disappointed with disney buses from AKL

[jim o'reilly]

Came back from 6 days at AKL at WDW and we had a blast. Service, lodge was fantastic and first class.

only drawback was the transportation to and from the parks at AKL. They told us that the first bus leaves AKL at 8am and 20-30 minutes thereafter. If you caught a bus that came, great but...

We tried to get to DHS at rope drop and left our room at 8:10am on Monday morning. Got to the bus stop at 8:15am and we were the only ones there. There were buses to DSprings, MK, AK, Epcot all there. Ok. Then they all left. and we waited and waited. Another DSprings bus came and went. empty. Epcot, MK, AK again. All pretty much empty. About 20 people now waiting for DHS bus. Then another DSprings, Epcot, MK, AK. All more or less empty (<5 people). We counted and everyone was laughing because someone would yell out 'Disney springs'!! and there would be a Disney springs bus...with no one getting off or on at 8:45am. We counted....5 AK, 4MK, 6 DS buses before the DHS bus arrived. There were almost 100 people waiting to go to DHS, non EMH mind you. We literally waited 80 minutes (9:20am) until the bus finally arrived and left AKL. And there was another DHS right behind it.

No joke, a very similar situation happened the next day for MK, only this time it was 45 minute wait.

Very frustrating watching empty disney springs buses go. I mean, who goes to downtown in the morning? We saw 10 dsprings buses those two mornings and only saw one group of 3 people go on the bus. Disney should be required to have less buses to dsprings in the morning and more to the parks.

IMHO...

 

[T00dles]

We had that once at OKW. We just wanted to go to Typhoon Lagoon but AK buses kept coming. We just chalked it up to bad bus luck.

 

[MrPTato]

Probably an isolated incident and it happens, no matter where, from time to time. It is frustrating and too bad that a DS bus just can't change over to what is needed right there and then. We just got back Saturday night and had decent service from the Poly, although two parks were serviced by monorails. Surprised to see no real delays or breaks downs on that.

 

[melissa723]

We used to have issues with the buses at AK in the past, but on our previous trip in October, the transportation was spot on. Better than it's ever been. Like others have said, I think this is something that happens from time to time, but it's not an "all-the-time" sort of thing.

 

[jim o'reilly]

my only thing is that it pretty much happened two days in a row and on the way back from Magic Kingdom. There were lot of buses to Yacht Club empty, meanwhile we had over 200 people waiting right next to it at AKL

 

[eeyoreandtink]

So this happened 1 time in a 7 day trip or was it a regular occurrence? One time I can understand, it happens, and it isn't a reflection on bus service overall, but if it keeps happening i would be saying something. Also, did anyone inform one of the bus drivers or the front desk so that they could call a bus?

 

[MrPTato]

I saw a cast member twice just hanging out at the bus stop with a clipboard in the mornings. Not sure what they do but they have a radio on them.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Almost no touring plan would suggest trying to bus after 8 for a rope drop at any park, FWIW. They had buses running earlier. Every resort has Cms that claim otherwise, but they actually start around 6:30.

You need to be at a bus stop by 7 for legitimate rope drop aspirations.

Rookie error, here, was to think 50 minutes is sufficient for rope drop (it's not -- they start letting people into the courtyard usually by 8:20, and there's bag check too), and to believe the Cm who says buses start at 8 (they start at 6:30 and I don't know why there are CMs who claim otherwise anymore!).

I understand the buses were frustrating, but you would have missed rope drop from any resort with an 8:10 bus.

 

[My3TXGirls]

Sorry to hear - that is frustrating.

We have spent about 40 cumulative nights at AKL and have had 2 - 20 minute waits maybe 25 and that is it... in fact in november i was walking to the bus and saw that DHS drive away and was sad i missed it - then another one pulled right in!

They did have a transportation person there monitoring the buses and i did hear him gives updates on his walkie talkie - counting the guests for each stop etc..

 

[jim o'reilly]

lol, if it was just my wife and I yes, we'd be there at 7am. but try having a 4 year old wake up, get ready and eat breakfast by 7am.

#NotGoing2Happen

 

[jim o'reilly]

Sorry to hear - that is frustrating.

We have spent about 40 cumulative nights at AKL and have had 2 - 20 minute waits maybe 25 and that is it... in fact in november i was walking to the bus and saw that DHS drive away and was sad i missed it - then another one pulled right in!

They did have a transportation person there monitoring the buses and i did hear him gives updates on his walkie talkie - counting the guests for each stop etc..

i did see the guy with the walkie talkie the day we waited 45 minutes to go to MK. didn't really help much

 

[_auroraborealis_]

lol, if it was just my wife and I yes, we'd be there at 7am. but try having a 4 year old wake up, get ready and eat breakfast by 7am.

#NotGoing2Happen

Then you need to understand that you aren't making rope drop. It's just, logistically, not how Disney transport works.

 

[loves to dive]

I've had that happen at just about every resort I've stayed at and I've stayed at all the deluxe, two values and one moderate. Sometimes I think they just have a little communication snafu. I know it's frustrating but trust me, it can and does happen at every single resort. A bus is a bus is a bus. That bus that says DS on one trip is probably going to do a turn around to somewhere different. It's all done through a central dispatch and you never know what's going on behind the scenes.

 

[AspenLL]

Sorry to hear. Like what previous posters said, it doesn't just happen at AKL. It happens at every resort. When we were at AKL last year, we had absolutely no problems with transportation. It happens. Nothing is going to be 100% all of the time.

 

[TeamSy]

I have to say this was the biggest drawback for us as well during our September trip. It was a low crowded time too, which I guess made me even more shocked. It took forever for the buses to get there at the parks and once they did, the line was 2-3 buses deep with no other bus in sight. We were packed like sardines and it's not like it's a short distance to some of the parks. It was frustrating, seeing the long line when walking down the bus waiting area and each time it was always for AKL. Other than that it's really a cool and unique hotel, but the bus only option and then the terrible operation given its bus only has us not returning anytime soon. It's a shame because the hotel is pretty spectacular, but I'm one of those people who if I'm paying to stay on Disney property I'm going to utilize the crap out of their transportation and not rent a car, which would definitely solve the issue if you're okay with doing so.

 

[buzznina]

Something like this happened to us at CSR and after 35 minutes and multiple other park buses. My DH saw a Disney World van and went into the road and flagged them down The very nice person pulled over and radioed someone, and they told him there was a mix up and that a bus will be coming soon. The person actually stayed there for the 5 minutes until the bus arrived. I can say that we always use the buses and for us they have almost always been very good. Sorry for the bad experience.

 

[DebbieB]

The park busses start at Kidani first, I wonder if they filled up there. I've only stayed at Kidani once and it was in the summer and the bus filled up and left some people waiting at Jambo in the morning. Disney Springs busses stop at Jambo first.

 

[LilyWDW]

Except for one single instance at POFQ, AKL is the only place I have ever personally had busing issues and it wasn't a one time thing. It has happened every time I have ever tried to get a bus to or from AKL before or after meals there... and I usually eat there a couple times a trip. It's been bad enough that, even though I love the resort otherwise, I refuse to stay there.

 

[eeyoreandtink]

I have to say this was the biggest drawback for us as well during our September trip. It was a low crowded time too, which I guess made me even more shocked. It took forever for the buses to get there at the parks and once they did, the line was 2-3 buses deep with no other bus in sight. We were packed like sardines and it's not like it's a short distance to some of the parks. It was frustrating, seeing the long line when walking down the bus waiting area and each time it was always for AKL. Other than that it's really a cool and unique hotel, but the bus only option and then the terrible operation given its bus only has us not returning anytime soon. It's a shame because the hotel is pretty spectacular, but I'm one of those people who if I'm paying to stay on Disney property I'm going to utilize the crap out of their transportation and not rent a car, which would definitely solve the issue if you're okay with doing so.

that's interesting because we have had the opposite experience. With maybe a couple of exceptions, we never waited more than about 15 min for a bus, even in summer.

 

[MinnieMommy07]

That happened to us with Epcot bus and our DME on the way back yikes! It came an hour late!