Calling all HIFS Experts-Shuttle Bus

[lcborn2run]

Hi..Is it more convenient to use the free shuttle bus or to drive to the parks? We will probably like to return to hotel each day for a nap, swim, etc.

How often/dependable are the buses? Do they take you to the front gate or the TTC?

Thanks to all of you for taking the time to post your great tips. The only problem is I'm so anal I'll be reading all of them until we leave in August!!!

Thanks again....

Lisa

 

[LisaRay]

I don't have an answer for you since we haven't stayed there yet. But we will be in about 2 more weeks and I have a shuttle question myself so i thought i'd add it on to yours

Me question is that we are planning on driving to the parks however my DH my take our little one back to the hotel earlier than the rest of us want to go leaving us stranded. So can we still catch a ride on the hifs bus even if you didn't ride it over? and do they make any trips back in the afternoon hours or not? thanks.

 

[TreeOfLife]

From experience, I'd say that if you aren't riding Disney buses, then rent a car.

I stayed at the Holiday Inn years ago and their buses were pathetic! School buses with no safety adptations for standees, always hot and late and dropping you off VERY far from the gate. They are on a schedule, so if you want to return to the hotel at 2:00 PM you may have to wait hours to get picked up.

Take time to ask your resort what type of transportation they provide. If the company is Laidlaw, you'll travel in school buses. Ask if the buses run regularly. They'll probably say yes, then ask how regularly they run. Is it every 30 minutes or every four hours? Careful here, they may say every hour but then you find out that they alternate. For example, the bus to MK comes by at 12:00 and at 1:00 it is the bus to MGM, at 2:00 to Epcot and at 3:00 to AK. So if you arrived at 12:15 and missed the bus to MK and it is where you wanted to go, you'll have a four hour wait. That is, assuming they're running on time.

Also ask: Are they air conditioned? How many stops at other resorts do they make before they get to the parks? How often do people travel packed like sardines in them? What safety adaptations do they provide for people traveling while standing (as you will unless yours is the first stop)?

There are preset parking spots at the parks where you are dropped off and picked up, but they are very far from the gates and never come as close to the entrance as Disney buses do. Have in mind that if your bus is packed at the park and yours is the first stop, you will have to struggle to stay near the door or squish your way our of there. It is hard on the kids.

If I did not stay onsite, I'd rent a car. But personally I hate playing musical chairs in and out of those trams (the lines in and out of MK can be neurotic), so I just stay onsite.

 

[Vac. Man]

Don't worry about the shuttle service. I have stayed at this hotel several times, and the shuttle is packed only during the busiest holidays. They do run on certain schedules, but they go straight to the parks, and do not stop at any other hotels on the way. I didn't see and Laidlaw buses there. I last stayed there over Thanksgiving, and the buses were called Orlando Bus Company, or something like that. They were white with red writing on them. They were full sized buses with plush seats and air/con. Anyway, with a little organization of your day, you can go straight from breakfast to the parks with no driving and no $6 per day parking!
Have a great time!

 

[disney funseeker]

It is more convenient to rent a car if you plan on going back to the hotel for naps, etc.
If you have young children it is also better to be on your own schedule and not a limited bus schedule.

We decided at the last minute to rent during our stay at the HIFS instead of taking the shuttle and were very glad we did.

You have to book beforehand when you take the shuttle to the parks but do not need to book for the return trip. During low season(Nov.) when we went the first bus went out at 8am and went out until noon. After that the next bus went out at 5pm. So no buses between 12:05pm-5pm. That schedule was not good for us because we usually wanted to return to the parks between 3:30-4pm.

You can call the HIFS and ask for guest services. They will be able to tell you the shuttle times. If the schedule for your week is not out yet, you can still ask to get an idea of the times. Also there is a web site for their shuttle service but I can't recall what is is at the moment. Perhaps someone else can remember.

LisaRay,
since bookings are not required for the ride back to the hotel, I would say you can take the shuttle even though you didn't use it to get to the park. I'm sorry that I can't remember any of the return times.

 

[TreeOfLife]

The laidlaw buses used to be white with the letters in red too... The size of a school bus with the traditional foamy seats as well.

My point is, offsite transportation is not always the most convenient. You can't even compare it to Disney's buses. Their schedule is very inconvenient, to mention the least of their aggravations. Don't count on never feeling the urge to return to your room for a nap of quick rest, things can get pretty hectic in those parks. Kids can get ansy, sick, tired, you feel blisters growing on your feet, stinky and sticky and in need of a shower, you name it! You may have even been so excited you were there at opening time and by 2:00 PM you're ready to crash. And it is very frustrating to feel restrained for hours until your bus comes.

I have done all three: Not had enough money to stay onsite and stayed offsite using offsite transportation, rent our own car staying offsite and stayed onsite using nothing but Mears and Disney's buses. I am honestly telling you, and nobody pays me to claim this: Nothing beats the convenience of Disney's transportation system to and from your resort, at any time of the day or night! It is well worth the sacrifice to spend a little more for the comfort, go during value seasons or search every corner of the Internet for the best codes and specials so you can stay in one of their resorts.

During high attendance times, the transportation issues with those offsite buses are even more nightmarish!

 

[GSLand]

I would like to throw in my 2 cents too.
Stay on-site and take the WDW Transportation ... especially if you think you will want to go back to your room during the day - and then back out to a park.
I speak from experience. I think our Christmas visit would have gone much smoother if we had stayed at a WDW resort as we always have before instead of a downtown Disney resort (which was a very nice place - but the bus service was disappointing).

 

[taylor1293]

If you have a car, definitely drive to the parks.

We returned each afternoon to HIFS and it was a breeze. Only minutes from the parks to the hotel. Much quicker (and more convienant) than waiting for a shuttle and even much quicker than waiting for Disney bus transportation if you were staying on-site.

Even during our second half of our trip when we stayed on-site last year. We used our car (except when we used the monorial) because it's so much quicker than waiting for a bus.

Teresa

 

[toystorymom]

We stayed at the HIFS in June and drove our own car to the parks each day. The shuttle schedule was just too spread out for us, since we were travelling with young children. There were no buses returning to the hotel between 12-5pm. The $6 parking fee was worth the flexibility and the parks were less than 10 minutes away. Also, if you return to any park later that same day you don't have to pay again.

One other thing I remember about the shuttle was that you had to reserve a seat on it the day before. I don't know if that has changed.