Buses, Boats and Monorail

[Cherinva]

I just have to say that I really enjoyed this segment. We are big fans of Disney Transportation. We love the fact that we don't have to rent a car to get around. For us, not having to drive makes the vacation so much more relaxing.

I've seen many posts on the pros and cons of using Disney Transportation...some like it, some don't. It does have it's drawbacks when you leave the parks at closing...you could have a bit of a wait to get on a bus, and it really stinks when that wait is in the rain.

But overall, we would still prefer to be immersed in the Disney bubble.

 

[WaltD4Me]

I just have to say that I really enjoyed this segment. We are big fans of Disney Transportation. We love the fact that we don't have to rent a car to get around. For us, not having to drive makes the vacation so much more relaxing.

I've seen many posts on the pros and cons of using Disney Transportation...some like it, some don't. It does have it's drawbacks when you leave the parks at closing...you could have a bit of a wait to get on a bus, and it really stinks when that wait is in the rain.

But overall, we would still prefer to be immersed in the Disney bubble.

ITA...one of the things I love about Disney is not having to drive. I know the busses have some issues, but to me, it's still way better than driving myself.

 

[RIDizney]

While I love Disney Transportation, a few years ago my wife and I bought a house very close to Disney so now we always have to rent a car.

Having always stayed onsite and "inside the bubble" for many years (> 20) it was really nice but I have to say that now that we are mostly "outside the bubble" when down there, we have found the entire area to be an exciting place with great people, great things to see and do, great restaurants, etc.

Disney transportation will always be cherished by us, and on each visit down we always try to take at least 1 Disney bus, 1 monorail, and 1 boat...But I need to make the case that there is a lot to be said for being outside the bubble...The whole area really is a wonderful place.

 

[aurora61]

I've never had a problem using the Disney Transportation. Mornings are about the only times we've had to wait but it still isn't for very long. It's nice not having to navigate through traffic or find parking. I guess the only issue I have with the buses is at times they crowd too many people in and everyone is on top of each other. It doesn't help when people plop their huge strollers in one of the seats instead of allowing someone to use the seat.

 

[kaybeetee]

Teresa and Kathy, what a great idea of getting around WDw without any great cost and having an enjoyable day. Must be one of the best budget ideas I have heard. We will definitely have this in our itinerary next time we visit

 

[Stacy's a freak]

I'm another big fan of the WDW transportation AND the podcast segment. Since I have been to WDW quite a bit, I find it fun to do other things during my visits - new things - to keep things interesting. One of those things is to ride all forms of transport at least once during my trip. I like the convenience and the fact that I can just let Disney navigate the roads on my trip. Also, since I go-go-go while on property (early mornings to late nights), the time spent on transport is a nice break for me. It's one small way to force me to have a little downtime while in WDW

 

[disneysteve]

I think this was a great segment. A lot of people don't realize how long it can take to get from point A to point B using Disney transit. A 10-minute car ride might be a 25-minute bus ride. You can do Disney without a car. You just need to leave yourself a lot more time to get around.

 

[PinkBudgie]

As a DLR vet, I listened to this segment with interest. At DLR the monorail is a ride ("What do you want to do now? Let's ride the monorail.") and we stay right next to the resort, which is an eight minute walk to the security check. We park our car at our hotel and walk everywhere the entire time.

Learning what I can for our 2014 WDW trip, the thought of having to squish on to crowded buses has always bothered me a little. We definately do not want to bother with a car, but I've been looking to stay somewhere with "handy" transportation options. (Whatever that is. I'm still researching).

I was under the impression the transportation took longer than what they reported on the podcast. Were those typical times? We are park opening people. Would it have been more crowded earlier in the morning before park opening?

 

[newmouse2008]

As a DLR vet, I listened to this segment with interest. At DLR the monorail is a ride ("What do you want to do now? Let's ride the monorail.") and we stay right next to the resort, which is an eight minute walk to the security check. We park our car at our hotel and walk everywhere the entire time.

Learning what I can for our 2014 WDW trip, the thought of having to squish on to crowded buses has always bothered me a little. We definately do not want to bother with a car, but I've been looking to stay somewhere with "handy" transportation options. (Whatever that is. I'm still researching).

I was under the impression the transportation took longer than what they reported on the podcast. Were those typical times? We are park opening people. Would it have been more crowded earlier in the morning before park opening?

the wait time would be different at different times of day or different resorts. years ago we stayed at OKW and took the busses and I remember at times like park closing it was crowded and once we did have to wait for a 2nd bus. But the same can be said for the parking lot trams... many busy times I have had to wait for a 2nd tram or wait longer to get to my car. What I really like about transportation is the fact that I am not driving, trying to find my way around property when I am tired. And it's wonderful for people watching!!

T.

 

[disneysteve]

many busy times I have had to wait for a 2nd tram or wait longer to get to my car.

Of course the flipside of that is that very often, we are parked close enough that we don't need a tram. At AK, we never use the tram. We hardly ever use it at DHS or Epcot. Even at MK, we often are able to park within walking distance of the TTC. Only once on our recent trip when we stayed for Fireworks did we need the tram at MK and we did wait for about 6 trams.

 

[newmouse2008]

Of course the flipside of that is that very often, we are parked close enough that we don't need a tram. At AK, we never use the tram. We hardly ever use it at DHS or Epcot. Even at MK, we often are able to park within walking distance of the TTC. Only once on our recent trip when we stayed for Fireworks did we need the tram at MK and we did wait for about 6 trams.

Going into the AK, DHS and Epcot we almost always walk from the car. Coming out of the parks this old lady waits for the tram.

 

[PinkBudgie]

Yeah, I have to say at DLR the walk in the morning from the hotel is shorter than the walk back at night!

Thanks for the great information. Still trying to sort all this out but that helps.
We alway walk back to our room for an afternoon nap so I can see how a bus or other ride would be a nice break from walking.

 

[dansyr2514]

I think Disney's transportation system is great if you are going directly to a park. However, if we are dining at a resort we much prefer to have a car. It turns a sometimes up to 2 hour excursion into a 15 min drive. I know it's not feasible for Disney to provide direct transportation everywhere, but that is why we prefer to have a car.

 

[DT83097]

This will be our 8th trip to Disney and we have always used Disney transportation - we like being in the bubble as others have stated and not worrying about driving in an unfamiliar area!! It kind of makes the vacation that much more relaxing - for us anyway. We usually try to ride each type (bus, boat, monorail, ferry) at least once. I think it helps to accept the fact that it WILL be crowded at park closing - there's just no way around that!

We've only had 1 time that sticks out in my head where the wait seemed entirely too long - and that was because we were going from one resort to another which takes a little thought! We took an Illuminations cruise that lets you out at the YC/BC dock afterward. We then waited for a bus at YC to take us to DD so we could transfer to our own resort bus (CBR). In hindsight on that adventure we should've either had the captain let us off at Hollywood Studio (which she offered if we wanted too but we wanted the "full boat ride" we were paying for!!) or called a cab.

But overall we love Disney transportation and enjoyed the segment!!

 

[PinkBudgie]

So, all of this leads me to ask: Which resort has the best transportation? Either closer, more choices, few stops, ect... (Probably a silly newbie question but it will give me starting point)

 

[disneysteve]

So, all of this leads me to ask: Which resort has the best transportation? Either closer, more choices, few stops, ect... (Probably a silly newbie question but it will give me starting point)

I'd venture to say the monorail resorts since they have buses, boats and, of course, the monorail. And you can even walk to MK from the Contemporary or Polynesian.

 

[wendydarling826]

We enjoy riding the Disney transportation and have never felt we had excessive waits. On our recent trip though, staying at AKL, we did find getting around a little more difficult. We spent a few evenings at Epcot, and rather than walk all the way from the far side of WS to the bus, we decided to take the boat to DHS and then the bus to AKL. This took a very long time, and one of the nights the boats stopped running because of the weather, so we ended up taking a bus from the Boardwalk to DTD and then a bus to AKL - verrrryyyy loooong. Mornings from AKL were no problem - buses were plentiful. It was the end of the day when we were so tired that it seemed to take forever to get back to the resort. We like taking the Monorail and the boats to the different resorts and I don't think I'd have the same feeling of being in another world if I had a car there.

 

[nickyb720]

Having done Disney Transportation and renting a car, I think both are great. You do get to the parks parking lot quicker and are able to go where ever you want when ever you want. But, Disney Transportation takes you right to the admissions area and right to the hotels! Plus, you still get the Disney "feeling" more in the transportation modes than you would in a car.


However, and I say again, you are more independent in a car!

 

[PinkBudgie]

I'd venture to say the monorail resorts since they have buses, boats and, of course, the monorail. And you can even walk to MK from the Contemporary or Polynesian.

Well, the Poly was already top on my list so that's good to hear.