Downtown Disney Bus ?

[champdds]

My wife and I stayed at the Hotel Royal Plaza back in June '89. We are planning another trip with our three kids in October '02, at the HRP again. I do not recall there being any trouble with the bus shuttle system then at all, but I thought I read that since then (it was 12 years ago), that Disney is no longer in charge, and that the quality has suffered. Any insight ? If we opted to stay at POR (a thought), is Disney in charge of that bus service ?

Thanks
inkbounc

 

[MJames41]

The bus service from the Downtown Disney resorts is not run by Disney. The busses from POR is. From what I have heard, the difference is the location for drop off and pickup (in the middle of the parking lot for the Downtown Diney resorts) and the length of time between shuttles (I think it's supposed to be about every 20 minutes for Disney busses).

 

[Sandy Fisher]

The buses are shared by the hotels in the DD area, about 6 or 7 of them. The bus stops at each hotel going to and coming from the parks. They are not even close to being as regular as the Disney Transportation system. They will keep stopping and picking up people until the aisle is standing FULL.
Don't get me wrong, I have stood on the Disney buses too, but not as often and usually only on returning to the resort after park closing.
Also, the post about being picked up by the DD bus in the 'middle' of the parking lot isn't far off! And that's not fun when it's dark and you are standing somewhere out in the lot hoping you are standing in the right space for your bus.
If you are buying park passes, you can walk over to DD to the bus area and get the Disney buses to the parks, etc. They are all marked. When we stayed at the Grosvenor, that's what I did after the first day. Of course when you are going to MK from DD, I believe you go to the TTC instead of the MK entrance.
Maybe someone else can tell you for sure because when we were at the Gr. it was in 1999.