BWV Buses

[ferastu]

My family just had our first stay in a standard view one bedroom suite at Boardwalk Villas from 4/10-17. Overall our vacation was excellent even though the parks were crowded. The resort is outstanding.

The one thing we didn't like about the trip was how crowded the buses to/from Magic Kingdom and Downtown Disney were. Our last stay was at Saratoga Springs during Xmas '06 and even though the parks were more crowded, the SSR buses seemed less crowded.

I suppose this is to be expected when one bus route services 5 resorts (Swan, Dolphin, Yacht Club, Beach Club Villas and Boardwalk Inn/Villas). However, the signs at Downtown Disney indicate that there should be separate buses for this route.

I'm wondering if these routes were broken up during busy times before but due to the recession are now combined all the time?

It also seems that BWV is always the last stop. So we got into the habit of jumping off at the first stop (Swan I think?) and just walking back to BWV.

 

[annnewjerz]

I have heard this complaint on the Transportation Board as well. For some reason, the price of staying at a Deluxe resort doesn't get you direct bus service to certain parks. That being said, I think I'd trade off a semi-crowded Value resort bus to all of the parks for a walk to DHS and Epcot with more crowded/longer waits to other parks from a Deluxe resort.

NOW, for an important question. Although BWV was usually the last stop for drop-offs, does that mean it's usually the first stop for pick-ups??? ::keeping fingers crossed::

 

[IggyLans]

I have heard this complaint on the Transportation Board as well. For some reason, the price of staying at a Deluxe resort doesn't get you direct bus service to certain parks. That being said, I think I'd trade off a semi-crowded Value resort bus to all of the parks for a walk to DHS and Epcot with more crowded/longer waits to other parks from a Deluxe resort.

NOW, for an important question. Although BWV was usually the last stop for drop-offs, does that mean it's usually the first stop for pick-ups??? ::keeping fingers crossed::

SSR is NOT a Value resort...

 

[annnewjerz]

SSR is NOT a Value resort...

I don't recall saying it was....

I also know that AKL is not a value and still supposed to have great bus service. It seems that the general gripe is that bus service at most Deluxes is not up to par.

What I meant was that WE have only stayed Value and this year we will be at BWV, so if given the choice between a Value with good bus service but no walking and staying Deluxe with the ability to walk to two parks and not-so-great bus service to the others, I would pick the latter of the two options.

Thanks for the clarification, even though it was unnecessary.

 

[Boardwalker]

NOW, for an important question. Although BWV was usually the last stop for drop-offs, does that mean it's usually the first stop for pick-ups??? ::keeping fingers crossed::

They loop, right? Aren't people loading on as others are leaving, so unless the bus is just coming into service, you don't get the benefit of an empty bus. But it sure would be nice.
But at least we are at a resort that enables us to walk to 2 of the parks...
and I have even been known to walk through EPCOT to the monorail for my MK trip. I really have met some great bus drivers, and the buses may be the most efficient means of getting around, but I would rather walk, boat or monorail.

 

[Disneypirate85]

We started doing the same thing, Jumping off at Swan stop and just walking back to BWV was faster for us. Shawn

 

[ferastu]

Pick up was a mixed bag. One time we were the first stop. But other times there were already people on the bus.

On the bus back from Downtown Disney, the bus also did pickup in Typhoon Lagoon.

I would also personally prefer walking to the monorail via Epcot to the MK bus, but my wife doesn't.

 

[goofylovers]

In order to walk through Epcot to get to the monorail do you have to have a hopper pass?

 

[Pete W.]

In order to walk through Epcot to get to the monorail do you have to have a hopper pass?

Yes, or you would burn one of your Park Days if you don't have park hopping.

 

[Pete W.]

I'm wondering if these routes were broken up during busy times before but due to the recession are now combined all the time?

I don't know about the recession having an impact on bus service, but the number of Epcot resorts serviced by the busses is always dependent on how busy things are and will vary substantially even at different times of the same day. For example, if you take the bus to MK in the middle of the day (non-peak time) you will likely share the bus with Yacht/Beach & Swan/Dolphin guests, but if you leave MK at the end of the day you might get on a bus that goes directly to the Boardwalk.

 

[eyeheartgoofy]

We used bus service from BWV to MK on two different days during our April 3-9th stay and service seemed to have no rhyme or reason (or maybe I didn't stay long enough to figure out a pattern?):

Morning one, we were at the bus stop at 6:55am for our 8:00am breakfast at the castle (park opened at 9:00am) and we headed directly to the MK. There was another family on the bus already, so it obviously stopped at some other resort before coming to ours.

Another morning, we were at the bus stop at 6:05am for a 7:00am opening at MK. We stopped at swan, dolphin, yacht club and beach club before heading to the MK.

On the way home in mid-afternoon, we had our own bus - but waited so long that I saw a few people hop on over to the YC/BC bus as it pulled up rather than waiting any longer for a BW bus.

 

[La2kw]

I suppose this is to be expected when one bus route services 5 resorts (Swan, Dolphin, Yacht Club, Beach Club Villas and Boardwalk Inn/Villas). However, the signs at Downtown Disney indicate that there should be separate buses for this route.

I'm wondering if these routes were broken up during busy times before but due to the recession are now combined all the time?

It also seems that BWV is always the last stop. So we got into the habit of jumping off at the first stop (Swan I think?) and just walking back to BWV.

It's more like 7 resorts with 5 bus stops: BC, BCV, YC, Swan, Dolphin, BWI, BWV. I think that resort area has some of the worst transportation with the often overcrowded bus stops and extremely slow boat service.

It's a nice short walk to the back entrance of Epcot, but you still need to walk quite a distance to get to Future World. The walk to the studios is pretty long as well. In the summer, it's not too enjoyable.

While we love staying at the BCV, or YC, the transportation options are ridiculous, IMO. So what if I can walk to Epcot. It's a hassle to get anywhere else.

 

[Golden Rose]

We have always loved the BC and BW, and we'll be staying at BWV for the first time as owners next month. (I have stayed at both the Swan and the Dolphin for conferences in past years, as well.)

For whatever reason, we always have the worst luck with AK buses. I don't know if it is because they come a little less frequently because the park is a little further away, because they assign it the worst drivers (I've had a couple be downright rude - or maybe it was the same guy years apart, I don't know), or because I just have bad AK bus karma. But seriously, it hasn't mattered where we've stayed, we have NEVER had a good experience with AK buses. (And we have always stayed in deluxes in the years since AK opened - BW, BC, GF, and, our first DVC stay, SSR.) Our worst issue with the AK buses was a BC stay about 4.5 years ago, but that was only the worst of several bad experiences. I pretty much insist on driving to AK now, although I will sometimes give the bus one chance a trip. (We spend a lot of time at AK, as it is our animal nut 4 year old son's favorite park.)

We like BW for the ability to walk to Epcot and DHS. (We don't go in the summer, so the heat isn't generally an issue for us.) I don't remember the bus service being terrible to MK, but it was dreadful to AK. We'll be trying at least the MK bus again this trip.

 

[ferastu]

I don't know about the recession having an impact on bus service, but the number of Epcot resorts serviced by the busses is always dependent on how busy things are and will vary substantially even at different times of the same day. For example, if you take the bus to MK in the middle of the day (non-peak time) you will likely share the bus with Yacht/Beach & Swan/Dolphin guests, but if you leave MK at the end of the day you might get on a bus that goes directly to the Boardwalk.

That is what I expected to see, but didn't. Not once. I figured that one time in 5 days of visits over Easter vacation week they would use separate buses. Maybe it happened it one of the pickups where we didn't hit every stop (but there were already people on the bus). It definitely didn't happen on any of the return trips. One of the return trips was right after the early Spectromagic and another was after AK's afternoon parade.

In both cases I huge crowds headed for the exits and I was expecting to at least see separate Swan/Dolphin and BC/BW buses.

Anyway, after talking about how great the trip was to my coworkers today I barely remember the crowded buses! I sorely miss taking an 8 am walk around the boardwalk in 70 degree weather though. Or a 5pm trek through the World Showcase to sample a couple different beers. OK, maybe more than a couple!

 

[cslittle999]

When we were at BWV in August 2007 the buses went BW, Swan and then Dolphin. No stops at BC or YC.