Your BEST Disney transportation story!

[jazzielady]

I have 2, both on our last trip:

1. Our first night there, on our way back to POFQ from EPCOT, a group of 2-3 young men (20 somethings), whom I suspect had had a FEW too many , started a sing-a-long, of Disney songs. At first they got a lot of dirty looks from a bunch of very tired people, but then I insisted on joining in, much to my tweenage dd's chagrin (it's a mom's duty to embarrass her kids don't cha know! ). Pretty soon, most everyone on the bus was joining us and before we knew it we were back at the resort.

2. On the Monorail, an elderly couple, woman in EVC, get on with very young girl, 5-6 yo. I notice the little one has a birthday pin on and we start a conversation. Very soon, I tell everyone in the car we have a birthday girl with us and would they please join us in singing happy birthday. That little girl got the most rousing round of 'Happy Birthday" I've ever heard! Grandma had tears in her eyes. Then I noticed little girl had a pin I needed to finish my dd's pin puzzle, so I offered to do a pin trade. I offered any pin from my lanyard (and I do not buy cheapy little pins) for that pin for my dd. Of course she picked my favorite, but what the heck, I made 2 little girls happy that day and still have plenty of pins left that I love

 

[whitney37354]

We were the only people on the AK bus from CR to AK one morning for our Donald's Safari Breakfast. The driver stopped close to the park entrance, parked, and got off with us. She showed us where to get back to our bus for CR & gave DD bubbles. That was all nice and she didn't have to do that.

We were at CR waiting for the monorail so we could go to our morning ADR (don't even remember where). They were still doing the morning monorail tests, so every time one would pass through, a CM gave her a monorail card.

 

[GeorgiaDawg7]

Most definately our excursion from MK to All-Star Sports around 2:30 in the morning new years day! Georgia was playing later on that day in the Capital One Bowl game, and our bus was covered in red and black with DAWG fans! So we started a nice "GOOOO DAWGS!! SIC EM!! WOOF!! WOOF! WOOF!!" CHEER

 

[LuvLuvLuv]

The first trip my fiance and I went on, we were new to the busses, as my family always just drove a car everywhere. We weren't really that confused, but just didn't realize the time it took to go everywhere. We played Mini Golf at Fantasia Gardens late one night and were kind of lost getting back to where we needed to be. We walked and walked, finally making it back to the Boardwalk bus stop... then knowing we had to go to Downtown Disney, then back to CBR. We were tired, our feet hurt and it was COLD! A bus pulled up, asked where we were going, we said we needed to go to Downtown Disney so we could go back to our resort.... He said no problem. Before we knew it--he was pulling into CBR and dropping us off at Barbados!! Not that we would ever expect this to happen again--but it was a miracle that night!!

 

[jpkkld]

I'm sure this is fairly common, but all the same, it's nice when it happens...

Twice, on our way back to our resort (one time an All-Star, one time for POR), we had a "trivia driver" - you know, the bus driver that tries to stump everyone with trivia questions, or offers interesting tidbits about Disney stuff. Both times, this was at park closing - the bus was packed with silent, exhausted people. The friendly conversation from the bus drivers really made the trip fly - and years later, THIS is what I remember most about the bus experience (not the bad stuff!).

And I'll be ON one of those buses in just FOUR DAYS!!!

 

[Robo]

the Boardwalk bus stop... then knowing we had to go to Downtown Disney, then back to CBR. We were tired, our feet hurt and it was COLD! A bus pulled up, asked where we were going, we said we needed to go to Downtown Disney so we could go back to our resort.... He said no problem. Before we knew it--he was pulling into CBR and dropping us off at Barbados!! Not that we would ever expect this to happen again--but it was a miracle that night!!

That's a great story.

But, I must tell you. You can expect that "miracle" to happen again.

That bus driver did what (s)he was supposed to do.
Disney offers "direct" transportation to the other WDW Resorts from Boardwalk every evening after the parks are closed.

Those "direct" buses will take guests from the Boardwalk stop to any outlying WDW resort they need to go... all you need to do is ask.
Those buses are just not very well publicized.

 

[Cap'nJack'sMum]

We had stood on the bus *every* trip to and from the parks. It didn't matter what time it was or where we were going, the buses were loaded to capacity.

One night we were leaving MK, waiting for the bus back to Pop with a million other people. Buses had come, people loaded on until they couldn't stuff anymore folks in, and left. We were *still* waiting. We were all tired and so over it! Two buses pull up and they begin loading, "Choose either bus, just get on." We chose our bus, it was full by the time we reached the door and was SRO. The driver was chanting, "Get on the bus, let's go home." and then he would high-5 each person as they got on.

When we pulled away the drive warned everyone that he was a little wired because he'd had a LOT of caffeine. He was telling jokes and cracking everyone up. He joked about going off-road to get us home quicker. He also started several rousing sing-alongs with the music on the bus. Everyone went from very sour/tired attitudes to being super-charged by him.

About 1/2 way through the ride to Pop, my DS9 tugs on my jacket. I leaned down to hear his comment, and he said, "This is the best bus ride, *ever*. It really was! Even though we were exhausted and our feet hurt from a full day at the park, it was 100% fun!

 

[Stargazer]

On our 2008 trip, we had the best ferry ride from MK to WL. It was our last night and I was starting to more than feel the Departure Blues. The CM (not the ferry drive and I so wish I'd paid attention to his name) started telling jokes over the microphone and then out of the blue begain to serenade us with Disney songs.

The best was when he broke into a beatbox intro of "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes" and then sang the last line (my all-time favorite Disney song) -- it was truly a memorable end to our Disney Vacation! I happened to be playing around with my camera's record feature just before he started it and so I accidentally recorded it. When I got home and started going through pics/videos, I stumbled across it. It's a great pick-me-up to get me through to the next vacation

 

[NikitaZee]

Last year, our family went to Disney and my mom was in an ECV. We had 7pm reservations at the Yachtsman Steakhouse, and dinner ended up taking over 2 1/2 hours. My 10 year old was miserable - coming down with swine flu, as it turned out. Anyway, our plan to go back thru Epcot to catch the monorail to the Polynesian was shot due to the park being closed by that time, and we were trying to figure out bus routes to get back to the resort. My dad went to the front desk at the YC for a little guidance, and that's where the best transportation story kicks in. The front desk manager arranged for my mom's ECV to be held for us overnight at the YC, and he then personally drove all 8 of us back to the Polynesian in a Disney van. What a difference that made! Especially to my son, who was feverish and crying at that point. My dad got the ECV for my mom the next morning. Such a thoughtful thing for the YC manager to do, and we made sure to write a letter of thanks so his good deed could be recognized by Disney.

 

[magicgirl]

On our 2008 trip, we had the best ferry ride from MK to WL. It was our last night and I was starting to more than feel the Departure Blues. The CM (not the ferry drive and I so wish I'd paid attention to his name) started telling jokes over the microphone and then out of the blue begain to serenade us with Disney songs.

The best was when he broke into a beatbox intro of "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes" and then sang the last line (my all-time favorite Disney song) -- it was truly a memorable end to our Disney Vacation! I happened to be playing around with my camera's record feature just before he started it and so I accidentally recorded it. When I got home and started going through pics/videos, I stumbled across it. It's a great pick-me-up to get me through to the next vacation

We were lucky enough to experience this as well. You almost didn't want to get on the boat and leave. I don't remember his name but at the time we took a note of it and went and told Guest Relations how much we enjoyed his routine.

 

[Mixie]

On our honeymoon, late at night, we took the monorail from Epcot to the TTC and hubby (who knew this trick and I didn't) had asked if we could ride upfront with the driver.

There's nothing like being in that driving car on the monorail. It was really a great way to ride.


I'm very sad (but I understand why) that they don't do this anymore.

 

[SenoiaDawg]

Most definately our excursion from MK to All-Star Sports around 2:30 in the morning new years day! Georgia was playing later on that day in the Capital One Bowl game, and our bus was covered in red and black with DAWG fans! So we started a nice "GOOOO DAWGS!! SIC EM!! WOOF!! WOOF! WOOF!!" CHEER

That's awesome. Wish I could've been there!

Go Dawgs!

 

[juliebug1997]

This past December, my brother and I were going to Cape May for breakfast. We were staying at the Poly so we went to MK and walked down to the bus area for a bus to the BC. We waited for about 15 minutes when a CM came and asked us where we were going. When we told him, he let us get in his van and he drove us to the BC. We had a nice conversation about Daytona and we gave him a nice tip for helping us out.

 

[HeidiLowe]

We were at the BWI after a night of having dinner at Flying Fish and watching the performers.

We were so exhausted and went to wait for a bus to take us to DTD so we could get on the AKL bus. A bus stopped and my dh asked if that was the best way to do it and he said "get on, I'll take you!"

So it was just the four of us getting a ride to AKL with a VERY nice bus driver.

I love WDW.

 

[stargazertechie]

The last day of our January trip, we were stranded on the monorail on the beam about 100 feet from the MK station, over the water. It was pretty crowded as all the resort crowd was hopping on after their breakfast ADRs.

We waited, waited, and waited. The first few times the monorail pilot came on the overhead speakers, he was really upbeat, telling us it would be just a couple more magical minutes, and telling us trivia about the monorail system.

The last time he got on, he sounded SO frazzled. He was like "Well folks, I don't know how long it takes to get a tractor out here to tow us, so hopefully someone does something before park closing today"

A bunch of little kids were crying. I had a whole ROLL of DVC stickers that the DVC rep gave me (I asked for one, he gave me the entire roll), so I started tearing them apart and passing them around to all of the kids (and big kids!) in our car.

Another family had prepackaged snack crackers and handed them out to everyone, and we all ended up having a small picnic with our park snacks on top of someone's stroller blanket on the floor of our monorail car.

 

[DisneyGabz]

We were driving to coronado springs from MK arnd it was late. When we got to the 3rd of the last bus stops the driver got out and gave a small girl and my DD 12 a plastic jewlel ring from a big bag that he had with him. It was a really nice end to our evening to get such a little trinket which he did on his own accord

 

[Robo]

This happened in April 2005, so it's long before the recent "Magic in Motion" bus dispatch system.

It was not quite 10am at DAK bus stops.
After "doing" a few attractions early at the DAK EMH, we decided, on the spur, that we wanted to go to MK for some fun and then head to FtW for lunch at Trail's End.
We decided we'd take "any bus" going to:

Grand Floridian
Poly
CR
TTC
just to get us near MK so we could monorail there.

We wait.
5 min.
10 min.
15 min.

NO buses to anyplace near the MK area.
(That time of day, it is always a bit "iffy" to get to another park. But I figured we could get someplace CLOSE.)
But, all the incoming buses where just letting folks out at DAK at "random" queues, then changing their signs to some OTHER destination nowhere near MK. (sigh)
So my wife walks over to the bus dispatcher/supervisor who, clipboard-in-hand,
is talking with a few drivers as they each stop by, and then depart.

Supvsr. says, "How long have you been waiting?"
My wife says, "15 min."
Supvsr. says, "Oh, one should be along shortly."

We wait for 5-6 more minutes.

Bus Supvsr. looks at us (we are the only folks waiting in that stall) and says, "NEXT bus!"

So, next bus pulls in and it changes it's sign to say. "Coronado Springs" or some such.
Supvsr. motions to us as he walks to that bus.
He tells the driver something and motions us into that empty bus.

We board, sit down near the front, and the driver says, "Now WHERE exactly do you want to go?"

I say, "MK."

And the driver says, "Private bus service... Next stop, Magic Kingdom!"

And that's where we went!

I've got to say it was another great "Disney Experience!"

 

[CapnJacksGirl]

On our first trip to WDW with our DSs, we headed out to AK on our first day, ready to hit Donald's Safari Breakfast and see the characters. The boys were so excited, and so was I until I realized I left the camera at the resort! My BIL offered to go back and get it, so he got off the bus at AK and headed to the AKL stall to wait for a bus returning to the resort. A CM saw him get off the bus and head the other way, so he asked my BIL where he was going. Once he told the CM the story, the CM flagged down a totally empty bus and he was given direct, private service at AKL! By the time he got the camera and rode the bus back to AK, we were just being seated at Donald's. Perfect timing and a magical moment all rolled into one!

 

[Brian_WDW74]

Since this thread isn't about theme parks planning, I've moved it to the Theme Parks Community board.

 

[Sarahleigh]

We got lucky once while trying to get back to Pop after touring the Epcot area resorts & boardwalk. We had taken the bus from our resort to Studios and then the boat over to the boardwalk. Well, we weren't thinking about what to do if the Studios closed while we were still at the Boardwalk and did not know that buses would start running from the Boardwalk to other resorts after park closings. So we just decided to hop on a bus from the Yacht Club to MK which was open later for a MNSSHP and prepare for a long trip back.. upon arriving to MK with an empty except for us bus, our bus driver got orders to switch to the MK/Pop route so we were saved from having to exit and wait for another bus to Pop.