Curious... How much would the use of Disney Transportation (buses) be reduced...

[DizBelle]

if they enforced that you are only supposed to use the buses if you are staying at a WDW resort?

This page: http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/resorts-benefits/

lists the use of Disney transportation (motorcoaches) as a resort benefit which means it is something you get for staying at a WDW resort (and therefore something you don't get if you don't stay at a WDW resort).

 

[Lewisc]

(and therefore something you don't get if you don't stay at a WDW resort).

It doesn't necessarily the buses are exclusively for guests staying at the hotel. People renting a car from Alamo, using the COSTCO code, get an additional driver for no extra charge. People taking advantage of other promotions get the same benefit. The fact that COSTCO customers are getting that benefit doesn't mean other customers might also be getting the same benefit.

I'll answer your question assuming Disney decides to make, and enforce, such a policy. The use of bus transportation to SSR and OKW will be reduced. A small number of offsite guests might park at the MK, visit the MK then take a bus from the MK to BC for access to EPCOT or S/D for access to DHS. I suspect the number would be very small.

DISNEY CHARACTER DINING IS listed as a benefit of staying at a WDW resort hotel. Is that limited to guests staying at a WDW resort?

You're misinterpreting the statement in order to make up a rule which doesn't exist.

 

[Ed J]

Convenience

Skip the hassle of baggage claim! Enjoy complimentary transportation for you and your bags between Orlando International Airport and your Disney Resort hotel, then back again at the end of your vacation.

Make your way around Walt Disney World Resort with complimentary transportation like monorails, ferryboats and motorcoaches throughout, as well as complimentary Theme Park parking if you're driving.

That's what is says, so based on your interpretation only on-site guests would be allowed to use boats and monorails also. I don't agree with your interpretation of what that says.

 

[goofy4tink]

Nope, anyone is entitled to use the transportation system. Disney wants it to be as easy as possible for everyone to get anywhere they choose in order to spend their money. And if Disney is going to start having guests show their room keys in order to access the buses, boats and monorails, then they are going to start losing a boatload of money!!!

If you want to hold Disney to what their official site says, you are going to find some things changing. You won't be able to get to a park earlier than one hour prior to park opening. You won't be able to tag your bags with DME luggage tags and then rent a car to get yourself to the resort while DME takes care of your bags. I could go on and on..but those are two that spring right to mind. There is no pool hopping, per Disney policy. There is no mug reuse.

So...having said all that.....anyone can use resort/park buses.

 

[Brian Noble]

Agreed. No such restriction exists. You are welcome to use Disney transport for any legitimate purpose. And, for the most part, the only *illegitimate* purpose is parking at DTD or a resort at which you are not a registered guest in order to visit a theme park. Even that is loosely enforced, at best, and I suspect there aren't a huge number of people doing it. I certainly think that the time I would spend getting to and fro while trying to avoid the theme park parking lots is worth a lot more than $14, and I bet most people feel the same way.

 

[chartle]

from http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/ (I have seen one other place also.)

Resort Transportation
Walt Disney World Resort offers an extensive transportation system that is complimentary for Disney Theme Park and Disney Resort hotel Guests. The system includes buses, monorails and boats that link together select Disney Theme Parks, Disney Water Parks, Disney Resort hotels and major shopping and recreation areas.

The issue is if they changed their policy there would be no real change in how crowded the buses and boats and monorails would be. Very few off site guests would be using the transportation system during the peak opening and closing times. They would more likely be using it during the middle of the day to get to ADR's at the resorts when the buses are mostly empty..

 

[perdidochas]

if they enforced that you are only supposed to use the buses if you are staying at a WDW resort?

This page: http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/resorts-benefits/

lists the use of Disney transportation (motorcoaches) as a resort benefit which means it is something you get for staying at a WDW resort (and therefore something you don't get if you don't stay at a WDW resort).

Not much. Most people that aren't staying on-site avoid the buses whenever possible. Yes, there are a few people who park at DTD.

 

[TDC Nala]

lists the use of Disney transportation (motorcoaches) as a resort benefit which means it is something you get for staying at a WDW resort (and therefore something you don't get if you don't stay at a WDW resort).

As noted, the official site does not say that the Disney transportation is for the exclusive use of WDW resort guests. It says it is available to resort guests. That isn't the same thing - nowhere in the linked page or the further explanation linked to that is it specified that the transportation is ONLY available to resort guests. So they're already doing what the website says they will do.

 

[shafke]

There was a time that you had to be either a resort guest or have theme park admission to use the transportation. I remember in the early 80s being asked to show resort id before boarding boats/bus and also before getting to the monorail platform at the Poly oand CR.
You could not get past the ticket booths at the TTC w/o resort id or ticket to the monorail or ferry.

I also remember that there was an option to purchase just a transportation ticket. This was back when they were still using ABCDE ticket books.

I am guessing the id requirement stopped sometime around when the studios opened.

 

[Epeyon]

"Resort guests" means guests at the Walt Disney World Resort. That is anybody visiting any Disney park, Hotel Resort, Downtown Disney or Disney Water Park. All of WDW is a resort, with smaller resort hotels.

In the past this was made obvious through the use of tickets at the Ticket and Transportation Center. They wanted to make sure you were a guest of Walt Disney World Resort. But with Downtown Disney they had to get rid of that since you don't have to pay for DTD.

 

[shafke]

"But with Downtown Disney they had to get rid of that since you don't have to pay for DTD.

DTD has always been there but the buses used to only go to the TTC. This was when there was only Poly, CR, FW, and Golf Resort (Shades of Green). Once at the TTC you would then need some form of resort id/ticket to get on a resort bus or monorail.
When DTD buses started going directly to the resorts this policy would need to have been changed.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

DTD has always been there but the buses used to only go to the TTC. This was when there was only Poly, CR, FW, and Golf Resort (Shades of Green). Once at the TTC you would then need some form of resort id/ticket to get on a resort bus or monorail.
When DTD buses started going directly to the resorts this policy would need to have been changed.

aha ..you are soooo correct! Not many know that name and not many remember way back then.. and DTD was not DTD either lol wasn't it the Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village??? It was built a few years after the MK opened...

 

[A Mickeyfan]

if they enforced that you are only supposed to use the buses if you are staying at a WDW resort?

This page: http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/resorts-benefits/

lists the use of Disney transportation (motorcoaches) as a resort benefit which means it is something you get for staying at a WDW resort (and therefore something you don't get if you don't stay at a WDW resort).

What do you mean enforced? The transportation is not for "hotel" guests only. The Walt Disney Resort is not the "hotel", but the entire complex, did you not realize this? So if you are a guest on the complex, be it in the theme parks, eating or shopping at DTD or at one of the Hotels, you are entitled to use the transportation. I thought everyone understood what "The Walt Disney Resort" meant... see what wonderful knowledge you obtain from reading these boards.... now you understand what it means....

 

[BrerMama]

That same page says that a benefit of being a resort guest is character dining. I don't think it meant exclusive to resort guests... since I've stayed off site and still eaten at Chef Mickey's, Crystal Palace, etc.

 

[ToddyLu]

I want my cake and eat it to--that is why we stay on property and take the bus. I could see how someone could misinterpret the wording, though. I AM GLAD they enforce the proper exit of guests who have not purchased an extra ticket for hard ticket events. I appreciate being asked to show my bracelet during the parades.

Now that the OP knows the correct interpretation they can ride the bus knowing it's all good.

 

[Canadian Disney Mom]

When Disney says Resort Guests it means Walt Disney World Resort Guests - i.e. guests at MK, AK, EP, HS, DTD, etc etc etc). Its not talking specifically about Disney Resort Hotel guests.

 

[cruisingkat]

if they enforced that you are only supposed to use the buses if you are staying at a WDW resort?

Back to the OP's question - If they ever did place such a restriction on buses to resorts or DTD, I don't think that would have much affect on the use of those buses. Since the resort buses only go to DTD or a park and the DTD buses only go to resorts, nearly everyone taking those buses stay at a WDW resort.
The only ones who aren't staying at WDW resort that would use them would be those with dining reservations at a resort.
Now Disney could never restrict the buses between parks as long as they have park hoppers as you need a way to get from one park to another.

 

[Alexander]

aha ..you are soooo correct! Not many know that name and not many remember way back then.. and DTD was not DTD either lol wasn't it the Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village??? It was built a few years after the MK opened...

Hold up a second, when I stayed there many years ago it was called "The Disney Inn" not the "Golf Resort". I'm going to guess it was sometime in the very early 90's when we stayed there.

Just did some research, it was renamed in 1986!

 

[shafke]

Hold up a second, when I stayed there many years ago it was called "The Disney Inn" not the "Golf Resort". I'm going to guess it was sometime in the very early 90's when we stayed there.

Just did some research, it was renamed in 1986!

I'm not sure this hotel ever had a huge following like the others had.
This was never a hotel that I thought I had to go and visit to look at the theming and whatnot and has always seemed out of the way. All of the other resorts were linked by some sort of direct transportation. Even FW and Poly used to have a boat running between them (trivia question: who remembers the color flags that used to be used on the boats and what routes they ran... this would be early 80s and before)

 

[Alexander]

I'm not sure this hotel ever had a huge following like the others had.
This was never a hotel that I thought I had to go and visit to look at the theming and whatnot and has always seemed out of the way. All of the other resorts were linked by some sort of direct transportation. Even FW and Poly used to have a boat running between them (trivia question: who remembers the color flags that used to be used on the boats and what routes they ran... this would be early 80s and before)

This is exactly why we loved it there. It was so peaceful and away from everything and the rooms were HUGE! The whole Snow White theme was kind of serene and calming as well. We opted to walk to the TTC when we needed to go anywhere.

Okay, back to the topic....