Bus Transportion to TTC - confused

[ftwildernessrick]

OK, in years past, there used to be a bus (blue flag) that went from the Settlement Depot to the TTC. To me, this was the best way to get to EPCOT from where we usually stay in the 100 loop, by taking the bus then the monorail.

Over the past few years I have occasionally seen a bus with TTC on its sign at the Settlement Depot and when I inquired to the driver if they have restarted the route, the only answer I get is a vague reponse with something like 'they only do it during peak times or special occassions'. Some of the other bus drivers had no idea what I was talking about

On my last trip in May, I saw a bus leaving Settlement headed towards WL with WL & TTC flashing on its sign.

So I guess my question is this, have they restarted the route (which was not listed in the transportation brochure)? or is it still just seasonal or whatever & how would you know if it is in operation? If it is in operation, what are its hours? I would hate to take a monorail from EPCOT to TTC, only to find out there is no bus and now I have to monorail to MK or CR & take a boat.

 

[homebrew2]

Haven't seen one in the past several years.....but there is a bus from the settlement direct to EPCOT. It says EPCOT on the sign.

The bus back to the fort from EPCOT stops at WL first.

 

[krhewitt]

Yep the bus stops at WL not matter if there is anyone on the bus from WL. Just got back. We rode the monorail from MK to Epcot because DSGF had never ridden the monorail. It broke down on the return trip and we had to take the bus.

 

[ftwildernessrick]

Even though we do use the bus from Outpost to Epcot, sometimes we just drive to Epcot. I have been stuck there too many times in line waiting for the bus to show up either coming or going. It is especially bad at closing, as most parks are. The last time we took the bus from Epcot, we could not get on the first bus, because of the wait line, which is understandable, but it took 45 minutes for the next bus to show up.

It was just quicker and more fun to take the bus to the TTC and then the monorail.

 

[SandrA9810]

I've noticed it as well. The bus that goes to the Wilderness Lodge will stop off at the TTC. It's actually the orange route bus. It starts at the Outpost, up the center of the campground to the Settlement, from there to Wilderness Lodge, and off and on from WL to the TTC. Then back down the same path.

Most bus drivers have no idea what you're talking about either. But like most things Disney, every six months CMs can make a new bid. So each bus driver in order of seniority decides where they want to drive for the next 6 months. Whether it's out of the one of the Four parks, DTD, or Ft Wilderness.

I think it also depends on how many buses are driving that route. Say normally there's 2 buses, but they decide to use 4 buses. Well they don't want them getting too close together so they extend the route out to allow for that extra time. Who really gets to say how many buses are used in the fort I don't know, but you know it's not the drivers themselves making the decision, so they never really know what's going on.

 

[ftwildernessrick]

Thanks
I noticed it this past May, but did not notice it the past November. When we return in October, I am going to pin someone down about it and get some answers.

 

[truck1]

A few years ago, there were 8 busses that serviced the Fort.They were the Boone (4 busses on the route) and the Crockett (4 on that route also.)(I used to be a TTC lead)

Both busses originated in TTC.The Boone hit the WL first, then headed into the Fort to the SD, then up the center,then back out thru the outpost,then back to TTC thru Vista.The Crockett, went into the Fort, stopped at the Creekside Meadows, then came thru the farside of the Fort,to the Settlement, then to WL then back to TTC.
Then someone came up with a brite idea, and they made a conglomeration of routes from the Boone, Crockett, the Chip and Dale, and the Original Orange and Blue.Same number of busses.
Then they really started the "If its not broke we can probably fix that" and the "Whos on first"routine.

Now all of the busses, except 1 or 2 stay in the Fort.With the new Magic On Demand, theres no telling whos doing what as the bus service is dictated by who is standing where to go somewhere.
We went into the Fort the other day to go to the Trading Post at SD,to get a few things for my sons Bday, and we had a driver that didnt even know the Marquee codes for the Fort.He stopped and asked 3 different drivers at different points.Then he did a rolling stop at 1 loop, with the doors open asking if anyone was getting off.When we came out, he was waiting so we waited on the next bus.We didnt care where it was going.The next bus showed up, and the driver asked where we were going, so I told him.He said the other bus will go there first.I said HE** NO. We had him coming in and wed like to get home in 1 piece.Our driver glanced to see who it was then laughed.Im fairly sure he knew who it was.

As far as who bids where, yes the drivers rebid every 6 months. Most of the drivers follow the 40 hour lines, which are becoming few and far inbetween.Some of the drivers Ive seen back there Ive recognized, and talked to on my few trips into the Fort.They were telling me how bad things are getting. Theres a lot of senior drivers back there, that dont want to deal with the park politics for lack of a better term.

Come to think of it, this may be a possible reason people are seeing WL/FtW busses running around. At the end of the 9 (what ever time the last HDDR lets out) oclock show, there used to be 4 or 5 busses that came in to handle the crowd. 1 was the Port/Dixie internal (Ive shut that bus down many times),1 was a parking lot bus, and there was 2 or 3 for the rest of the resorts on property. The incoming busses, may be a way to get the guests into the Fort for the 2 or 3 showings of HDDR.It may be select times that those busses run to TTC and the Fort.

 

[stacktester]

When I returned from the Studios yesterday I saw an outpost purple bus come up but the marquee didn't change so I walked over to ask what bus it would change to. She said it was on the side. I said well it didn't change. She asked where I was going and I said 1700 loop. She said well I don't know where that is. I said look, I'm looking for a yellow line bus and she said yeah this is yellow. So we proceed up the road and she calls someone on her radio and says she needs help with her code. Meanwhile she's got the schedule paper in one hand and her radio in the other and barely steering with the paper. When we got to 1700 stop I looked at the marquee and it still said outpost purple. Guess she's either new or new to the fort.

 

[ftwildernessrick]

This is getting weird. Kind of like - 'You're entering the Twilght Zone' of bus transportation.

 

[truck1]

When I returned from the Studios yesterday I saw an outpost purple bus come up but the marquee didn't change so I walked over to ask what bus it would change to. She said it was on the side. I said well it didn't change. She asked where I was going and I said 1700 loop. She said well I don't know where that is. I said look, I'm looking for a yellow line bus and she said yeah this is yellow. So we proceed up the road and she calls someone on her radio and says she needs help with her code. Meanwhile she's got the schedule paper in one hand and her radio in the other and barely steering with the paper. When we got to 1700 stop I looked at the marquee and it still said outpost purple. Guess she's either new or new to the fort.

Poss both. Busses is losing a lot of experience to other areas due to lack of hours.

This is getting weird. Kind of like - 'You're entering the Twilght Zone' of bus transportation.

Pretty much.I left Studios a few weeks ago,and the new system is supposed to be more efficient. There was 15 or 20 busses sitting on the fence in the back of the lot waiting on something to do.

 

[Magicbus]

I left Studios a few weeks ago,and the new system is supposed to be more efficient. There was 15 or 20 busses sitting on the fence in the back of the lot waiting on something to do.

If you left at night time or close to closing time, the automated system is not used then. In fact that's true for all the parks at closing time. At a certain time they switch over to a visual dispatch system. For non former transportation people, that means that the bus dispatcher is situated somewhere where they can see the bus stops. They send buses as needed to the bus stops. At HS, it's not unusual to have two rows of 5 or 6 buses at the dispatch van waiting to get an assignment. At MK it's one row and at Epcot and AK they visualy dispatch the buses at the normal call in point, before they get into the hub.

 

[truck1]

If you left at night time or close to closing time, the automated system is not used then. In fact that's true for all the parks at closing time. At a certain time they switch over to a visual dispatch system. For non former transportation people, that means that the bus dispatcher is situated somewhere where they can see the bus stops. They send buses as needed to the bus stops. At HS, it's not unusual to have two rows of 5 or 6 buses at the dispatch van waiting to get an assignment. At MK it's one row and at Epcot and AK they visualy dispatch the buses at the normal call in point, before they get into the hub.

This was around 3 in the afternoonish,that they were sitting there.I dont remember the exact time off hand,but it was well before closing time.They were all running and had DHS on the marguees. Most of the time I drive from park to park.

The switch over hasnt changed since I was there. The MK lead would stand near the entrance gate, and assign the busses.Epcot was in the back of the lot,with 1 or 2 managers or another driver with radios assisting,(or the lead would be in the load zones and the manager with the busses.Depended on who worked.) and studios, there was 2.1 to cover the last few stops that the lead couldnt see from where the busses came in.


BTW, what is DHRC(I think thats what it was) and DHBC.Ive seen more than a few busses lately with something to that effect on the Marguee.

 

[Magicbus]

This was around 3 in the afternoonish,that they were sitting there.I dont remember the exact time off hand,but it was well before closing time.They were all running and had DHS on the marguees. Most of the time I drive from park to park.

The switch over hasnt changed since I was there. The MK lead would stand near the entrance gate, and assign the busses.Epcot was in the back of the lot,with 1 or 2 managers or another driver with radios assisting,(or the lead would be in the load zones and the manager with the busses.Depended on who worked.) and studios, there was 2.1 to cover the last few stops that the lead couldnt see from where the busses came in.


BTW, what is DHRC(I think thats what it was) and DHBC.Ive seen more than a few busses lately with something to that effect on the Marguee.

It does sound early for buses to be staged at HS to take people out. They do have a few floaters standing by during the day, but not that many. I've never been told to float over to the HS that early. Usually it's between 4 and 5PM. So unless HS was closing extra early for some reason, no clue why there were so many buses staged at that time.

Ya, closing is basically the same as you remember it. There are few subtle differences but it comes down to it all being a visual dispatch system.

DHRC, I don't think there are any resorts that are designated by the letters RC. Now PC, YC, & BC make some sense, but RC, hmmm. DHBC is weird too because the BC doesn't get it's own bus, unless it was a special situation. Maybe it was cleaning up because the regular bus was full and couldn't pick up at the BC. Normally it would read DHYCBC or is it DHY&BC, not sure, can't see it from inside.

Some strange stuff going on that day. Must have been Friday the 13th?

 

[truck1]

It does sound early for buses to be staged at HS to take people out. They do have a few floaters standing by during the day, but not that many. I've never been told to float over to the HS that early. Usually it's between 4 and 5PM. So unless HS was closing extra early for some reason, no clue why there were so many buses staged at that time.

Ya, closing is basically the same as you remember it. There are few subtle differences but it comes down to it all being a visual dispatch system.

DHRC, I don't think there are any resorts that are designated by the letters RC. Now PC, YC, & BC make some sense, but RC, hmmm. DHBC is weird too because the BC doesn't get it's own bus, unless it was a special situation. Maybe it was cleaning up because the regular bus was full and couldn't pick up at the BC. Normally it would read DHYCBC or is it DHY&BC, not sure, can't see it from inside.

Some strange stuff going on that day. Must have been Friday the 13th?

It was different days I saw the busses staged and the the busses with the different marquee.The busses with the marquee I saw on BVD headed towards Coronado from Hess station area. Ive seen a few other off the wall marquees.I know back in the day prior to Mears getting a toe hold, we used to use the RTS for specials,tours etc on and off property, and is wasnt uncommon to find something different in some or all of the bus marquees.


I cant think of any resorts either that those letters fall into. Last time I looked, resort names were spelled out fully, like Yacht and Beach Club or Ft.Wilderness,etc.

Im fairly certain I got at least 1 abrreviation right. I know the first letters were DH and the last C.The other was not far off it.Ive seen at least 3 busses with it.Ive seen 1 or 2 others that had something different also but dont remember off hand.

Next time Ill have to write it down.

 

[DisCamper]

Donnie it could have been her first time at the fort the way the new system works. I have seen buses pull-up at the outpost saying Swan/Dolphin in the sign I ask the driver and he said he was redirected to the fort just for one load

 

[Magicbus]

Donnie it could have been her first time at the fort the way the new system works. I have seen buses pull-up at the outpost saying Swan/Dolphin in the sign I ask the driver and he said he was redirected to the fort just for one load

I'm not as forgiving as DisCamper. Reread Donnie's OP, he said it was a "Purple" route bus. That tells me it was an internal bus and all internal drivers are supposed to be trained for the Fort. But even if she wasn't, or maybe she forgot, the routes are not that complex. It was her resposibility to be prepared. So being the well trained and prepared driver that she was, she should have known.

Swan & Dolphin, you're apt to see anything on the marquee. The driver should have punched in the correct destination though. Assuming he knew what it was and knew how to do it.