For those who complain about Disney Buses

[jamstew]

The buses run regularly at WDW. In the mornings I have never had to wait more than 10 minutes for a bus. Really the only time you would have to wait a long time is if you are leaving at closing, when everybody else is leaving.

I agree.

 

[Brian Noble]

This is why God gave us cabs. I hear tell that Philadelphia has them.

As for WDW, I've done the buses, and I've driven myself. For a while, I was one of those drive-everywhere-but-MK people. After my last stay at OKW that featured not one but *two* trips to the MK that took more than one hour from the bus stop to bus depot, I now drive everywhere. At least, everywhere that doesn't involve a few BEvERageS with dinner.

 

[torinsmom]

We are planning our trip for the first week of October next year. The current plan is to arrive and take the Magical Express bus to POR. I still want to do this because, after 24 hours of travelling to Orlando from New Zealand, I don't want my exhausted husband to have to start thinking about driving on the other (wrong ) side of the road yet. We will then stay 7 nights at POR using the Disney transport system to get around and during that time we do not intend to leave WDW. Then on day 8, we will check out of POR, pick up a rental car and stay offsite for another week during which we will visit Universal, Sea World, Space Centre and do shopping etc.

So, those of you that prefer cars, do you think that it would be better to have a rental car during that first week too?

Are the lines for buses busy at that time of year? Would having a car mean we'd have to get up less early to get to a park for rope drop than if we were taking a bus? If so, how much time would it save us roughly?

It's a tough call because using the Disney transportation system would presumbably be much more relaxing for my husband (the driver if we had a car) and might be more sensible since we have never been before and have no idea of how to get around yet, but then if we had to wait ages for buses, plus get up heaps earlier in order to get them, that might just make him (and us) very frustrated! Arghh, what a dilemma cause it does seem like a waste of money hiring a car for a week for it mainly to sit parked most of the time

Since it is your first time, I would just use the buses the first week. Some days a car would be quicker, but not a lot. Do you have a GPS? That will help a lot once you are offsite to get to Universal, Sea World, etc. There is a Points of Interest file you can download here to have all the DInsey Parks, Universal, etc in your GPS automatically http://www.mousesavers.com/gps.html

I also put addresses I might be interested in into my GPS before I left home. We stopped at Krispy Kreme donuts before we even went to our hotel a few weeks ago, LOL. I had it in my favorites on the GPS.

Also, where are you staying offsite? Some places are easier than others.

Marsha

 

[Donut23]

This...except we have our own car there, not a rental car. And no handicap situation. But we do park very close to entrances because we're rope drop kind of people. Or we valet park at near-to-park hotels. We're all about convenience, and willing to pay for it. Driving is great - we zip around (know the roads well) and rarely wait in lines of cars anywhere. Love it...always have a seat, and 2 minutes to get the vehicle cooled down.

Last time we depended on Disney transportation we waited at least 45 minutes for every bus...and were able to have a seat maybe twice in the entire trip. Never again.

We are generally Epcot resort people. In Peak season the rack rate for standard rooms is over $500 p/night --- and you still stand in line for multiple busses in the morning. (How do we know....we did a last minute at the Beach Club one Christmas and tried the bus---once.) Lesson learned and we were off to our rental car.

Anyone have Holiday Inn Priority Club points? You can get a car rental from Hertz for taxes only! Use your points! 10 days = $46

 

[kate_wdw]

Deleted

 

[Travel Mum]

Since it is your first time, I would just use the buses the first week. Some days a car would be quicker, but not a lot. Do you have a GPS? That will help a lot once you are offsite to get to Universal, Sea World, etc. There is a Points of Interest file you can download here to have all the DInsey Parks, Universal, etc in your GPS automatically http://www.mousesavers.com/gps.html

I also put addresses I might be interested in into my GPS before I left home. We stopped at Krispy Kreme donuts before we even went to our hotel a few weeks ago, LOL. I had it in my favorites on the GPS.

Also, where are you staying offsite? Some places are easier than others.

Marsha

Thanks so much for your advice Marsha and it certainly makes sense. We don't have a GPS but who knows, may have one before we go or otherwise, I guess I could get one with the rental car. Oh, I'll have to put the nearest Taco Bell into it cause we will be so looking forward to that again! I'm not sure where we will stay offsite yet (so many choices!!).

 

[jamstew]

Last time we depended on Disney transportation we waited at least 45 minutes for every bus...and were able to have a seat maybe twice in the entire trip.

I'm astonished. After about a half-dozen trips without a car (covering probably close to 60 days), the longest I've ever waited for a bus was 25 minutes (once). I've only had to stand on a bus once as well.

 

[walkdmc]

I used to love the buses and relied on them for 2 WDW trips. Then.......I drove my car down to WDW from PA and having my car at the resort completely changed my opinion. I must have a car from now on, no exceptions. I got a front row parking spot at DTD and managed to get back to our resort within 10 minutes of leaving DTD at 9:30pm. That would never happen traveling by bus. I'm renting a car for our next trip.

It's so easy to navigate. On a bus I felt like we'd drive forever to get somewhere so it seems hard to get around. I guess it was all those stops at other locations. Once you drive around WDW a couple of times, it's so easy. But I think it's easy because all the bus lovers wait for buses instead of clogging the roads, so keep waiting, LOL.

 

[smidgy]

since we are both on vacation, we both want to enjoy adult beverages. so we enjoy letting WDW do the driving!

 

[mickeyluv'r]

eh...there are times when driving is better, and there are times when taking WDW transport is better. Then again, there are times when simply walking is best option! I see no reason why there has to be an absolute. WDW provides transportation, often in various modes. It also has roads.

Buses can be crowded, somtimes they take longer and sometimes they are faster. They can be nice when you want to have an adult beverage.

Buses are usually faster than getting lost, getting a speeding ticket, getting in an accident, fogetting where you parked or what your car looks like. Car keys are one more thing you need to keep track of all day.

Buses can be smelly. Bus seats can be wet. (who knows where that wetness came from?)

Other guests can be helpful, amusing, annoying, gross, rude, kind, etc. Likewise for bus drivers.

Different families have different needs. Some have disabilities, some have small kids, some like to eat on the way to the parks, some like to avoid the expense of a rental car.

 

[fla4fun]

Either busses or buses is acceptable according to Webster.

WDW busses are second only to the buses in London. Now that is a fantastic system!

I had to laugh at this because the first time we rode a bus in London, we were amazed at how quick the stops were. You really had to have your wits about you, and have your family together, because if you weren't out the door in a couple seconds, the bus was on it's way again. I saw one family where half the group made it off the bus, and the other half had to wait until the next stop because they weren't quick enough getting off the bus.

Personally, I don't enjoy driving - anywhere. So if I can leave the driving to someone else, I will. As to whether I use Disney transportation, well, it depends on where I'm going and who I'm there with. My mom has balance issues, so she absolutely can not stand on a bus, under any circumstances. If the vehicle is moving, she must be seated. So if she's with me, I drive. If I'm going to DTD, I typically drive because those buses seem to take twice as long to arrive (on both ends), plus if I do a lot of shopping, I'm not trying to carry it all on a bus. But when I'm at WDW solo, I don't have any problem relying on the bus/boat/monorail system to get me where I need to be.

 

[dovbniak]

We have stayed at the Beach Club / Regular season and each time we have had a few days where it seems no bus to our planned park came. I remember going to the MK and 4 (yes 4) buses came for Downtown Disney but nothing for MK

the key for solving this problem was the cast member. Once, we called our hotel front desk and got absolutely no help.

On another occasion (see e.g. above), a CM was sent out and was on the walkie talkie. She stayed with us until our buses (two of them) finally came to pick a very large, and very angry crowd.

 

[TLinden16]

I'm going to move this to our transportation board.

 

[Manda]

since we are both on vacation, we both want to enjoy adult beverages.

I just wish the Disney buses had the bus tracker site like Chicago buses do. It's so handy to check when the next bus is coming before going and sitting at the stop. Also handy when it feels like you've been standing at the stop forever and you can just pull out your handy smart phone and note that the next bus is only 2 minutes away... OR that it's still 25 minutes away and you might as well just grab a cab.

 

[seashoreCM]

Cute little rental car cools down in about 30 seconds so you cold hang a side of beef - if you wanted! .

OT: But be sure the safety seat has also cooled down, using your own hand if needed, before strapping your child in. Not a problem on the bus.

I a bus in London, we were amazed at how quick the stops were. You really had to have your wits about you, and have your family together, because if you weren't out the door in a couple seconds, the bus was on it's way again. I saw one family where half the group made it off the bus, and the other half had to wait until the next stop because they weren't quick enough getting off the bus.

I will often hold the door for others trying to get out, although I have seen (specifically some double decker) buses with just an open porch with no door so this won't work.

 

[KSDisneyDad]

The buses run regularly at WDW. In the mornings I have never had to wait more than 10 minutes for a bus. Really the only time you would have to wait a long time is if you are leaving at closing, when everybody else is leaving.

I have to respectfully disagree with the bolded statement.

Although buses to the major parks run fairly regularly in the morning, we've had to wait much longer than 10 minutes for a bus to Typhoon Lagoon. The buses are also very crowded in the morning and if you share buses with another resort, we found we had to stand. Not a big deal in the morning when you're excited to get to the park.

Also, even if the buses are running on a regular basis in the morning, the AK bus often stops at BB.

Plus, in the mid-afternoon, bus service seems to be much slower. One of our longest waits was at the MK in the mid-afternoon to go back to the resort for a swim. By the time the bus arrived, we could have taken the monorail and the tram to our car and driven most of the way there. What was even more frustrating was that there were at least four buses just sitting at the MK bus area empty as if the drivers were on a break. We've had similarly slow experience to/from the other parks in mid afternoon.

Also, buses leaving the waterparks or DTD can be quite slow. A ten minute wait would be considered "short".

For the way we like to travel, the buses are not ideal.

That said, we really enjoy the boats and monorails. That's one reason we enjoy driving to the MK. We like to enter the MK via the monorail in the morning as it sets the stage for the day vs arriving on the bus.

 

[supersuperwendy]

I'm sorry you had a bad bus experience in Philly. Septa tries so hard to accommodate all of the influx of people over the 4th. As a previous poster said..between all the people and closed routes etc it must have been a nightmare for the buses. Come back to Philly another time when it's not so crazy and enjoy a quieter city!

 

[ValinWV]

The thing was that where I was there was not road closings and the streets were pretty much empty. SEPTA had extra buses on stand by for after the Fireworks and concert at Penns landing. We walked past them. The cab even went along almost all of the route from 5th to the hotel and nothing was blocked off. My husband and I are familiar enough with the area to know that that could have been a problem, just not at that time. Also, we did not try to ride the buses after the 4th fireworks. There was room on our daughters tour bus because two students went home early so we rode that back after the fireworks and it did take 2hours. I actually expected it to take longer. We also used the bus system to get to the parade and we could see that where we liked to get on and off the bus was a closed street even after the parade so we changed our plans and walked to a different stop that wasn't on a detoured street. Also, our schedule was current as i was talking with a SEPTA employee at my hotel and she called her office to verify everything for the weekend for us. A very nice lady, if I new her name I would send a nice letter to SEPTA.

 

[P.I. Squirrel]

We've taken Disney buses hundreds of times, and if it can happen on a Disney bus, it has happened to us. We've had times where there were too many buses, and quite a few 30 minute waits. Our last trip, we tried to board AK bus from WL. We seated at the stop at 8:45, and did not make it to AK until 9:45. There was ONE bus, it filled to standing-room-only at WL, then proceeded to GF, where the driver attempted to cram us in like sardines. Most of the poor folks waiting at GF had to wait for the next bus. It seems that the cheaper the resort, the better the bus service.

All our experience has led us to one decision. If you absolutely have to be somewhere at a certain time, drive yourself. If you remain flexible, the buses will do just fine.

 

[TamaraQT]

OMG....this argument is like Onsite vs. Offsite. Everyone feels the need to justify their preference and its hysterical. Truth is, its all personal preference and what works for you and/or your family. Personally, I DO NOT take public transportation now and would not even consider starting with BUSES just because I am in DISNEY! I drive everywhere i go now, so why is DISNEY so different. I have to side with those that prefer using their own cars or rental cars. I refuse to be packed in like a sardine just to save $200. I also like the freedom to roam around other areas of orlando. Nice to go offsite and have dinner sometimes. I will rent a midsize car for a family of 4 and enjoy the freedom and ROOM. Reserving a rental car 2 weeks before your trip can get you some great deals that may even make the BUS LOVERS take rental cars into consideration. Even with the $14/day parking fee, its still worth it.

And for the OP commenting on buses in Philly. That is hysterical to hear that a hotel gave you a bus schedule as if the buses are following it during holidays. Philly is PACKED during the 4th of July and alot of buses are re-routed due to many major roads/streets being closed due to the festivities. I think the hotel failed to inform you of what to expect. But either way, I hope you had a nice time in spite of the transportation issues. They really had a lot going on this year.