And, to give equal time to 'the worst buses'...another poll!!

[seashoreCM]

These sorts of conversations always reminds me of the Unofficial Guide "grades" for resort transportation. Look at the resorts that have the exactly the same transportation options, but grade out differently:.

I would have liked to see a narrative for each resort pointing out the highlights and lowdowns on bus service.

Or would the average reader find extra paragraphs to be boring and unnecessary clutter?

 

[davedmaine]

Yeah, you guessed it. Had to happen. So, which resort(s) do you think have the worst bus transportation.
Here's the thing....best and worst are very subjective. So, again, try to remain civil. Discussion is good, nastiness is not.

Just what we needed-- another bad bus thread.. Ugh

 

[goofy4tink]

Just what we needed-- another bad bus thread.. Ugh

Hey!!! It's not technically a 'bad bus thread'...it's a poll, with subsequent discussions. That's exactly what this particular board is for..sharing of experiences by all.

 

[hsmamato2]

We have NEVER been to AKL when the buses were running even close to an ontime schedule....granted, we've always visited,never stayed here, but based on the disgruntled guests comments each and every time we go, I would never ever book a stay here. The last time, it was a 40 min. wait for the bus, and the resort guests were SO mad, many of them had been waiting for over an hour for pickup when we arrived,missing their ADR's,and party schedules (I guess hard ticketed party)
I have never had too many issues with POFQ,OKW,POP,(tho not my fave) CBR,WL,CSR,etc etc etc...nothing like we've seen at AKL......

 

[hsmamato2]

wait...I need to edit my last comment I wouldn't book a stay there unless I had a rental car it's a really cool resort,just not cool bus service

 

[Greysword]

Hey Tink, how did you get the poll to list each voter under their vote?

Look at the resorts that have the exactly the same transportation options, but grade out differently:

WL: B
VWL: B+ (okay, the walk from VWL might be shorter...)

BWI: B
BWV: C+

BC: B
BCV: C+

CR: C+
BLT: B (the monorail station and bus stop are *at* CR!)

I wonder if this is a product of the clientele. Since the Villas are likely DVC owners, can the Unofficial Guide fairly compare them to the non-villa visitors due to priorities and perception? Just curious where the bias may lay.

No difference between resorts? They're all just as good and just as bad. OR is it like pushing all the buttons in the elevator?

I disagree, bus service to EPCOT from the CR is absolutely horrendous and non-existent!

 

[goofy4tink]

Hey Tink, how did you get the poll to list each voter under their vote?

I wonder if this is a product of the clientele. Since the Villas are likely DVC owners, can the Unofficial Guide fairly compare them to the non-villa visitors due to priorities and perception? Just curious where the bias may lay.



I disagree, bus service to EPCOT from the CR is absolutely horrendous and non-existent!

When you make up the poll, you can make it so the votes are public.

 

[Lewisc]

I disagree, bus service to EPCOT from the CR is absolutely horrendous and non-existent!

My comment was speculation as to why a poster might have checked every resort.

The bus service from CR to EPCOT may be horrendous but the bus service from BLT to the MK is even worse, unbelievably bad.

A guest who is interested in taking a bus to the parks needs to avoid most of the deluxe resorts. Bus service from most deluxe resorts is horrendous and non-existent to a couple of theme parks.

I haven't read anything which suggests Disney intentionally gives better, more frequent, bus service based on the category of resort. That suggests the "best" bus service will be found by either picking a resort which doesn't require bus service to some parks (walk to DHS and EPCOT) from the EPCOT resorts or picking a resort which minimizes the number of stops a bus makes, either in your resort or at other resorts.

 

[goofy4tink]

My comment was speculation as to why a poster might have checked every resort.

The bus service from CR to EPCOT may be horrendous but the bus service from BLT to the MK is even worse, unbelievably bad.

A guest who is interested in taking a bus to the parks needs to avoid most of the deluxe resorts. Bus service from most deluxe resorts is horrendous and non-existent to a couple of theme parks.

I haven't read anything which suggests Disney intentionally gives better, more frequent, bus service based on the category of resort. That suggests the "best" bus service will be found by either picking a resort which doesn't require bus service to some parks (walk to DHS and EPCOT) from the EPCOT resorts or picking a resort which minimizes the number of stops a bus makes, either in your resort or at other resorts.

I truly think, after many stays at all level of resorts at WDW, that those resorts that have alternative transportation (not buses) to one or more parks, tends to have the worst bus service to other parks. Not sure why, but that has been my experience. If you forget about the multiple stops, within the resort, at the moderates? They have pretty decent bus service. And the values?? Usually very good, which is why I'm surprised to see them getting to many votes!!

I'm not sure why anyone would say that buses weren't running close to an on-time schedule....there is no schedule! Yes, the buses are 'supposed' to come every 20 mins, but we all know that stuff happens and that just doesn't work. One should never, ever think they are going to wait 5 mins or less for the bus, which means they only have to leave 30 mins to get from resort to park. Bound to be some issues with that way of thinking!

I believe each resort gets to decide what their transportation budget is going to be. Perhaps BW, for instance, figures it doesn't need to budget in as much for buses since they have accessibility to 2 parks without buses. I don't know, but I have had the absolute worst bus transportation at the Polynesian. Getting to DHS was a nightmare. I wish I had known about there being a bus to DHS over at the TTC...I would have just walked over there, but that was before I became so familiar with the transportation system.

 

[Lewisc]

I believe each resort gets to decide what their transportation budget is going to be. Perhaps BW, for instance, figures it doesn't need to budget in as much for buses since they have accessibility to 2 parks without buses. I don't know, but I have had the absolute worst bus transportation at the Polynesian. Getting to DHS was a nightmare. I wish I had known about there being a bus to DHS over at the TTC...I would have just walked over there, but that was before I became so familiar with the transportation system.

Sorry but that doesn't pass my screen of logic. Do you think BWV could decide to offer a lower level of bus service then BWI? Do you think YC and BC could offer a different level of service? POLY and the GF? Do you think either Swan or Dolphin has any say?

It's possible Disney decided to cut back on bus service to those resorts which have boat or monorail service but I can't see anyway that decision could be made at the resort level. Deluxe resorts share buses. No logical way they could have a choice. Maybe OKW and SSR could make a decision, but I don't even think they have the option.

My thouht. POP has one stop and a lot of guests. Too many guests waiting and an extra bus gets dispatched. Deluxe buses take longer because of the stops. Fewer guests per resort means it's less likely, non-peak, to have enough guests waiting at any one stop to motivate an extra bus.

Bus schedule. May not be posted but Disney must have a "secret" policy regarding how long between bus runs. More then a 30 minute wait, by watch time not by "estimated time", suggests the buses are probably running behind Disney's secret schedule.

I think a digital board listing the waiting time for the next bus would be great. I might cancel my DW lunch/shopping at DTD plans if the sign says we'll be waiting 30 minutes.

 

[goofy4tink]

Sorry but that doesn't pass my screen of logic. Do you think BWV could decide to offer a lower level of bus service then BWI? Do you think YC and BC could offer a different level of service? POLY and the GF? Do you think either Swan or Dolphin has any say?

It's possible Disney decided to cut back on bus service to those resorts which have boat or monorail service but I can't see anyway that decision could be made at the resort level. Deluxe resorts share buses. No logical way they could have a choice. Maybe OKW and SSR could make a decision, but I don't even think they have the option.

My thouht. POP has one stop and a lot of guests. Too many guests waiting and an extra bus gets dispatched. Deluxe buses take longer because of the stops. Fewer guests per resort means it's less likely, non-peak, to have enough guests waiting at any one stop to motivate an extra bus.

Bus schedule. May not be posted but Disney must have a "secret" policy regarding how long between bus runs. More then a 30 minute wait, by watch time not by "estimated time", suggests the buses are probably running behind Disney's secret schedule.

I think a digital board listing the waiting time for the next bus would be great. I might cancel my DW lunch/shopping at DTD plans if the sign says we'll be waiting 30 minutes.

The S/D pay a fair amount to be included on the Epcot resorts route. And I know that BLT and BWV pay different amounts in their budgets for transportation...costs are not the same. Now, why that is, I can't say for sure. I just know what I've been told.

I also wish we had boards letting us know when the next bus would arrive. It doesn't seem to hard to implement. Perhaps Disney is afraid that people will complain if the bus is 2 mins later than what the board stated...who knows.

 

[bellebookworm9]

My only real complaint is the BW/BC/YC to DTD bus. There were many evenings I needed to walk from Epcot to one of those resorts, then get a bus to DTD so I could catch the LYNX bus back home. And there were some incredibly long waits, often resulting in standing room only trips.

 

[maxiesmom]

My only real complaint is the BW/BC/YC to DTD bus. There were many evenings I needed to walk from Epcot to one of those resorts, then get a bus to DTD so I could catch the LYNX bus back home. And there were some incredibly long waits, often resulting in standing room only trips.

I think that is kind of on purpose, as Disney doesn't want people using DTD as a bus hub, if you are not staying on-site. Every resort has pretty stinky bus service to/from DTD.

 

[ParrotBill]

I also voted for S/D/BW. I am a DVC owner at BWV, and have seen service degrade over the last 6 years. During morning rushes buses routinely fill up at S/D and bypass BW. Waits of 30-40 minutes have been common at 8-9am!

Needed to walk to the Marketplace bus stop to return from DTD because because buses would arrive at the central bus stop already full from Marketplace.

 

[bbak3030]

I've only used the busses at Pop and it was so awful that I refuse to use them again--for any resort! I'm actively trying to figure out a way around it for our trip next March! There has got to be an alternative.....

 

[Lewisc]

1. Rent a car or drive your own car if you drove to WDW.
2. Taxi.
3. Stay at EPCOT resort and walk to 2 parks.
4. Stay at CR/BLT and walk to MK.
   
   It's not rocket science.

I've only used the busses at Pop and it was so awful that I refuse to use them again--for any resort! I'm actively trying to figure out a way around it for our trip next March! There has got to be an alternative.....

 

[maxiesmom]

I've only used the busses at Pop and it was so awful that I refuse to use them again--for any resort! I'm actively trying to figure out a way around it for our trip next March! There has got to be an alternative.....

Where are you staying for your next trip?

 

[goofy4tink]

I've only used the busses at Pop and it was so awful that I refuse to use them again--for any resort! I'm actively trying to figure out a way around it for our trip next March! There has got to be an alternative.....

Really? Did you notice that the Pop/AoA resorts got the fewest votes? I have to ask...what did you experience at Pop that was so awful? I'm just curious.
Here's the thing. One man's 'awful' is another man's 'okay'.
Alternative? A rental car is going to be your best bet. If you didn't like the buses at Pop, you are not going to be happy with buses at other resorts...believe me!! Pop has some of the best bus service onsite!!!

 

[seashoreCM]

The last time, it was a 40 min. wait for the bus, and the resort guests were SO mad, many of them had been waiting for over an hour for pickup when we arrived,missing their ADR's,and party schedules (I guess hard ticketed party)......

For parties they let you in with just+ your party ticket 3 hours before the party starts.

Provided you allow reasonable* time to get there, the maitre'd should honor* your ADR even if you are a little late.

I also voted for S/D/BW. I am a DVC owner at BWV, and have seen service degrade over the last 6 years. During morning rushes buses routinely fill up at S/D and bypass BW. Waits of 30-40 minutes have been common at 8-9am!

Needed to walk to the Marketplace bus stop to return from DTD because because buses would arrive at the central bus stop already full from Marketplace.

To make rope drop you need to allow for at least two bus intervals since the sweet spot bus (arrives at the park 15-10 minutes before rope drop) is extremely likely to be too full.

Meanwhile buses should come every 20 minutes, or, if unable to pick up everyone waiting on that headway, come much more often than every 20 minutes.

Hmmm. Shouldn't this poll have had separate multiple choices for resorts first on a shared route and resorts last on a shared route?

You need to start a fad, making a complaint promptly and asking for a round of extra fastpasses. Wouldn't being a Disney Vacation Club member have some weight?

* Honor means not having you wait until parties who actually arrive after you did, waiting parties with no ADR at all, or parties whose ADR times are after your actual arrival, get seated.
* For a single resort to park trip, be at the resort platform 75 minutes before your ADR time. This allows an hour for transportation and still be inside the restaurant the required 10 minutes before your ADR.
+ Hopper (or even a nonhopper) not needed.

 

[Sandi]

I've only used the busses at Pop and it was so awful that I refuse to use them again--for any resort! I'm actively trying to figure out a way around it for our trip next March! There has got to be an alternative.....

If you've only used bus transportation for Pop, I'm not sure how you can compare the service there to any of the other resorts. What made it so bad for you that you won't use WDW busses at any resort ever?

My guess is that you have some very unrealistic expectations about what the bus transportation is to provide. If you experienced 20 minute waits and had a seat on the bus, that is pretty normal. If you occasionally had to stand on the bus, that's pretty normal, too. We've stayed at most of the WDW resorts and my best experience with busses was with Pop.