Disney Transportation - What went wrong?

[starboard]

Hi, I was at WDW the other day and ran into a problem. So here was my scenario.

1) Parked a the Boardwalk Resort
2) Walked to MGM studios
3) Took Disney Bus to Polynesian then Monorail to WDW
4) Watched Fireworks and left park by Monorail to transportation center.
5) Now how do you get back to the boardwalk?

Here was what we did. Went to bus area and go on the only bus we could find that would be close, the MGM Studios bus... it dropped us off to a closed parks bus area and we found NO OTHER BUSSES. We had to walk back to the boarwalk from MGM. I thought maybe the boats would be running from MGM to the EPCOT resorts (no sign of them). So we walked back, but it was a long day and a big trip. I've never been a big fan of busses... and the one we were on has no AC.. to boot (strange why?). I like park hopping and had assumed you could take a bus between all resorts or atleast between major destinations. So what can I do better next time?

 

[mmeb144]

From the MK, take the bus to the Boardwalk resort.

Marie

 

[seashoreCM]

You should not have gone to the Trans. Center (TTC)after the fireworks. All the resort buses leave directly from the park entrance area.

The MGM bus from TTC you took was for people who left their cars in the MGM lot and went somewhere else for the evening.

It would have been nice if the driver announced that MGM was closed, for good measure.

Still, don't try to make a bus connection at a park that has closed.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

Never put soda pop in a baby bottle.

 

[1HourAway]

What can you do next time???

Pay the $6.00 to park in the parking lot at MGM!

 

[Chuck S]

Perhaps not reading the signs requesting you not park at the resorts for theme parks was your problem?

 

[safetymom]

Just an FYI- it is $8.00 to park at the theme parks for those that aren't onsite guests.

 

[Steve Hurley]

Originally posted by Chuck S
Perhaps not reading the signs requesting you not park at the resorts for theme parks was your problem?

The Dis Boards are here to help people with their questions and people like you and 1HourAway piss me off when you flame people for asking a question. The Boardwalk is a destination with attractions not just a resort area and anyone can park there and park hop just like any of the theme parks. You two need to get a life

 

[beattyfamily]

Originally posted by Steve Hurley


The Dis Boards are here to help people with their questions and people like you and 1HourAway piss me off when you flame people for asking a question. The Boardwalk is a destination with attractions not just a resort area and anyone can park there and park hop just like any of the theme parks. You two need to get a life

Well, IMHO, your post was much nastier than the 2 posters you are referring to.

It always amazes me how upset people get when others only point out the obvious or are just reminding someone of Disney's policy.

 

[Steve Hurley]

Originally posted by beattyfamily
Well, IMHO, your posts was much nastier than the 2 posters you are referring to.

It always amazes me how upset people get when others only point out the obvious or are just reminding someone of Disney's policy.

It wasn't what they said but how they said it...but IMHO that type of attitude doesn't belong...enough said.

 

[Chuck S]

Originally posted by Steve Hurley


The Boardwalk is a destination with attractions not just a resort area and anyone can park there and park hop just like any of the theme parks. You two need to get a life

The Boardwalk is indeed a destination/attraction, but DISNEY does have SIGNS requesting people NOT to park there for theme park access.

 

[safetymom]

This is a friendly board. Please watch the way you respond to questions. Sometimes our words sound harsher because we can't see the person behind them.

Please keep it nice or the thread will have to be locked. Thank you.

 

[WDSearcher]

Originally posted by Steve Hurley
The Boardwalk is a destination with attractions not just a resort area and anyone can park there and park hop just like any of the theme parks.

Actually ... that's not entirely true. The Boardwalk is indeed a destination, but with the exception of a couple of the restaurants, none of the "attractions" there are open during the day except for ESPN Club, and that doesn't open until 11:30am. The parking lots at all the resorts are designed for people utilizing that resort during the time they're parked there. If the OP parked there to have breakfast at Spoodles and then decided to leave the car while they walked over to MGM, it's not technically proper, but you can make a case for it since they utilized a Boardwalk area. If, however, they parked there, didn't utilize any of the Boardwalk area except the parking lot, and then walked to the parks to avoid paying for parking, then you can't.

And, as Chuck S said, Disney has signs posted at all resorts with park access -- such as Contemporary, Poly, Boardwalk, etc -- requesting that guests not park there for theme park access.

 

[Muziqal]

I agree with Steve! Those are the kind of guests that really piss Cast Members off as well. The ones who stick their nose in everyone else's vacation, the ones who complain about the Brazilian tour groups, the ones who criticize other familes for the way they tour the happiest place on earth and the ones who judge other people.

Not every guest has as much $ as the family staying at the GF, not every family has the leisure of taking a 3 week holiday, not every family gets to go to WDW every year...

So a question from the family who wants to park at the Boardwalk for the day shouldn't be followed by an air of condescension. God, there are way worse things that happen in Disney World...and if you're that concerned with all of the issues, go get a job with WDW security, patrol the parking lots of resorts and mark every guest you think might be really parking there to avoid paying $8. Or man the drink station in the resorts and look for second hand mugs. And after you're done your shift, collect your pay cheque averaging $8/hr and go home and flame families on this board who are planning their vacation techniques. Then when you've completely illiminated the vactioning family's ambition to save a few bucks on an outrageously expensive trip to begin with, maybe you can start focusing on the other risks that plague WDW (ie; merchandise theft, ticketing schemes, lost kids, etc.).

Who are you to judge?...go pay your $8 to park and mind your own business.

I really like these boards (from a curiosity standpoint and from a former cast member love for the place). They've helped me plan my trip next week and given me good insight I couldn't see even after living there for a year. It's ridiculous, but there are always the message board geeks who have to rain on everyone's parade no matter which message board you're on, aren't there?

My last boss had a good philosophy for in the office - worry about your own work and forget about what everyone else is doing if it bothers you. If it bothers me (let's say 'me' is Disney in this scenario), then I'll deal with it.

 

[starboard]

Hi, I thank everyone for trying to help answer my question without flaming me. I thought my feelings were gonna be hurt for a moment... well, not really.

The question for those trying to throw this topic off track was how to get from the MK after the fireworks and back to the boardwalk resort. Regardless of how, or why you needed to be there.

I did exit the monorail and walk to the left which was the BUSSES sign, but only saw mention of themeparks and no resort busses anywhere. What If i wanted to go to club ESPN or the Atlantic City Dance?

Thank you for a great forum and for the moderator's help. I appreciate the service.

 

[1HourAway]

I believe the original poster asked the following question:

So what can I do better next time?

I simply replied to his question.

Pay to park in the MGM parking lot.

That would have avoided all of his hassles. From MGM he could have taken a Disney bus to the MK. When he got off the bus, he then would have known where to get a bus back to MGM.

I did not "flame" the poster. Just answered his question.

 

[DebbieB]

Originally posted by Muziqal
I agree with Steve! Those are the kind of guests that really piss Cast Members off as well. The ones who stick their nose in everyone else's vacation, the ones who complain about the Brazilian tour groups, the ones who criticize other familes for the way they tour the happiest place on earth and the ones who judge other people.

Not every guest has as much $ as the family staying at the GF, not every family has the leisure of taking a 3 week holiday, not every family gets to go to WDW every year...

So a question from the family who wants to park at the Boardwalk for the day shouldn't be followed by an air of condescension. God, there are way worse things that happen in Disney World...and if you're that concerned with all of the issues, go get a job with WDW security, patrol the parking lots of resorts and mark every guest you think might be really parking there to avoid paying $8. Or man the drink station in the resorts and look for second hand mugs. And after you're done your shift, collect your pay cheque averaging $8/hr and go home and flame families on this board who are planning their vacation techniques. Then when you've completely illiminated the vactioning family's ambition to save a few bucks on an outrageously expensive trip to begin with, maybe you can start focusing on the other risks that plague WDW (ie; merchandise theft, ticketing schemes, lost kids, etc.).

Who are you to judge?...go pay your $8 to park and mind your own business.

I really like these boards (from a curiosity standpoint and from a former cast member love for the place). They've helped me plan my trip next week and given me good insight I couldn't see even after living there for a year. It's ridiculous, but there are always the message board geeks who have to rain on everyone's parade no matter which message board you're on, aren't there?

My last boss had a good philosophy for in the office - worry about your own work and forget about what everyone else is doing if it bothers you. If it bothers me (let's say 'me' is Disney in this scenario), then I'll deal with it.

I stayed at BWV last week and rode round and round in the parking lot about 5:00pm on Friday trying to find a space. There were a bunch of other cars also looking for spots. We finally gave up and used valet. So people who park there against the rules and then go to MGM or Epcot became my problem. I just wish they would create a separate lot or a separate section of the lot for BW resort guests only. Or direct non-WDW resort guests to the unguarded lot across the street.

 

[GaryWT]

When leaving MK, the monorail is to the right, the boats straight ahead and the buses to the left. There is an entire row of bus stops for all the resorts, just get in the right line and you would be set.

 

[Muziqal]

Quote:

I stayed at BWV last week and rode round and round in the parking lot about 5:00pm on Friday trying to find a space. There were a bunch of other cars also looking for spots. We finally gave up and used valet. So people who park there against the rules and then go to MGM or Epcot became my problem. I just wish they would create a separate lot or a separate section of the lot for BW resort guests only. Or direct non-WDW resort guests to the unguarded lot across the street.

Reply:

So go put your suggestion in the suggestion box. Disney can only help you if you indicate that you have a problem. In no way am I debating ethics, but I am debating logic. You can't speculate who is parking there against suggestion...and you can't reprimand those who do for taking advantage of an unregulated system; that's security's job, not yours. Suggest your parking lot issues and, for the time being, deal with the fact that anyone is able to park there. What do you suggest as a course of action for regulation...that Disney issue parking tickets? If it were really a problem that Disney saw they had to fix by way of regulation, all they would have to do is set up a gate with a room card reader...you throw your card in the machine and the gate lets you in. Why haven't they done that? It doesn't take a genius to think of solutions to fix a real problem...and it's up to Disney to decide what the 'real' problems with their world are, right?

 

[WDSearcher]

Originally posted by Muziqal
Then when you've completely illiminated the vactioning family's ambition to save a few bucks on an outrageously expensive trip to begin with, maybe you can start focusing on the other risks that plague WDW (ie; merchandise theft, ticketing schemes, lost kids, etc.).

You know ... honestly ... if WDW is too expensive for you, don't go. Not everyone can afford a WDW vacation, but I don't remember it being listed as an inalienable right either.

However, if you do choose to go to WDW on vacation, you should do so knowing what it's going to cost and be ready to pay for those things. There are ways to do WDW on a budget without breaking rules. The self-righteous stuff about going to work in Security if you want to keep people who can't afford WDW from breaking the rules to help pay for their enormously expensive vacation is really uncalled for. What you're saying is that if you don't have enough money to go somewhere or buy something, it's okay if you figure out a way to skirt the rules to get what you want and that no one should say anything, because it's none of their business. So ... to use your same idea in another situation, if I really want that expensive leather jacket or Prada shoes, I should be able to put a fake SALE tag on them so I can get them. And if someone else sees me and makes a comment about it, that person should just mind their own business and not fault me for it because that stuff is SO expensive and there's nothing wrong with trying to save a little money. Is that accurate? Or is it only at places like Disney that stuff like that is OK?

 

[WDSearcher]

Originally posted by Muziqal
If it were really a problem that Disney saw they had to fix by way of regulation, all they would have to do is set up a gate with a room card reader...you throw your card in the machine and the gate lets you in. Why haven't they done that?

Probably because Disney has, historically, trusted their Guests to follow the rules and be truthful. They know not everyone is, but they like to believe they are, and probably the vast majority of Guests really do follow the rules and pay for the things they're supposed to pay for. And to set up a policy like the one you recommend punishes the many for the acts of the few. Besides, if someone really wants to break the rules, a gate with a room card reader isn't going to stop them, you know?