disney transportation onsite?

[collegejunkie]

dbf and i are taking a short (for us) trip in december for a week. we would normally drive and stay 2 weeks but i need to be overseas soon after so i don't have that much time. we're looking into flying and staying on property. my biggest concern is getting around wdw with just buses and things.

can you tell me about how reliable they are, how often they come, and if how often they come is affected by what resort you stay at?

please tell me anything you know about the transportation situation in values and moderates. if it is significantly better at deluxes, we don't mind that.

also, if you know, please give input on swan and dolphin as well. we know we can walk to epcot and dhs, but what about getting to mk?

 

[tlhbdm]

dbf and i are taking a short (for us) trip in december for a week. we would normally drive and stay 2 weeks but i need to be overseas soon after so i don't have that much time. we're looking into flying and staying on property. my biggest concern is getting around wdw with just buses and things.

can you tell me about how reliable they are, how often they come, and if how often they come is affected by what resort you stay at?

please tell me anything you know about the transportation situation in values and moderates. if it is significantly better at deluxes, we don't mind that.

also, if you know, please give input on swan and dolphin as well. we know we can walk to epcot and dhs, but what about getting to mk?

I have gone to WDW 12 times and I'm 23 years old, I've never stayed off site and we have always depended on Disney transportation. Yes you might have to wait longer for a bus in the morning and at night at the bigger resorts but they say buses come every 20 minutes, so don't be worried about depending on Disney transportation.

As for the values, I've only stayed at Pop and the buses were ok, I do remember at night though having to wait for a couple of buses. As for moderates its been a few years since I've stayed moderate and if I remember correctly the bus situation wasn't so bad and we went at prime spring break time.

So don't worry about bus transportation. You will get other answers though. Have fun!

 

[Jestocost]

Bus service to all of the resorts is pretty much the same, with buses to all parks running about every 20 minutes during park hours and starting an hour before. They run slightly less often in the early morning for ADRs, but sometimes run more often during busy times or day (like coming home at park closing) or times of year. Every resort except for POP either has multiple internal bus stops (CBR, SSR, POR, etc.) or shares bus service with one or more other resorts. No level of resort really has any better or worse bus service (consistently) than any level of other resort.

The biggest difference with the deluxe resorts (except for AKL) is that you have an alternative form of transportation to one or more parks. The monorail resorts obviously have the monorail to MK and Epcot (with a change at the TTC for the Epcot monorail), plus the Poly and GF have boat service to MK. From the CR you can walk to MK. The Epcot resorts (YC/BC, BWI and S/D) all are within walking distance of Epcot and DHS and also have boat service to those two parks. WL has boat service to the MK.

There also is some form of reasonably direct park-to-park transportation from each park to the others. The exception is that any transport between the MK and another park requires a transfer at the TTC, with ferry boat or monorail service between the MK and TTC.

Going from resort to resort in most cases requires a transfer at a park or DTD. The exception to that is going from monorail resort to monorail resort, between the CR and WL (boat), between the GF and Poly (walk or boat), between POR and POFQ (walk or boat), or among the Epcot resorts (walk or boat).

Going between DTD and the parks requires a transfer at a resort.

As far a S/D specifically, you can walk or take a boat to both Epcot and DHS. Going to the MK or AKL will require a bus, which you sometimes will share with one or more of the other Epcot resorts. One drawback to S/D is that you do not have access to Disney's Magical Express service from or to the airport.

 

[msminnieears]

I realize it says that buses depart every 20mins but from experience they come much quicker than that. During your busier time buses tend to come more frequently. The longest I have ever had to wait on a bus was 20mins.
* From my experience the deluxe resorts are the best, then mods, then value. The AS resorts all share the same buses and there are lots of people and can be standing room only going and coming home at night. The mods aren't as bad but our last visit to POR the buses were pretty packed and sometimes is was standing room only but the buses rides to the parks were shorter(10mins to get to MK,EPCOT, HS) much longer from AS. The deluxe (CR) was not crowded with no standing of course you only have monorail to MK and EPCOT.
* Sometimes it can get a little tricky to go to other resorts. You have to first go to a park then catch a ride to a resort that way but not that big of a deal just a little planning.
All in all I would not do it any other way. I wouldn't drive to the parks and park in the parking lots etc. too much of a hassle getting around WDW. Love Disney transportation.

 

[creativeamanda]

I think most of the resorts the transportaion is okay, but the worst two I have experienced were coming back fron MK to Port Orleans-Riverside (always standing room only) and from the Contemporary to DTD. Multiple stops was the big problem there.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

The only bus route that seems to take forever from the Deluxe Resorts is the one that goes to Downtown Disney.

 

[aubriee]

I've stayed at all three levels and find that CSR consistently has the best bus service of any WDW (Value, Moderate, or Deluxe). The worst bus service we've ever had was at Pop, CBR, and AKL, so I don't really think the level of resort makes that much difference. We like the Epcot resorts though because of the boats/walkway to both Epcot and DS. The only time you have to ride a bus from those resorts is to get to AK, MK, and DTD. It seems like all the resorts have bad service to DTD though.

 

[larryz]

There are billions of people who do exactly what you're planning, and they love it!

I'd do it too, if I weren't such a control freak. And we HAVE relied on Disney transport in past trips.

Just remember to build in enough time to get to where you need to be. Plan on being an hour ahead of schedule, and everything will work out just fine.

If you cut it too close, that's where the stress and bother starts.

 

[RescueRanger]

Even though we drive, we always use Disney transportation. It's my vacation too, and I do enough driving when I am not on vacation. It is fairly efficient. I will warn you about the Epcot resorts like Swolphin though. On the busses to MK and AK, you share with all of the rest of the Epcot resorts. It is totally ridiculous that deluxe resorts do not have their own busses.

 

[collegejunkie]

thanks for the responses! because several people said pop might not be good for buses, which of the other values are better for buses? does it matter if we get a standard or preferred room?

 

[maxiesmom]

thanks for the responses! because several people said pop might not be good for buses, which of the other values are better for buses? does it matter if we get a standard or preferred room?

All a preferred room gets you is closer to the bus stop at the resort. It makes no difference in how you board the bus.

In reality, you should just pick the resort that has the theme you like best. I have stayed at all levels of Disney resorts, and all resorts can have bus issues from time to time. Usually though things go smoothly.

 

[Robin K]

We have stayed at POR and CSR. While there has not been any big problems with POR, CSR has the better bus service.
We love leaving the driving to someone else. It's nice to get into an airconditioned bus and close my eyes a bit and leave the stress of driving to someone else...
The longest waits I think for any resort, is after the firework shows. No matter what resort or park, everyone is leaving and wanting to get home so the wait is the longest.
Good luck

 

[jgates]

And as a follow-up comment to Robin K - this is why we always 'stroll' out of the park. We spend our time wandering through the shops on Main St, the big huge store at the front of Epcot, the shops in DHS etc. By the time we wander through the shops & window-shop, you can walk onto the bus. Our window shopping is part of our vacation too!