Bus virgin - a few questions.

[jasper]

How convenient are the buses from POR to the various parks in WDW? How often do they run, how likely is it a full bus comes and you have to wait for another bus? My biggest concern is leaving a park near closing with a tired family and successfully catching a bus back.

 

[dixipixi]

We stayed at POFQ and used the buses to go everywhere!! The longest we waited for a bus at the hotel was 15 minutes. The longest we waited at the parks (closing time at the MK) was 25 minutes. When we got to the line, there was a bus loading and we had to wait through 2 more buses to get on one back to the hotel.

We're an older family (all the kids are teens), so waiting is not a big issue for us and it doesn't matter if we have to stand on the bus. It would be harder if you have younger children.

The buses are supposed to run every 20 minutes, but it seemed more like 10-15 minutes between buses to us. During the middle of the day, it seems like they run further apart than at park opening/closing.

We live in a rural area and drive a lot, so the buses are a nice break for us. We would rather ride them than drive.

Although we were at POFQ, it was very rare that the bus filled up there. We usually made all the stops at POR as well. When the parks close, there are often separate buses for POR and POFQ back to the hotel.

 

[minniekissedme]

We had a great experience with buses from the parks at closing time. Each nite of our recent trip, the POR line was by far the loooonnnnggggggest of any of the other resorts. I have to credit the bus gods for paying obvious attention to the huge numbers of people waiting for POR. I can't recall which nite and park we were leaving but there were 8 buses back to back to back...before some other resorts saw one bus. Hundreds of guests were accommodated (sure we had to wait a bit and plenty of people stood) within 30 minutes of our arrival.

You can expect peak hours to be busy but they got it right on this trip and suspect you'll find a similar experience with your trip.

 

[stemikger]

We are a family of three and my daughter is 13, so it is not a big deal for us to stand. However, as much as I love the buses there will be many a nights when you will get standing room only.

Having said that, the bus ride is not all that long. Maybe the furtherst ride is 20 minutes. I never waited more then 15 to 20 and I would say we got a seat 60% of the time.

If I had very young kids maybe I would not like the service, but like I said for us it is great.

I don't like to drive when I'm on vacation, so the fact that I have to wait a bit or not sit is a good trade off for me. However, if you are leaving a park with some young tired kids, you might want to rent a car.

 

[lucky978]

We just returned yesterday from our 7 nights at POR and only had one issue with the bus. After Illuminations at Epcot one night the bus line for POR was never-ending. We ended up taking a cab. I'm not sure if they ended up sending a bunch of busses to remedy the situation, but our aching feet weren't going to hang around and wait to see.

We never waited more than 5 minutes for a bus to get to any park. And like the other posters said, they were only full a few times.

My suggestion is to not leave the park after any fireworks or parades as that is when you will have the longest wait for a bus back to the resort. That's our plan - going forward.

 

[wings91]

If you're going to have a car, take that instead of the bus. I've waited in too long of lines to get on a loud crowded bus with the AC blasting at 50.

We are no longer bus people.

 

[Dallas_Lady]

I think that WDW transportation is very convenient IF you go knowing what to expect.

1. Be prepared to wait- I have never waited for more than 15-20 minutes to catch a bus at my resort (POR, CSR and CBR), but it was usually like 5-10 minutes.

2. Be prepared to make stops along the way- Especially at the moderates, which are very large, be prepared to stop at the other resort bus stops before the bus leaves the resort and heads to the park.

3. Be prepared to get cozy with people you don't know- If you are from a city with public transportation, then you already know how this goes. But if you are not used to it, it can be annoying at first. Especially when it is busy, you will be very close to the other riders. You may even have to stand.

4. Be REALLY prepared to wait at park closings- Park closings mean a wait for a bus could be 20-40 minutes. Disney, IMO, is very efficient at keeping the buses moving, so though the lines seem neverending, they move fast. You will get on a bus, it's just a matter of how long it will take you. Though it never ceases to amaze me that no matter which resort I am staying at, my line always seems to move the slowest

 

[Dallas_Lady]

My suggestion is to not leave the park after any fireworks or parades as that is when you will have the longest wait for a bus back to the resort. That's our plan - going forward.

So what do you plan to do? Spend the night in the park?

 

[clkelley]

So what do you plan to do? Spend the night in the park?

That's what we kindof do Not really However, we do stay IN the park as long as possible. When watching Illuminations, we're usually near the American Adventure and SLOWLY work our way toward Future World, stop for pictures, stop for a beverage and snack, sit and watch the fountain dance for awhile, wander through Mousegear for a bit, and then finally at least an hour after Illuminations, we wander toward the bus stop and the lines are usually empty by then and a bus usually comes pretty quickly.

Same thing for Wishes, as soon as Wishes is over, we wander in the wrong direction, just slowly winding through the park until security starts nudging us toward the front, then sit and watch the castle change colors for awhile, meander down Main Street, stop for a soft drink at Casey's or an ice cream, wander through the Emporium, then slowly wander out of the park to an empty bus queue

For Fantasmic! we hang out in our seats for quite awhile just chilling till most of the crush is gone, then slowly wander our way out, take MANY pictures of the Tower of Terror and the RnRC courtyard, wander down Sunset boulevard, and toward Great Movie Ride and take pictures of the Hat and Grauman's Theater, then slowly out of the park, probably grabbing a drink and/or snack on the way out.

Using that strategy, we rarely have to wait in the smelly bus line standing up. I'd much rather sit on a bench looking at the Castle at MK, the dancing Fountain at Epcot, or Sorcery Mickey's Hat at the Studios contemplating the universe than standing in a bus line with grumpy people.

 

[stemikger]

Not sure if it was mentioned, but when you see a huge line leaving the parks and waiting at your stop, they usually send several buses that come within seconds from each other.

 

[Reginak]

You will rarely have to wait long. If you do, then it is amost always because the bus driver picked up someone in a wheelchair or was delayed in some way, which has never bothered us in the least.
When crowds are larger more busses come.
Regina

 

[Reginak]

Oops, forgot to say.
We love the Disney transportation system. Even when we have our car with us - it stays in the resort parking lot.
Regina

 

[savannahjean85]

I loved to buses, best part on staying onsite besides EMH! It was so much easier just getting on a bus and going as opposed to trying to find a park spot. I really loved that the buses take you as close to the parks as possible esp. at MK not having to take the ferry or monorail over (I love the monorail but still). At POR we never really waited over 10 minutes, a few times we had to stand but then again we were the very last spot at POR (on the manison side.) The only day we waited more than 10 minutes was when we used the main bus stop at the front of the resort after breakfast I think we waited about 20 minutes because our bus filled up and we didn't want to cram in so we wait for the next bus.
P.S. you bus will have cute little music playing, reminded me of splash moutain.

 

[scjo68]

I have a three year old and a ten year old, and to them, the bus ride was an attraction of its own. We always have a car there, and sometimes I am able to convince the rest of the family to just drive. But really the kids enjoy it so much, so looking at the busses that way, the waiting and crowds don't bother me so much.

On our Jan. trip, we never waited more than 10 minutes for a bus. That includes after Wishes, but we have learned to watch from near the entrance, and hustle to the bus as soon as it ends. Also, My kids and I never had to stand once, though I held the 3 yo in my lap when it was crowded. My DH stood several times, but he always gives up his seat if anyone on the bus is standing.

 

[Lilolvr]

We had a great experience with buses from the parks at closing time. Each nite of our recent trip, the POR line was by far the loooonnnnggggggest of any of the other resorts. I have to credit the bus gods for paying obvious attention to the huge numbers of people waiting for POR. I can't recall which nite and park we were leaving but there were 8 buses back to back to back...before some other resorts saw one bus. Hundreds of guests were accommodated (sure we had to wait a bit and plenty of people stood) within 30 minutes of our arrival.

You can expect peak hours to be busy but they got it right on this trip and suspect you'll find a similar experience with your trip.

That was my experience with POFQ/POR buses but without the eight buses waiting. It's a nightmare with kids and strollers.

 

[lilyv]

Buses not a problem. There were folks waiting, buses came, pretty well run system. It really isn't a big deal.

Now, if you're trying to catch a bus after the park closes...that can be really busy.

 

[goofy4tink]

All resorts will have long lines at the bus stops at park closing..it's just the nature of the beast. And, naturally, the values and moderates will have longer lines just because they have more people.
I've stayed at POR three times now and have yet to have a bus issue. The longest I ever waited for a bus was 17 mins..yes, I clocked it. We arrived at the bus stop just as the bus we needed was pulling away. The buses can get crowded though.
At park closing, I like to hang at the emptyiing park for a bit. I sit on a bench, and people watch, sometimes with an ice cream in hand. Then, about 20-25 mins after the park 'closes' I get up and head to the bus lines. The lines have thinned out greatly by then and the wait is very minimal.
But, if you want to leave right after the fireworks and you don't want to have to wait for a bus, I would suggest renting a car.

 

[emmabemmainc]

For us, it all depended on the day. The first few days at POR, it seemed like everything was in our favor--wherever we were going that day, that bus came within a few minutes. After that, however, we had horrible luck. There were some times we were waiting close to 30 minutes for buses--especially to the MK and Epcot. It seemed like there was an AK/BB bus every 2 seconds, I swear!

I do agree, somewhat with the pp's--after the park closes, you are going to stand in line for a bus no matter what---although, I will say, I think the POR were longer than most resorts.

 

[labdogs42]

4. Be REALLY prepared to wait at park closings- Park closings mean a wait for a bus could be 20-40 minutes. Disney, IMO, is very efficient at keeping the buses moving, so though the lines seem neverending, they move fast. You will get on a bus, it's just a matter of how long it will take you. Though it never ceases to amaze me that no matter which resort I am staying at, my line always seems to move the slowest

I don't use the buses any more (I'm a rental car kind of gal), but one thing I can share that does work is -- wait IN THE park for 40 minutes, then walk out to the bus stop. The 40 minute line will be gone by then and you will have enjoyed a few more magical minutes of shopping and snacking in the parks while everyone else breathed bus fumes for those 40 minutes. I do this in the Magic Kingdom all the time after Wishes (because even us rental car folks are trapped in the MK until we can get on the monorail or boat!). We hang around for 40-60 minutes watching the castle change colors and eating ice cream, then slowly moseying out to the monorail when the lines have died down. It is a MUCH more relaxing way to end your evening!

 

[Dallas_Lady]

I don't use the buses any more (I'm a rental car kind of gal), but one thing I can share that does work is -- wait IN THE park for 40 minutes, then walk out to the bus stop. The 40 minute line will be gone by then and you will have enjoyed a few more magical minutes of shopping and snacking in the parks while everyone else breathed bus fumes for those 40 minutes. I do this in the Magic Kingdom all the time after Wishes (because even us rental car folks are trapped in the MK until we can get on the monorail or boat!). We hang around for 40-60 minutes watching the castle change colors and eating ice cream, then slowly moseying out to the monorail when the lines have died down. It is a MUCH more relaxing way to end your evening!

This is always what I want to do. But DH is always convinced that "this time" we can beat the line. So we always end up running out of the park right after the evening show only to stand in line for 40 minutes with me giving him the "I told you so" look.