WDW bus transportation problems

[dcedwards]

I am posting a thread on the transportation board but know some don't get to that board so wanted to let all of you know.....

The Director of Transportation at WDW called me today about an email that I sent him. I told him that I was reading of problems with the buses getting between parks and hotels. Long waits...no buses...crowded...etc.

He wants to talk with me more. He also wanted information on the web site where he could go to learn more about others experiences.

Now is your chance....let him know what you think. You can either post it here or go to the transportation board. There will be a thread there. I will give him this website address tomorrow and wanted to make sure everyone had a chance to leave a message, if you want to do that.

I've read several posts here on the troubles people have been experiencing. He seems genuinely interested.

Wow, I'm impressed...emails do work with WDW. It only took 4 days after I sent an email to get a phone call. I'll post the essence of our conversation in the next couple of days.

[The Edge]

My biggest concern is that the Monorail Deluxe hotels due not have direct transportation to Typhoon Lagoon & Downtown Disney. I must transfer to the TTC first!:mad: These are some of the most expensive resorts on property, therefore , they should have the BEST transportation to ALL areas on Disney property.

[Poly Pal]

For all the money we all spend on hotels and admission, Disney really should improve the transportation situation. At least extend the monorails from the TTC to the major parks for gosh sakes! I'd go so far to say don't build another park unless a monorail to it fits the budget.

[Poly Pal]

Please monitor the use of the "Resort Monorail" at MK closing and limit it to "monorail resort" guests. Those of us who pay a premium to stay in a monorail resort expect to be able to get on the first train into the station rather than fight the crowd going back to the TTC parking lot.

[addicted_to_WDW]

I've had nothing but good experiences with WDW transportation. My longest waits have always been at park closing, which is totally understandable IMHO. My longest wait ever was 45 minutes to All Star Sports last May.

I was at WDW last week, and my longest wait from Riverside was about 10 minutes. EVERY time we waited for a bus there were people complaining about how long it was taking. Many many people feel that the bus should always be right there waiting for them, which is unrealistic. I think WDW does a fabulous job of moving people.

I would love for Riverside buses to run independently of the French Quarter buses. Although I didn't have a problem during this past trip, the people at the last Riverside bus stop often had to stand. If I were them I would have walked over to the main depot.

Next trip, September 2001 at PO-Riverside!

[Buzz2001]

I agree with addicted_to_WDW

The 3 times I have been to WDW, we have never experienced long wait times for buses. Keep up the good work.

[lisapooh]

I have many complaints about poor transportation and treatment as a handicapped guest. I use a Jazzy 1103 power wheelchair by Pride Mobility. This wheelchair is 6 wheeled and the center wheels are the primary wheels. The wheelchair pivots on the center wheels not the back giving it a very small turning radius.

Many drivers are unfamiliar with the chair and its capibilites. Because of their lack of knowledge they tend to be quite rude to the point of yelling at me when I do not follow their instructions to the letter. Only problem is their instructions while great for a rear wheel driven chair leave me in the middle of the bus aisle. They also have no idea where to tiedown the wheelchair and do not want to admit that they don't know. I will try to tell them where the place is in front and they will cut me off with "I know what I'm doing" and proceed to tell me their is no place to tie the wheelchair down from the front. When I tell them where to look they refuse and walk off leaving me in a wheelchair that has been half tied down. They rarely put the passenger seat belt in place. One driver actually told me to just hang on to the sides. Did not tie the chair down at all. Is Disney planning on paying if I am injured and my power wheelchair damaged. I doubt that. They sure didn't when one of the driver ripped the back on my ECV as few years ago. (before w/c) That cost me $300 to replace.

Second problem is the lack of any guide line on the monorail ramps. They are very difficult to line up and the attendents frequently place them at an angle making it even more difficult. A simple white line painted down the center of the ramp would help immensely.

Third is the lack of accessiblity of the boats and ferry. They have never been accessible to me from Ft Wilderness. This leaves me at the mercy of the bus transportation through TTC with the offsite guests. I'd paid for onsite access but I'm not getting it from Ft Wilderness or the Wilderness Lodge. And the ferry, while easy to get on, is impossible to get off because the ramp is too steep. ADA states a ramp should be no steeper that 12 to 1 or a 5% incline. The ferry ramp is far more than this and because of this my front antitip wheels catch and I cannot get off without an able bodied person pushing the powerchair up until my center wheels catch.

Fourth is poor maintenence of lifts. I frequently encounter buses with broken lifts or with no lift at all. I have in the past had to wait through as many as 5 buses to get to a park. That was 5 buses for that park not 5 total buses. This was from DXL last Christmas.
Buses with broken lifts should be pulled from service immediately! I should not even have to deal with them.
And buses without lifts should not be used on routes to resorts with handicapped guests using wheelchairs. I don't pay to be onsite to have to wait twice to 5 times as long to get to a park as an able bodied guest. I get no discounts for being handicapped and I deserve the same level of transportation as an able bodied guest.

Finally drivers who don't care to deal with handicapped guests should not be employed by Disney. I've been lied to bus drivers who didn't want to deal with my wheelchair, I've been ignored by drivers, and I've had drivers who let every able bodied guest on and then tell me there is no room for me wait for the next bus. I am being treated like a second class guest by these drivers. I've complained but nothing is done because I see the same ones over and over trip after trip. And I visit WDW and stay at a resort at least 4 times a year. Get rid of them or don't charge me full freight for a Disney resort because I'm not getting the same level of service as an able bodied guest.

[lisapooh]

I don't agree with the Edge that monrail resort guests should have exclusive access to those monorails at close of the day. Resort guests should have use of them as well. Both Ft Wilderness guests and Shades of Green guests have to trek through TTC and should be given access to this easier way to get there. As a handicapped guest is a power wheelchair, I find the resort monorail easier to use as I don't have to drive through a huge mass of people and risk having one of them fall on me. (it has happened) ANd unfortunately water transportion is not accessible to guests in power chairs.

[laurenk]

I am arriving in June, and am VERY nervous about transportation to and from DAKL. I have read several posts where people have waited 45 + for buses to and from the parks. We will be there for 9 days, and I feel that if we are paying for a deluxe, we should not have to wait for buses, they should be waiting for us. Especially with the summer hours now being shortened as they have been.

Hey, how did you get WDW to respond to you? I sent an e-mail over 2 weeks ago, about the shortened summer hours and am STILL waiting for a response!!

[Randi]

Overall our experience with the buses has been very good. We do have one person in a manual wheelchair and the drivers have been excellent. We did have one incident on the trip in early May that was annoying however. While waiting at the GF bus stop to go to AK, 6 buses for MGM came before we saw a bus for any other park. We were not in a hurry, it was mid-morning and cool where we were sitting. But after 1 hour had gone by and we saw only MGM buses, I started to get annoyed. We didn't see any CM from the GF, no signs other than the old ones about a bus every 20 minutes, etc. Finally an AK bus came, but it was full. The driver apologized and said he would call to dispatch another bus. He did, because not 5 min later, an empty bus arrived. That driver apologized too and told us that the buses now wait to be called. But I couldn't pin him down as to who is responsible for calling. There is no phone for guests to call, so it can't be that. The CMs at the resort are out of sight of the bus stop so it can't be them. The other drivers? It probably will be a good idea, but there seems to be a lack of communication at this time.

[2boys'mom]

board from our April trip. Hope this will help.

[Michigan]

We had a bus driver open the front doors before boarding my 2 kids in wheelchairs first and then just laugh and say oh well. On our last visit we had to wait for a second bus because there was a wheelchair in front of us. While the first bus was still loading a 2nd bus pulled up and opened his doors out in the street and wouldn't let us on because he said wheelchairs had to board from the sidewalk so we waited 45 minutes for a bus to take us. That was the last time I used the bus during our stay after that I just drove.

[Kermit]

For the most part, I've always been happy with the transportation. I don't agree that buses should be waiting for you--that would be impossible. Even if the bus was waiting, you would have to wait until it was time for it to leave. You can't expect fullsize buses to drive around families of 4 all around the place.

The one problem that we noticed on our last trip was that there seemed to be a lot less PO buses at park closing than any other resort, especially the All-Stars. (It's easy to compare to the All-Stars since their stop is next to the PO stop.) Several times we waited while 4 or more All-Star buses came before even one came to PO, and of course there were several bus-loads of people waiting. Some type of monitoring, where CMs could monitor the stops at the parks at closing and could determine which resort needed a bus the most, would really help.

[Too Charming]

During our stay at PO-R in April 2001, we had extended wait times, in the morning, in the evening and all throughout the day.

One afternoon I had gotten separated from my group, and decided to go back to the resort so my children could take a nap. I was at the MK, it took me an hour to get a bus, people ahead of me had wait an hour and a half and longer. My children (ages 2, 5, & 10) and I sat on the concrete, while my 2 y/o slept on my lap. The friends that I left at the park so they could finish up their touring, ended up at the bus stop before I left.

Some of the drivers drove entirely too fast for having a bus full of standing people.

If PO-FQ and R are going to continue to share buses, I think more buses need to be sent that way. We were passed over more than once because the buses were too full.

The boat ride to downtown Disney though was awesome, and they should not change a thing, other than to make sure disable guests are able to use it as well.

We didn't rent a car when we flew into Orlando, we had Tiffany Town Car pick us up, so we needed to use Disney Transportation for every move we made, including getting to our Priority Seatings.

Of course my 2 y/o made serveral bus trips a total nightmare for all who rode with us, and I would like to apologize to anyone who was on the bus with us when she totally wigged out! How embarrassing!

[chippmom]

DCEdwards - what email address do we use to send our concerns about Disney transportation?

[DocDisney]

The WDW transportation system really is a marvel of efficiency. I have had times though when I wondered if a bus would ever come by--especially annoying when you see buses pass by with 5 or 10 people on them. I'll admit I've had many WDW vacations where I didn't use the buses at all, for this very reason. However, with just a little fine tuning to avoid the usual (and sometimes the unexpected) bottlenecks, the system would be ideal. I would think that some type of feedback system to indicate locations of acute demand would be well within Disney's enormous capabilities.

[Kitty 34]

I have been to Disney only around Easter time, one of the busiest times of the year and I had no real problems with the bus service. We were quite impressed at how efficient the buses run! We stayed at All Stars. Buses were always on time, there!:D

[BevS97]

We were at the CBR 2 weeks ago, and took just 4 bus trips, to the MK and back twice. After that we gave up and drove ourselves.

Our first trip was at about 11am, into the MK and we waited upwards of 45 minutes for a bus to arrive. There were plenty of other buses pulling through the stop, but none for MK. When it did arrive it was standing room only.

Returning that evening, about 6pm was fine - no complaints.

The following evening we took the bus to MK about 6pm and had a reasonable wait, but again standing room only - this really isn't safe.
And that night, returning after the fireworks was just unbelievable, the queue for CBR was incredibly long. I think we must have waited for about 10 buses before we finally boarded. None of the other resorts had queue's even half as long, so I don't know where all the CBR guests had mysteriously appeared from.

I don't think we would have managed to do 1/2 as much in our trip, if we had been relying on the bus transportation.

Bev

[Terk-1]

I do not complain that often, but this is kinda a touchy subject with me. Although I have had some good experiences with WDW transportation, I have had my share of bad experiences as well. WDW needs to have cb's on all of their buses to the main building. I can't tell you how many times we have asked a bus driver to find out what is taking so long for another bus to come and get the same answer. "It should be coming soon. I don't have anyway of finding out when." Another problem is on EE mornings. The parks (with the exception of AK) open @ 7:30am (sometimes earlier at busier times) on EE days. However, if you ask a bus driver, most tell you it does not open until 8am. That is incorrect. So people are beginning to line up at the bus stops @ 6:30am for a 7:30am opening and on most occassions are waiting around till about 7am for a bus to come. Tack on having to share your bus with other resorts and you can kiss getting there before 7:30am goodbye. Now, ironically enough, there are busses to DTD & TTC starting @ 6:30am. The drivers need to get their story correct. Also, on NYE 2 years ago, I was staying @ DxL. I was forewarned by the desk clerk about NYE and should arrive @ EE. Well, I chose MGM. Well by 7:15am, there was well over 150 of us waiting around and had reached its breaking point. We had all been standing there since 6:30am and had watched at least a dozen busses go by for everywhere else, BUT MGM. With each bus to another WDW location that arrived, the more people just wanted to throw the driver off and bring it to MGM. Finally, they ended up sending a bus, plus one of those that looks like a tractor trailer (still not enough room) to pick us up. Disney Transportation knows how busy the parks get on these kind of days and should be better prepared. Also, I think that DxL should have separate buses to the parks from PO. It becomes aggravating if you have been waiting around for a bus @ PO, then have to spend another 20 minutes or more driving around DxL 5 stops, before getting on the road to the park you want to get to, especially on EE mornings. Also, on EE mornings @ the MK or EPCOT, the shuttle boat to the Contemporary or MK from the WL and the monorails to both of these parks should start earlier. Buses from each of the resorts should be direct to the parks, etc. Just my views.

[#1 TITANS FAN]

At Fort Wilderness, they need to go back to running separate Chip and Dale bus routes instead of the combined route. Earlier this month, it took me over 30 minutes twice on extremely crowded buses to get back to my campsite from the Settlement Depot (a distance of only about 3/4 of a mile). This is why I only ate at the Trails End Buffeteria once even though I loved the food and service. The thought even crossed my mind that this was a deliberate strategy to try and coerce you into spending the extra $35 a day on golf cart rentals.

[lisapooh]

We've been getting ours offsite from Golf Cart Enterprises. Great for my adult kids but not much good for me because golf carts don't carry wheelchairs. So they go by cart and I ride the bus with dh or alone. And I agree they should split the Chip and Dale buses.

[Jenzebelle]

We just came back 2 weeks ago from the WL. A wonderful trip that was only marred by the bus issue.
The bus to Downtown Disney took well over an hour. In order to get a bus to another resort, we had to take a bus to the TTC and then wait to transfer, but almost every bus stopped at the Poly and the GF. Coming back to WL from any park meant a very long wait for a bus and then it was over crowded. And I mean packed to the gills crowded!
If I am spending all of this money to stay at a deluxe resort, well I want deuxe transportation service!

[Cindy B]

We've never had a problem.. We have stayed at All Star sports.. it has its own bus! I have noticed that Music and Movies has to share a bus, outside of MK!

Sometimes they go a little faster than usual, that is diffulcult when you have a child on your lap moving due to the crowd... I would love to see seatbelts for the toddler set.. but school buses dont even have seatbelts...

[disneyokw]

I have not read all the posts so I do not know if this was brought up. My entire family is hoping that Disney will eventually have a system where your room key is swiped through a machine on the bus that verifies that you are a Disney resort guest. If someone is having a guest stay with them, say for one day, they should be able to go to guest services and for a fee of $5.00 get a card for their guest for the one day. Disney will make extra money and they can statistically see how many outside guests use the Disney buses/monorails.

As a DVC member (OKW) we have seen the same problems at our pools. It would also be absolutely WONDERFUL if they would have key swiping to use the pools as well. But I do not believe that a DVC guest should have pool hopping privileges.

My family and I have over heard and have spoken to a multitude of people over the years who say they have been getting away with using the Disney buses, monorails and the pools for free. :mad::mad: :confused: :confused: :mad: :mad:

[mloren]

Was there the last week of April, 2001. Stayed at PO-Riverside. Used the buses exclusively (no car) and was overall quite impressed with the service.

With the following exceptions ...

Morning EE service to the Magic Kingdom wasn't great. We were at the main (south) bus stop by 7:00 a.m. The first few buses that arrived were already close to full having come first from the French Quarter. Only a few people could get on at our stop. Buses didn't even try to pick up people at the rest of the Riverside stops. We just made it to Magic Kingdom by 7:30, but many others from Riverside did not.

This happened both days we did EE at Magic Kingdom.

Bus service was pretty rough coming back from Epcot or MGM after park close (close to an hour wait before we could get on a bus). However, given the huge volume of people all leaving the park at once, this is somewhat understandable I guess.

Otherwise I was quite happy with the bus service, and enjoyed the convenience of not having to drive.

[valeriekc]

I posted a comment about our problem with busing at Boardwalk and here is the link on the Disney Vacation club board http://64.225.125.24/forums/showthr...&threadid=36605

To summarize I think it is a very poor business practise to JAM CRAM & SHOVE ALL THE PEOPLE from the Swan resort, Dolphin resort, Yacht club resort, Beach club resort, The Boardwalk Inn, and the Boardwalk villas all on to one bus. SIX RESORTS ON ONLY ONE BUS!!!
Obviously I am a vacation club member and resent this poor treatment (heck WDW already has my money), but I am amazed that the guests that are paying expensive cash room rates are not screaming mad about having to put up with this.
It's not like Disney is asking the other resorts to share buses, most all of them have only there one stop.
Many people are watching there valuable vacation time slip away as they watch bus after bus pass them by at Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom, Or worse yet having the bus finally show up and the line had grown so long the there is not even room to board so they have to wait even longer for another bus. And of course I'm must be crazy to think I might get to sit on my trip to MK & AK because the bus is too full after stopping at 5 other resorts first!!
One might think that since they are forcing all these people into these cattle cars that they might GET THE BRIGHT IDEA to add a few more to the route, Well nope, they even have fewer available than other resorts.

Two areas that we can't complain is to Epcot & MGM because we don't have to utilize any of the WDW Transportation, BECAUSE WE WALK!!!

I hope everyone that is subjected to this treatment complains and then maybe, just maybe WDW TRANSPORTATION can see the light.

[TracyK]

Disneyokw
It is not only resort guests who are entitled to use the WDW transportation system. Multi day pass holders are also entitled to use the transport.

[dcedwards]

Just wanted to let you know that I connected today with the Director of WDW Transportation. We had a very good conversation.

I gave him this website and he was very appreciative. He said he would definitely take a look at all the comments and continue to monitor the site. So that is great -- someone will "read" your opinion. We will see what they do with it.

In general, he said that yes they had heard "horror" stories of bus problems when they instituted the new system on March 25th. It was a basically a disaster. He told me the technology did exactly what they designed it to do...they just designed it to do the wrong thing.

He said that they have redesigned it and are now, hopefully, having much better luck with it. They recognize that there have been a lot of empty buses running around at the same time some are overcrowded. This system is suppose to try to cure that. He also told me that their standard is that no guest should have to wait more than 20 minutes for a bus...except at closing. If they do, then they aren't doing something right.

He also assured me that by the time I go in November that they should have worked all the kinks out of this new system. It should be running wonderfully by then.

Overall, I was pleased with the conversation. He seemed to listen to the suggestions that I had about the PO-FQ and PO-Riverside. At least he was interested. He was also genuinely excited to be able to get the address for these boards. He promised he would read them. I gave them the specific threads to read. They could learn tons....about everything.

So, I guess, this is one happy ending to an email sent to guest relations. They received it. Gave me an immediate response. Were genuinely interested in my opinions and wanted to learn more. That is all you can ask.

Now we will see if the bus situation gets better for those who have had horrible experiences. All I can say is that if you aren't happy you need to let them know. Hard to fix something if you don't hear that it is broke.

[dcedwards]

I sent my email to:

www.guest.communications@disney.com

[SCOTTNJ]

deb, thanks for pointing out to the director of transportation my posts titled just back, my one big complaint.

I did in fact write a complaint letter but I sent it to michael eisner so we will see if i get any kind of response. I already spoke to wdw-ride two times during my visit and as far as I'm concerned that is when the director of transportation should have addressed my concerns.

From my earlier trip to my recent trip, the buses went from being unbelievably reliable to pure frustration. My earlier post only touched the surface of the problems we had. I was so frustrated with the whole ordeal that for the first time in my life, I didn't already start planning my next trip. I decided i need a break. I still love disney, just need a little break.

[Eeyoregal]

Can anyone confirm/deny what TracyK said about non-resort guests being able to use WDW transportation?

<font color=blue>It was my impression that the use of busses, monorails, boats, etc. was an exclusive perk of being a WDW resort guest.</font>

Does this mean any person with a park-hopper can use the busses? If so, this is a huge part of the problem!! :mad:

[Gillian]

Multi-day passholders can use the transportation. They are entitled to park hop, and WDW transportation gives them a way to do this. I doubt this contributes much to crowds on the resort busses, which is what most of the complaints are about. Why would you want to take a bus if you had a car? We never have a problem getting anywhere by car, even leaving Epcot at the end of the day.

[Eeyoregal]

Actually, previous posters (on this thread and others) have mentioned encountering a large number of non-resort guests on busses who didn't want to drive to a park because of parking again, trams, etc. It would be much easier to park at a resort and take busses from there.

Apparently my impression of transportation for WDW resort guests was incorrect, but that really is one of the "perks" of staying onsite that Disney advertises.

[Gillian]

I remember at one time you couldn't take the resort monorail unless you were staying there, or if you asked nicely ;) We've stayed off site a number of times, and it really is easy taking your car. We get there very early & often end up in the first row of cars! I could see parking at the Poly or CR & taking the monorail, but not parking at PO or the all stars just to take a bus.

We will be at the YC in the Fall. I am very nervous about getting to EE at the MK by bus. I will be writing to suggest additional busses for the Boardwalk area deluxe resorts. It is crazy for that many hotels to have to share!

[BlueFairy]

I posted on the Resorts board, but I have an additional comment about off-site guests. IN MY EXPERIENCE Disney has advertised free transportation as a perk for resort guests AND park-hopper/AP ticket holders (check out their official web-site). I have never had any problem as an AP holder accessing buses from TTC to DD, but that is the only time we used them when we stayed off-site. Obviously, no driver has ever asked to see my ticket or room key. If a resort bus is exclusively for on-site guests, then I agree they should check room keys since the resort buses seem to be a HUGE problem. As for off-site guests parking at the resort and hopping on a bus or a monorail, I think this is a horrible practice which Disney seems to be working on. In April we visited AKL and Poly for meals and each time were given a parking pass for a 2-3 hour window. Excellent idea!! I just hope they were out there checking passes to discourage people abusing the system. Just my 2 cents. . .
dcedwards . . . do you think it would be beneficial to start an e-mail campaign to the address you mentioned in order to emphasize the importance of checking these boards for complaints? I honestly don't have any recent problems to mention to them, but would like to help the masses in getting things improved before we visit again. Would it help for them to hear these things directly?

Thanks again for getting this going!:)

[Poly Pal]

Disney just can't nail down a bus schedule like ALL metropolitan bus companies can? I think alot of frustration would be avoided if they could get the buses on a schedule and publish it. At least people would know what time to be at a bus stop and when the next bus was due to arrive.:confused:

[dcedwards]

Blue Fairy-

The Director of Transporation assured me the would read the threads I told him about and was excited to find a site where he could listen in....he sounded sincere and I think he will continue to monitor this site.

I always encourage people to write down their comments. As a previous busines owner I often wouldn't know unless someone told me they were unhappy and especially if they thought I was doing a good job. But I encourage you to write. If it is about buses I'm sure the Director of Transporation will get the email. He did mine.

Poly Pal
In my conversation with him he said that they have been running on a schedule. This is what I am familiar with. While it has worked okay he said their concern was that some buses were running around empty while others will crammed pack. They are trying to eliminate the empty bus syndrome and provide...on time delivery..as some would say. They want to send the buses where the demand is when the people need them. He thinks they are getting better at it. If they aren't then "we" as consumers need to let Disney know it isn't working...and if it is...we need to let them know it is workigng. Hope that helps.

[lisapooh]

One final complaint. The new transportation brochures. Instead of giving full routes the just say things as take bus. Take boat, take monorail. This is great as long as you are at a resort that only has one option for transportation.
But for Ft Wilderness and WL, for example. Which bus? Where? No mention that boats are not accessible to guests in ECVs and Powerwheelchairs or manual wheelchairs unless you can get out and it can be lifted onto the boat by a companion. No mention that the ferry may not be fully accessible. If it is not to be mentioned in the standard guides then a transportation guide for guests with disabilities should be distributed. It is very fustrating to go to use the recommended transportation only to find it will not accommodate you and your equipment.

[BevS97]

I do not have a problem with non-resort guest using transportation. If you were at MK and wanted to go to Epcot it would be ridiculous to go back to TTC, get your car, drive to Epcot and repark etc, and I don't think anyone should be expected to do this regardless of where they are staying.

I also don't think you could get with parking at a resort rather than a park. We had breakfast at 1900 Park Fair one morning and we were given a 2 hour parking pass, another morning we ate at Chef Mickeys, and we did take the monorail into MK as we were only going in for an hour (our last day), and to be honest it really wasn't all that convenient - by the time we had taken the monorail all the way around the loop, and then on the way back you get off on the 4th floor and have to come down through the hotel, I think that the TTC would have been just as fast.

Just a few thoughts

Bev

[jkb]

We were in Disney World May 24-27 and had a terrible experience with the transportation system.

The average wait time in the mornings was 25 minutes. Too long a wait when you're anxious to get to the parks!
Also had long waits when leaving the parks in the evenings.

Now, I hope the Director of Transportation is really reading these boards because what happened to us needs his attention.

On Friday, May 25, we left our room at PO at 5:30 to take a boat ride to Downtown Disney. From there, we hoped to take a bus to the Polynesian for our 6:30 dinner reservations at O'Hanas.

It looked like it was going to rain, so the boat driver wasn't sure if he would be able to make the trip. We started out, but before we reached the half way point, he received a message to return to PO. There were reports of lightening, and so the boat ride was shut down. This is understandable. Better safe, than sorry. So we went to Plan B - take a bus to the Magic Kingdom, and then take the monorail to the Polynesian.

We boarded a MK bus at approximately 5:55, bound for the MK. Since we were in the POFQ, we were at the 1st stop in PO. The driver then proceeded to the 2nd stop. After that, for some reason, he didn't make any other stops at PO - even though there were 3 more to make. I thought maybe it's because of the weather. By this time, it was raining pretty bad.

After awhile, I noticed we were at Downtown Disney. Since I knew this wasn't the way to MK from PO, I knew there was a problem. The bus driver then announced that due to weather problems, we were going back to PO, and then to the MK. Of course, everyone wanted to know what was going on, because this didn't make any sense. Well, it wasn't the weather. There were passengers on the bus who need to get off at PO Riverside, and the driver had missed their stops. So, we all had to go back to PO, and then to the MK.

By the time we got to the MK, it was 6:55. We were on the bus, for 1 hour! When we finally reached the monorail station, the monorail for those who were leaving the MK broke down, so everyone had to get on the resort monorail. We finally arrived at O'hana's at 7:10. Although we were extremely late, we still got a table.

Weather problems are not under Disney's control, but the bus drivers are! This guy made a huge mistake and a bus load of people had to suffer for it.

Although this was probably a one time occurence, the transportation system still needs adjusting. Resort guests should not have to wait 25 minutes for a bus first thing in the morning. Also, when the parks are closing, the buses should be standing by. After all, everyone is leaving the parks at the same time, so plenty of buses are needed.

Next time, I will rent a car. That's what I did last year. This time, I gave the buses a try, but I won't again.

[SueM in MN]

We travel with my DD who uses a manual wheelchair. While some bus drivers are very courteous, know what they are doing, etc, some seem to have more of an attitude of "get her in" than "get her in correctly and safely". I make sure to show the bus drivers where the tie down points on her wheelchair are. Some listen couteously and connect there, some don't listen and start connecting in the wrong place and some cut me off with "I know what I'm doing, lady" and then proceed to attach the tiedowns in the wrong place. Some are careful that none of the straps are twisted, others aren't. If they don't care about my DD's safety, well, I do. Some of the good drivers find the last person to use the equipment left it in a tangled mess; we have already had to get off a bus because the straps were too damamged for the driver to use. That inconvenienced us (and we had to wait for the next bus) and it also ticked off the other waiting passengers who saw us get on, fool around on the bus for a little while and then get off. THe equipment should be checked at least once per day to make sure it is all there and functional.