***EPCOT Resorts- New Bus Routes***

[RobDoc]

Originally posted by IndyScott
Forgive me if I have missed something, but it seems to me they are adding a new ROUTE. This doesn't necessarily mean new/more buses?

For example - let's assume 4 buses are running the AK-Epcot Resorts route currently. The change could simply be 2 for AK-BW/SW/DO and 2 for AK-YC/BC.

This wouldn't necessarily lead to any improvement in time to arrive at the park. Just shift wait time from riding the bus to waiting by the curb. It WOULD improve the situation of being the last stop and the bus being full, though. However, only at peak times when there are many getting on and none getting off at each stop.

The stated goal for Disney Transportation is to have a bus return to each stop within 20 minutes all day long. They often do better than that (and sometimes miss that goal).

If they use the same number of buses but double up on the trips, they will fail miserably at the 20 minute goal - for all 5 Epcot Resorts.

If the resorts ask for the buses to run on a schedule contrary to the usual pattern, I'm sure Transportation could easily comply, but I doubt many guests would be pleased with a 35-45 minute wait.

 

[wordzylady]

We will be home next week at BWV, so we'll be anxious to see how the change works.

 

[AEN]

Thank you for this information. When I brought into BCV in 9/2002, it was one of the things that I had concerns about and have voiced since. Not only does this help BCV, but also BWV.

As I said in the past, I was at BWV and watched bus loads (too capacity) go by. Without having the chance to get on.

 

[BWVDee]

6 days to go until I am back in the land of Mickey!! Can't wait to try the new transportation schedule for the Epcot resorts.

 

[erikthewise]

Hallelujah!
At least they're trying, and it has a reasonable chance of being a great improvement. I'll take their use statistics over room counts anyday.

For the moment, I don't care about dues. If it improves bus service at Epcot resorts, it's worth it.

 

[cheyita]

Hurray!!! This is great news indeed! Thanks for the info.

 

[Poorman]

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but I went to AK today from BWV and the trip back was the same old route. No change,there was only 10 people on the bus and we stopped at all 5 resorts. We also stopped at Blizzard Beach both ways,there was only 15 cars in the parking lot,it was raining.

Sorry.

Rich

 

[PKS44]

Could it be the new bus lines only go into effect during busier times? I would imagine things are pretty slow now after the holiday weekend.

Thanks for the up to date info, poorman

Paul

 

[GrimGhost]

Let's keep this up top and hope people coming home will keep us all up to speed on this fluid situation!!

Oh and thanks Doc! and Paul!

 

[bjakmom]

I am crossing my fingers that this will happen - we left BWV on the 16th and, even in the slow season, the combined bus route takes forever !! You still have to stop at every resort even if there is no one on the bus to get off or on (of course I understand that they have to do this, but my point is that it takes almost as long no matter the season, minus the time to load/unload) - I would be so happy to see them rectify this - everyone on the buses while I was there was complaining about it - several new people were just shocked !

 

[PKS44]

Originally posted by bjakmom
- I would be so happy to see them rectify this - everyone on the buses while I was there was complaining about it - several new people were just shocked !

I hope they write to complain--they seem to pay attention to written complaints--

Paul

 

[Poorman]

We went to MK today. We were the first to be picked up today and the last to be dropped off. I don't think that is an improvement. A lot of people were complaining about the bus service at the bus stop. Some people were waiting 45 minutes for a bus to AK. The crowds at MK were very high, not what I expected.

If there is any change I will report back.

PS The bus drivers aren't very friendly anymore, they don't even speak to anyone unless we speak first. Just an observation.

 

[PKS44]

Originally posted by Poorman
We went to MK today. We were the first to be picked up today and the last to be dropped off. I don't think that is an improvement. A lot of people were complaining about the bus service at the bus stop. Some people were waiting 45 minutes for a bus to AK. The crowds at MK were very high, not what I expected.

If there is any change I will report back.

PS The bus drivers aren't very friendly anymore, they don't even speak to anyone unless we speak first. Just an observation.

poorman-
was that first to be picked up before Swan and Dolphin and then Yacht and beach? or just with Swan and Dolphin? or was it still all 5 resort stops?

Paul

 

[Corinne]

WOOHOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[kathleena]

When I stayed at BCV in Oct the MK and the AK buses did not stop at the S&D - they went straight to the Yacht Club every time. And the S&D bus stop at the MK was a different one from the Y&B and BWV. I didn't notice at the AK, but it must have been the same. That was the end of Oct.

I had reported this on the board when I came back, but then someone who was there the first week in Nov said they rode it and it did stop at the S&D.

So maybe it is a revolving schedule according to the day/time/whatever.

 

[MinnieGi]

We'll be arriving at BWV on Feb. 1st - I hope we see the bus changes in effect!

 

[BWVDee]

S/D is part of the BWV/YC/BC route during certain times of the day. During early am hours many times S/D is not part of the route.

 

[Poorman]

Just got back from MK ,saw Wishes,great!!! And Spectro.

The crowds were July like.

Took the Monorail over ,took 50 minutes from BWV ,through Epcot,on to MK.

The trip back we took the bus,same route,S/D first Y/BC then BWV.

We got off at the Swan and were in our room 5 minutes before the bus got to the stop. (We are across from the bus stop.)



One word for the bus situation at BWV,it S**KS.

And yes ,they picked us up first and then went to the S/D etc.

We were on the bus a long time.

 

[d-r]

I was thinking about what would be the better guest experience - I wonder what would seem better -

Say, for simplicity sake, that there were two busses that were going between the epcot resorts and AK on a given afternoon. Would the guest experience be better if both busses ran to all the resorts - so the bus came more often, but you had more stops, or if one bus ran to 1/2 the resorts, and the other bus ran to the other 1/2 - so the bus would come less often, but you'd have less stops when it did come.

 

[seashoreCM]

We could use for comparison the All Star resorts (3 stops with separate driveways) or Caribbean Beach (8 stops but just one circular driveway)

The All Stars have separate buses to Magic Kingdom and Epcot during the most busy hours and shared buses during off hours. At the parks the platform signs are changed accordingly. I have observed fromn time to time that the separate bus going to the parks would occasionally go to pick up at one of the other resorts if it was not full.

Caribbean Beach (I haven't stayed there but I was told) the first bus stops first at stop #1 and makes its rounds until it fills up, then the second bus sometimes stops first at say stop #3 and makes its rounds, the third bus stops first at stop 5, etc. (or the next bus stops first at the stop that was skipped by the previous bus.) WIth this kind of somewhat random variation you could be first on going to the park and last off coming back.

Wait time depends on the number of buses altogether, not just how many stops each one makes. When buses consistently get full, it makes sense to have some separation that avoids making all stops. I don't think there is separation for buses going back to the resorts for Caribbean Beach since there is only one platform for each resort at the park.

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