Disney Transportation

[Hayliesmom]

Does anyone know how long the busses run. I've heard one hour after closing. I thought I had read that they run at all the parks until 1 hour after the last park closes but a cast member told me that if Animal Kingdom closes at 8 then the last bus would run at 9. I'm concerned because we have reservations at Rainforest Cafe at Animal Kingdom for 830. I want to make sure we can get back to our hotel!

 

[bigskip]

Disney Transport will get you home. The last bus leaves after the last guest does, not before. You may have to go via other resorts, but they will get you home.

Ask any bus driver.

Hope this sets your mind at rest.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

Disney Transport will get you home . . .

1) But, they may have to dispatch another bus.
2) Waits have been up-to-and over one hour for a non-scheduled bus.
3) This does not include the time stop at other resorts before yours.
4) So, you could wait a long time and then sit on a bus a long time.

5) Worst case scenario:
. . . you eat form 8:30pm-9:30pm
. . . you get back to your resort by 11:30pm

 

[goofy4tink]

We had a group of us eating at RFC, at AK. Our ADR was right around park closing...maybe 15 or so mins before. We took our time eating, and left the restaurant about 2 hrs after the park had closed. There was a bus, sitting right there, up close to the walkway. We were asked where we were going, told him AKL-Kidani. He told us to hop on board! We were the only people on that bus! So nice.

 

[abner1776]

As the PP said, we also have found the bus drivers to be exceedingly generous and willing to help out.
We were staying at BWV and just missed the bus to AK. Almost immediately another bus to AK came by and we were the only guests on the bus. We began talking with the driver and we said we were actually heading over to AKL for dinner...rather than go to AK, driver dropped us off at the AKL.
Given the right circumstances, the drivers will generally try to help you out.

 

[Masonmj84]

While this is somewhat off-topic from the OPs question, keep in mind that after park closing, Disney busses may not take you back TO a park (even though the busses will still be taking people FROM that park after park closing).

For example, last year we were staying at BC and had a dinner at AKL. After dinner, my plan was to catch the HS bus and then walk (or take the boat) from there to BC (we couldn't use the EP bus because we didn't have hoppers and had visited a different park that day).

Dinner at AKL ended up taking longer than we expected and we didn't finish until around 8:15. HS closed at 8 but I figured we could still catch an HS bus, which were still running to take guests from the park back to the resort. When a HS bus arrived around 8:30, the driver informed us that he was not allowed to take us back to HS because the park was closed and that, in our situation, we would have to take either a DTD or MK bus and then transfer from there to a BC/YC bus.

We ended up springing for a cab.

 

[OKSTATE99]

We stage buses just for guests eating at the Rainforest Cafe.

And I do tell guests the buses, run until one hour after the park closes, which is normally the case, and yes we will take all our guests home, but hate to be the one guest that got missed when doing the closing security sweep. So to be safe always try and be out as soon as possible. Plus us drivers cant go home till the park is clear. FYI.

 

[VikingInMouseEars]

I have alway found Disney bus drivers very willing to help. In Sept we had been to Trails End and after riding the bus back to the front of FW were decding which park bus to get on to go catch our resort bus.. We were heading to Pop Century. The MK bus arrived and we were the only ones boarding and made small talk with the driver and over the course of conversation it was mentioned that we were actually heading to Pop and the driver immediately called dispatch and got permission to take us directly to Pop. Had other drivers so us favors like that, but never before when it meant taking us all the way to the other side of the property.

 

[goofy4tink]

We stage buses just for guests eating at the Rainforest Cafe.

And I do tell guests the buses, run until one hour after the park closes, which is normally the case, and yes we will take all our guests home, but hate to be the one guest that got missed when doing the closing security sweep. So to be safe always try and be out as soon as possible. Plus us drivers cant go home till the park is clear. FYI.

Thanks! It has been my experience that drivers won't strand you. If a park is closed, there is no way I would try to head there to get back to my resort....last resort would be heading to DTD, which I hate.

 

[cigar95]

How is it handled if a guest has a car at a park, leaves the park by bus to dine at a resort, then has to return to their car after the park has closed?

Should the guest speak to the resort front desk to make arrangements? This is probably not common, but it happened to us once and I don't recall how it finally resolved. All I can remember is that eventually we were the only ones on a bus with a driver who managed to get lost between CBR and Epcot, taking the strangest route we could imagine.

 

[siskaren]

Since you have a car, I would say just drive your car to the resort.

 

[cigar95]

Since you have a car, I would say just drive your car to the resort.

Yeah, but I'm wondering "what if . . . ?" I was already at CBR by that point and the car was still at Epcot.

 

[joelkfla]

How is it handled if a guest has a car at a park, leaves the park by bus to dine at a resort, then has to return to their car after the park has closed?

Should the guest speak to the resort front desk to make arrangements? This is probably not common, but it happened to us once and I don't recall how it finally resolved. All I can remember is that eventually we were the only ones on a bus with a driver who managed to get lost between CBR and Epcot, taking the strangest route we could imagine.

If buses are still taking Guests home from a park, drivers are allowed to take Guests back to a closed park if the Guest specifically says they are returning to a car parked there.

I haven't driven nights for a few years, so I don't know what the "official" procedure is after the buses from that park have stopped running completely. I would suggest talking to any bus driver, who could radio their coordinator for instructions.