I've noted a number of comments here about the terrible bus service at Disney (one thread in particular comes to mind as being about SSR bus service during T-giving week)...in the interest of fairness, I thought I'd start this thread for "rave reviews"...we had nothing but wonderful Disney service (including buses) during our 10-day visit (which ends tomorrow morning)...
It seems to me that buses are more a matter of luck than anything else...I will be leaving SSR tomorrow morning, after 10 wonderful days here...we took buses everywhere (no car)...usually w/young kids and a stroller, sometimes not...sometimes at park opening, sometimes mid-day, sometimes late evening (never at park closing, tho)...
We mostly waited five minutes or so...a couple of times the wait stretched to 15-20 minutes...one bus, on T-giving Day at 2 p.m., took 24 minutes to arrive...
We saw multiple buses for one park w/out one for another park a number of times--but the most extreme example, at the Grand Floridian, was 4 Studios buses in a row before "our" Downtown Disney bus arrived--and that was after only 18 minutes of waiting...
We also frequently saw CMs monitoring the buses -- we only used Grandstand and Springs bus stops at SSR, but CMs were there--at all times of the day. They were at the Grand Floridian during the four-to-Studios experience, too...I wonder if they called the Downtown Disney bus? They might have...everyone at the stop was waiting for Downtown Disney (not something I would have predicted, but true...there were about 10 of us, and it was around 10:30 in the morning)...
Anyway, I'm sorry that some folks have had miserable bus experiences...sounds like we lucked out and had exactly the opposite...by day 6 we were just waiting for a long wait as we'd gotten our buses within 5-10 minutes every time up til then!
All in all, our 10 days here have been magical...Disney did everything absolutely right...we had our "challenges" (3 adults, all of whom got the flu during our time here, and 2 under-5 kids...now THAT's a challenge!), but Disney was terrific...we loved our time here...
I would particularly like to give kudos to the Garden Grill at the Land in Epcot...I had made T-giving reservations there--for noon on T-giving Day--way back when when the time frame for reservations opened up. Some weeks (months?) later, Disney called to tell me that the Garden Grill was no longer going to be open at lunch and so we no longer had that reservation. I was quite upset, as T-giving at Garden Grill is our family tradition (our 6th year in a row now), and of course 2 months prior just about everything was booked, including the Garden Grill...however, Disney magic came our way...the CM called the Garden Grill, whose manager called me to see what could be worked out...he opened the restaurant 30 minutes early and gave us a reservation for 3:30 (we were not the only people there)...then, as we were enjoying a truly wonderful meal/experience, the manager came by to meet us and make sure we were happy...it was a very special Disney moment. I can't rave enough about how much trouble they went to to make us happy (and I honestly didn't gripe...just asked as nicely as I could (w/tears in my voice, I admit) if there weren't something that could be done...and I certainly didn't ask for the personal visit from the manager.
I've never wondered why I love Disney so...but if I were to wonder, all I'd have to do is think about this now-ending trip...here we were, all of us sick to one degree or another (except the very energetic kids, of course!), still so happy to be here and having a wonderful time, despite queasy stomachs, runny noses, and aching heads! Everyone was beyond nice to us...service was completely perfect...including the buses!
I realize we may have been "just lucky"...but it seems only fair that when complaints come in about "unluck" that people should have a chance to read about the "perfection" moments, too...
I'm one happy DVCer!!!
It seems to me that buses are more a matter of luck than anything else...I will be leaving SSR tomorrow morning, after 10 wonderful days here...we took buses everywhere (no car)...usually w/young kids and a stroller, sometimes not...sometimes at park opening, sometimes mid-day, sometimes late evening (never at park closing, tho)...
We mostly waited five minutes or so...a couple of times the wait stretched to 15-20 minutes...one bus, on T-giving Day at 2 p.m., took 24 minutes to arrive...
We saw multiple buses for one park w/out one for another park a number of times--but the most extreme example, at the Grand Floridian, was 4 Studios buses in a row before "our" Downtown Disney bus arrived--and that was after only 18 minutes of waiting...
We also frequently saw CMs monitoring the buses -- we only used Grandstand and Springs bus stops at SSR, but CMs were there--at all times of the day. They were at the Grand Floridian during the four-to-Studios experience, too...I wonder if they called the Downtown Disney bus? They might have...everyone at the stop was waiting for Downtown Disney (not something I would have predicted, but true...there were about 10 of us, and it was around 10:30 in the morning)...
Anyway, I'm sorry that some folks have had miserable bus experiences...sounds like we lucked out and had exactly the opposite...by day 6 we were just waiting for a long wait as we'd gotten our buses within 5-10 minutes every time up til then!
All in all, our 10 days here have been magical...Disney did everything absolutely right...we had our "challenges" (3 adults, all of whom got the flu during our time here, and 2 under-5 kids...now THAT's a challenge!), but Disney was terrific...we loved our time here...
I would particularly like to give kudos to the Garden Grill at the Land in Epcot...I had made T-giving reservations there--for noon on T-giving Day--way back when when the time frame for reservations opened up. Some weeks (months?) later, Disney called to tell me that the Garden Grill was no longer going to be open at lunch and so we no longer had that reservation. I was quite upset, as T-giving at Garden Grill is our family tradition (our 6th year in a row now), and of course 2 months prior just about everything was booked, including the Garden Grill...however, Disney magic came our way...the CM called the Garden Grill, whose manager called me to see what could be worked out...he opened the restaurant 30 minutes early and gave us a reservation for 3:30 (we were not the only people there)...then, as we were enjoying a truly wonderful meal/experience, the manager came by to meet us and make sure we were happy...it was a very special Disney moment. I can't rave enough about how much trouble they went to to make us happy (and I honestly didn't gripe...just asked as nicely as I could (w/tears in my voice, I admit) if there weren't something that could be done...and I certainly didn't ask for the personal visit from the manager.
I've never wondered why I love Disney so...but if I were to wonder, all I'd have to do is think about this now-ending trip...here we were, all of us sick to one degree or another (except the very energetic kids, of course!), still so happy to be here and having a wonderful time, despite queasy stomachs, runny noses, and aching heads! Everyone was beyond nice to us...service was completely perfect...including the buses!
I realize we may have been "just lucky"...but it seems only fair that when complaints come in about "unluck" that people should have a chance to read about the "perfection" moments, too...
I'm one happy DVCer!!!
