A part-time Uber and Lyft driver who primarily works around Disney in Florida said spring break is very profitable, but making enough year-round is difficult

• Jorge, an Uber and Lyft driver, focuses on tourists visiting Walt Disney World Resort for higher tips.
• He has found driving during the Florida spring break rush profitable.

Jorge, 56, said driving for Uber and Lyft amid the big Florida spring break rush during the last few weeks has been profitable. He's picking up and dropping off tourists visiting Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando on weeknights and weekends after his full-time job as an accountant.

The rideshare driver, who asked to only use his first name for fear of professional repercussions, said spring break is not like the rest of the year. Jorge, who has been driving since 2016, said though summers sometimes pick up, it's difficult to maintain a steady income stream year-round, especially in colder months. Coupled with lowered fares over the last few years and growing competition around Disney World, the inconsistent wages have led him to drive fewer hours.

"I do appreciate these platforms are there, as they provide an easy way to earn money, but I do work part-time now due to the income deterioration," Jorge told Business Insider. "Now I just go around Disney only hoping that the tips will compensate for short rides."

As spring break travel picks up in hot spots such as Orlando and Miami, many drivers are shifting their schedules to put in more hours and make more tips. However, as Miami and other cities crack down on spring break rowdiness, some drivers recently told BI they're not seeing as many passengers looking for rides.

He said he's driving more hours during spring break to maximize his earnings, working all day on weekends in addition to his normal weekday schedule. He said most hotels are completely filled now, while there aren't enough drivers around the airport. He said in the past few weeks, he's seen airport rides net $40, more than triple the normal rate.

Jorge said he could easily make over $2,000 in total earnings during a week of spring break in 2022, though it's become harder to pull in comparable earnings this year.

Learning where the customers are

Jorge started driving in 2016 while working as an accountant. His office was an hour from his home, and he figured he could do a few hours of rides on his drive back.

When he started, he received 75% of the passenger's pay, plus tips. He said he could easily pull in a few hundred dollars a week on top of his full-time pay, working from between 7 p.m. and 11:30 p.m.

For a few years, he drove in the Miami market, where he would mainly drive professionals to and from conferences, as well as young adults on vacation. Rides in South Beach were profitable during spring break, and he would drive around casinos and other tourist destinations. He said he became good at anticipating the behavior of passengers based on where they were being picked up from and where they were going, which helped him get better tips.

Jorge said many people who don't drive to work take Uber and Lyft to get around the city, as the city's public transportation can be challenging to navigate.

He pivoted to driving only in touristy areas including around Disney, ensuring higher tips and more consistent rides, especially during peak tourist seasons, such as spring break.

"A lot of people rely on Uber and Lyft for their daily commute to work, and it's a big cost for them to pay for as a way of transportation, so usually I don't receive any tips," Jorge said. "But if you work in the Disney area, most of the people there are people on vacation, they came here to spend money, and they're very nice with their tips."

In 2021, he shifted to driving full-time for Uber and Lyft, putting in 12 hours a day for six days a week. He worked full-time for a year before going back to part-time with a full-time accounting job. He noticed around this time that he was only getting about 60% of what passengers paid, he estimates.

He said he values getting paid on the same day he does the work, a perk most full-time jobs don't offer, but he said he feels like many gig drivers are often neglected.

"It's not a fair relationship where we're giving everything and we're getting nothing back," Jorge said. "We still do it because it's an easy way to earn money, but you're selling your time, selling your assets, selling everything you have for little money.

Now, he said he makes about $70 to $80 a day after Uber and Lyft take their shares, not accounting for gas and other expenses. He's put over 400,000 miles on his car, and he estimates he's receiving less than half of what passengers pay for longer rides.

Prioritizing tourists

He said he stopped prioritizing airport trips, which can take over an hour with traffic and greater competition for pickups. He now focuses on rides within the various Disney parks, along with trips between the parks, hotels, and restaurants nearby. While there was virtually no wait for picking up passengers prior to the pandemic, he said driver queues had gotten very long at peak times. He said rides from Disney to the airport — which is about 16 miles — can pay as low as $12. He tries to keep rides to just a few miles in areas where he knows people tip well.

He said a trip from Miami to Orlando a few years ago paid $220, or about $30 an hour there and back before gas and tolls that brought him down to about $20 an hour. Now, the same ride could pay as low as about $120, which comes out to Florida's minimum wage of $12 or below after accounting for expenses.

"We've all seen really bad situations happening in front of our eyes with people that we've had in our cars," Jorge said, referring to threats or car accidents. "It's risky, and there's no guarantee of nothing."

To ensure high ratings, he tries to have conversations with his passengers, queues playlists for riders, and plays games with kids and their parents. He also guides passengers through the parks and advises them on how to maximize their stay. Much of his job, he said is reading people and seeing who wants to talk or stay silent. He estimates some days during spring break, he's making more money from tips than from fares.

"What's nice about Uber and Lyft is you get to meet so many people and sometimes you can make a difference, as I love to help people," Jorge said. "Sometimes you get tips that are three times the fare, and that makes a good day."

Even though he has narrowed his focus, he said many drivers in the Orlando area aren't making enough to live comfortably. He said he wishes gig driving companies could do more to assist drivers, noting that local and state governments should step in to guarantee drivers an earnings floor. Uber and Lyft threatened to leave Minneapolis on May 1 after the City Council voted in March to give drivers a pay raise.

"It doesn't make any sense to have that many drivers who are doing nothing because sometimes you can tell drivers are waiting for hours to get a ride at the airport," Jorge said. "We're providing a huge service for the state doing transportation for people so they can commute to work, so tourists can get to their destinations, while providing a safe environment."

Are you a ride-hailing driver who's struggling to pay bills or has had recent success? If you'd like to share your story, reach out to nsheidlower@businessinsider.com.