AKL Busses

[MimiDee905]

I've heard some chatter on the boards about AKL Bus service being not the best in the past few weeks. Can anyone who has stayed here recently or currently elaborate on the situation? Worried about transportation for our trip this week!

 

[scrapquitler]

We normally stay at Pop, but on our last trip (in April) did a few days at AKL, Jambo house. I thought the buses at Pop were better than the buses at AKL. We only used the AKL bus a couple times (once to MK and once to AK). The day we were going to AK, we waited over 30 minutes for a bus to AK, and in that time saw three MK and Two EP buses come and go.

Because there is no actual line for waiting, everyone just stands in a mob and there was no order at all...we were the first ones waiting for the bus but ended up near the end of the pack getting on the bus. And when the bus DID come, it had already stopped at Kidani, so there were already no seats even before anyone from AKL got on. We are used to Pop---there's a definite line so you know that the people at the bus stop first get on the bus first, and there's not a full or almost full bus pulling up for you to get on.

The next day when we went to MK, it was the same thing: a nearly full bus pulled up at the bus stop.

I keep hearing on the boards how horrible bus service is at the values and it's so much better at the mods and deluxes. But that was definitely NOT our experience. This was the most disappointing part of staying at AKL.

 

[MsThumper]

Full buses and long waits for buses can happen at any resort. We were at BWI at the beginning of April, and the only day we took a bus was the day we were going to MK. I guess we picked the wrong day and the wrong time and everyone else had the same idea. We got to the bus stop about 8:30 am. We waited about 30 minutes for the bus to MK. Buses for other destinations came and went. When the bus for MK came, I was the last to be able to board, and the bus had arrived empty. Luckily there were no other stops. Then when we got out on the main road, we spent at least 10 minutes inching towards the toll booths where people pay for parking. If we had walked through EPCOT and got on the monorail, we probably would have gotten there faster. DH had suggested doing that, but I didn't know if the monorail was running at the time.

We stayed at AKL (Jambo) last August, and saw numerous buses to the theme parks come and go, virtually empty, while we waited for a bus to Downtown Disney.

 

[gillep]

Although we haven't stayed there in the past couple weeks we stay at AKL every January and then try different resorts for our November and spring trips each year. All of the bus service is pretty much the same. Some times you don't wait at all, other times it is a long wait. At resorts with multiple stops, sometimes the bus is empty when it gets to you, sometimes it is full. Some people don't mind this and can roll with it, and others find this frustrating. DH and I took public transportation in D.C. to work every day for years, so I feel like we became immune to these things and were able to just go with the flow.

Some people prefer the lines at the value resorts and feel like the bus stops at the moderate and deluxe resorts aren't organized enough, I disagree. We stayed at POP once (we usually stay moderate and deluxe) and I hated getting in line at the resort to load the bus, I much preferred being able to meander around, again though it is just personal preference.

 

[Lynne M]

Individual resorts don't have their own bus service - it's one centrally dispatched bus system that covers all of WDW. So, it's not that one resort has great bus service or another has awful service.

There are late buses, overcrowded buses, not enough buses at a particularly busy time, buses that break down, drivers that have to take a sick day....all the things that you see in any big city public transportation system (which is what WDW Transport really is). They aren't specific to any resort, and the good days and bad days can and do happen at any resort. It's really a matter of luck as to whether you'll be at AKL on a good bus day or a bad bus day.

 

[gottalovepluto]

When we had enough of the buses staying AKL we Ubered over to TTC for our last night at MK. I'm sure it wasn't any faster but man was it a nicer trip. So there's my 2 cents: if you get fed up- Uber!

 

[butsy113]

We just got back and had no problems with the buses at AKV. Like others said though, it's hit or miss with any resort.

 

[Mousetopia]

When we had enough of the buses staying AKL we Ubered over to TTC for our last night at MK. I'm sure it wasn't any faster but man was it a nicer trip. So there's my 2 cents: if you get fed up- Uber!

I LOVED seeing a big mob at the bus stop last trip and immediately calling uber and poof Im on the road in usually 5 minutes. No pushing, shoving, whining kids. ahhhhhhhhhhhh

 

[sndral]

We normally stay at Pop, but on our last trip (in April) did a few days at AKL, Jambo house. I thought the buses at Pop were better than the buses at AKL. We only used the AKL bus a couple times (once to MK and once to AK). The day we were going to AK, we waited over 30 minutes for a bus to AK, and in that time saw three MK and Two EP buses come and go.

Because there is no actual line for waiting, everyone just stands in a mob and there was no order at all...we were the first ones waiting for the bus but ended up near the end of the pack getting on the bus. And when the bus DID come, it had already stopped at Kidani, so there were already no seats even before anyone from AKL got on. We are used to Pop---there's a definite line so you know that the people at the bus stop first get on the bus first, and there's not a full or almost full bus pulling up for you to get on.

The next day when we went to MK, it was the same thing: a nearly full bus pulled up at the bus stop.

I keep hearing on the boards how horrible bus service is at the values and it's so much better at the mods and deluxes. But that was definitely NOT our experience. This was the most disappointing part of staying at AKL.

The park buses at AKL stop at Kidani first, then Jambo (although there have been reports of separately dispatched Jambo buses on especially busy days) they stop at Jambo first then Kidani for Disney Springs.
I can't speak for all resorts and have yet to stay in a value resort but I believe at moderates and deluxe's there are no lines to be formed - just benches at the bus stops for you to sit - @ least this was my experience @ CBR, POFQ, YC, BWI, Poly, AKL. The GF has lots of benches to sit on and no place to stand really. IME generally my fellow bus waiters are polite and everyone knows who got there first, so no need to 'line up' to get on in your correct 'order.' I prefer the freedom to sit, if a bench is open, stay in the shade or under a covering if it's raining, thus would probably not enjoy the lines at the values.