Disney bus drivers quitting???

[boomhauer]

A friend mine just returned from Disney and heard that 70 bus drivers quit just last pay period alone, due to the union making them work more hours during the week and only having 1 day off.

She also said there weren't enough buses (or drivers) to meet the guest demands, so there were other bus companies on Disney property driving guests to and from the Disney resorts to the Disney parks.

Can anyone else shed some light on this?

 

[safetymom]

I haven't heard anything on the news about it here.

 

[boomhauer]

I can't imagine it was totally accurate. NO WAY would Disney allow other bus companies to transfer guests from the Disney Resorts to Disney Theme Parks. That would make Disney look so bad.

 

[EpcotBill]

I can't imagine it was totally accurate. NO WAY would Disney allow other bus companies to transfer guests from the Disney Resorts to Disney Theme Parks. That would make Disney look so bad.

I don't know if it's happened lately, but Disney has used Mears to transport guests to and from the parks before. I've been on them. Big buses with Mears written on them. Nice comfortable seats too.

 

[DC7800]

NO WAY would Disney allow other bus companies to transfer guests from the Disney Resorts to Disney Theme Parks. That would make Disney look so bad.

Yes, this [b[has[/b] happened before. Last November during the "Soaps" weekend at the Studios, a Mears bus supplemented the Disney buses, at least that one morning to the Studios. We were there - and yes, I should have picked a different park that day!

As for WDW bus CM's, I have no idea. However, this story would make a certain amount of sense if Mears/others were again there helping out with capacity crowds - like the current Star Wars weekends. This could make the rumor at least partially accurate, but with a reasonable explanation (as is often the case).

 

[CleveRocks]

Yes, this [b[has[/b] happened before. Last November during the "Soaps" weekend at the Studios, a Mears bus supplemented the Disney buses, at least that one morning to the Studios. We were there - and yes, I should have picked a different park that day!

As for WDW bus CM's, I have no idea. However, this story would make a certain amount of sense if Mears/others were again there helping out with capacity crowds - like the current Star Wars weekends. This could make the rumor at least partially accurate, but with a reasonable explanation (as is often the case).

I have no facts whatsoever, but this quote makes perfect sense to me. If you were Mr. Disney, and you owned buses but didn;t have enough drivers, you'd hire temporary replacement drivers but you wouldn't pay to use another company's buses! That would be as expensive as all get-out if you already have your own buses sitting there unused. So, like DC7800 said, I can see WDW contracting Mears for more buses (and drivers), but if they just needed replacement drivers that's all they will get, replacement drivers. The Mears buses can stay home.

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

I can clarify this.

When Disney has a greater demand for transportation than what they can provide, they will contract out to Mears to help out. This is not a new procedure, they've been doing it for years. Holidays and special events are not the only peak times. Not to mention, they'll also run Mears buses from the TTC to the MK, when the Monorail and Ferryboat can't handle all of the crowds. They'll try to use DCL coaches for these runs, but on cruise days, that's not always possible.

Likewise, it's common for Mears to subcontract themselves when they don't have enough buses.

So why don't they use Disney buses? Legal and insurance reasons. In order to operate a Disney bus, must be a Disney cast member, must be certified by Disney, must take a drug test, and a physical, and pass a criminal background check.

Every bus company is the same way... when one driver quits one company and goes to another, they must start the process all over again -- that information cannot transfer over.

Now as for the drivers quitting... that I cannot comment on, as I have no clue how true that is or not. But the department does have over 1,200 drivers, so turnover is a possibility, especially during peak times when there is more overtime. That's just the nature of the beast when you deal with the travel and tourism industry.

 

[CleveRocks]

Thanks very much for clarifying, Tyler!

 

[Boncho]

A friend mine just returned from Disney and heard that 70 bus drivers quit just last pay period alone, due to the union making them work more hours during the week and only having 1 day off.

She also said there weren't enough buses (or drivers) to meet the guest demands, so there were other bus companies on Disney property driving guests to and from the Disney resorts to the Disney parks.

Can anyone else shed some light on this?

On our recent trip, one of the bus drivers told us that Disney was short 60 bus drivers and in another month they were expecting to be short 80 bus drivers. Also, when we went to the airport on ME for our trip home, they used a Disney Cruiseline bus to take us to the airport.

 

[seashoreCM]

On our recent trip, one of the bus drivers told us that Disney was short 60 bus drivers and in another month they were expecting to be short 80 bus drivers. Also, when we went to the airport on ME for our trip home, they used a Disney Cruiseline bus to take us to the airport.

ME is a (gigantic) expansion of DCL transportation and occasionally a plain white Mears bus or a DCL bus will be seen in ME service particulary during busy times. If a DCL bus has brought a load of land-sea guests to Disney and there are no more cruises leaving that day, the bus will probably pick up a load of ME guests before returning to Mears' headquarters if that is near or past the airport. Perhaps your Disney Transport bus driver was trying to get some high school graduate on board to consider Disney as a career and start out as a bus driver.

 

[mochabean]

I do know for a fact they were making bus drivers work mandatory overtime last week. One day off instead of 2. We were supposed to meet up a friend who is a bus driver but couldn't due to his scheduling. Whether this is because of the shortage or causing the turnover I have no idea.

 

[Andrew Bichard]

In order to operate a Disney bus, must be a Disney cast member, must be certified by Disney, must take a drug test, and a physical, and pass a criminal background check.

So (deliberately misunderstanding), it's OK to be driven around WDW by a drug addicted criminal at death's door, provided they don't wear purple pants. <g>

Andrew

 

[kydisneyfans]

So (deliberately misunderstanding), it's OK to be driven around WDW by a drug addicted criminal at death's door, provided they don't wear purple pants. <g>

Andrew

Provided that you made it to orlando safely after flying with a drunk pilot.

 

[ztbz]

Disney has switch the Bus Department to a new scheduling system called G.E.M.S. (Ok I not sure what GEMS stands for at the moment maybe some can enlighten me). For what I understand is that the GEMS scheduling system has some serious problems getting it to work correctly, GEMS is causing problems for many Cast Members who are trying to get a Shift time that fits the needs for each Cast Member’s Family such as getting the kids to school etc.

While most Cast Members are being scheduled mandatory overtime others are not happy with their shift times. For Example Disney can have a Cast Member work one day in the Morning hours then the next day in the Late Afternoon/Evening, then back to the Morning again. This is causing many Drivers to look else where for employment and as a result mandatory overtime is needed to cover the holes in the system.

And just to confirm what the OP Stated, I am including a part of a message from a private Internet Group for Bus Drivers.

“First let me tell you that we are almost 100 drivers short of operational needs and another 25 plus are retiring in the next few months. They have authorized casting to hire 60 drivers right away, but it is going to take almost two months before we see them. In the words of a bus dept shop steward [I edited the Name out] "the Calvary not coming the OT is going to be here for awhile”.

Disney wants GEMS to be working correctly in time for the New GPS Bus Dispatch system that’s coming Online in the Fall around November this year, which will feature a New Audio Spiel Show and Disney Park Music on the Buses, it will also count the number of guest riding the buses.

One another note Disney had intended to have the New GEMS system start up this past April in time for Easter, then some of the managers remembered what happen back a few years ago when MOD (Magic on Demand) went into effect which was a disaster, so the starting date was push back to May, so that there would be no problems during a peak time and when the Press Event was held for Everest opening at AK.