Funny story about MK and Garmin GPS units

[Geoff_M]

As we waited for a bus back to SSR last week, we noticed a mini-van with a family inside slowly drive into the MK bus depot loop. The driver had this rather puzzled look on his face. A Transportation CM what was monitoring the loading area walked over to the car and instructed the driver to turn around and go back to the MK parking lot. After the car left, the CM walked over by us and we had a good laugh about the misguided mini-van. The CM says "It happens all the time because that one of the search 'hits' on Garmin GPS units for "Magic Kingdom" will direct you to the MK depot bus loop." She also said that the Uber app that their drivers use has the same issue, and added that it got so bad with Uber drivers trying to drop people off at the MK bus loop that Disney finally warned Uber that any of their drivers that entered the loop would automatically be cited for trespassing!

 

[bumbershoot]

I like having an overview from gps, but I really just follow the signage on property. They didn't put those signs there just for fun!

 

[Alesia]

Google maps never steers me wrong. The Garmin, on the other hand...

 

[OKW Lover]

Very amusing. However, I now almost always see either an Orange County Sheriff or Disney Security vehicle at the entrance to the bus drop-off. Perhaps it got to be too frequent an occasion.

 

[Geoff_M]

Yes, there was a Disney Security SUV parked in the median at the entrance of the loop, and the CM said it was their job to stop such cars, but for whatever reason they let them pass unmolested.

 

[DVC California]

Driver had to ignore MULTIPLE signs indicating where MK Parking, Guest Drop Off or even BUSES ONLY, would be.

 

[dreiwhit]

I got really frustrated with our Garmin on our trip back in March. For the most part it was accurate, but there were times that it steered us wrong.

I also reviewed the local maps in advance, so I had a good idea how to get where I needed to go. And, the signage that Disney puts out is fantastic!

 

[KrazeeK120]

My car has built-in GPS, which is really nice, but common sense must always take priority. When we're getting close to a park and I start seeing signs for parking, I follow the signs (regardless of what my GPS is telling me to do).

 

[Geoff_M]

My car has built-in GPS, which is really nice, but common sense must always take priority. When we're getting close to a park and I start seeing signs for parking, I follow the signs (regardless of what my GPS is telling me to do).

I agree. I used our Garmin last week to drive from SSR to Epcot, and noticed it had about 5 different "hits" for Epcot. All but one of them had a direction associated with them, such as "Epcot - North", but one of them just said "Epcot". That's the one I chose. But as we approached the park per the GPS routing, I realized from the guard shack that we were about to turn down a CM backstage entrance... so I didn't make the turn and then looked for the theme park signage!

As for the family we saw at MK, I didn't hear them speak, but from appearances they may not have spoken English as a 1st language.

 

[goofy4tink]

About 5 yrs ago we were heading back to Sanford from Tampa. It was Easter Sunday. Decided to have breakfast in MK since we had APs. No problem....drove to the TTC and parked. Spent a few hours there, then left.
I wasn't exactly sure where I was going to plugged Sanford's address into our trusty (then) Garmin. I'm following the directions...then realized we were entering Epcot! Glad I had an AP! Flashed the AP, drove in and hung a u-turn. Evidently, we should have been on the highway that was about 12' away, but up a sizable incline!!
Still not sure what the Garmin was picking up!! Got onto that road, got to Sanford and flew home.

 

[totallytigger]

About 3 yrs ago my DS, DDIL, 2 DGDs, & I drove from upstate NY to NC to spend Thanksgiving day with family. My DGDs thought that was all the trip was about--so on black friday we headed out to drive "back home"--but we really headed south to WDW!! We wanted to surprise them by driving up to the main entrance of MK since we were staying at SOG--but the GPS somehow brought us in a back way through an employee area and by the GF & SOG in the wrong direction!! I was in the back of the van trying hard to distract the girls while my son exited the MK area--did a uturn--and then drove in the right way!! The girls had no idea what had happened & why we were laughing so hard!!

 

[Robin Hilmantel]

About 3 yrs ago my DS, DDIL, 2 DGDs, & I drove from upstate NY to NC to spend Thanksgiving day with family. My DGDs thought that was all the trip was about--so on black friday we headed out to drive "back home"--but we really headed south to WDW!! We wanted to surprise them by driving up to the main entrance of MK since we were staying at SOG--but the GPS somehow brought us in a back way through an employee area and by the GF & SOG in the wrong direction!! I was in the back of the van trying hard to distract the girls while my son exited the MK area--did a uturn--and then drove in the right way!! The girls had no idea what had happened & why we were laughing so hard!!

Hi there! I'm a writer working on an article about funny stories where GPS leads people to unexpected places, and I'm interested in using your anecdote. If you're game for letting me use your story, please email me at rhilmantel [at] gmail [dot] com. Thank you!

 

[Jestocost]

After we picked up a new dog from a breeder several years ago we took a recently completed road for a period of time. That road was not on the GPS maps at all and so it looked like we were just driving through empty fields. The GPS just kept "recalculating" so we finally turned it off.

 

[Sue M]

99% of the time my GPS were accurate, but the TomTom I had (we were driving from Ft Lauderdale to Pop) took me I'm not sure where! But it definitely wasn't Pop. Took me to a dead end road somewhere.... I then put in a park. I figured once I got on property I could find my way.

My Garmin has been pretty good. I just have the rental car for Ft Lauderdale portion of trip then after I check into Wdw resort I return car to Disney CCC. I use my GPS to get to Car rental return and I've found it takes me on great routes off the main roads and traffic. Sometimes (depending on where I'm staying) past Ft Wilderness road (I'm often only one on road) and across to Seven Seas past Poly to CCC, avoiding MK toll plaza which is so busy. You don't have to pay toll though, there is a lane to get to CCC.

I prefer not to drive at Wdw, happy to let Disney do the driving. Too many crazy tourists driving around not knowing where they're going. Sometimes signage isn't clear with so many turn offs. And all of a sudden you have someone making a crazy maneuver to get into another lane for their turnoff.
I've lost track of how many times I've gone down World Drive and turned off too soon for POR turnoff. And that was with a GPS!!

 

[FigmentSpark]

I find my AAA triptik and the city maps they give you are more than enough and never need to recalculate or demand you turn around. Now I might demand DH turns around, but he's used to listening to my voice.

 

[Donald - my hero]

Story in the news at the beginning of summer when it can still be slightly foggy in the mornings, a young woman actually drove into Georgian Bay because "that's what my GPS said " The tow-truck driver found her sitting on the hood of the car waiting to be rescued, rather embarrassed According to the police statement they get all kinds of calls during the winter for people who have been directed onto snowmobile trails and need a tow SMH