Bus Service for Guests?

[DWSummerBride]

Anyone knows the detail with the bus service? I saw on the Disney website that it is mandatory to provide bus service for your guests to the event and each time is a 5 hr minimum. Is that mean I would need to book a bus for the morning ceremony in Epcot and book another one for my reception at night? Is this mandatory? Thank you all!

 

[DisBride2007]

You are only required to provide the bus for in-park events. So you would need one for your ceremony at Epcot. If your reception is not in a park, you are not required to provide a bus. However, you will have it for 5 hours, so you can transport all your guests back to their hotels, or to anywhere, really. We had ours take guests to the airport!

 

[StephSFL]

We had to get two buses for our in-park reception. One we used for 5 hours and the other for 7- to transport guests back to their hotels after the reception. I know if you have a wedding at the WP and then the reception at a ballroom location at another resort you are not required to provide bus transportation as DisBride2007 said. I think Disney even provides driving instructions on little printed cards with a map to the reception venue (that is what they did at the last DFTW I went to).
Hope this helps!

 

[disprincessatheart]

Just adding that the pricing on the bus is $85 per hour with a 5 hour minimum. The bus can go anywhere you want since you're paying by the hour - we're using ours to pick up guests off property as well as on.
Also, each bus holds a max of 47 people, so if you have more than that you need to figure out how to have the bus do doulbe runs or you'll need more than one bus. Hope that helps!

 

[sarah_n_brian2006]

Joe, my SM, quoted me like 375 for a Shuttle. It only makes 1 stop to and 1 stop from. There is an additional charge for 1 more stop, more than that makes a charter. Ask and see what it is, remember I haven't signed a contract yet, so it is only a quote.

 

[Thumper's Tara]

Just adding that the pricing on the bus is $85 per hour with a 5 hour minimum. The bus can go anywhere you want since you're paying by the hour - we're using ours to pick up guests off property as well as on.
Also, each bus holds a max of 47 people, so if you have more than that you need to figure out how to have the bus do doulbe runs or you'll need more than one bus. Hope that helps!

Does anyone know if you can split the time? The way things are currently set up is we have our reception from 11-4 and then a 4.5 hour break until our dessert party. As both events are in Epcot, we are going to have to provide bus service...I am wondering if I am going to have to pay the full 10am-9:30 pm costs, or if I could split up the time for the break. Anyone know?

 

[Janet2k]

The way things are currently set up is we have our reception from 11-4 and then a 4.5 hour break until our dessert party. As both events are in Epcot, we are going to have to provide bus service...I am wondering if I am going to have to pay the full 10am-9:30 pm costs, or if I could split up the time for the break.

Thumper’s Tara, it sounds like you need to ask the FTW folks your question. They are the only ones who can give you a definitive answer.

For my vow renewal, I hired a private motor coach. I think I rented it for something like 9 hours. It picked my guests up at their Disney resorts, took them to the Wedding Pavilion for my ceremony, and then transported everyone to the Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park for my dinner party. When my party ended sometime after 2 AM, it took everyone back to their resorts. My family was dropped off at the Grand Floridian around 3 AM – we were the last ones off the bus.

 

[Janet2k]

Anyone knows the detail with the bus service? I saw on the Disney website that it is mandatory to provide bus service for your guests to the event and each time is a 5 hr minimum. Is that mean I would need to book a bus for the morning ceremony in Epcot and book another one for my reception at night? Is this mandatory?

DWSummerBride, I'll add my experience to the others here in this thread.

I had a custom vow renewal and had to use chartered transportation. A private motor coach picked up my guests at their resorts and transported them to the Wedding Pavilion. That was strictly for their convenience. There were a few guests who chose to travel to the Wedding Pavilion in their personal vehicles. However, when it came time for my dinner reception, everyone had to board the motor coach. There were no if’s, and’s, or but’s about it since my dinner party was being held inside the Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park. That was one of Disney’s rules and it had to be adhered to.

Here are a few photos of the private motor coach that was provided for my event (please note that Mears has other motor coaches available):
Motor Coach Photo # 1
Motor Coach Photo # 2
Motor Coach Photo # 3

I hope this helped.

 

[DVCGirl49]

Just wanted to add, the bus price just went up. I just got the brand new paperwork with the new Wishes/Coture/Escape/etc stuff and the new pricing guidelines from our SM. The price is now $88/hr ....finally something with a reaonably low price increase! (Cinderella's Coach is now $2700 and a live band....$7000 )