Challenging day at MK

[maxiesmom]

Oh, so sorry OP, that stinks. Since the monorail breaks down so frequently now and they don't seem capable of handling the crowd effectively with ferries and buses, they really should consider building a bridge/walkway so folks have the option of walking. It shouldn't take 2 hours to get from the TTC to the park.

To be fair, it is not like they can grab any old CM and throw them on the boat and have them pilot it. Or drive the buses either. It probably takes a while to get the right people to the right spot when the monorail goes down.

However that doesn't make it suck any less to be stuck trying to get to the parks.

 

[Elmo9607]

I'm not sure I buy the 'more rude guest' excuse...during my CP I had three rude guests. Three. In 4 months. I encountered more rude CM's than guests...I worked with some truly mean and nasty people at Cosmic's.

Of course, I've worked in customer service for years and years...a lot of younger workers have never done so and in some cases it's their first job. It's a tough place to learn the ins and outs of guest service.

I can't imagine the nightmare the transportation issue must have been. It's not necessarily Disney's fault, of course. The arrival process to the MK has so many variables that could go wrong. It's the most frustrating park to try to enter even on a good day! The fact that the only resort you can safely walk to MK from is CR is also frustrating.

 

[tink621]

We were there the day before 6-5 and the same thing. Arrived at the monorail at 8:15 for an 8:40 reservation at crystal palace and the monorails were not running. Took the ferry. As we were leaving at 5:00 we stood in line at the monorail for 45 min. to be told they were not working and to go to the ferry. Ferry line was very long with many rude and hostile people waiting. It took us and hour and a half to get to our car.

 

[LiveYourLife]

OP, sorry to hear you had such a rough start to your day, but it sounds like you all made the best of it and had a blast!

If that were me, and I saw that line of people at the GF waiting for those Willy Wonka boats, I would have done a 180 and got in a cab at the GF valet and went to the CR and then walked to MK.

It's kind of like picking the right line at the grocery store. I always get in the wrong one, and what is the shortest ends up taking the longest. Every. Single. Time.

PS: GO BULLS \m/

 

[PeterPanic]

I can't imagine the nightmare the transportation issue must have been. It's not necessarily Disney's fault, of course. The arrival process to the MK has so many variables that could go wrong. It's the most frustrating park to try to enter even on a good day! The fact that the only resort you can safely walk to MK from is CR is also frustrating.

Thanks everyone for justifying my having and using a car while I am there. If I had gotten to TTC only to find the line extra long for the ferry, I would have gauged how long I thought it might be and if it was too long, I would be saying hello to a different park.

 

[jaykorf001]

To be fair, it is not like they can grab any old CM and throw them on the boat and have them pilot it. Or drive the buses either. It probably takes a while to get the right people to the right spot when the monorail goes down.

However that doesn't make it suck any less to be stuck trying to get to the parks.

Honest question: does this mean Disney does not have a "reserve" of available drivers/buses available or on call to deal with situations like this or other bottlenecks that may pop up? No pool of CMs that may be trained in more than one area? Pretty simple to get licensed to drive a bus. It seems fairly simple and routine to me. I've noticed some people defend Disney under any circumstances. I'm sure Disney does a fabulous job as evidenced by how many people love it. But there's always room for improvement, right?? Especially at these prices. I just don't see the shame in admitting that. Call me crazy.

 

[capegirl]

Honest question: does this mean Disney does not have a "reserve" of available drivers/buses available or on call to deal with situations like this or other bottlenecks that may pop up? No pool of CMs that may be trained in more than one area? Pretty simple to get licensed to drive a bus. It seems fairly simple and routine to me. I've noticed some people defend Disney under any circumstances. I'm sure Disney does a fabulous job as evidenced by how many people love it. But there's always room for improvement, right?? Especially at these prices. I just don't see the shame in admitting that. Call me crazy.

Yes, this is exactly the point I was attempting to make in my pp. We can make excuses, and pretend that Disney does not have chronic transportation issues, but what purpose would that serve? As someone who adores Disney, I want to make it better by offering well intentioned, constructive criticism. Some of us have been lucky enough to enjoy perfect vacations at Disney. With that said, it may be difficult to walk in the shoes of someone who had a less than magical Disney experience when their vacation plans were interrupted. This recent monorail incident should prove to us that Disney needs to revise their 'PLAN B'. You are right, there is always a need for improvement.

 

[maxiesmom]

Honest question: does this mean Disney does not have a "reserve" of available drivers/buses available or on call to deal with situations like this or other bottlenecks that may pop up? No pool of CMs that may be trained in more than one area? Pretty simple to get licensed to drive a bus. It seems fairly simple and routine to me. I've noticed some people defend Disney under any circumstances. I'm sure Disney does a fabulous job as evidenced by how many people love it. But there's always room for improvement, right?? Especially at these prices. I just don't see the shame in admitting that. Call me crazy.

I'm sure they do have "reserve" people. But I'm also sure they are not standing around, fully dressed, ready to go at all times. They most likely have to be called, get ready, and drive in. Takes a little time.

 

[MaxsDad]

Honest question: does this mean Disney does not have a "reserve" of available drivers/buses available or on call to deal with situations like this or other bottlenecks that may pop up? No pool of CMs that may be trained in more than one area? Pretty simple to get licensed to drive a bus. It seems fairly simple and routine to me. I've noticed some people defend Disney under any circumstances. I'm sure Disney does a fabulous job as evidenced by how many people love it. But there's always room for improvement, right?? Especially at these prices. I just don't see the shame in admitting that. Call me crazy.

As already stated it would take time so I can understand why that isn't an ideal situation. However even if it took time it might help alleviate some of the stress later on if the problems weren't immediately fixed.
What I wonder is why Disney didn't reroute some buses from other parks/resorts which were already in service. IIRC (and I could be mistaken) they have a system in place which allows them to move buses based on need. I don't think it would have been unreasonable to reroute some buses to address those long lines, especially the GF one. I do realize that could cause delays for guests at other resorts/parks but I think if you take 1 bus from here or there it could have made a huge difference, and not have affected other guests too much. But then again I am not a transportation engineer so what do I know. It just seems to me like they didn't do much to address the problem, and that is what would bum me out.

In fact when looking up some info on Disney buses I found an article from September talking about upgrades and the WDW transportation VP said this:

“Here (Disney World) it’s about guest experience, people going on vacation,” said Sam, “It’s a very different atmosphere and mindset … expectation is high.”

http://attractionsmagazine.com/blog...rails-and-roadways-to-meet-increasing-growth/

 

[capegirl]

In fact when looking up some info on Disney buses I found an article from September talking about upgrades and the WDW transportation VP said this:

“Here (Disney World) it’s about guest experience, people going on vacation,” said Sam, “It’s a very different atmosphere and mindset … expectation is high.”

http://attractionsmagazine.com/blog...rails-and-roadways-to-meet-increasing-growth/

Sam was correct; expectations are high. Yet it is Disney itself who 'set the bar' for their guests to expect a certain level of service. If they make no attempt to resolve legitimate issues, Disney lowers it's own standards, leading to guests who are disappointed when they realize their Disney experience is no longer the same. Money is the driving factor here. When failing equipment is not replaced, and staff is reduced to save money, there are consequences. This is probably why more people are beginning to have encounters with rude CM's, as staff cuts create morale problems. Granted, they should keep their cool in all situations, but I am certain that many CM's are overworked and underpaid, and it is reflected back to the guests. Heck, I live in a tourist destination, and I see this happening with many businesses in my community; when there are financial cutbacks the quality of service suffers, yet the prices continue to rise.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

For what it's worth I agree with you. And yes Mesaboy2 I know Disney changed their policy to allow non-monorail resort guest to use the resort monorail. We are only pointing out that when this change was made Disney did not make plans for the boats to carry non-resort guests. This current policy stinks. Transportation that was planned and sized for resort guests is not equipped to handle the volume of guests packed on at TTC. The OP took the risk. It messed up his day but it really messed up the resort guests' day. And the OP added to the problem.

thank you, you completely understand what I meant

 

[A Mickeyfan]

In a nutshell, Disney's transportation system STINKS either way you put it. They are also building so many rooms that it doesn't allow for guests from other resorts to park there without taking up spots needed for that particular paying resort guest. Disney is only thinking of one thing and has been all along. That one thing is MONEY. Some here forget it really isn't a Magical place where all your dreams come true. It is not the happiest place on earth either. This is an advertisement ploy to sway your "opinion", it is not based on fact. Fact is, Disney is a business like very other business. While I love Disney and have been going literally since 1974, I am on to their game. They pump it up and take our money. Every year they increase their price and decrease their services. They are worried about their bottom line like every other business. They want and need to increase revenue from the last year (everyday they must BEAT last years day). I worked for them as well and know this for a fact (by the way, not a disgruntle CM, left on excellent terms and can be rehired back).

Anyone in retail will agree too, you have to beat last years figures. That is what Disney does, and they don't give a darn what they do to get those figures. If it means less maintenance, cut backs on staff, increase # of rooms for guests, and even cut back on plate portions, they don't care. They are going to do it. So that is it in a nutshell. As another poster has said, Disney set themselves up for this in one way. This is NOT what Walt had in mind, but this is what it has become and will continue to be.. there is not turning back... Money is the route of all evil. The more we pay, the more some expect to get. The more they, the less they want to give us.. it is all a money game and we fell for it. This is coming from a true Disney fan too.. but the kool aid magic has worn off. I do not wear rose colored glasses here

 

[PrettyFlower2]

wow has DW really changed that much from 2007? (that was the last time I was there) This thread makes me doubt planning another trip there for next year. I had no problems with transportation and never waited more than 15 minutes for a bus (stayed at a value resort) I am trying to plan a trip for next June at POFQ which I know is a crazy month, so this is worrying me...

 

[A Mickeyfan]

wow has DW really changed that much from 2007? (that was the last time I was there) This thread makes me doubt planning another trip there for next year. I had no problems with transportation and never waited more than 15 minutes for a bus (stayed at a value resort) I am trying to plan a trip for next June at POFQ which I know is a crazy month, so this is worrying me...

you were lucky, back in 2007 I did wait more than 15 minutes for buses.. in fact back in early 2000's I did as well.. which is why I like my car better than their system. If you have ever left the MK after the fireworks, count yourself lucky getting on in 15 min's. I can remember waiting over 45 minutes with 3 small kids to get back to the FW Campground.. and their internal bus wait was horrible as well. If you missed it you were doomed! That actually has improved over the years I think (FW Campground that is.. ) I could not do the ferry with the kids and the stroller, I had no one to hold my kids when the ferry did the bumping to dock..

 

[mejo]

wow has DW really changed that much from 2007? (that was the last time I was there) This thread makes me doubt planning another trip there for next year. I had no problems with transportation and never waited more than 15 minutes for a bus (stayed at a value resort) I am trying to plan a trip for next June at POFQ which I know is a crazy month, so this is worrying me...

We were there in dec and in may and transportation was fine this board just gets all of the complainers. WDW is what it is a very cool place to go but like every place not perfect

 

[PeterPanic]

I'm sure they do have "reserve" people. But I'm also sure they are not standing around, fully dressed, ready to go at all times. They most likely have to be called, get ready, and drive in. Takes a little time.

Exactly correct!

As already stated it would take time so I can understand why that isn't an ideal situation. However even if it took time it might help alleviate some of the stress later on if the problems weren't immediately fixed.
What I wonder is why Disney didn't reroute some buses from other parks/resorts which were already in service. IIRC (and I could be mistaken) they have a system in place which allows them to move buses based on need. I don't think it would have been unreasonable to reroute some buses to address those long lines, especially the GF one. I do realize that could cause delays for guests at other resorts/parks but I think if you take 1 bus from here or there it could have made a huge difference, and not have affected other guests too much. But then again I am not a transportation engineer so what do I know. It just seems to me like they didn't do much to address the problem, and that is what would bum me out.

In fact when looking up some info on Disney buses I found an article from September talking about upgrades and the WDW transportation VP said this:

“Here (Disney World) it’s about guest experience, people going on vacation,” said Sam, “It’s a very different atmosphere and mindset … expectation is high.”

http://attractionsmagazine.com/blog...rails-and-roadways-to-meet-increasing-growth/

Yes, they can shuffle buses around but there are a number of things that they have to consider before doing that. 1. How long is the expected delay. If the information they receive is that it will be a short time, there isn't any sense to rerouting buses. Why? 2. Because if you take buses off a regular route what happens to the people that need that bus? So now instead of having one group of people mad at you, you have multiple groups. And if it indeed is a short time, by the time that the buses discharge whatever passengers they have for wherever they are going and get to the source of the problem, it may have already resolved itself. It's just a snowball rolling down the hill and picking up size and speed as it goes. There is no clean way to do this. You don't over staff to have people literally standing there waiting for a need to arise and you don't call someone in from home and expect them to show up in a period of time that is beneficial to the situation. If they get there and there is no need, the union, I'm sure has a minimum pay requirement for anyone called in. So you do your best to make it work. As someone has said, you don't just go from selling popcorn to driving a 42 foot bus, it takes someone with a CDL and considerable training and/or experience. The solutions may seem simple, but they are anything but simple.

wow has DW really changed that much from 2007? (that was the last time I was there) This thread makes me doubt planning another trip there for next year. I had no problems with transportation and never waited more than 15 minutes for a bus (stayed at a value resort) I am trying to plan a trip for next June at POFQ which I know is a crazy month, so this is worrying me...

Don't let what you read here influence your travel plans. Most of the comments come from people that are totally unaware of how a transportation system works and what reasonable expectations are. A large number of people that use the Disney bus system, for example, are not regular municipal bus users. They expect them to work like their car, ready when they are. I have worked for more than one municipal bus company and have observed the Disney bus system and I'm here to tell you that considering the destinations, roads and traffic that they work under, they do a terrific job. Once in a while a bus will breakdown or have an accident and I'm here to tell you that NOTHING will throw off a schedule like either of those will. The people that ride the system at Disney expect the drivers to be professional all the while keeping them entertained. Not a good combination.

Back a few years ago a study was done that showed that if you rode a municipal bus and paid $1.00 per ride an additional $14.00 per person was needed to pay for buses, maintenance, drivers, benefits and general overhead, fuel and support staff. Systems that are non-profit public entities are supplemented by the Government. Disney is not and they don't charge you any extra for the service. Yes, it's built in to the cost of tickets and lodging, but it's not likely that the ticket prices would decrease even if the did away with the bus system.

 

[MaxsDad]

Exactly correct!



Yes, they can shuffle buses around but there are a number of things that they have to consider before doing that. 1. How long is the expected delay. If the information they receive is that it will be a short time, there isn't any sense to rerouting buses. Why? 2. Because if you take buses off a regular route what happens to the people that need that bus? So now instead of having one group of people mad at you, you have multiple groups. And if it indeed is a short time, by the time that the buses discharge whatever passengers they have for wherever they are going and get to the source of the problem, it may have already resolved itself. It's just a snowball rolling down the hill and picking up size and speed as it goes. There is no clean way to do this. You don't over staff to have people literally standing there waiting for a need to arise and you don't call someone in from home and expect them to show up in a period of time that is beneficial to the situation. If they get there and there is no need, the union, I'm sure has a minimum pay requirement for anyone called in. So you do your best to make it work. As someone has said, you don't just go from selling popcorn to driving a 42 foot bus, it takes someone with a CDL and considerable training and/or experience. The solutions may seem simple, but they are anything but simple.

All things that I recognized as being issues. As for the bolded part, I don't think it would have been that difficult to have a bus that just dropped off guests from CSR at MK for example, swing out to the GF or TTC pick some people up and drop them off at MK main gate before going back on a regular route. Obviously if you have people waiting at the CSR stop at MK they would have to wait longer so it isn't ideal, as would people back at the resort so I wouldn't suggest a complete reroute (although at RD I wonder how many people would be waiting), but 1-2 buses here or there could have made a difference.
Of course there are a ton of variables to take into consideration, some of which we may not even know. Also I am in no way saying I have perfect answers or solutions, in fact I think in a situation like this there is no perfect solution, someone somewhere will complain. I think the biggest thing something like this shows is the design flaw in the MK transportation and the lack of a good contingency plan in case of mechanical problems. Which coincidentally worries me because now that I own at BLT I have been able to walk there the last couple of trips. But for our October trip we will be at AKL and will have to deal with it since I will have my car and prefer to drive.

 

[capegirl]

Disney changed their policy to allow non-monorail resort guest to use the resort monorail. We are only pointing out that when this change was made Disney did not make plans for the boats to carry non-resort guests. This current policy stinks. Transportation that was planned and sized for resort guests is not equipped to handle the volume of guests packed on at TTC. The OP took the risk. It messed up his day but it really messed up the resort guests' day. And the OP added to the problem.

Consider for a moment why Disney changed their policy...MONEY. They wanted to attract EVERYONE to the monorail resorts to spend their dollars via the wildly popular character meals, and high end restaurants, not to mention resort hopping so people can spend more $$ in the gift shops, and perhaps have a few drinks at the resort bars. When guests are dependent upon Disney transportation how will they get to these resorts to spend money at the restaurants, and shops, and bars? With that said, Disney made a logical choice to change their policy to increase revenue. Guests are now suffering from the consequences of that choice, because Disney did not want to spend money to update their aging and inadequate transportation infrastructure.
Like it or not Disney is ultimately responsible for the mayhem that transpired on that day, and we should exercise some compassion for everyone who was caught up in the mess. Be mindful of the OP's story, because this could happen to you.

 

[PeterPanic]

All things that I recognized as being issues. As for the bolded part, I don't think it would have been that difficult to have a bus that just dropped off guests from CSR at MK for example, swing out to the GF or TTC pick some people up and drop them off at MK main gate before going back on a regular route. Obviously if you have people waiting at the CSR stop at MK they would have to wait longer so it isn't ideal, as would people back at the resort so I wouldn't suggest a complete reroute (although at RD I wonder how many people would be waiting), but 1-2 buses here or there could have made a difference.
Of course there are a ton of variables to take into consideration, some of which we may not even know. Also I am in no way saying I have perfect answers or solutions, in fact I think in a situation like this there is no perfect solution, someone somewhere will complain. I think the biggest thing something like this shows is the design flaw in the MK transportation and the lack of a good contingency plan in case of mechanical problems. Which coincidentally worries me because now that I own at BLT I have been able to walk there the last couple of trips. But for our October trip we will be at AKL and will have to deal with it since I will have my car and prefer to drive.

It's not quite that easy and they probably do have contingency plans in place, but part of that plan could include waiting an appropriate amount of time in the thought that things could possibly move again quickly.

Also, if you are at a resort and going to MK, you can take a bus and you will not be going through TTC, but, straight to the park via the roadway. Even if you had to go through TTC, it isn't like that all the time. Only when the occasional mishap occurs. Again, it could happen anytime but after 30 years (42 visits) I have never been held up even once. It is an unusual thing, not to be expected every time. I never take the monorail over to MK at opening, there are way to many people attempting to ride it all at once. I always take the ferry and if I leave at a slower time of the day, I might hop on the train for the return trip to the TTC.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

[/B]

Consider for a moment why Disney changed their policy...MONEY. They wanted to attract EVERYONE to the monorail resorts to spend their dollars via the wildly popular character meals, and high end restaurants, not to mention resort hopping so people can spend more $$ in the gift shops, and perhaps have a few drinks at the resort bars. When guests are dependent upon Disney transportation how will they get to these resorts to spend money at the restaurants, and shops, and bars? With that said, Disney made a logical choice to change their policy to increase revenue. Guests are now suffering from the consequences of that choice, because Disney did not want to spend money to update their aging and inadequate transportation infrastructure.
Like it or not Disney is ultimately responsible for the mayhem that transpired on that day, and we should exercise some compassion for everyone who was caught up in the mess. Be mindful of the OP's story, because this could happen to you.

Disney is as you state, however what we are saying is it was his choice to jump on that resort monorail. Yes, be mindful of what we are saying as well. Someday you may find yourself possibly staying in a resort monorail hotel when the monorail goes down and you are in the line with hoards and hoards of people and you know they all aren't from the monorail resorts. You may start thinking to yourself, why on earth did you pay that extra money