Disney Buses

[disneychrista]

On my one and only trip to WDW we used the busses. We didn't have a car so how else were we to get around?

 

[KMarston]

We drove the seven hours for decades. We used our car to get to parks except Disney Springs and those busses were a nightmare! Now that we bring our young grandson, we fly, DME, then bus to parks or minivan because of the car seat! If we go from park to resort we Minnie Van home.

This trip with DH and I, no busses, we’ll Uber or Minnie Van. And we’ll uber to and from the Airport as well.

 

[MrsCobraBubbles]

I also hate driving on vacation, it's stressful driving somewhere unfamiliar. I love the buses because I can just relax. We just went to ocean city and stayed in a hotel on the boardwalk so we could walk everywhere and it was awesome, I wish all vacations could be like that!

 

[TB'sWidow]

Just came back from a trip to Disney an for me it is maddening waiting an how long it takes for the bus to pick you etc. We almost missed magical express to go to the airport to leave from Disney springs as he has to stop at other resorts. Then the rush late at night an the cramming everyone in and I can no longer stand bad knees an hips I just can’t do it anymore. IMHO Disney makes so much money an the cost of staying on property they should be more efficient in the way these buses run. I second those that have used Lyft or Uber we did this one night leaving Hollywood studios it was the best $8.75 I have ever spent

 

[Searc]

Just came back from a trip to Disney an for me it is maddening waiting an how long it takes for the bus to pick you etc. We almost missed magical express to go to the airport to leave from Disney springs as he has to stop at other resorts. Then the rush late at night an the cramming everyone in and I can no longer stand bad knees an hips I just can’t do it anymore. IMHO Disney makes so much money an the cost of staying on property they should be more efficient in the way these buses run. I second those that have used Lyft or Uber we did this one night leaving Hollywood studios it was the best $8.75 I have ever spent

I have vacationed at Disney 2-3 times a year for the last 14 years. There is a lot I can criticize about Disney. Transportation is not one of them. Every single day, 365 days a year, they move tens of thousands of people to where they need to be. Every single trip, I marvel at the efficiency at park close. It is amazing if you really think about it.

 

[tinkerbellandeeyor]

Even if i did drive i would take a Disney bus i love the special touches to it

I mean how often do you hear welcome home i know i dont from my Lyft drivers at home

 

[amberpi]

We finally gave up on wdw resorts. We want 24 hour room service, a suite when we take the kids, and the babes are in love with this parrot at the Hyatt regency grand cypress (we stay at the royal pacific for universal trips which the kids say they like more - Harry Potter is a thing) and we just Uber. We get so much closer to the front entrance and with my slight disability that’s so much better. For mk, we Uber to the grand Floridian and then monorail over. My disability (I have balance issues) makes the darn busses with kids a nightmare.

We love that central fl has the Uber family option! Makes life so much easier!

 

[DeniseJH]

We always use the buses. Way back when we would rent a car, but haven't done that for many, many years. This way we can, and do, enjoy some wine with dinner with no worries. Plus I actually like riding on them. I get the window seat and just enjoy the view without having to assist the driver - which would be the case if we had rented a car. Yeah, sometimes there's a wait, but we know and expect it.

 

[Starport Seven-Five]

I prefer the buses to driving but they're not a highlight of any trip to say the least. They slightly take me out of the "magic" of Disney as I spent nearly a decade living in a major city riding public transit and the Disney buses aren't much different.

 

[low-key]

Its been years since I went to WDW, but the busses are better then driving , but really what I ended up doing was staying ay swan, dolphin, or hotels in that section, you could walk or take boat to Epcot and MGM, and at Epcot you could take monorail to Magic Kingdom

 

[Floridaman999]

I just use Uber. Don't have to deal with buses and don't have to drive. Win/win.

 

[pxidst119]

I hate standing on a sweaty, packed bus and stopping at multiple resorts. Just got back from a quick no car trip with DH. At Disney Springs we boarded an apparently full bus standing right behind the yellow line. Driver continued to load for 10 more min. People were grumbling about time spent waiting for the bus plus the long load time. We were absolutely packed in. Other people remained on the bus to yet another stop. I’d rather be sitting in the car with the seatbelt buckled.
On our last trip we drove from Epcot to our offsite hotel after fireworks in 15 min from the last firework. (This includes walking to the car). My mom and sister were still in line for the monorail to get to the contemporary. I love having a car in Disney.

 

[luvsJack]

First few trips we loved the buses. Well, dh did because he didn’t even have to look at the car for a full week. Still don’t mind them in the mornings going to the park. But one trip, one night leaving the parks there were so many people packed on that bus that we were in the back seats and the people standing would end up in our laps if there was a bump or curve they weren’t prepared for. Made me very claustrophobic and that’s not something that normally bothers me. We continued to deal with it and figured it was worth the trouble.

And then we went to universal! Stayed at Cabana Bay so took the bus. It was like heaven!!!! Comfortable and plenty of room! Even dh agreed no more Disney buses! So now we drive.

 

[klacey1]

Like others, our first few trips we loved the Disney buses. The music, being with other people who too were excited about their vacation. But my patience has run very, very thin over the past few years and unless a bus is less than 10 minutes away, I'm way more inclined to Uber. Or I'll pick an Epcot resort or the Contemporary to put us in walking distance of at least one park we spend a significant amount of time at.

We finally gave up on wdw resorts. We want 24 hour room service, a suite when we take the kids, and the babes are in love with this parrot at the Hyatt regency grand cypress (we stay at the royal pacific for universal trips which the kids say they like more - Harry Potter is a thing) and we just Uber. We get so much closer to the front entrance and with my slight disability that’s so much better. For mk, we Uber to the grand Floridian and then monorail over. My disability (I have balance issues) makes the darn busses with kids a nightmare.

We love that central fl has the Uber family option! Makes life so much easier!

We got married at that resort in May and absolutely loved it We paid for Merlot to come to our cocktail hour and our guests got such a kick out of taking pictures with him. My husband got to spend a decent amount of time enjoying the amenities with his friends and family before our wedding (I was over at Bay Lake Tower for my bachelorette!) and really enjoyed the gorgeous pool, basketball, volleyball, water sports, boating...definitely delivers a true high-end experience for significantly cheaper than a Disney Deluxe.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

We don't dislike the buses, in fact it was not in our plan to drive everyday when we stayed onsite (and right next to the main building right by the buses). That said we ended up driving everyday even while on site (5 WDW park days). We just found it more convenient, easier to rely on us not the bus itself, and with park hopping in mind it worked out great. The parking trams were normally right there when we pulled up too and we didn't find an issue with them.

I will say on average we like to drive on vacation. It actually stresses us out more to rely on other ways. We don't have a problem using public transit in NYC for instance or in D.C but many other places we just prefer driving ourselves. We pretty much always get a rental car too except in places where it's not practical.

 

[monarchsfan16]

I hate driving at Disney. I really don't enjoy driving in general, and drive hundreds of miles of year on the job, in addition to the thousands of miles a year I commute, so I'll take a break from that any time I can. Throw in less than stellar signage, and the fact that 90% of the other drivers in Disney have no clue where they're going and...no thanks! Plus, honestly, I see no point in paying for transportation when it is included in my stay. And at most points of the year, with a regular room only discount, I can stay onsite in a value cheaper than offsite with a rental car, in a hotel I would trust (Hampton Inn etc).

I really don't mind the buses. Do I love them? Well, no. But do I think they run well overall? Yes, absolutely. I have rarely (in recent years) waited more than 10 minutes for a bus to arrive. The longest I have waited in recent years was 20 minutes, which is what Disney advertises. The buses are clean, and they get me from point a to point b with minimal hassle. That's all I need.

 

[Kitty 34]

We were okay with the buses the first few years we went to WDW but did immensely enjoy using our rental the last few years we traveled there.

 

[rotlex]

We drive down every year and drive everywhere on property except MK. We HATE the buses for more reasons than I can count. We don’t like spending thousands of dollars to feel like a refugee, wait way too long for a bus at the end of a long day and then usually never get to sit for the ride back. I’ll take driving over riding every time.

Personally, now that Disney is charging for parking at resorts, I think you should be able to opt out of using their transportation and get free parking.

 

[ajlsjl]

I apologize, I didn't vote, because this wasn't a choice in the poll. I use my own car (well, rented car) more often than I do a bus, for two reasons: 1) I like being on my own time schedule, not Disney's; 2) I travel off property a lot. I will take a bus to places where parking is more difficult (Magic Kingdom!), but I use a car far more often.

I fully appreciate the "I'm on vacation and don't want to drive" mindset; I've been known to take a bus for that same reason. Not all the time, but I have had that same thought myself!

 

[cluvsdisney]

Not a fan of the buses...I don’t find “commuting” on vacation at all relaxing or enjoyable. The waiting, the lining up, the shuffling on and off the bus which is frequently crowded. ugh. It feels like going to work to me.

Having 2 parks within walking distance was one of the reasons we chose the Boardwalk as our home resort in DVC. We do take the bus to MK but hardly ever go to AK (maybe once every 4 trips). We drive or uber to other resorts for ADRs or to Disney Springs. It’s not a big deal for either of us to drive in & around Disney. They have good signage, we have gps on our phone and at this point it’s become familiar.