bw sharing buses with S & D! ZZZZZZZ

[tripletvan]

This sharing bus service has always been a problem not only for BW occupants but for those that have to share the LONGLONG Bus ride!Maybe some of the board members would like to be on a jam packed bus at the end of the night standing while a tired baby screams at the end of a "MAGICAL" night
Any ideas out there besides driving ourselves to the parks? Since my kids are now old enough to go out on their own yet not old enough to drive they have no choice?

 

[crisi]

Taxicabs.

 

[spiceycat]

if you are talking about Mk - then you could always walk though Epcot and take the monrail.

AK bus transportation is it.

maybe you should stay at OKW or VWL and see how you like them....

OKW does not share with any other resort - but there are 4 stops in OKW.

 

[PKS44]

As i posted on another thread- the whole bus sharing thing is even more annoying when you realize we are subsidizing extra buses for BCV... BWV owners pay more than double for the buses than BCV owners who ride the exact same buses...yup--it is in the budget..I have written to the Association for an explanation and have not heard back from them....True there is a need for more buses because BWV is bigger but those added buses should only come to BWV -no reason that BCV and all the other resorts should enjoy extra number of buses (and fill them up) at the expense of BWV owners--if the buses are always shared then the costs for the buses should be equally shared. It is time to get an explanation for the huge discrepancy in transportation costs placed on BWV owners or rise up and get us the buses WE are paying for to serve US and not everyone else!

 

[spiceycat]

I think it is the extra boat - before BWV open - I think there were only 2 boats - one that went to Epcot and the other that went to Studios - they added 2 more boats - so each place had 2 boats - I don't think they added extra buses.

I seem to remember a longer wait - like 20 minutes (might have been 30 minutes) for the Studio boat before BWV opened....

 

[PKS44]

spiceycat- I am not sure what you are saying about the boat but the boats like the buses and all the transportation around Crescent lake are USED equally by all the resorts BUT the costs for the transportation are borne disproportiately by those at the BWV.

 

[SleepyatDVC]

PKS44,

Perhaps the transportation costs are calculated as a percentage of the total costs?

So, if BCV has 5% of all the units served and BWV has 10% of all the units serviced by transportaion, then the pro-rated costs for BWV would be double that of BCV? Forgive me if I'm using the wrong terminology.

I don't think that it is a simple matter of one resort subsidizing the other. It's probably just based on the number of rooms at each resort.

I know it's frustrating to have poor bus service when paying so much for that service.

If Disney is not willing to separate the route, I think they need to ADD more buses to the entire route. And the additional total expense should be divided among ALL the resorts (and their proportionate # of rooms) and not just the DVC resorts.

The only problem I can forsee is that Disney probably has some sort of agreement with the Swan and Dolphin to provide transportation either at no cost or at a fixed cost.

So, therefore if Disney added buses to the entire route, they might have to absorb a large portion of the added costs. Even though, the Swan and Dolphin would greatly benefit from the added buses, they may not have to pay any addition $$ to support it.

The other Disney resorts and the DVC resort would have to pick up the total tab for the added transportation. Now if they did this fairly and divided among all the non-S&D resort rooms it still might be worth it. However, dues would definitely go up at both DVC resorts.

Personally, I think that WDW should pick up some (even a token percentage would be appreciated) of the addition costs of added buses because it very well may be their previous agreements with the S&D that is putting strain on the bus system by not allowing expansion.

Note: Such an agreement with S&D is purely speculation on my part. But I think it makes sense.

 

[crisi]

Yes, but the per point cost is higher.

There is a small difference in services per point between the two resorts due to the existance of SV rooms. But not twice the difference.

The proportion doesn't hold. The per point cost should be maybe a cent or two more at BWV than at BCV.

 

[SleepyatDVC]

Hmmm,... does anyone know the total points sold at BWV and BCV?

Would that even make a difference?

Interesting question. Any math wiz out there who could possibly figure this out?

Or is this one of those numbers, as PKS44 suspects, only DVC can explain?

 

[PamOKW]

I threw out there on a different thread that the difference may be inter-resort. Each major resort -- Boardwalk, Swan & Dolphin, Yacht & Beach (either as one or individually) may pay in an equal share for bus transportation. Then it is divided up X% to Boardwalk Inn and X% to Boardwalk Villa. BCV would divide it up into X% Yacht Club, X% Beach Club and X% BCV. For example, if each major resort paid $100 for transportation, BWI might pay $25 and BWV $75. Over at the Y&B, the Yacht Club pays $40, the Beach Club pays $40 and the BCV pays $20. The Boardwalk Resort and the Y&B Resort are paying equally but the two DVC resorts are not.

 

[PKS44]

Pam-
your calculation still will not explain things because the dividing up by how big the places are should then even things out per room or per guest essentially --but they don't--the costs are higher more than DOUBLE per point for BWV compared to BCV--so even if BWV was paying $75 compared to BCV $40 as a resort--because BWV is bigger--the per point costs should be the same--and they are not.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Actually, I am just a tad confused why there is any transportation charge attached to the resorts.
If a guest purchases a hopper or an annual pass, they have transportation included. The guest does NOT have to be staying at a Disney resort.

Is this not correct?

MG

 

[spiceycat]

It started with OKW - OKW is just a DVC resort not a WDW hotel - so unless members paid for the WDW transportation - there would not be any (one of the reasons that II exchangers are charged extra - I know you disagree Dean - but it is definitely one of the things)

BWV is the bigger of BW - so it does cost more - BCV is I think smaller than BC - also kept in mind that BC has a different management - they know how to kept cost down - where BW does not seem to mind costs - start complaining - that is the only way for DVC management to know that you want their reasons for this different in charges - I thought that at one time the sidewalk from Studios to BW was to be paid for by BW - since that was the resort that wanted it????Or I may just be dreaming.....

it would also be kind of hard to have just a DVC bus to either of these resorts they both share with a non-DVC resort - so how could you stop BWI or BC guests from getting on a DVC bus - you can't - I think that is why that WDW decided to kept sharing.... You can write them and find out...

back in the old ages OKW shared a bus for a short while with DI - but that caused so many complaints it was stopped quickly.

 

[pmcpmc]

of owners do we have.
I hear all these posts and wonder if any of it is worth all the effort.
Before the thread is finished I am quite sure the opposing views will bring a close to it by doc.
The bus service from the Magic Kingdom must be the worst service of all in busy times for families with children.
However listening to the posts on Bwv meeting it seems it does not seem to be a forum that carries any weight with the Managing company.
Looking at the thread on who does what it would seem that there are a lot of intelligent people out there .
Surely there has to be a better way of listing the concerns of us all and raising it in a more meaningful way than posting here and hoping that somebody from disney will read the boards.
This forum is a good way to establish common views.
However we do need a better way to express the concerns in a more meaaningful way.
Somebody posted earlier about minutes of the meeting.
We do not get any because no group has requested it.
No one individual will ever make a difference.

 

[DebbieB]

I used the busses 3 times this week from BWV to MK, Saturday night, Sunday night, Tuesday night (MVMCP). On Saturday & Sunday, a bus marked "special" pulled up empty and took us to MK, on Tuesday the bus had come from the other resorts and we had to stand. On the way home on Saturday, S/D had their own bus but I still had to stand on the YC/BC/BW bus. On Sunday, the bus shared with S/D but nobody got off at either! On Tuesday it was also shared. Wait times going to MK were pretty long each time, I'd say 20 min. Coming back from MK we got busses quick.

 

[PKS44]

I have written the Condo Association for an explanation--those that keep saying that BWV should cost more because it is bigger are missing the point...IF BWV costs more because it is bigger it should even out on the per point costs because you divide the higher cost over more people---and the idea that BCV keeps costs down and BWV does not is not only unproven as far as I know it is also irrelevant because we are talking about the EXACT same thing being paid for--there are X number of buses that make the S/D/YC/BC/BCV/BWI/BWV route---those buses are the expense -it is not controlled by any one of them and the buses are available to be used exactly equally in terms of number--but actually are less available leaving the BWV because BWV is the last stop and sometimes the bus is already full before it gets to the BWV--so BWV gets shafted this way as well...but even ignoring that injustice to charge more than double per point makes no sense as far as I can tell...I am waiting for Disney or anyone on these boards to give anything like a reasonable explanation for the PER POINT discrepancy...I am still waiting

 

[robinb]

All buses are packed at the end of the night. Even the All Star busses which, IMO, is the best bus service in the World.

I too would like to see the bus service split up or maybe run more often, but I have noticed something every time I ride a BW/S/D/BC/YC bus. They are almost always empty. I am reminded of "the chicken and the egg". Are the busses are empty because the service sucks or does the service suck because there is no demand? Either way, I don't see anyone changing anything soon.

 

[spiceycat]

You are forgetting that MK is not close to that area - so if they broke up the buses - you could easily be waiting up to 45 minutes - with all the buses sharing they come much faster....

but I know exactly what you are talking about - we waited once for the MK bus for 45 minutes - it was packed ( I mean packed - people were standing up to the door) - so I don't why the driver even stopped - it was another 30 minutes before one came that we could get on - yes and when we returned that night - I drove the car - and it was worst.....

I learned then - if going to the MK - stay at VWL.

if Epcot or Studios - stay at BWV/BCV

if AK - then OKW (I have also stayed here for the MK/Epcot and been happy)

so now unless the parks are very uncrowded and the buses too - I only go to a park or two on each visit - I will be back - lots of time to see what I missed this time.

I know this method won't work for alot of people - but it works for me....

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Originally posted by Maistre Gracey
Actually, I am just a tad confused why there is any transportation charge attached to the resorts.
If a guest purchases a hopper or an annual pass, they have transportation included. The guest does NOT have to be staying at a Disney resort.

Is this not correct?

MG

I am just re-asking my question here... Thoughts???

MG

 

[pmcpmc]

Bwv and generally come in the summer for three weeks.
We chose it for its location.
We only expect to be given a bus service to MK that meets the needs.
YOU will often see two or three buses to Dixies Landing and others for every Boardwalk bus and at times even I get angry