Benches/Seats

[Chuck S]

Agree! My new rule during high heat & sun is to leave every park an hour before I "need" to... That last hike to transportation can be grueling.

It is Disney Magic. When you arrive at the park, it is only a short walk from the bus to the park entrance. When you leave, the distance from park exit to the bus is 10 miles.

 

[Mai Ku Tiki]

It is Disney Magic. When you arrive at the park, itis only a short walk from the bus to the park entrance. When you leave, the distance from park exit to the bus is 10 miles.

You got that right! AND they move the busses further away every year!
They were much closer when I was a kid!!

 

[weewuvvdisney]

And... it never fails..... just when you get close to your parked bus, it leaves

 

[goofyernmost]

And... it never fails..... just when you get close to your parked bus, it leaves

I used the buses once and the rest of my 45 trips I had a car. A rental or my own and I drove to the parks and I was usually in my hotel before I would have gotten on a bus.

 

[Chuck S]

I used the buses once and the rest of my 45 trips I had a car. A rental or my own and I drove to the parks and I was usually in my hotel before I would have gotten on a bus.

We used to rent cars, until the prices became just ridiculous. Gone are the days of $150/week car rentals. But we always took the busses to MK, Walking under the bridge, only to have to load onto a monorail or boat. was terrible with Mom in a manual wheelchair. But we drove to the other parks.

 

[goofyernmost]

We used to rent cars, until the prices became just ridiculous. Gone are the days of $150/week car rentals. But we always took the busses to MK, Walking under the bridge, only to have to load onto a monorail or boat. was terrible with Mom in a manual wheelchair. But we drove to the other parks.

I would certainly be vocally upset about the pricing, but would still pay it. That will fix itself at some point. They went up when the rental locations at MCO decreased their inventory of cars due to the Magical Prison Bus getting more popular, but I'm sure without the bus anymore it will create a greater demand. It is easier to price compete with the new bus system pricing or Uber than the free bus and with Epic opening there will be a higher demand for transportation between WDW and Uni. They will increase their inventories and at some point one or more of them will start to actually feel the competition and break away from the all the same price "fixing" that it has turned into over the years. When it does the prices will come down. And as the price of staying onsite increased it could also generate a resurgence of more nice hotels in the surrounding area encouraging more car rental people looking for better pricing. That's how competition works.

 

[Chuck S]

I would certainly be vocally upset about the pricing, but would still pay it. That will fix itself at some point. They went up when the rental locations at MCO decreased their inventory of cars due to the Magical Prison Bus getting more popular, but I'm sure without the bus anymore it will create a greater demand. It is easier to price compete with the new bus system pricing or Uber than the free bus and with Epic opening there will be a higher demand for transportation between WDW and Uni. They will increase their inventories and at some point one or more of them will start to actually feel the competition and break away from the all the same price "fixing" that it has turned into over the years. When it does the prices will come down. And as the price of staying onsite increased it could also generate a resurgence of more nice hotels in the surrounding area encouraging more car rental people looking for better pricing. That's how competition works.

That certainly depends upon the number of people in your party, and how long you are staying. It is still several hundred dollars more for a rental car for a week than a party of 3 to use Mears and order in groceries.

 

[goofyernmost]

That certainly depends upon the number of people in your party, and how long you are staying. It is still several hundred dollars more for a rental car for a week than a party of 3 to use Mears and order in groceries.

Just to clarify, I don't make that decision of what works best for me based on cost. If I can't afford to have my trip in the manor that I want, I just won't go. It's a simple decision for me and the absolute reason why I never set foot in the place until I was 35. Having my own transportation is more important to me then actually going.

I don't think that applies to everyone. It is a thing that I require for my own desire and to feel free and not controlled by someone else's timetable. Or have to pay top dollar for things that I can get elsewhere for a whole lot less money. That is how I pay for the rental, with the money that I saved by not having to spend every nickel in one place. That, plus the factor that I never use my entire trip in just one place. I've explored east or west of WDW everytime I have made the trip. I even took time to drive down to Key West and back the next day to Kissimmee. I need that freedom of motion. Others do not and that is up to them.

I only worry about what it would cost per day to take what was a family of 4 to WDW for just 4 days now. That is the exact reason why I will not be returning to WDW in spite of being a huge fan for almost 36 years. As much as I loved how the place made me feel I now feel that the money spent and the return are not equal to each other anymore. The place is still in my heart after having been obsessed with it for all those years but even though I currently travel alone, I just don't think it is worth it anymore. I am old, and the parks are being done over to appeal to the young, I no longer fit in.

 

[AdamsMum]

Here now and was just remarking to my partner that the walk from the exit of AK to the Disney buses can be brutal in the heat. I don’t know why they can’t install a few benches along the walkway and offer some shaded areas as well.

This! I had plantar fasciitis (?sp) when I visited with my son a few years ago. That walk was brutal, and no seating even when I reached the bus stop. Just had to hang on to the railing and keep my foot off the ground. I was using a Disney ecv in the park, but you have to return them right at the exit. Would be great if the return area was closer to the buses.

 

[MICKIMINI]

As the parks got busier since the 90s, Disney gradually removed hundreds of benches throughout the parks…most notably MK and many in HS. There used to be a LOT of benches in the central hub area and along the walkways. It was pretty easy to rest when one needed to but not anymore. Once Disney changed from fireworks to using more projections, it was more important to maximize standing room in the hub and Main Street since the castle became central to the show.

This is SO TRUE! EPCOT had way more benches as well. In the 90's when we were "younger", there was always a bench. Now that we are a bit "older" and need one more often, they are very hard to come by. Sometimes we have to stalk a bench and wait for people to finish their food...we find younger people, especially with kids don't spend much time. Those are the benches to stalk LOL!

 

[Willows909]

To clarify my much earlier (lol) post. I didn’t expect…because I know Disney (again, lol.) to have benches where you watch the animals along the trails, but at the very least somewhere, anywhere really in the trails to sit for a bit! You would hope, that the powers that be would not like their guests to collapse!It certainly will make my DH and me think twice about walking the trails along with all the other steps we will be taking! But I guess if you are walking those trails, you aren’t spending $$$, so there’s that!

 

[maxiesmom]

This is SO TRUE! EPCOT had way more benches as well. In the 90's when we were "younger", there was always a bench. Now that we are a bit "older" and need one more often, they are very hard to come by. Sometimes we have to stalk a bench and wait for people to finish their food...we find younger people, especially with kids don't spend much time. Those are the benches to stalk LOL!

I was at WDW over Memorial Day. And both my sister and I noticed they seem to have added quite a few benches to both the Magic Kingdom and Epcot. Saw many more benches around than there was before.

 

[lovethattink]

Found this area at Epcot. It’s across from The Land

 

[disneyseniors]

Epcot is easy as there are tons of little nooks and crannies in WS. My favorite is what I call the tile room in the Morocco pavilion. There are the gardens in the China pavilion and the tables for the QS in Japan.

At MK there is the porch with the rocking chairs across from the Christmas Shoppe, usually during the day the area where the dessert parties is open to use, there are also some benches behind the Christmas Shoppe, there are table and chairs inside the GS area in Liberty Square, while it is still there lots of shade on Tom Sawyer's Island.

At AK, lots of little paths with little shaded areas with either benches or big ole rocks you can sit on. The area behind Flame Tree BBQ has loads of tables and shade and I've never seen it full.

At HS, this one is tough as there is not a lot of shade in this park. The benches outside of the Star Wars meet and greet are usually shaded, the area in front of Brown Derby has some benches and certain parts of the day is shaded. The little courtyard that used to be for a QS beside HBD has tables with umbrellas as well as the area across the street from it. There is a bench on the porch of ToT before you turn into the lobby room that is under cover, not sure how you would get to it without going through the line for ToT though. There are also some benches off to the left after you exit the ToT gift shop that are in shade parts of the day. Speaking of ToT you can go through the gift shop and there are benches inside the "lobby" area after you exit the ride.

My favorite is what I call the tile room in the Morocco pavilion. There are the gardens in the China pavilion and the tables for the QS in Japan.

That is a beautiful area but for some reason the incense smell makes me sick. I hurry through this area as quick as I can. Otherwise, it would be great

At MK there is the porch with the rocking chairs across from the Christmas Shoppe

Love this area. It was my husbands and my favorite resting place and it never seemed crowded.

Thanks for all these great suggestions.

 

[fla4fun]

We noticed that figuring Disney thinks if you’re sitting down you’re not spending money.

But I guess if you are walking those trails, you aren’t spending $$$, so there’s that!

I see this comment a lot, but if this is Disney’s thinking, it’s seriously wrong.

I have had back problems since I was a teenager that require me to sit every so often or I will be in serious pain. If there were sufficient benches to rest on occasionally I might be able to go to a park in the morning and stay all day. When there aren’t benches, and especially in warmer weather, I am worn out after three or four hours in the park and I go back to my room, where I have the snacks and beverages I brought from home, and I may not go back out the rest of the day. So where they might have received income from three meals a day, now they get one. Where they might have earned revenue from merchandise, they get nothing because I am too drained to shop. It is in their best interests to make it possible for people to spend the whole day in the parks if they really want us to spend. Shopping at Disney is one of my favorite pastimes!

It is encouraging to hear that more benches have been spotted in MK and Epcot. I hope that trend continues.