Bus service - Boardwalk

[abner1776]

Having read about many complaints with the bus system, I just wanted to chime in with my contrary experience with the WDW bus system.

DW and I just got back from the BWV after 5 great days and we used the bus system exclusively. We experienced "zero" problems with the busses and I can honestly say we never waited more 3 minutes for a bus to any location we were going to. One evening we were heading over to Boma for dinner and as we walked down to the bus stop the AK bus was just pulling away...nuts..we just missed the bus, but no...within 1 minute another AK bus pulled in and we hoped aboard...we were the only passengers. Since we were the only passengers, the driver dropped us off at the AKL rather than the park and saved us a transfer.

Even leaving MK after wishes, we did not wait more than a few minutes for a bus.

It must be an issue with certain resorts rather than an overall problem with the entire bus system....either that or we were extremely lucky.

 

[CarolMN]

Bus service at the BWV does vary in quality, LOL. We've had great and not so great bus service when we stay.

I hope we are just as lucky next week as you were this week.

Thanks for the report!

 

[DisFlan]

We waited 35 minutes for an AK bus last week at BW. We finally gave up and grabbed an MK bus. We drove ourselves after that.

We've had both good and bad bus service at the BW. The last three trips it's tilted more toward bad than good. Other than that, we had no complaints.

DisFlan

 

[DisJoe26]

I just got back from Boardwalk in May and the wait for the buses wasnt a problem for me or anyone with me. We did get annoyed with having to share the bus with swan and dolphin each time. Boardwalk was the first pick up and the last drop off of the three. A few times we got off at the dolphin and walked to the boardwalk which was faster. Considering we only needed the bus for 2 parks the location is still unbeatable.

 

[Disney_Villain]

Overall, we've found that busses are the best during non-peak seasons. From all the complaints on DIS I hear, the bus system is certainly overwhelmed during peak seasons!

Also, the time of day does seem to affect frequency of busses. For example, when leaving your resort in the AM to go to the parks - good frequency. Later in the afternoon and evening, they slow down. We've always had longer waits if we've left the resorts in late afternoon trying to make dinner appointments in the parks - and we allow time for this.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Since we were the only passengers, the driver dropped us off at the AKL rather than the park and saved us a transfer.

While this was very nice of the driver, isn't this what wads up the system? I mean, now isn't there bunch of people waiting longer at the place the bus was suppose to go??

Certainly not your fault, but I'm just trying to understand..

MG

 

[Tink-n-Belle]

You were lucky. We usually have to share with the s/d and beach & yacht club sometimes. The thing that really irks me is that the BW is the 1st stop on the way into the parks, but the last stop on the way home!!!!

Who thought that up!!

Last Feb we waited 45 minutes for a bus at the MK--

But other than that It does beat driving!!!

 

[moredisneyplease]

Wish it were always that nice!!!

 

[abner1776]

While this was very nice of the driver, isn't this what wads up the system? I mean, now isn't there bunch of people waiting longer at the place the bus was suppose to go??

Certainly not your fault, but I'm just trying to understand..

MG

I understand the comment, but I am not sure this caused any problem in this case. The reason why there were two AK busses in such a short time is the parade at AK was almost over and WDW was staging the busses at AK just prior to the close of the park for the day. The short delay by dropping us off at AKL would just reduce the staging time at AK and since it is such a short distance between AK and AKL, it would have no effect on people leaving the park.

 

[abner1776]

I guess what this comes down to is we probably really lucked out with the busses this trip and if we hope to see this repeated during peak weeks, we will be disappointed.

 

[drusba]

Owned at BWV for 11 years. My complaint has never been that buses don't usually show up on time although we have sometimes had unreasonable delays. Nevertheless, as much as I like BWV, I have always considered the bus system to be inadequate because of the sharing issue. You share now with S/D and then sometimes also with YC/BC, and that can make for long trips. I can live with sharing with S/D but when they pull the all resort route I consider that "poor" bus service because that trip when returning from a park can often take 55 minutes, particularly if it is the AK trip and you also have to stop at Blizzard Beach. I also own at AKV where you don't share with any other resort and I find the bus system there to be a dream in comparison to BWV's.

 

[keishashadow]

Owned at BWV for 11 years. My complaint has never been that buses don't usually show up on time although we have sometimes had unreasonable delays. Nevertheless, as much as I like BWV, I have always considered the bus system to be inadequate because of the sharing issue. You share now with S/D and then sometimes also with YC/BC, and that can make for long trips. I can live with sharing with S/D but when they pull the all resort route I consider that "poor" bus service because that trip when returning from a park can often take 55 minutes, particularly if it is the AK trip and you also have to stop at Blizzard Beach. I also own at AKV where you don't share with any other resort and I find the bus system there to be a dream in comparison to BWV's.

our experience in the past was similiar, main reason we went to renting a car; although it's nice to know it's currently an option.

OP thanx for posting, i am wondering though if the level of service u experienced was moreso result of lower attendance period?

 

[eyeheartgoofy]

Thanks for posing some positive comments!

I think bus service varies from resort to resort and varies within a resort from time to time. We have stayed at VWL several times ... mostly we have had pretty good bus service, but during Spring Break it was FABULOUS ... they must have had extra busses running or something, b/c we rarely had any waits over 5 min.

We stayed at POR last fall ... I only have read negatives about the bus service there and was pretty worried. But, we only had one time when we had to wait more than 5-10 minutes for a bus.