Bus issues at POFQ

[Kristin3021]

We had decide to book at the POFQ but I've read quite a few comments about buses taking awhile due to sharing with Riverside. Is this accurate? We're taking our 2 and 4 yr olds and I don't want to spend a lot of time trying to get to the parks. Thx

 

[FiggieFan]

I don't see that it is a big issue. They sometimes run the buses together, but if they do, they stop at POFQ first, then the 3 stops at POR. It really did not take a lot of time to make the extra stops at POR when we did, but I can honestly say that in the 4 times that we have stayed at POFQ, we have rarely shared a bus with POR people. They usually ran separate buses for both.

 

[ABtwinmommy]

We have stayed there twice (8 nt/10 nt stays) during off-peak times. We used the buses daily, and I believe only once per trip did we share with POR. On those occasions we were picked up first and then we made the rounds at POR.

ETA: It is a lovely resort and we were satisfied with the bus service.

 

[I Love Pluto]

A ride around POR is not that long. Really - I am thankful that the bus comes so that I can get to our destination.

I wonder how many use public transportation at home? I think that may change a few attitudes to "grateful that the bus showed up". Sorry, but I can't sympathize with this one.

 

[DJFan88]

Even so, if you stayed at CBR or CSR you'd still have the bus making multiple stops. It's all relative.

 

[eeyoreland]

We stayed there early January and most of the time it made the POR rounds. Were we happy when it didn't? Sure. But we were with our whole family (9 of us) and we're fairly easy to entertain so we didn't mind.

 

[GovieMom]

We stayed there early January and most of the time it made the POR rounds.

That was our experience as well. Our POFQ bus went over to POR and made the rounds every single time. If there was room for only one more person, the bus still went over to POR. Soooo annoying!

 

[Eeyore's My Favorite]

We stayed 2x at POR in April and used the buses daily and never shared with POFQ. One time we missed our bus at the MK & hopped on a bus to POFQ & then caught the boat to POR. Lots of fun doing that.

 

[crystaltink]

We were coming in late from a park one night, it was after midnight. I don't know if it was a POFQ only bus or if the driver had an issue, but he ordered EVERYONE off at the POFQ resort. The POR guests were so confused and were asking the driver directions to POR. He told them to walk to the river and follow the path to POR. He even told them to catch the boat, but he didn't know if it would be running that late at night.
I guess we were lucky since we were staying at POFQ, but I sure felt sorry for the others who weren't.

 

[ncc1701]

We have found that the buses have been shared less on every trip.Every bus we took last trip around opening time didn't stop at POR. It was usually the trips later in the day that we shared a bus. Even then on the weekend the MK and Epcot buses went straight to the park.
We like not to deal with driving on any vacation we take.

 

[Kristin3021]

Thanks everyone! There are so many different opinions on the subject, I thought I'd ask here

 

[goofy4tink]

Thanks everyone! There are so many different opinions on the subject, I thought I'd ask here

And you know why all the different opinions?? Because everyone has different expectations!! There are people like me that don't mind the multiple stops. I know they're going to happen, so I leave the room a bit early.
On the other hand, there are those that feel that any wait of more than 5 mins is excessive and any addtl stops getting to a park is unacceptable. You even get those staying at deluxe resorts who feel they should have direct resort to park transportation since they are paying deluxe prices!
You may go directly to a park, or you may have to ride through POR first. When I've stayed at POR, we seldom had buses that went to POFQ first...they seemed to go through POR first and then go to FQ..if at all.

 

[dimndgal1]

A ride around POR is not that long. Really - I am thankful that the bus comes so that I can get to our destination.

I wonder how many use public transportation at home? I think that may change a few attitudes to "grateful that the bus showed up". Sorry, but I can't sympathize with this one.

It's funny you say that because when we were at POR last year, I heard SO many people griping to the front desk about the buses. We took the bus to and from park everyday, once twice in a day, and I felt that the waits were better than I anticipated (less than 10 minutes). Two buses we took were direct to the park, all the buses home shared with POFQ, none of the rides felt that bad to me.

That said, I am a long-term user of the DC and Baltimore bus systems, and I fully expected Disney transportation to be similar but I found it much faster and the buses ran more frequently. I guess I can see that people are antsy with their time and wanting to get from A to B as fast as possible, but after using public transit, I am more than thrilled with how Disney did it!

Also, we stayed at YC after POR and found that stopping along the Boardwalk hotels took longer than the POR/FQ loop, and those are deluxe resorts... /just sayin'!

 

[Hopefully]

We had decide to book at the POFQ but I've read quite a few comments about buses taking awhile due to sharing with Riverside. Is this accurate? We're taking our 2 and 4 yr olds and I don't want to spend a lot of time trying to get to the parks. Thx

No matter where you stay, other than at some of the huge Value resorts, you will most likely be sharing buses. Disney Transportation is typical mass transit.
If waiting a bit, or sharing buses will be disturbing to you and your family, I would advise you to consider renting a car. Of course than you have to drive, park and most likely take a tram from your car to the front of the parking lot.
Disney is huge. There are many thousands of folks there every day. There are waits everywhere you go.
As Goofy4Tink stated the best advice is to set realistic expectations for yourself so you are not annoyed. It is going to take time to get to any park from every resort.
Good Luck and Have Fun.

 

[karly05]

Next year I need to keep notes on the bus service. I was at POFQ in early February this year and thought it was fine. We did go through POR a few times, but I'm pretty sure it was mostly those mid-day times. IIRC, leaving first thing in the morning for park openings, we never went through POR, and I clearly remember just missing the MK bus one morning, and another MK bus was there not five minutes later.

Disclaimer: I've never had any real complaints with the bus service (apart from going to/coming from DTD, which I'm convinced is always a pain no matter where you're staying). I'm just so happy not to have to drive anywhere on vacation, it's worth a little wait or a tour of POR.

 

[DakotaRose]

Last fall I was surprised by how fast the buses appeared (at parks and at POFQ). The only time a bus headed for Riverside before dropping us off at French Quarter was on the way home from Downtown Disney late one evening. Otherwise, I was let off at French Quarter first. Also we went from French Quarter directly to a park in the mornings with no loop through Riverside.

 

[wdwnut61]

Last June the buses never stopped at POR after POFQ which surprsed us because usually they do some of the times. Either way I love that POFQ is picked up and dropped off first. We've never had an issue with the bus service even if we stop at POR. Both resorts are so close and it's only 2-3 extra stops. Now the Epcot resorts which we love their bus service is horrible

I agree with the previous PP it's nice not having to drive while we are there.

 

[luvthemouse71]

I just figure in extra time. It is nice that they pick up POFQ first. Actually, when dealing with Disney buses(or buses in general), it's good to figure in extra time. I'd rather be early than late.

 

[snykymom]

When we were at POR in January, our return buses from the parks never stopped at POFQ. I know that some of our buses to the parks didn't either because they were empty when they got to our stop.

 

[DisneyHardin]

We stayed at POFQ the last 2 Octobers and the only time we ever shared with POR was mid day runs. Early in the morning and coming back late in the evening, we always had a dedicated bus.