Exceptional bad bus experience -- Should I coomplain to Disney?

[JudyS]

I went to Disney World in late July. I had a pretty good time, but the trip was marred by exceptionally rainy weather. I generally think Disney World is great, and have never had a complaint about it before. However, at one point in this past trip, Disney coped with the rain so badly that I wonder if I should complain.

I was staying at the Swan, and one day I took Disney's bus service to Typhoon Lagoon. It took the bus 40 minutes from the time it left the Swan to the time that it arrived at Typhoon Lagoon. (That's a long time, but it's not what I'm complaining about.) By the time the bus got to Typhoon Lagoon, the rain had started again, and Typhoon Lagoon was closed. I'm not complaining about that, either.

Here's what I'm complaining about. When we got to Typhoon Lagoon, our bus driver said, "Sorry, this bus isn't going back to the Swan. It's switching to the Wilderness Lodge route. You'll have to get off here, and wait for another bus." We had to get off in the rain at this closed park. The (very small) bus shelters at Typhoon Lagoon were already crowded with people leaving due to the rain, and we had to stand outside getting wet. It was 45 MINUTES before a bus to the Swan arrived. There was no place to get food, or even to use the restroom during that time, because we weren't allowed into Typhoon Lagoon -- very uncomfortable! (I have an annual water parks pass, so paying to get in wouldn't have been a problem.)

Because people were still slowly streaming out of Typhoon Lagoon due to the rain, the parking lot was jammed and it took the bus 15 minutes to get out of the parking lot. (Which was made much more unpleasant by the lack of restroom access during the long wait for the bus!) We spent a total of about 1 hour and 45 minutes stuck in the bus system, from the time we left the Swan until the time we returned.

I understand that Disney doesn't control the weather, but couldn't they switch buses at Downtown Disney, where there is shelter, rather than leaving people stuck outside in the rain at a closed water park? While we were at Downtown Disney, we asked the bus driver whether Typhoon Lagoon would close, and he said it might. Couldn't he have warned us at that point that he wasn't returning to the Swan, so that we could have waited out the rain indoors at Downtown Disney?

Do folks here feel that a complaint is warranted, and if so, to whom should I complain at Disney?

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

I'm not really sure who you should complain TO, but I do think atleast a "comment" is acceptable in this situation. When it was raining and that park was closed- they shouldn't switch buses and make you get off and stand in the rain for an hour at a park that's closed! I'm sorry that happened to you.

(ps. Next time I'd take the bus wherever they were going- rather than get out in the rain!)

 

[manning]

Everyone should have said "great we are going to Wilderness lodge too", and stayed on.

Yes, complain.

 

[seashoreCM]

I was going to say, have a rule that no one is discharged at a closed park, except that there are circumstances that someone might want to get off to, say, fetch his car in the parking lot.

It is common for buses not to go back to the place they came from.

Typhoon Lagoon has a peculiar problem shared with MGM, the only exit is into an intersection with a traffic light that needs to be shared four ways. Typhoon Lagoon also has such a narrow driveway that buses are hung up and a sudden peak travel period such as when it rains causes severe bus delays.

Unfortunately there is no really good place to drop off passengers who don't want to get off at a closed Typhoon Lagoon. It is not practical to go back to Pleasure Island because of all the traffic and traffic lights.

If you really needed to use the rest room, you could have taken the first bus to anywhere rather than wait for a Swan bus although staying on what is now the Wilderness Lodge bus means you don't have to get in line behind any Typhoon Lagoon guests.

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

 

[mad4themouse]

It sounds to me like you have a legitimate complaint. I think that you should write to Disney and let them know about your experience. Guests should not be expected to disembark a bus at a closed park, in the rain and with no shelter or other facilities.

I'm sorry that this happened to you. By making Disney aware of the situation, you may be able to prevent other guests from suffering the same experience.

 

[seashoreCM]

It may be noted that in the specific example, Wilderness Lodge is a long way from Typhoon Lagoon, and like at any resort, guests wishing to go to another resort (such as Swan) need to take two bus rides, connecting at a park.

Therefore for those guests aboard that bus wishing to return to the Swan, getting off and standing in the rain would statistically be expected (chances are better) to result in getting back to the Swan faster.

Not that it would help guests using TL as a transfer point but, would it be proper, or would it be acceptable, for guests shooed out of TL (or BB) due to rain, they could remain dressed in just their bathing suits?

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

I really don't see that you have much of a complaint. The busses follow a rigid schedule. It is unfortunate that you encountered bad weather, but, that is not Disney's fault.

 

[billybaruch1]

I didn't think Disney buses follow a rigid schedule. I had thought they were dynamically dispatched with flexibility to meet the demand. In any case, not being allowed to stay on the bus sounds wrong to me. Did the bus go empty to WL? I'd wait for Tyler to chime in, but barring that, if I were you, I'd complain. To whom? Anyone, the Swan or anyone's address you have from your annual pass.

When you were at DTD, the bus driver may not have known where the bus would go after TL.

 

[zurgswife]

Where is Tyler????? I'm sure he could shed some light on this product...

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Originally posted by billybaruch1
I didn't think Disney buses follow a rigid schedule. I had thought they were dynamically dispatched with flexibility to meet the demand. In any case, not being allowed to stay on the bus sounds wrong to me. Did the bus go empty to WL? I'd wait for Tyler to chime in, but barring that, if I were you, I'd complain. To whom? Anyone, the Swan or anyone's address you have from your annual pass.

When you were at DTD, the bus driver may not have known where the bus would go after TL.

The schedules of all CMs are dictated by computer right down to the minute. I doubt any CM would leave people unless they had to to follow the schedule. I hope Tyler sees this and does shed some light on the topic.

 

[Dopey's twin Dippy]

We were at eh ASM from 8/13 until 8/22. We had rain almost everyday, first time ever. But what we found strange, i know they have schedules, but we left TL the day it was a BAD STORM. It was about 2 - 230 ish . Well now people are on the bus still wet, obv. and we stopped at Sports first-of course!!, as the people got off from TL there wer e people getting on to go elsewhere. This happend another day later though. So at the Music the same thing, so the people getting off that were "wet" then the people getting on were in wet seats. Also then the bus driver would say "Move back as far as you can", even though we were sardeened in??. All i know it was a very un organized bus trip. Prob. the worst we have had. I dont know why they dont switch stops anyways, cause Movies is last. THere were sep. Movies stop at night DD.And not to sound mean or anything, but also people would have little little (under 3) taking up 2 seats sleeping, while we all stood. Hellooooooo, I always held my kids, and i certainly would not of taken 2 seats. We saw alos of diff. things going on this summer not like before.

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

Originally posted by zurgswife
Where is Tyler????? I'm sure he could shed some light on this product...

LOL... sorry, it's been a busy few days.

At any rate... this is how it works:

When a bus nears the Downtown Disney area, the driver radios in for a dispatch. The Dispatcher gets dispatch information from a tablet PC that instructs buses where they need to go.

When the bus enters the MARKETPLACE, it pulls into the new destination's load zone. In this example, although the bus came from the Epcot Resorts, the bus is now being dispatched to an East. (WL/FW) The bus then goes to PI, and finally to Typhoon Lagoon. So, to answer the OP's question, yes, the bus does switch destinations at DTD.

When a driver notices that there is a group that has not gotten off at any of the stops, it's customary that they will let the guest know that this bus does not make a full circle, and will not be heading back to the prior route. If they did not say that, the guest would then be stuck going to a different resort. At least at Typhoon, they'd be able to catch the bus they need.

All things being equal, there might not have been a problem. However, storms are notorious for causing problems at Typhoon Lagoon. The exit to Typhoon is very poorly designed. I personally have spent over a half hour waiting to exit Typhoon Lagoon, sitting in bumper to bumper traffic.

Because of the backed up traffic, this is what happens:
The dispatcher will dispatch buses, and when traffic jams up, a lot of them will be instructed to SKIP Typhoon Lagoon. The reason for this is to keep the buses going through the resorts. It does no good to have 3 Caribbean Beach buses tied up in traffic. Instead, only one bus is tied up, and the other two buses continue on. That's probably why there was an extended wait for an Epcot Resort bus.

I understand how you would be frustrated with what happened. Should you choose to write a letter to Disney explaining to them your frustration, I might suggest focusing on two points. First, the amount of time it took to get to TL in the first place. It shouldn't have to take that long. Second, the traffic problem at TL. It needs to be addressed, and if they get enough complaints, maybe it will be. As for the routing of the buses, very very very seldom do we encounter someone who's making a round trip. In the case that they are, we will direct them to the new load zone area.