Express Transportation ending already - That stinks!

[Clare Voince]

Minnie Vans could provide park-to-park transportation using the exact same routes and stops as the bus did.

I didn't see anything about the Minnie Vans being able to pick you up backstage, like the express buses.

 

[anomamatt]

I didn't see anything about the Minnie Vans being able to pick you up backstage, like the express buses.

Nor skip security for the 2nd park. A huge advantage of express trans.

 

[AngiTN]

Minnie Vans could provide park-to-park transportation using the exact same routes and stops as the bus did.

Yes but

I didn't see anything about the Minnie Vans being able to pick you up backstage, like the express buses.

Nor skip security for the 2nd park. A huge advantage of express trans.

They don't do either of these things. So they don't replace them.
Nor do they have set schedules.
Changes those 3 things. Then they replace Express Bus. Until then, they do not.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

I think what the PP a few posts ago was saying is the Minnie Vans COULD be used like the Express Transportation setup. Catch a Minnie Van in the park, they take you inside another park - just like Express Transportation but via on demand Minnie Van. Obviously they're not offering that at the moment and it wouldn't work for non-park to inside park travel given security, but it's an interesting idea for inside park to inside park travel, if Disney felt the need to replicate that arrangement.

 

[AngiTN]

If that is what they do, I'm 100% for it. It has to include the backstage element though. But the current offering, no, not a replacement at all.
Plus, I've heard several reports of waits not so far off from a typical wait for a bus. So in that since Minnie Van is not a big draw. That's without it being in more than 3 resorts.

 

[cwis]

I was indeed suggesting that Minnie Vans should pick up guests backstage, and transfer them to their hotel or at another theme parks, bypassing security check. That would be awesome, and not so much work given that all the hard stuff (waiting area, signs, staff available to scan MBs) had already been done for the Express buses.

Granted, this would not beat the price of the multi-day Express Transportation option, but think about it: how much is worth going straight to your hotel after Fantasmic/HEA without even needing to leave the park?

 

[Spacecow]

I was really bummed to hear this news. The express transportation was such a huge help on my last trip. We were able to refresh the app, find a FP, and hop right over to the park it was in. No problem, no hassle. But the buses were always empty and i got the sense that it wasn't really catching on. It was my first trip to WDW and I doubt we would've been able to do even half of what we accomplished without the express transportation, especially with "only" 5 park days. On my next trip, whenever that may be, I'll really have to change my touring style.

 

[Davey Jones II]

This is lousy news. We are going to do quite a lot of park hopping, and were planning to use this quicker transportation system. If Disney had found a way to let most people know about it, the buses would have been full all day.

 

[Gehrig1B]

How to increase Express Bus ridership:

1) Attach the option to the purchase of a hopper online. When you choose hopper option online, "Would you like to add the Express Bus Transportation?"
2) Offer the option for length of stay, do not limit to single day or 7 consecutive days
3) Create infrastructure for CM's so service is not suspended during afternoon showers
4) Educate all Disney travel specialists on the value of the option so they can better inform their clients
5) Market the option vigorously through online advertisement.

In my opinion the service failed because of poor marketing and implementation. Most everyone who used it found it both great value and an exceptional add on. We used it multiple times on most days. Looks like its back to 2 parks a day instead of 3 or 4!

 

[Westcoastwild]

How to increase Express Bus ridership:

1) Attach the option to the purchase of a hopper online. When you choose hopper option online, "Would you like to add the Express Bus Transportation?"
2) Offer the option for length of stay, do not limit to single day or 7 consecutive days
3) Create infrastructure for CM's so service is not suspended during afternoon showers
4) Educate all Disney travel specialists on the value of the option so they can better inform their clients
5) Market the option vigorously through online advertisement.

In my opinion the service failed because of poor marketing and implementation. Most everyone who used it found it both great value and an exceptional add on. We used it multiple times on most days. Looks like its back to 2 parks a day instead of 3 or 4!

I agree that the marketing was poor.

But I really don't think there was a demand for it. The price is too steep for something that really just gave you backstage to backstage transport, which probably wasn't all that time efficient to begin with. What time you save in skipping security, you probably lost to the schedule. So with uber being both cheaper and probably more efficient, I think it was doomed to fail from the beginning.

I mean, DL posters are complaining about max pass and that's only 10 dollars a day. $29 bucks for glorified bus service is not the least bit tempting to me, and I can't see convincing any of my family to pay that even if it were. For the price of 4 people, you could have a really nice rental car and a lot more flexibility.

 

[Gehrig1B]

But I really don't think there was a demand for it. The price is too steep for something that really just gave you backstage to backstage transport, which probably wasn't all that time efficient to begin with. What time you save in skipping security, you probably lost to the schedule. So with uber being both cheaper and probably more efficient, I think it was doomed to fail from the beginning.

I will beg to differ. We used it every day for a week and the longest journey being 22 minutes. The time saving is more a result of the bus being scheduled as opposed to unknown time waiting for the regular bus, then skipping security and front gate. At $4/day we thought it was great value.

 

[Lisa F]

I don't think as many people park hop as it would seem from the DIS. It is already a somewhat expensive add-on and when you add the expense of the express bus transport, and the complication to a first time visitor, it's probably not worth it. I think mostly seasoned people park hop.

 

[AngiTN]

How to increase Express Bus ridership:

1) Attach the option to the purchase of a hopper online. When you choose hopper option online, "Would you like to add the Express Bus Transportation?"
2) Offer the option for length of stay, do not limit to single day or 7 consecutive days
3) Create infrastructure for CM's so service is not suspended during afternoon showers
4) Educate all Disney travel specialists on the value of the option so they can better inform their clients
5) Market the option vigorously through online advertisement.

In my opinion the service failed because of poor marketing and implementation. Most everyone who used it found it both great value and an exceptional add on. We used it multiple times on most days. Looks like its back to 2 parks a day instead of 3 or 4!

I agree that the marketing was poor.

But I really don't think there was a demand for it. The price is too steep for something that really just gave you backstage to backstage transport, which probably wasn't all that time efficient to begin with. What time you save in skipping security, you probably lost to the schedule. So with uber being both cheaper and probably more efficient, I think it was doomed to fail from the beginning.

I mean, DL posters are complaining about max pass and that's only 10 dollars a day. $29 bucks for glorified bus service is not the least bit tempting to me, and I can't see convincing any of my family to pay that even if it were. For the price of 4 people, you could have a really nice rental car and a lot more flexibility.

Time saved you have wrong. If you haven't used it I'm not sure how you can comment on how much time was saved, or not. You saved a ton of time. For each hop time was cut in half.
Price you have wrong too. It was very cheap. Too cheap. This is one add on that was universally loved by those who used it and price and time saved are the 2 reasons why

Where you have it right, and PP above you is missing a bullet point that I'm not sure can be fixed, is the demand.
I agree with below

I don't think as many people park hop as it would seem from the DIS. It is already a somewhat expensive add-on and when you add the expense of the express bus transport, and the complication to a first time visitor, it's probably not worth it. I think mostly seasoned people park hop.

There just aren't that many who hop, not in the grand total of Disney guests. I know that now many do add on hopping because of the free dining plan requirement but still, I don't think they go park to park

And then, for those who do hop, this service is only of interest to those that hop park to park. Many who hop do it with a visit to their resort. Those guests wouldn't have any interest in this service.
Plus, you have to consider that those who hop and drive probably wouldn't have a lot of interest in this service. So that's another category of guests that wouldn't use it. Or are unlikely to at least. It's harder to do it when you have to get back to your car.

But doing the points 1-5 above would increase it some. No idea if it would do it enough to help. And #3 probably can't be done period. Because you can't fix the issue for walking. Standing and waiting sure. Walking is the problem.

 

[Westcoastwild]

I don't think as many people park hop as it would seem from the DIS. It is already a somewhat expensive add-on and when you add the expense of the express bus transport, and the complication to a first time visitor, it's probably not worth it. I think mostly seasoned people park hop.

Time saved you have wrong. If you haven't used it I'm not sure how you can comment on how much time was saved, or not. You saved a ton of time. For each hop time was cut in half.
Price you have wrong too. It was very cheap. Too cheap. This is one add on that was universally loved by those who used it and price and time saved are the 2 reasons why

Where you have it right, and PP above you is missing a bullet point that I'm not sure can be fixed, is the demand.
I agree with below



There just aren't that many who hop, not in the grand total of Disney guests. I know that now many do add on hopping because of the free dining plan requirement but still, I don't think they go park to park

And then, for those who do hop, this service is only of interest to those that hop park to park. Many who hop do it with a visit to their resort. Those guests wouldn't have any interest in this service.
Plus, you have to consider that those who hop and drive probably wouldn't have a lot of interest in this service. So that's another category of guests that wouldn't use it. Or are unlikely to at least. It's harder to do it when you have to get back to your car.

But doing the points 1-5 above would increase it some. No idea if it would do it enough to help. And #3 probably can't be done period. Because you can't fix the issue for walking. Standing and waiting sure. Walking is the problem.

It's $29 dollars per person. How does that come out as $4 a day? For a four day trip, 4 people, that is $29/day. Cheaper if you have fewer people or do more days, I realize, but I think that's crazy expensive for something that saves you a few minutes and a bit of walking. Security lines are never that much of a hold up.

Added to that, to make it worth your while, you have to park hop every day. As Lisa said- I think park hopping is something that really isn't as common as it would seem from the Dis.

Don't need to use something to see the value in it. You have to see it as something that would be worth it to use it in the first place! There are a lot of addons that I wouldn't use but understand why many people would. For this one, you're basically paying $29/person to get through security faster IF you parkhop. I just don't see how that makes sense to enough parkgoers to keep the program afloat.

ETA: also, it runs on a schedule, right, because it's a shared bus system. So if you wait a half hour to catch it, it costs you a half hour- it doesn't cut your time in half at all. Uber could whisk you to the next park and you'd be through security before that bus shows up.

 

[Gehrig1B]

It's $29 dollars per person. How does that come out as $4 a day?

Well, using my skills in division $29 for 7 days = $4.14 per ticket. Add that to the cost of a park hopper ticket for 7 days the price goes from $69.29 per day to $73.33 per day. Again, great value for the amount of time and effort saved when hopping, especially for a family like ours that quite often visits 3 parks a day.

 

[Westcoastwild]

Well, using my skills in division $29 for 7 days = $4.14 per ticket. Add that to the cost of a park hopper ticket for 7 days the price goes from $58.58 per day to $62.72 per day. Again, great value for the amount of time and effort saved when hopping, especially for a family like ours that quite often visits 3 parks a day.

Sure. But that's still not $4/day. That's $4 per person a day, so $16 for 4 people.

That said, I can see how it would be attractive to you- you would clearly get your money's worth. But 7 days is probably longer than the average trip, and I have a hard time believing that 3 parks a day is common. For the system to stick around, a lot of people would have to use it, and I think your family is part of a very small minority of parkgoers.

 

[AngiTN]

It's $29 dollars per person. How does that come out as $4 a day? For a four day trip, 4 people, that is $29/day. Cheaper if you have fewer people or do more days, I realize, but I think that's crazy expensive for something that saves you a few minutes and a bit of walking. Security lines are never that much of a hold up.

Added to that, to make it worth your while, you have to park hop every day. As Lisa said- I think park hopping is something that really isn't as common as it would seem from the Dis.

Don't need to use something to see the value in it. You have to see it as something that would be worth it to use it in the first place! There are a lot of addons that I wouldn't use but understand why many people would. For this one, you're basically paying $29/person to get through security faster IF you parkhop. I just don't see how that makes sense to enough parkgoers to keep the program afloat.

ETA: also, it runs on a schedule, right, because it's a shared bus system. So if you wait a half hour to catch it, it costs you a half hour- it doesn't cut your time in half at all. Uber could whisk you to the next park and you'd be through security before that bus shows up.

I said you can't address how much time it saves, or not, until you use. And I maintain you can't. You hated it without ever even using it. Fine. Don't buy it. But you simply can not tell me how much time I was able to save using it over Uber when I did both. Often. When you try both then then you can fairly compare the 2 services. That is what I addressed about using it before comparing. Not value. That I agree, you do not have to use it to determine if you see value or not

And it wasn't $29 per person per day. $29 per person for a week.

 

[barbliny]

And then, for those who do hop, this service is only of interest to those that hop park to park. Many who hop do it with a visit to their resort. Those guests wouldn't have any interest in this service.

I think that this is one of the major reasons that the express transportation just didn't stick. We are and always have been park-hoppers. But, we almost never go park to park - it's park, resort, park and once in a while at night it might be park to park.

 

[AngiTN]

ETA: also, it runs on a schedule, right, because it's a shared bus system. So if you wait a half hour to catch it, it costs you a half hour- it doesn't cut your time in half at all. Uber could whisk you to the next park and you'd be through security before that bus shows up.

Never once waited half an hour to catch it. I know how to plan my schedule to get to the bus stop when it's time to catch the bus. Not hard.

 

[Westcoastwild]

I said you can't address how much time it saves, not not, until you use. And you can't. You hated it. Fine. Don't buy it. But you simply can not tell me how much time I was able to save using it over Uber when I did both. Unless you too did both.

Never said anything about knowing the value until you use it or not. And it wasn't $29 per person per day. $29 per person for a week.

$29 for the week, but it only breaks down to less if you park hop for more than 4 days, and it's times the number of people you're going with. So if you have 4 family members, and hop 4 days, it's $29 a day. If you hop one day, it's $29 Per Person per day. So it gets cheaper for multiple days the more hopping you do, but that assumes you'll hop enough and stay long enough for it to make sense.

Unless you timed every single hop, you couldn't say how much time it saved you either. I can believe it saved you some time, I just don't think it saved you as much time as you perceived it did.