10/29-11/5 Saratoga Springs bus transportation problems

[friends with mickey]

We stayed at SSR 10-31 thru 11-4 and really experienced no problems with the bus transportation. It really depends on where you stay within the resort and which bus stop you use. We were in Grandstand right across from the bus stop. We did notice that the buses would fill up prior to leaving SSR, so people at the last stop often could not get on. That would be very frustrating, but it never happened to us. The only transportation problem we experienced was when the monorail broke down. The CM's actually did a good job of keeping us informed on the progress of repairs and timing for getting it up and running again. We used boat transportation alot and really enjoyed getting around that way. Like all the DVC resorts, you just have to learn the best way to get from point a to point b. These boards can help a great deal.

 

[Starr W.]

I go to SSR every year for Thanksgiving, will be leaving Monday for our 5th annual trip. They must step up the service then because we've not had any of those problems. Coming back from a park mid afternoon is a toss up, you either luck out and a bus shows up, run as to catch it, or wait 15-20 min.

I've stayed at VWL twice, once in early May and last October and have experienced longer waits there than at any other resort. Chatted with some other DVC'ers one day and they thought VWL and AKV had the worse bus wait times.

We usually stay at Congress Park and I must miss those off-siters who park at DTD and walk over. We're usually down at the stop early and watch others come out of buildings at CP or walk over from the Paddock area.

 

[hakepb]

I go to SSR every year for Thanksgiving, will be leaving Monday for our 5th annual trip. They must step up the service then because we've not had any of those problems. Coming back from a park mid afternoon is a toss up, you either luck out and a bus shows up, run as to catch it, or wait 15-20 min.

I've stayed at VWL twice, once in early May and last October and have experienced longer waits there than at any other resort. Chatted with some other DVC'ers one day and they thought VWL and AKV had the worse bus wait times.

We usually stay at Congress Park and I must miss those off-siters who park at DTD and walk over. We're usually down at the stop early and watch others come out of buildings at CP or walk over from the Paddock area.

In 4 stays at SSR, I have been overall pleased with the bus service.
But, look at all the specific EPCOT complaints this year. I believe they changed the route and that route distance increase has caused these issues.
And when you go, pay attention to the route and the amount of time the the EPCOT bus takes to drive from SSR, it is now really loooooong for a park with good proximity to SSR.

 

[Starr W.]

In 4 stays at SSR, I have been overall pleased with the bus service.
But, look at all the specific EPCOT complaints this year. I believe they changed the route and that route distance increase has caused these issues.
And when you go, pay attention to the route and the amount of time the the EPCOT bus takes to drive from SSR, it is now really loooooong for a park with good proximity to SSR.

Hmm, we used to joke about playing WDW bus bingo, getting on the 1st bus that pulls up. Eldest son said we'd be going to Epcot every day!

At SSR in the am we'd see multiple Epcot buses before one DHS or AK bus showed up. Last year they ramped up the MK buses from in the past.

Now I haven't been to SSR since last November and this year we have a car(cheap Cotsco discount via Alamo) since we are getting in late. We'll be taking the car to the parks except for MK.

I blame this car stuff on our Bonnet Creek stay last January when we had the car. Other than MK, DH thought the car was great.

 

[Deb & Bill]

...We usually stay at Congress Park and I must miss those off-siters who park at DTD and walk over. We're usually down at the stop early and watch others come out of buildings at CP or walk over from the Paddock area.

Most of the time we found the late evening people to be the non-SSR guests riding the bus. The bus arrives at SSR and lots of people are asking "How do I get to DTD from here?"

 

[Starr W.]

Most of the time we found the late evening people to be the non-SSR guests riding the bus. The bus arrives at SSR and lots of people are asking "How do I get to DTD from here?"

At Thanksgiving we see a few of those, but it tends to be in the early afternoon, a few families looking to do some shopping at DTD.

In the evening we've run into people looking for the best way to get to one of the DTD restaurants or the movie theater.

I've not seen the majority of a bus head off to DTD myself, half the time we are the only people getting off at CP.

 

[nhdisnut]

My thoughts:

We have stayed at SSR many times and have had similar bus service there as we have had at any of the other resorts (DVC, moderates, and values). Most of the time it is excellent (waits no later than 10 minutes), and at least once per trip we wait a long time (20 minutes or more) for a bus. At all of the resorts the bus rides tend to be at their fullest mid-morning and at park closing. SSR has been no different in our experience.

Also, my thoughts on DTD impacting SSR busses...I am not sure it is a huge issue. We have stayed in the Congress Park several times and rarely have ever had more than a few families waiting for a particular bus at that bus stop - and if they were from DTD, the numbers, in my experience, just don't warrant any undue concern about people coming over from DTD taking up space on busses. It is not a short walk from the closest DTD parking area, so it is not as convenient as it might seem at first.

There certainly are advantages and disadvantages to particular bus stops, and we do like the Grandstand due to the fact that it is the first stop both coming and going.

We have found the busses at BWV to be much more frustrating than SSR - the multiple stops at neighboring resorts drove us crazy! But overall, we like using WDW transportation, and like "leaving the driving to them."

 

[starbox]

We've found that our patience with Disney busses ran out a long time ago. I don't know if it's that Disney has been cutting service to save money, or if frequent DVC trips killed our "hey, it's all part of the adventure!" bus-riding attitude. I used to do busses to dining reservations and start to try to get there an hour ahead because I knew I'd be waiting and I was cool with it.

Now we tend to drive.

 

[TisBit]

A few years ago this was pretty common with the SSR busses, the last year or two things improved quite a bit. You will always have longer lines at SSR returning, it is a very large resort, so naturally more people.

Wonder if it is the old problems coming back or maybe just some bad dispatching. This summer they actually had trail busses follow the park busses throught he resort in case the first bus filled up during the peak times.

 

[Mississippian]

If Disney is going to use SSR as a way to get theme park guests to DD, they need to cover the cost of extra buses.

How hard would it be to tell every SSR guest, "Hey, we have a problem with non-guests using the buses in the morning, so please be prepared to show id."? And then have the drivers check the ids in the morning when people get on the bus.

No Disney ID, no ride.

 

[Pixieflip]

No Disney ID, no ride.

This.


We've stayed at a lot of Disney resorts and agree, usually things are pretty good with transportation. Over the course of a week you will find a random long wait, just like you will find a random walk right on.

What we experienced in mid October this year at SSR was beyond frustrating. Beyond upsetting. Wouldn't even mention it if it weren't. If we had had first timers with us, we would have been so embarrassed. Definitely not magical. It's not like that at other resorts (OKW and AKV both visited in 2010 for recent personal comparison). Don't know why, just isn't.

 

[cheezNE1]

I was never too fond of SSR buses, been there month of March and December and both times the bus was horrible. Although I was there this past August and it wasn't as bad, but did come across a few 20-25 min bus wait on occasion.

 

[sean-1966]

I would have no problem showing ID to get on the bus. Especially back to the resort. Leave a few people stuck at the parks having to use cabs to get back to their car and they'll stop using SSR buses pretty fast.

 

[TisBit]

I was never too fond of SSR buses, been there month of March and December and both times the bus was horrible. Although I was there this past August and it wasn't as bad, but did come across a few 20-25 min bus wait on occasion.

20-25 minute waits should be expected, all busses are on 20 minute schedules, so if you just missed a bus it would be 20 minutes normally for another to arrive. And if there are any delays such as loading/unloading wheelchairs/ECV's 25 minutes isn't unheard of. This is true at any resort....

I would have no problem showing ID to get on the bus. Especially back to the resort. Leave a few people stuck at the parks having to use cabs to get back to their car and they'll stop using SSR buses pretty fast.

I agree that there might be some issues with DTD guests using SSR transportation, but this should be the most evident at the Congress Park stop (closest to DTD) and I am just not sure I have seen a great influx of guests at that stop vs others. I am sure there are ways for DVC to get a count of how many guests during peak hours are coming through the path from DTD to determine if there is a "problem" that needs to be addressed. If we are only talking a handful of people each day that isn't enough to justify delaying loading times by requiring ID (yes, it will delay loading, regardless of how many times you tell someone they will not have their ID ready or left it in the room, etc).

 

[White_Sox_Fan]

We've stayed at SSR three times, always at Congress Park. Once over 4th of July and twice during spring break. Only once did we wait what I would consider and unnacceptable amount of time for a bus to the parks.

I truly doubt that people using DTD as a free parking lot to the parks is that much of a burden on the system in comparison with the shear number of SSR guest. If this were the case it would seem the Congress Park bus stop would be the busiest of all and I have not seen this to be the case in my visits. There is obviously plenty of anecdotal evidence to support such claims no one has any hard factual information. That being said SSR would seem to be the candidate for the most abuses as it is the more easily accessed from public areas than the other resorts.

 

[going/again]

I truly doubt that people using DTD as a free parking lot to the parks QUOTE ]



we just spent 3 weeks there got back yesterday,

I truly tell you they are this year was twice as bad as last year, even the manager at SSR admitted its getting worse,

it doesnt help when every time someone asks on here how to get to DTD, they get told use SSR, theres a thread running now,

strangly enough its seems to be owners at other resorts who tell them, wonder why?

 

[Deb & Bill]

... it doesnt help when every time someone asks on here how to get to DTD, they get told use SSR, theres a thread running now, strangly enough its seems to be owners at other resorts who tell them, wonder why?

There are even signs (I've seen them at Epcot) telling guests going to DTD to use the SSR bus.

 

[Mississippian]

There are even signs (I've seen them at Epcot) telling guests going to DTD to use the SSR bus.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the SSR bus paid for entirely by SSR members? I know the deal is that all hotel guests can use the transportation system, but this is ridiculous! And they seem to be encouraging non-guests to use it a SSR's expense.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the SSR bus paid for entirely by SSR members? I know the deal is that all hotel guests can use the transportation system, but this is ridiculous! And they seem to be encouraging non-guests to use it a SSR's expense.

That's what I thought, too. Unless Disney is paying a portion of the Transportation costs.