized” from services like Uber and Lyft. Some Disney Resort guests use them to get around the resort quicker. Even with GPS, one of the biggest issues with these services is they don’t know the ins-and-outs of Walt Disney World. Therefore getting to and from a location might be more complicated that it should be. Enter Minnie Mouse.
Disney’s Minnie Vans under wraps behind Epcot’s Test Track attraction
The announcement took place this past Saturday and by Monday the “Minnie Vans” were spotted around the Walt Disney World Resort. Earlier on Saturday, before the presentation took place, Mike from Blog Mickey posted photos of the vehicles, under wraps, behind Epcot’s Test Track attraction. Yesterday, Mike also posted photos of the “Minnie Vans” in the wild - at the Speedway Gas Station near the Magic Kingdom.
The “Minnie Vans” are Chevy Traverse vehicles painted in Minnie’s signature red with large white polka dots. Painted on the passenger and driver side doors and on the roof are graphic Minnie outlines. The service will officially launch on July 26 According to Blog Mickey, “ It officially launches July 26th and will initially be available at Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resorts and the Caribbean Beach Resort. Additional locations will announced in the near future.
Guests will be able to order a vehicle through their smartphone. According to Blog Mickey, it’s not clear if it will be a part of the My Disney Experience app or a separate app. Additionally, “Cars will be available from 6:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. daily,” says Mike from Blog Mickey. “... [they] will accommodate up to 6 guests and have 2 car seats, if needed. Normal wheelchairs are able to be accommodated, but not ECVs or motorized wheelchairs.” Cost: $20 per trip.
Minnie Vans in service
Today, Blog Mickey posted a review and video of their experience using the service. To see what they thought of it click here.