Was this the article? I think its a bad idea that they need to be inputting things at a stop sign traffic light etc.Another part of the problem is that a guest will figure out that if they want to go to the MK, they are going to go where the MK bus dropped them off.Only when the next bus comes in, its a an Epcot bus becuase they were dropped off in the Epcot load zone.
As a former driver, and also a FF that deals with a computer in my ladder truck on a regular basis, I can tell you that they are a distraction.The ones we have talks to us when we get a call.And I have a passenger to deal with it.
MIMs (we had a lot of different acronyms for MIMS and none of them were nice, and few are printable)was there when I was and they were first starting it.The best system they had at the time was the Coronado Springs opening test. I was part of the test. The busses originated from the RESORTs as opposed to the parks like now.We ran that resort with fewer drivers, and fewer busses, and a lot less headaches.
With this new system, though I dont know for sure, if the computer ecomends say going from OKW to the MK by way of Epcot Center Drive, and ECD is blocked due to an accident, the computer will throw a fit if you a go around a different route, or argue that you took too long.Plus as a bonus, either the computer will flash or otherwise get your attention, or will speak to you or go into alarm any or all of which will gather your attention.Imagine that for a 15 minutes.
With the system that was inplace before, Id already know that ECD was blocked or backed up, and take an alternative route, and Id know where the trouble spots were.(Bad merges, spots guest typically realize they have made a mistake)
Dont get me wrong.I think that the bus system as a whole from management to the drivers to the equipment needs to be upgraded.(We had a manager that couldnt drive for 2 months because she wasnt 21 yet.She came from entertainment as a character.She had just been promoted to bus manager)At the same time Disney needs to realize that at some point theres not much more they can do, with out a major transportation system change.
As far as the 4 weeks rigourous training, what they are not telling you is that part of those 4 weeks are CDL training.They will (at least they used to and I beleive they still do) train you on how to drive a bus and will test you to DOT standards for a class B CDL.Then you go to route training.
Disney-bus computers distracting, critics say
Featured, Jason Garcia, News By Staff on April 16, 2010 at 7:11 pm
By Jason Garcia
Orlando Sentinel
Three years ago, Walt Disney World set out to revolutionize its bus system.
In a project dubbed Magic in Motion, Disney installed GPS-equipped computers in each of its nearly 300 buses, ensuring the vehicles could be tracked as they crisscross the vast resort. The goal was to create a sophisticated system in which buses are rerouted in real time to handle the heaviest crowds, replacing a conventional model in which bus schedules were set in advance.
But critics of Magic in Motion, or MIMs as it is referred to internally, say the initiative has so far been more hindrance than help. Whats more, some Disney bus drivers contend that MIMs has proven a distraction for drivers because it forces them to work with a computer while they operate their vehicles.
It takes away from the concentration of driving a bus safely, said one bus driver who has worked for Disney for more than 20 years. The driver spoke only on the condition that he not be identified for fear of losing his job.
Disney says Magic in Motion has led to more-efficient bus scheduling and lower wait times for guests. But the resort also says the project which includes extra features such as prerecorded passenger announcements broadcast automatically rather than by the drivers has made it easier for drivers to concentrate on the road in front of them.
We really believe it reduces the distractions for the drivers, said Mark Natter, Disney Worlds director of bus-transportation services.
The criticism comes amid a difficult period for Disneys bus system, which recently recorded three crashes in two weeks. The accidents included a rear-end collision outside Epcot in which a driver and a child were seriously injured, and a tragic crash in the Fort Wilderness campground in which a 9-year-boy was killed after authorities say he veered into the side of a passing bus.
Authorities say they do not think driver distraction contributed to any of the three accidents.
Under Magic in Motion, whenever a Disney World bus completes a round trip typically between a theme park or Downtown Disney and one or more hotels it is issued a new destination based on which stops currently have guests waiting. The system was designed to be fully automated: As soon as a bus finishes one route, a new one is calculated and then displayed on a small computer monitor to the drivers right. Everything from the marquee on the front of the bus to the themed music playing inside the vehicle changes to match the new destination.
Disney, however, has so far been unable to automate MIMs. As a result, each time a bus is nearing the end of its route, the driver must radio to a dispatcher to get a five-digit code that the driver then enters into the computer for it to display the new route, update the marquee and change the music.
Some drivers say that process can be distracting, as their concentration is diverted while they confer with dispatchers and input computer codes.
Disney says its drivers are trained to enter the codes only while their buses are stopped, typically at a stop sign, stoplight or parking-lot toll plaza. But drivers say it can be a harried process, particularly when traffic is backing up behind them. The codes must be entered before the bus arrives at a stop of waiting passengers to ensure the next destination is displayed on the marquee.
I understand what the training is.
But its not always practical, said Mike Stapleton, president of Teamsters Local 385, the union that represents Disneys bus drivers. The fact is that you have to take your eyes off the road.
Disney says drivers have ample time to input codes typically the letter J followed by four numbers while stopped at intersections or parking-lot entrances, noting the entire process takes only a few seconds.
Still, the resort says it is developing software to automate the process entirely. Natter said Disney hopes to roll that out within a year.
Drivers says MIMs can cause other headaches, as well. For instance, they say the system often experiences glitches, in which computer screens begin to flash off route, potentially creating a distraction. They also say it is easy to input the incorrect route code some codes differ by a single digit which can lead to guests boarding the wrong bus and creating more confusion.
Some critics also argue that it was safer when buses followed the same route over and over again, allowing drivers to become intimately familiar with the idiosyncrasies of their itinerary.
I just think when you have a dedicated route, you have more familiarization, said a former bus driver who now works in another department for Disney. Youre familiar with the turns and the little dips in the road.
To be sure, not all Disney bus drivers think MIMs has had any effect on safety. Half the time, I dont even look at the box, said one driver with Disney about five years.
Natter said hiccups such as computer error messages or improperly entered codes are rare and should not pose distractions even when they do occur. He said MIMs does far more to help drivers by freeing them from having to make passenger announcements. The prerecorded messages used now are triggered automatically as the buses move throughout Disney World.
Natter also said Disney puts all of its drivers through a rigorous, four-week training program that ensures they are comfortable with the MIMs system and that they have driven all of Disney Worlds bus routes, both during the day and at night.
We have a very thorough training process, where we are able to take them around the various resorts and parks, he said. They get quite a bit of practice.
