Can off site folks use Disney busses?

[Calidisneyfam]

We are staying at a Disney Springs hotel and I'm wondering if we can use Disney busses? No hate please, I'm asking to find out if it's allowed or not. It looks like the Congress Park bus stop is very close to our hotel, and might be a better option for getting to the parks, in particular Magic Kingdom. Has anyone done this? Is it a problem? Our hotel has a bus, but I don't know how early or frequently it runs.

 

[StageTek]

Yes. Anyone can use the Disney buses.

 

[CarolynFH]

Once you’re on Disney property, you’re considered a guest of the WDW Resort, and Disney transportation is open to all guests.

 

[seashoreCM]

Disney reserves the right to restrict boarding of buses, monorail, etc. for enforcing special park hours for Disney's resort guests (early in the morning) or for security (late at night). This may be done by checking Magic Bands or other ID.

 

[mom2rtk]

Disney reserves the right to restrict boarding of buses, monorail, etc. for enforcing special park hours for Disney's resort guests (early in the morning) or for security (late at night). This may be done by checking Magic Bands or other ID.

When is the last time they actually did that?

 

[LittlePanda]

Disney reserves the right to restrict boarding of buses, monorail, etc. for enforcing special park hours for Disney's resort guests (early in the morning) or for security (late at night). This may be done by checking Magic Bands or other ID.

 

[LittlePanda]

Absolutely! I go there 4-5 times a year for a week or more each time and have never had my ID checked etc. I do live in Disney property but I’d know if they were checking anything.

 

[Mrs.AMC]

When is the last time they actually did that?

Not in the past 10 years on the busiest days of the years. Even when MK reached capacity.

 

[Wilsonfamily4]

In 2009 they did check us. But that’s the only time. Now that I know no one ever gets checked maybe I should have been offended.

 

[Tink3815]

Could this be one of the reasons guests paying the high prices at Disney resorts have to wait in long lines at park closing?

 

[Rotoninja72]

We are staying at a Disney Springs hotel and I'm wondering if we can use Disney busses? No hate please, I'm asking to find out if it's allowed or not. It looks like the Congress Park bus stop is very close to our hotel, and might be a better option for getting to the parks, in particular Magic Kingdom. Has anyone done this? Is it a problem? Our hotel has a bus, but I don't know how early or frequently it runs.

Many of the Disney Springs resorts are considered Official Walt Disney World Hotels and you can take complimentary shuttles from Disney Springs shuttle location to all the Disney parks. I suppose anyone can get on the shuttles and be transported between parks or between parks and Disney Springs. I never had to scan my magic band or show proof I was staying in a disney hotel.

 

[mom2rtk]

Could this be one of the reasons guests paying the high prices at Disney resorts have to wait in long lines at park closing?

It would take even longer if they started checking resort id’s.

 

[Mrs.AMC]

It would take even longer if they started checking resort id’s.

Besides. There just aren’t enough doing it to make it with their time. Do some, sure. Do they walk over in high numbers? No. It’s something you can see if they did it by hundreds

 

[MrKnight]

Yes you can, as mentioned by pp, WDW transportation is open to ALL guests, even guests not staying at a WDW resort..

 

[fla4fun]

It would take even longer if they started checking resort id’s.

I can remember long ago when they did just that, and to be honest, it didn’t really take any longer to board. The ID cards were paper back then, and we would bring plastic sleeves to seal them in to protect them from the rain. I remember having to have them out to board buses, and to board the boat the first time we went to HDDR at FW. I think once they had multiple theme parks and resorts to connect by bus, it probably became more about just getting people where they needed to go. I do remember there was a sort of transition period where there were some buses that were checked, like buses to/from resorts, while others weren’t, like park to park (although I can also remember when you had to be a resort guest or have a park hopper ticket to use park to park transportation).

I doubt they would check these days, but I would never say never.

 

[Mrs.AMC]

I can remember long ago when they did just that, and to be honest, it didn’t really take any longer to board. The ID cards were paper back then, and we would bring plastic sleeves to seal them in to protect them from the rain. I remember having to have them out to board buses, and to board the boat the first time we went to HDDR at FW. I think once they had multiple theme parks and resorts to connect by bus, it probably became more about just getting people where they needed to go. I do remember there was a sort of transition period where there were some buses that were checked, like buses to/from resorts, while others weren’t, like park to park (although I can also remember when you had to be a resort guest or have a park hopper ticket to use park to park transportation).

I doubt they would check these days, but I would never say never.

I will say never. They will NOT check now. They specifically state in the FAQ on their own website that buses are available to anyone, not just those staying at Disney resorts.
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/faq/transportation/public-complimentary-transportation/

 

[mom2rtk]

I can remember long ago when they did just that, and to be honest, it didn’t really take any longer to board. The ID cards were paper back then, and we would bring plastic sleeves to seal them in to protect them from the rain. I remember having to have them out to board buses, and to board the boat the first time we went to HDDR at FW. I think once they had multiple theme parks and resorts to connect by bus, it probably became more about just getting people where they needed to go. I do remember there was a sort of transition period where there were some buses that were checked, like buses to/from resorts, while others weren’t, like park to park (although I can also remember when you had to be a resort guest or have a park hopper ticket to use park to park transportation).

I doubt they would check these days, but I would never say never.

I'm not shocked by that. But Disney is moving around exponentially more people these days. I just don't see it happening.

 

[Mrs.AMC]

I'm not shocked by that. But Disney is moving around exponentially more people these days. I just don't see it happening.

See my post. They state on their website that anyone including those not staying at a Disney resort are more than welcome to use all modes of Disney owned transportation. They will not check. Not as long as that is their stated policy at least.

 

[mom2rtk]

See my post. They state on their website that anyone including those not staying at a Disney resort are more than welcome to use all modes of Disney owned transportation. They will not check. Not as long as that is their stated policy at least.

Oh I agree it's highly unlikely to happen. They could easily change that policy verbiage if they wanted to, but I don't see it happening.

 

[_19disnA]

Do Disney buses even have those scanners needed to read a Magic Band? I doubt that would be practical even if they could. I do recall many years ago there were restrictions on who could ride the monorail to prevent kids from joyriding around for no reason. However, the most recent time I was there, can't recall any signs that restrict its use. We have never been asked to prove where we were staying to use Disney transportation in the past several years. Even when you go through security to board a monorail, we were never asked to prove where we were staying.