Bus service problems at Pop?

[Gina]

DS and I just stayed at Pop last month for a couple of days, and fell in love with it. We're heading back there with other family in December. But my aunt's co-worker went in January just after New Year's and while they loved Pop, he said that their bus service was terrible. He said that the Pop folks were waiting at the parks long after people heading to other resorts had been picked up, and trying to get to the parks in the first place was no better.

I had always read on here how great the bus service at Pop was. Our two days there wasn't really enough to judge it by. Did they experience horrible wait times because it was shortly after New Year's? Or did we just get lucky the two days we were there?

Thanks for any experiences you can share!

-gina-

 

[Alicnwondrln]

I have stayed there more than once and had no issues. I had a friend go in Feb and she said the buses and food court were madness. Of course par tof her trip was over school vacations. I was there over xmas in 2005 so I thought she would be fine. She was mad.

 

[fakereadhed]

But my aunt's co-worker went in January just after New Year's and while they loved Pop, he said that their bus service was terrible.

Isn't that a crazy busy time of the year to go?

I have stayed at Pop 3 times and never had bus service that was any worse than anywhere else. In fact, sometimes it was better, because they brought 2 buses at a time.

I think in general you should get to the bus stop before 9am, and leave the park either before the crowd or after if you don't want as long of a wait.

 

[nutsforgolf]

We were there in Aug (during free dining) and I thought the bus service to the parks were the BEST for any resort, including the deluxes. They run directly without stops (except to AK, which stops at blizzard beach). The only time you will run into a problem is if you leave a park at closing. In that case...take a cab, it is well worth the $10-15 fare, plus they can drop you off very close to your room, much closer than the bus stop...great with two kids you are falling asleep and don't want to walk.

 

[Gina]

Thanks for the replies, everyone. Believe me, we definitely know better than to leave a park right at closing time!! I don't think any one resort could have substantially worse bus service than another for very long, because people would be in such an uproar over it. And like I said, our service there last month was just fine.

Thanks again for the comments.

 

[BamaFan121s]

We've made 3 trips to POP and our experience w/ the bus service has varied:

Nov 2005 - T'giving week, great overall bus service, never a long wait and never packed, I don't think we even had to stand on the bus the whole trip; the resort was pretty vacant too...I know that we were the only ones on our entire floor of the 70's building

May 2006 - Horrible bus service! The buses aways seemed packed every time and wait times getting back to the resort at night were a nightmare. We waited 1 1/2 hrs at Epcot one time during which there were only TWO buses that showed up to pick up people. When we boarded finally, 3 POP buses had shown up at once. Once coming back from MK, there were 2 stops for POP...we waited 30 min at one and were the last people they would allow in line as they were closing it. We get to the bus and us and the family in front of us would not fit so they made us go to the very end of the other, very long line and start all over!

July 2007 - Bus service as mediocre...they always seemed packed, but generally got there pretty quickly. Never waited long leaving the parks, only had one long wait (45 min) for a bus to AK one day.

I'd say you're pretty hit and miss--I'd say that can be the case w/ any resort you stay in. I'd also think general crowd level would be a factor too.

 

[bigbabyblues]

We weren't thrilled with the bus service at Pop on our Feb trip last year, but it was better over Memorial Day weekend. I think you hit it right though, it all averages out about the same. Park closing can be crazy and I think they do the best they can.

 

[lovesdumbo]

DS and I just stayed at Pop last month for a couple of days, and fell in love with it. We're heading back there with other family in December. But my aunt's co-worker went in January just after New Year's and while they loved Pop, he said that their bus service was terrible. He said that the Pop folks were waiting at the parks long after people heading to other resorts had been picked up, and trying to get to the parks in the first place was no better.

I had always read on here how great the bus service at Pop was. Our two days there wasn't really enough to judge it by. Did they experience horrible wait times because it was shortly after New Year's? Or did we just get lucky the two days we were there?

Thanks for any experiences you can share!

-gina-

I was at Pop Jan 6th to 11th 2008 for my 4th time and while I wouldn't call the bus service horid it really just wasn't as good as it had been on my prior 3 trips. Lines in the morning (before park opening) were longer and lines going home at night were also taking more time.

I went to Pop in May 2007 and when we left MK on an EMH night around midnight the line was way, way past the queue. I was thinking I made a mistake staying at Pop but they were sending 2 or even 3 buses at a time and we were on a bus in less than 20 minutes.

In Jan 08 I did leave MK right after Wishes and made a fast bee line right to the buses. We were in the queue but this time they were only sending one bus at a time and a good 10 to 15 minutes between buses. We waited almost 45 minutes for a bus and by the time we got one the lines were really out of site-I cannot imagine how long those folks waited if they didn't start sending more buses.

One of the bus drivers said they were short on drivers. I can't imagine Pop would be the only resort with bus issues if that was the case. Maybe lots of drivers took vacation after the busy holiday season.

 

[momtimesone]

We had horrible service this past July. The busses would come every 30/45 mins or so. The bus for the Mk came every 20 mins so that bus was good. The bus for downtown Disney was non exsitent we had to go to the frond desk and ask them why we where waiting 45 mins in the heat for a bus. We hated the Pop busses and on the way back from the parks it was another half hr wait to get back on the busses. Maybe it was just that time of the month. Our first yr we went the bus service was the best of the best so it can vary. Heres hoping you get a good month and good service.

 

[Gillian]

One of the bus drivers said they were short on drivers. I can't imagine Pop would be the only resort with bus issues if that was the case. Maybe lots of drivers took vacation after the busy holiday season.

When we were there in Dec 2007 it seemed like every other bus said "training" Other than that we had no problems with the busses. The did send extra ones in the evening.

Early January was a little strange this year, I think, because a lot of schools were closed the first week and went back Monday the 7th, when usually they'd go back Jan 2nd.

 

[suzimar57]

we've gone during october/november and stayed at Pop, found the busses were fine - we'd get there very early, and wait along with the other early risers for EMH - never stayed til late, so never experienced long lines at the bus stops at night - mid afternoon never waiting more than 20 minutes for a ride back to the resort - especially like that you don't "share" your bus with another resort (until they finish the legendary years section...)

 

[fakereadhed]

We had horrible service this past July. The busses would come every 30/45 mins or so. The bus for the Mk came every 20 mins so that bus was good. The bus for downtown Disney was non exsitent we had to go to the frond desk and ask them why we where waiting 45 mins in the heat for a bus. We hated the Pop busses and on the way back from the parks it was another half hr wait to get back on the busses.

Maybe my expectations are low, but when WDW says they have buses every 30 minutes, I don't expect them any sooner than that. I have stayed at Deluxe and resort hopped a ton using the buses, and I don't think it's any worse at POP. Yes, there are more people using the buses. At the mods and deluxe resorts there are usually a handful of people waiting compared to POP, but the buses to different parks are not coming in one after the other like they do at POP. IMO if you want waits less than 30, a car rental's the way to go.

 

[disnut8]

DS and I just stayed at Pop last month for a couple of days, and fell in love with it. We're heading back there with other family in December. But my aunt's co-worker went in January just after New Year's and while they loved Pop, he said that their bus service was terrible. He said that the Pop folks were waiting at the parks long after people heading to other resorts had been picked up, and trying to get to the parks in the first place was no better.

I had always read on here how great the bus service at Pop was. Our two days there wasn't really enough to judge it by. Did they experience horrible wait times because it was shortly after New Year's? Or did we just get lucky the two days we were there?

Thanks for any experiences you can share!

-gina-

This is kind of funny (no insult intended) but your aunt's co-worker? Do you know this guy? Maybe he's the type of person who has to always be on the go and waiting even five minutes gets to him. Maybe a Pop Century bus had just pulled out when he walked up to join the line to leave at night. Maybe his choice of park bus had just pulled out when you joined the line in the morning.

I remember one time when my son and his family were across the way at Animal Kingdom. They were waiting for the bus to MGM (it was MGM at the time). We were across waiting for the bus back to All Stars. They waited a long time for their bus and I was concerned so I called him (we could plainly see them). My son said "Oh, a bus had just pulled out when we got here so we're just chilling until the next one comes".

Ever since then, I remember in the back of my mind "Chill at Disney World, a bus will be here". Makes for stress free vacation.

 

[Gina]

This is kind of funny (no insult intended) but your aunt's co-worker? Do you know this guy? Maybe he's the type of person who has to always be on the go and waiting even five minutes gets to him. Maybe a Pop Century bus had just pulled out when he walked up to join the line to leave at night. Maybe his choice of park bus had just pulled out when you joined the line in the morning.

No, I have no idea who he is, and for all I know he's a total Type A. It's usually myself, DS, my aunt, my dad, and my dad's guide dog in our traveling party, and we have been a ton of times. We have never had horrid bus service, but Dad and Deb have never stayed at Pop -- only DS and I have. We usually have stayed at DxL, with a switch to CBR last time. I think she's just wary of Pop. But DS and I absolutely fell in love with the place, and would happily endure longer bus waits to be there.