Disney Springs Hotels - Independent Teens

[3gr8boys]

I have never seriously considered staying outside the Disney bubble....but feel compelled by the potential price tag of our Feb 2020 vacation to look at the Disney Springs Hotels.... specifically the DoubleTree Suites. (I am not willing to give up 60 day FP+ window and do not want to drive to parks.) We park hop daily and tend to split up....including the possibility of teens heading back to our WDW resort without a parent. I feel comfortable letting the teens roam in the Disney bubble- for those of you with a similar family/touring dynamic, do you feel the park to DoubleTree bus service is likely to feel as reliable/safe/navigable?

ETA boys traveling with us will be 13 and 17.
A more general (and subjective?) follow up question....as someone who has gladly relied on Disney resort-to-park buses and was looking forward to staying at a Skyliner resort, will I be disappointed by the transportation if we stay at the DoubleTree?

(FWIW I know many folks enjoy the restaurants etc, but proximity to DS is not a selling point for us)

 

[HopperFan]

How old would help .... 14 vs 19 is a big difference ... those who have used the bus to report their view. We drive from the resorts as parking at parks is free for us.

I have stayed at DTS many times, my kids grew up going to Disney and traveled there with school groups starting at age 14. I would be totally comfortable with my kids using the bus with strict - no detours - rules in place. Honestly even when staying in Disney hotel a kid could bus to Disney Springs and wander away towards offsite areas. It depends on kids independence and ability to trust them.

 

[3gr8boys]

How old would help .... 14 vs 19 is a big difference ... those who have used the bus to report their view. We drive from the resorts as parking at parks is free for us.

I have stayed at DTS many times, my kids grew up going to Disney and traveled there with school groups starting at age 14. I would be totally comfortable with my kids using the bus with strict - no detours - rules in place. Honestly even when staying in Disney hotel a kid could bus to Disney Springs and wander away towards offsite areas. It depends on kids independence and ability to trust them.

Thanks for the feedback. The boys traveling with us will be 17 and 13. 17 year old is really a no brainer....I guess the real crux of my question is -
As I plan for the trip and have to decide how much freedom to give to DS13, will the DoubleTree resort buses be similar to the WDW resort buses I am familiar with?

 

[HopperFan]

Thanks for the feedback. The boys traveling with us will be 17 and 13. 17 year old is really a no brainer....I guess the real crux of my question is -
As I plan for the trip and have to decide how much freedom to give to DS13, will the DoubleTree resort buses be similar to the WDW resort buses I am familiar with?

This is where folks who have used the buses can help. They are a dedicated bus system just for the Disney Springs resorts so you wouldn't have any others on the bus or them stopping anywhere else.

Would they stay together? If so then I would be fine with it. Hopefully some others who used the buses will chime in.

 

[writerguyfl]

It's tough for me to judge appropriateness for kids/teens because I don't have any. Perhaps I grew up in a different age, but at 13 I was responsible for biking the 2 miles to/from school every day. (Uphill, too! Although just in one direction.) I only got a ride if it was raining. Riding by myself on a bus at 13 would have been fine, too.

As for the Disney Springs Bus, I've used it literally hundreds of times in the past 5+ years. I've never seen anything bad or dangerous happen. It's basically a bunch of people minding their own business with their faces glued to their phones.

If it helps, the buses are run by Mears Transportation. Mears has been a Disney transportation partner for decades. They run Disney's Magical Express service as well as Disney Cruise Line buses. It's not a fly-by-night company. The bus drivers have been vetted. In the unlikely event the bus has a mechanical problem, Mears can have a replacement bus/driver show up within a few minutes.

Finally, I appreciate the fact that the Disney Springs Buses run on a schedule. During the day, they are almost always right on time. The end of the day tends to be less punctual. Although, that lateness is virtually always due to traffic leaving the theme parks and not because of any problems with the bus or drivers.

 

[3gr8boys]

It's tough for me to judge appropriateness for kids/teens because I don't have any. Perhaps I grew up in a different age, but at 13 I was responsible for biking the 2 miles to/from school every day. (Uphill, too! Although just in one direction.) I only got a ride if it was raining. Riding by myself on a bus at 13 would have been fine, too.

As for the Disney Springs Bus, I've used it literally hundreds of times in the past 5+ years. I've never seen anything bad or dangerous happen. It's basically a bunch of people minding their own business with their faces glued to their phones.

If it helps, the buses are run by Mears Transportation. Mears has been a Disney transportation partner for decades. They run Disney's Magical Express service as well as Disney Cruise Line buses. It's not a fly-by-night company. The bus drivers have been vetted. In the unlikely event the bus has a mechanical problem, Mears can have a replacement bus/driver show up within a few minutes.

Finally, I appreciate the fact that the Disney Springs Buses run on a schedule. During the day, they are almost always right on time. The end of the day tends to be less punctual. Although, that lateness is virtually always due to traffic leaving the theme parks and not because of any problems with the bus or drivers.

I grew up in that time too....rode my bike to elementary and middle school in Gainesville seems far away and a long time ago, but thinking about it provides a little perspective.

I have been doing a little more reading about the Disney Springs Hotels.... uncovered bus stops far from entrances is definitely a con. Talk to me about having to go through the TTC for MK....is it inconvenient at time consuming??

 

[Woodview]

To check out your concerns ..... here is an idea .

( 1 ) You live in Gainesville ( Florida ... ... yes ) so why not take a short break ..... overnighter to Disney Springs

and suss out the area yourself.

Stay at one of the Motels at the Junction of Hwy 27 & I -4 ... and then drive to Disney Springs & park in the

Free car parking Houses & then take a few Free bus trips to check out your concerns

Then you would have correct information and stop worrying yourself

 

[3gr8boys]

To check out your concerns ..... here is an idea .

( 1 ) You live in Gainesville ( Florida ... ... yes ) so why not take a short break ..... overnighter to Disney Springs

and suss out the area yourself.

Stay at one of the Motels at the Junction of Hwy 27 & I -4 ... and then drive to Disney Springs & park in the

Free car parking Houses & then take a few Free bus trips to check out your concerns

Then you would have correct information and stop worrying yourself

Great idea....except I live in Connecticut now but thanks for the response

 

[writerguyfl]

I have been doing a little more reading about the Disney Springs Hotels.... uncovered bus stops far from entrances is definitely a con.

The lack of cover from sun and rain is certainly a con.

In terms of distance from the entrance to theme parks, it's not that bad. At Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios, you're maybe looking at an extra 100 feet (30 meters) walk when compared to the furthest Disney Resort bus stop. I haven't personally seen the latest iteration of the set-up at Disney's Animal Kingdom. But, based on maps, I'd say the Disney Springs Hotels bus stop might be slightly closer than some Disney Resort bus stops.

That said, don't forget the walk (or lack of walk) on the other end of the trip. The bus stop at the DoubleTree Suites is literally less than 10 feet from the building. Yet, at some Disney Resorts, you may have to walk a significant distance to get from the bus stop to your room if you end up getting assigned to a far-flung building at a value or moderate Disney Resort.

Talk to me about having to go through the TTC for MK....is it inconvenient at time consuming??

I'm not going to lie...it's annoying on repeated visits. When I do get annoyed, I remind myself of the cost savings I get when staying at a Disney Springs Hotel. Generally speaking, the cost spent at the hotel is almost always MUCH cheaper than the equivalent lodging at a Disney Resort. For example, if you want a one-bedroom suite (or the equivalent in physical space) at a Disney Resort, you'll probably pay hundreds of dollars more per night.

If that doesn't work, you could always budget a few taxi rides into your trip cost. (Personally, I find the detour to the Transportation and Ticket Center most annoying when I'm leaving Magic Kingdom.) You'll still probably come out ahead in terms of overall cost.

 

[shocker]

We stayed at the DS Holiday Inn July 2018. DS then 15 went from park to hotel or back on his own a few times. Sometimes he decided to visit a different park than us or sometimes he decided to stay in a park longer than us. But, he's been to these parks many times (we don't use maps to get around), I had a copy of the bus schedule & locations for each member of our party & we all have a cell phone to stay in touch.