New Bus Info

[disnan52]

Just returned Sunday from our first stay at WL. We were in a bus from DTD back to WL by ourselves, was talking to bus driver. He has worked for Disney for 17 years as driver thru week, does another job (sport photos) on the weekends. He told us that the Magic Express, and Cruise Line buses have been taken over by another company, as of the first of the year. The Cruise Line buses are in the process of changing buses and colors, mostly Navy, saw on last week. The Resort buses will be taken over by summer, as soon as all the equipment is installed. There will be new resort buses also. The entire system will be on computers. He was not sure how everything would work, but drivers would be tested, some old would be kept, new ones would be coming. There were alot of people observing the buses at every stop when we were there, he said some were Disney people, some the new company.

 

[Lilolvr]

Interesting

 

[safetymom]

I have seen the new cruise line bus. I haven't heard that another company is handling DME. I think it would have made the news here if it had.

 

[bicker]

I believe DME has always been handled by Mears Transportation. It sure would make a lot of sense to have all Disney Transportation managed by these transportation experts.

 

[safetymom]

I was under the same impression that the cruise and DME buses are owned and driven by Mears.

 

[seashoreCM]

I thought I read somewhere (more than 5 years ago) that Disney Transport was actually a separate corporation.

Perhaps someone could shed some light on the DME and DCL buses by digging into the Mears corporate structure (via Google?) to see whether those operations are incorporated separately and could conceivably be spun off.

Disney hints: http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

 

[CarolA]

Mears is not owned by Disney. Now that said, the loss of the Disney contract would probably effectively end Mears bus service in Orlando.... so they are very dependent on Disney and not vice versa. (Disney could just end ME and it wouldn't be a huge undertaking to take over the Cruise line transport and that would be that.... )

Mears has a large taxi fleet in addition to the shuttle buses.

(By the way, I am not sure how much you can find on thier corporate structure. I don't think they are a public company so even if they set "Disney transport" up, they may not have done any public incorporation)

 

[Edd]

Everything you heard is a bunch of crock. Mears takes care of the DME and DCL cruise transportation. They are locked in with Disney, so nothing there. There are now new cruise busses and they are really beautiful.

The transportation inside WDW is run by Disney. The white busses with Disney written on the side of them. Disney has taken care of that transportation since they have been opened.

The bus system on the North end running from the five hotels leased on the north end could be what they are talking about. It is a small system and could be taken over by almost any bus company.

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

Most of Hotel Plaza transportation has been run by Fleetwood in the past 5 years. However, as of a few months ago, it would appear that they've chosen to go with Mears as thier provider.

As for DME and DCL being taken over by another company... Mears still runs those. And Disney still runs the internal Disney Transport. Yes, DCL is getting new coaches... and yes, Disney Transport is getting new buses along with an enhanced dispatching system. But that's about it.

 

[disnan52]

Well I wish I would have gotten the name of the bus driver, so all you know it alls could go and look him up. He also told use that Mears is not the bus company that runs the disney Magic, or cruise buses, we asked him. Also on the disney bus when I saw the new painted Cruise bus, that driver said that is one of the new company Cruise buses. So two drivers said NEW COMPANY.
I guess we all will know soon.

 

[Edd]

You know now. The information I and Tyler gave you was the correct information. If you choose to listen to a bunch of gossipers than it is not our fault. It probably was one of the new cruise line busses. So new they even smell new. I sat inside one the other day while a Mears driver showed me around the bus and said the bus had just gotten in the yard the day before.

So us "know it alls" are the basis of this site and choose to give you correct and good information. You got it and as you follow this site, I notice you haven't been around to long, in time you will understand the way it works.

 

[safetymom]

It is stenciled on the side of the bus that they are run by Mears. I happen to have a picture of it.

 

[Lewisc]

We're not disputing what the bus driver told you but bus drivers have always been a "good" source of rumors. Everything from monorail extensions to new theme parks.

We all know now Mears has always handling DLC and DME. Losing the Disney contract would be news.

What we don't know is if the driver was intentionally making up a story, if he was referring to the DTD change or if just got bad information.

Well I wish I would have gotten the name of the bus driver, so all you know it alls could go and look him up. He also told use that Mears is not the bus company that runs the disney Magic, or cruise buses, we asked him. Also on the disney bus when I saw the new painted Cruise bus, that driver said that is one of the new company Cruise buses. So two drivers said NEW COMPANY.
I guess we all will know soon.

 

[CarolA]

What we don't know is if the driver was intentionally making up a story, if he was referring to the DTD change or if just got bad information.

Of course we KNOW Edd told us (Sarcasm intended)

 

[Edd]

CarolA:


Check it out. Edd and Tyler told you. (Sarcasm intended)

 

[seashoreCM]

OT: Aha! I found it on the back of an old cardboard hopper pass. The entity that runs Disney Transport is (or has been) WED Transportation Systems, Inc. I didn't find it on stock pages so I guess it is not publicly held. A separate privately held corporation could change hands without much fanfare.

As of 2005, DCL and DME buses are all labeled "Mears" in small print on the side. Mears also runs plain white buses (also with their name in small print) as extras in DME service. I suppose the new navy blue DCL buses are similarly labeled.

 

[Edd]

It is actually called Mears Destination Services, Inc.. written on the busses. It is the company within a company scenerio.

 

[amejr999]

WED Transportation Systems = Walter Elias Disney Transportation Systems. A subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company.

 

[GoldenOldie]

sarcasm on:

I know that I for one am totally shocked that a Disney CM could give out incorrect information. How could that happen? ;-)

sarcasm off

 

[Edd]

It is called gossip, making talk.