Buses were awesome at AoA -- will we be disappointed at other resorts?

[kymom79]

After all the negative things we had heard about Disney bus transportation, it was a refreshing surprise at Art of Animation to find that a bus was always available within minutes and could make a straight shot to our destination. Has Disney transportation improved that much, or is AoA anomalously wonderful? Will we regret it if we book at Port Orleans or CBR or the All-Stars? Please advise!

 

[RoseGold]

I mean maybe? The perk of such a huge resort is buses are never far behind. At AKL, you can be 20-30 minutes out if you get unlucky. Right after Covid, the buses were struggling. But now they seem to be pretty well staffed. The question is if you think waiting 15 minutes is a huge deal.

Oh, and they are running some not-accessible buses now, so that can be in play and make you wait for another bus if you are disabled.

By CBR I assume you mean Coronado. Coronado and All Stars are both massive beasts with constantly running buses as well.

 

[Disneylover99]

The resorts you mention all have multiple stops around the resort or shared buses, so yeah, you’ll probably miss the buses at AofA. The question is, do you prefer the Skyliner to Epcot/HS? Or would you rather have bus service to those parks.

 

[kymom79]

The resorts you mention all have multiple stops around the resort or shared buses, so yeah, you’ll probably miss the buses at AofA. The question is, do you prefer the Skyliner to Epcot/HS? Or would you rather have bus service to those parks.

We love the skyliner! But we wanted to do a quick trip up and our party size means we need that 5th person option or a family suite, and budget really doesn't allow for another stay at AoA so soon after our last visit. So basically we were wondering how miserable the buses were elsewhere. We will have our own car, so it sounds like maybe we should just be driving ourselves?

 

[kymom79]

I mean maybe? The perk of such a huge resort is buses are never far behind. At AKL, you can be 20-30 minutes out if you get unlucky. Right after Covid, the buses were struggling. But now they seem to be pretty well staffed. The question is if you think waiting 15 minutes is a huge deal.

Oh, and they are running some not-accessible buses now, so that can be in play and make you wait for another bus if you are disabled.

By CBR I assume you mean Coronado. Coronado and All Stars are both massive beasts with constantly running buses as well.

I meant Caribbean Beach. Your points are good to know!

 

[Mrs.AMC]

Impossible to say.
99% of a chance that someone else staying at AoA your exact dates has the opposite report.
Buses at Disney are 100% just pure darn luck with regards to your timing.
You walk up and a bus shows up soon after, you think it's great.
Someone else walks up right after the bus you boarded leaves (so few minutes after you) and waits for the next one they'll report the bus service was bad.
Who is right? Both. It's just you had good timing, they had bad.
I've had trips both ways.
Having stayed at every resort on property and ridden buses from them I can say they are all the same in the end. Some good visits, some not. None are always good or always bad.

 

[Disneylover99]

We love the skyliner! But we wanted to do a quick trip up and our party size means we need that 5th person option or a family suite, and budget really doesn't allow for another stay at AoA so soon after our last visit. So basically we were wondering how miserable the buses were elsewhere. We will have our own car, so it sounds like maybe we should just be driving ourselves?

It’s not that they’re necessarily miserable, but they can be, and you’ll probably notice a difference. My biggest frustration is when buses on the resort loop pass you by because they’re full. At least at resorts like AofA or Pop, that have one dedicated bus stop and don’t share with other resorts. You’re lined up in the queue, so you know, a bus is probably right around the corner, and you’re next on.

I would still give the buses a shot at other resorts, if you want, but when we have a car, we frequently drive everywhere, except we bus to the MK.

 

[sponica]

Now this might be because we didn't have kids when we stayed there, but I legit didn't remember that POR had multiple stops. It must have never caused me problems.

 

[Mrs.AMC]

Now this might be because we didn't have kids when we stayed there, but I legit didn't remember that POR had multiple stops. It must have never caused me problems.

Riverside has several stops. French Quarter on the other hand, does not. Only 1.

 

[sponica]

Riverside has several stops. French Quarter on the other hand, does not. Only 1.

Yeah I know, but it must have been a non issue for me, I legit didn't remember it had more than one stop. I got on at main depot though as my room was in AB.

 

[Lewisc]

Sometimes FQ shares buses with Riverside. Sometimes the All Stars share buses

POP and AoA don't share buses. Big plus.

Load at the first stop at some resorts and you'll be on the bus for 20 minutes before you leave the resort. Guests at the last stop may watch a full bus skip your stop.

 

[pens4821]

Impossible to say.
99% of a chance that someone else staying at AoA your exact dates has the opposite report.
Buses at Disney are 100% just pure darn luck with regards to your timing.
You walk up and a bus shows up soon after, you think it's great.
Someone else walks up right after the bus you boarded leaves (so few minutes after you) and waits for the next one they'll report the bus service was bad.
Who is right? Both. It's just you had good timing, they had bad.
I've had trips both ways.
Having stayed at every resort on property and ridden buses from them I can say they are all the same in the end. Some good visits, some not. None are always good or always bad.

Couldn’t agree more. I read about bad service at some places compared to others, but in the 6 different resorts we’ve stayed at (in all categories), it’s been the same. For the most part we never have waits over 15ish minutes. Every time we visit we have at least one instance of waiting what seems like forever for a bus though. If my memory is correct every time we’ve waited excessively and the line is massive they seem to send a couple buses back to back to clear out the line.

 

[loves to dive]

The buses are the buses are the buses at each and every resort. Like another poster, I've stayed at every resort on property and have had good and bad service at every single one. It all depends on so many factors. Did you have good timing and get to the bus stop right when a bus was pulling in or just about to or did you have bad timing and get there right when a bus just left or left 5 min. ago? The time of day makes a difference, they send more frequent buses in the mornings and at park close. Mid-day, especially at the parks, you can wait longer than the advertised 20 min. for a bus sometimes. If you are staying at a resort with multiple stops, it is going to take a while to go around the resort so it depends on where you get on the bus and even if there are people waiting to get on or off at the other stops. Disney has no control over traffic so that has to be factored in, maybe there is a wreck or just a lot of traffic. Buses will break down, just like the sky liner or the monorail will.

I will say I've been going for over 40 years, always have a car with me since I drive down. I always park that sucker when I get there and never get in it again until I leave. I always use Disney transportation, even when my son was a toddler.

 

[Mrs.AMC]

Sometimes FQ shares buses with Riverside. Sometimes the All Stars share buses

POP and AoA don't share buses. Big plus.

Load at the first stop at some resorts and you'll be on the bus for 20 minutes before you leave the resort. Guests at the last stop may watch a full bus skip your stop.

I haven't stayed All Stars in ages but FQ as recent as February.
They've pretty much eliminated sharing with exception of DS.
All times of the day. Won't say it never happens any more but it's not like it once was when almost every park shared between the 2

 

[Lewisc]

I stayed at FQ last year. Multiple times one side of POR shared with FQ.

Under normal operations POP and AoA never share buses.

 

[sethschroeder]

Huge resort means more busses but possibly also big backup if lots of people come and go at the same time.

I would stick to AOA and the Skyliner over the bus only resorts though.

 

[saraheliz]

I think it's mostly just a crapshoot, we had excellent service at AKV last summer but plenty of people complain about it there. We generally had good service at POR years ago, as well, although having more than one bus stop can make it trickier/frustrating.
Honestly, I prefer the value bus stops where there's an actual line. Sure, you don't get to sit, but there's no rush to the bus and the people that get there first, get to board first. We didn't have an issue at AKV with the rushing and elbowing but did at POR, maybe because the busses were often partially full when they got to our stop.

 

[Mrs.AMC]

I think it's mostly just a crapshoot, we had excellent service at AKV last summer but plenty of people complain about it there. We generally had good service at POR years ago, as well, although having more than one bus stop can make it trickier/frustrating.
Honestly, I prefer the value bus stops where there's an actual line. Sure, you don't get to sit, but there's no rush to the bus and the people that get there first, get to board first. We didn't have an issue at AKV with the rushing and elbowing but did at POR, maybe because the busses were often partially full when they got to our stop.

99% of the time the stops at resorts without lines operate perfectly well on the honor system. Folks there know who has been there the longest and sort of let them line up as needed once the bus arrives. There always seems to be a few who just don't grasp the first come first on queue concept. If you are there with a larger group that doesn't grasp it, you do encounter problems/frustrations. Since we only stay at resorts without lanes I am glad it's the minority that have difficulties with it. We have done value resorts in the past but one night type of thing only.

 

[Grace&Carolinesmom]

I haven't stayed All Stars in ages but FQ as recent as February.
They've pretty much eliminated sharing with exception of DS.
All times of the day. Won't say it never happens any more but it's not like it once was when almost every park shared between the 2

This was our experience at POFQ as well and we stayed 10 days end of Jan/beginning of Feb this year. There were a few times in the midday and early afternoon hours when we were the only family on the bus. The bus drivers chatted with us the whole ride. I thought for sure we would venture over to POR to pick up other guests but it never happened.

 

[sethschroeder]

99% of the time the stops at resorts without lines operate perfectly well on the honor system. Folks there know who has been there the longest and sort of let them line up as needed once the bus arrives. There always seems to be a few who just don't grasp the first come first on queue concept. If you are there with a larger group that doesn't grasp it, you do encounter problems/frustrations. Since we only stay at resorts without lanes I am glad it's the minority that have difficulties with it. We have done value resorts in the past but one night type of thing only.

Worst thing ever is the no dedicated area per bus. It's always nerve wrecking if doing rope drop.

Its the main negative for BW for the MK and AK days.

That being said we started now not doing rope drop basically at all so it eliminates the anxiety.