Uber in Orlando
Jan 27, 2017, 3:09 pm
#46
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Montreal
Programs: Aeroplan
Posts: 204
MCO is my home airport, and I have dealt with this for some time, so I want to make this very clear for those traveling here.
MCO's main building has 4 floors, in descending order: Level 3 (Departures), Level 2 (Baggage Claim / Arrivals), Level 1 (Ground Transportation), and Tunnel/Parking. When you de-plane at MCO, everyone must first take a tram from their gate to get to the main building. Once you exit the tram, you are on Level 3 (Departures) of the main building.
If you checked bags, you should first determine which "side" you need to go, A or B, before exiting security. If you flew with an airline in Terminal B (American, United, Delta, etc.), then follow the sign towards side B and go down one floor to Level 2. If you flew with an airline in Terminal A (Southwest, JetBlue, Alaska/Virgin, etc.), go down a floor to Level 2 on side A to pick up your bags.
If you didn't check bags, just stay on Level 3 and walk outside onto the curb. If you picked up bags on Level 2, go outside on the curb of Level 2. Every curbside area outside every door in MCO has a door number someone standing outside or driving by can plainly see. Door numbers for Levels 2/3 and Sides A/B are all unique. Remember which side/Terminal you are on, whether you are on Level 2 (Baggage Claim / Arrivals) or Level 3 (Departures), and the DOOR NUMBER you are standing under.
Now, when you want to call an UberX, you need to drop your pin (toggle the map inside Uber's app to position the pin at the center of the screen) anywhere OUTSIDE the airport. Smart Uber drivers do camp near the airport even though they know the airport is restricted. My recommendation is to drop your pin it just north of the center airport border near Highway 528 and Semoran Blvd. Once you see your Uber driver, CONTACT THEM IMMEDIATELY to tell them where you are. Sometimes, their English isn't perfect, so be clear in telling them:
1) You called an UberX, but you dropped a pin in the wrong place and need to be picked up at the airport.
2) Which Terminal you are at, A or B.
3) Whether you are at Arrivals / Baggage Claim (Level 2) or Departures (Level 3).
4) Which Door # you are standing under.
Most drivers will "get the picture" immediately. Just tell them something like: "Hi, I called for an Uber. I dropped a pin just outside the airport, but I'm at the airport now. I'm in Terminal B at the Arrivals / Baggage Claim area. Please come pick me up at Door 23."
It's very tough for them to screw up if you keep repeating: "Terminal B, Arrivals, Door 23". If their English is no bueno, you can use Google translate.
UberBlack is located on Level 1 (Ground Transportation), which is essentially the same cost as a Mears/yellow cab, or 3x the price of an UberX. For instance, my house is 20 minutes from the airport, and it costs $20-25 on an UberX. An UberBlack costs $60-70, and you get a nicer car. By nice I mean the last time I got an UberBlack at the airport it cost me $65 for a Chrysler 300. ROFLMAO. It still beats the crap product Mears is putting out there. Think New York taxi.
Mears is the classic local monopolistic taxi company that charges 3x what it costs an UberX with bad service and old cars. If you take them, you have joined the millions of tourists who get fleeced each year. To be clear, no person from Orlando in their right mind would ever take Mears or any yellow cab company. I literally have a physical urge to to pull tourists out of Mears cabs when I see them get picked up. Corruption is not rampant in Orlando as other parts of the world, but it is alive and well when it comes to Mears/yellow cabs at MCO.
MCO's main building has 4 floors, in descending order: Level 3 (Departures), Level 2 (Baggage Claim / Arrivals), Level 1 (Ground Transportation), and Tunnel/Parking. When you de-plane at MCO, everyone must first take a tram from their gate to get to the main building. Once you exit the tram, you are on Level 3 (Departures) of the main building.
If you checked bags, you should first determine which "side" you need to go, A or B, before exiting security. If you flew with an airline in Terminal B (American, United, Delta, etc.), then follow the sign towards side B and go down one floor to Level 2. If you flew with an airline in Terminal A (Southwest, JetBlue, Alaska/Virgin, etc.), go down a floor to Level 2 on side A to pick up your bags.
If you didn't check bags, just stay on Level 3 and walk outside onto the curb. If you picked up bags on Level 2, go outside on the curb of Level 2. Every curbside area outside every door in MCO has a door number someone standing outside or driving by can plainly see. Door numbers for Levels 2/3 and Sides A/B are all unique. Remember which side/Terminal you are on, whether you are on Level 2 (Baggage Claim / Arrivals) or Level 3 (Departures), and the DOOR NUMBER you are standing under.
Now, when you want to call an UberX, you need to drop your pin (toggle the map inside Uber's app to position the pin at the center of the screen) anywhere OUTSIDE the airport. Smart Uber drivers do camp near the airport even though they know the airport is restricted. My recommendation is to drop your pin it just north of the center airport border near Highway 528 and Semoran Blvd. Once you see your Uber driver, CONTACT THEM IMMEDIATELY to tell them where you are. Sometimes, their English isn't perfect, so be clear in telling them:
1) You called an UberX, but you dropped a pin in the wrong place and need to be picked up at the airport.
2) Which Terminal you are at, A or B.
3) Whether you are at Arrivals / Baggage Claim (Level 2) or Departures (Level 3).
4) Which Door # you are standing under.
Most drivers will "get the picture" immediately. Just tell them something like: "Hi, I called for an Uber. I dropped a pin just outside the airport, but I'm at the airport now. I'm in Terminal B at the Arrivals / Baggage Claim area. Please come pick me up at Door 23."
It's very tough for them to screw up if you keep repeating: "Terminal B, Arrivals, Door 23". If their English is no bueno, you can use Google translate.
UberBlack is located on Level 1 (Ground Transportation), which is essentially the same cost as a Mears/yellow cab, or 3x the price of an UberX. For instance, my house is 20 minutes from the airport, and it costs $20-25 on an UberX. An UberBlack costs $60-70, and you get a nicer car. By nice I mean the last time I got an UberBlack at the airport it cost me $65 for a Chrysler 300. ROFLMAO. It still beats the crap product Mears is putting out there. Think New York taxi.
Mears is the classic local monopolistic taxi company that charges 3x what it costs an UberX with bad service and old cars. If you take them, you have joined the millions of tourists who get fleeced each year. To be clear, no person from Orlando in their right mind would ever take Mears or any yellow cab company. I literally have a physical urge to to pull tourists out of Mears cabs when I see them get picked up. Corruption is not rampant in Orlando as other parts of the world, but it is alive and well when it comes to Mears/yellow cabs at MCO.
Jan 27, 2017, 5:44 pm
#47
Moderator, Marriott Bonvoy & FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: McKinney, TX, USA
Programs: United Silver; AA Plat/2MM; Marriott LT Titanium; Hilton Gold
Posts: 11,727
I can use my company's rental agreement with Avis and it usually costs me less than $30 to pick it up at the airport and drop it off at the Doubletree across from Universal.
Jan 27, 2017, 8:45 pm
#48
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 17,405
I guess I can try the codes. It might be less hassle though to try dropping the pin with Uber though. I suppose I'll need to figure out if the car has any value to me other than the quick drive from the airport to Universal.
Jan 28, 2017, 4:51 am
#49
Moderator, Marriott Bonvoy & FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: McKinney, TX, USA
Programs: United Silver; AA Plat/2MM; Marriott LT Titanium; Hilton Gold
Posts: 11,727
That's the point. It is more of a hassle, but I'll stop by a grocery store for some less expensive snacks, find a nice place to eat for that night (which will be a better and less expensive meal than eating on site). So I save some money from using Uber and save more for the other savings as well. But for me the biggest benefit is eating at the Tony Romas on International drive. All the Tony Romas near me closed down years ago, but I love their babyback ribs. ^
Feb 16, 2017, 8:33 am
#50
Join Date: Feb 2017
Posts: 6
Use shuttle to car rental place instead?
Someone suggested dropping a pin just outside of the airport and then calling the driver to say that you're actually in the airport. I'm a little leery of that idea since I don't want to get the driver in trouble.
What if instead I just take the car rental shuttle (e.g. Hertz) to the car rental place and request an UberX from there? Is Hertz far enough away from the main airport so that UberX pickups work?
Has anyone tried this?
What if instead I just take the car rental shuttle (e.g. Hertz) to the car rental place and request an UberX from there? Is Hertz far enough away from the main airport so that UberX pickups work?
Has anyone tried this?
Feb 16, 2017, 9:49 am
#51
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 17,405
Someone suggested dropping a pin just outside of the airport and then calling the driver to say that you're actually in the airport. I'm a little leery of that idea since I don't want to get the driver in trouble.
What if instead I just take the car rental shuttle (e.g. Hertz) to the car rental place and request an UberX from there? Is Hertz far enough away from the main airport so that UberX pickups work?
Has anyone tried this?
What if instead I just take the car rental shuttle (e.g. Hertz) to the car rental place and request an UberX from there? Is Hertz far enough away from the main airport so that UberX pickups work?
Has anyone tried this?
Feb 16, 2017, 4:04 pm
#53
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Orlando, FL, US
Programs: DL-Dirt Medallion;US-Cast Iron Preferred; HH-Gold; Avis First
Posts: 3,617
Someone suggested dropping a pin just outside of the airport and then calling the driver to say that you're actually in the airport. I'm a little leery of that idea since I don't want to get the driver in trouble.
What if instead I just take the car rental shuttle (e.g. Hertz) to the car rental place and request an UberX from there? Is Hertz far enough away from the main airport so that UberX pickups work?
Has anyone tried this?
What if instead I just take the car rental shuttle (e.g. Hertz) to the car rental place and request an UberX from there? Is Hertz far enough away from the main airport so that UberX pickups work?
Has anyone tried this?
Feb 16, 2017, 8:19 pm
#54
Join Date: Feb 2017
Posts: 6
Good to know; I'll scratch that idea and just try the "drop a pin" method.
Mar 27, 2017, 10:57 pm
#55
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: MCO
Programs: UA Gold
Posts: 10
Renting a car
Renting a car is very cheap, just realize - in Orlando you must get a toll pass, or shuttling to the car rental place and waiting in line for an uber cheap (no pun intended) car rental will look a waste of time when you're reporting all the tolls you missed to the local authority.
The low cost of living in Orlando makes a drive from the airport, often up to 30 miles much less than $40, while yellow cabs could easily charge you $100 for the same fare - for instance some hotel in a subprime location. If you value your time, it would make sense to stay near Disney Springs, and get a hotel room with an airport shuttle. You can rent slightly higher priced rental cars inside hotel lobbies of flagged hotels sitting inside Disney property. Of course, you pay the Disney premium.
For people like me who enjoy nerdy things like: how efficient is the hotel shuttle from the airport? And how much of a premium am I willing to pay renting a car inside a flagged hotel on Disney property? Is it worth it given the cost of catching an Uber from the hotel considering it is a prime location to most places I would want to go? The answer would be: catch the Uber if your time is money, unless you want to go to some world class beaches near Tampa that would be over an hour away. In which case, rent the slightly higher priced car which you can return at the airport.
The low cost of living in Orlando makes a drive from the airport, often up to 30 miles much less than $40, while yellow cabs could easily charge you $100 for the same fare - for instance some hotel in a subprime location. If you value your time, it would make sense to stay near Disney Springs, and get a hotel room with an airport shuttle. You can rent slightly higher priced rental cars inside hotel lobbies of flagged hotels sitting inside Disney property. Of course, you pay the Disney premium.
For people like me who enjoy nerdy things like: how efficient is the hotel shuttle from the airport? And how much of a premium am I willing to pay renting a car inside a flagged hotel on Disney property? Is it worth it given the cost of catching an Uber from the hotel considering it is a prime location to most places I would want to go? The answer would be: catch the Uber if your time is money, unless you want to go to some world class beaches near Tampa that would be over an hour away. In which case, rent the slightly higher priced car which you can return at the airport.