FW Hybrid Bus Photos

[nbodyhome]

I have 7 or 8 of them here: http://www.mousesteps.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=34&Itemid=65

The bus is moving to Epcot in the next week.

 

[auntie]

My husband and I saw the bus last week when we were biking through FW..I wondered what it was all about. Thanks for the photos!

 

[nbodyhome]

My husband and I saw the bus last week when we were biking through FW..I wondered what it was all about. Thanks for the photos!

You are welcome! It was really a nice bus, I wish they were all cushioned too (if they do get a fleet, they will not be so nice inside).

 

[CottontailCurl]

Forget the hybrid, what have they done to the contemporary? Someone's going crazy with the wrecking ball at Walt Disney World (still trying to get over the rehab of Spaceship Earth )

By the way, I see that you're going to do Star Wars Weekend, can you let us know if they're doing anything for the 30th Anniversary (my kids made their eyes bleed this weekend watching ALL of the series).

Thanks for links to your updates.

 

[nbodyhome]

Thanks! They have demolished the wing and supposedly it will be DVC, though nothing has been announced. I have heard nothing about Star Wars Weekends doing anything for the 30th, but I will let you know! I plan to be at Peter Noone on Friday, and working on the monorail resort walk (I was going to try to do it all today, but I couldn't have gotten into enough detail that way).

 

[CottontailCurl]

Thanks! They have demolished the wing and supposedly it will be DVC, though nothing has been announced. I have heard nothing about Star Wars Weekends doing anything for the 30th, but I will let you know! I plan to be at Peter Noone on Friday, and working on the monorail resort walk (I was going to try to do it all today, but I couldn't have gotten into enough detail that way).

Thanks and have fun!

 

[nbodyhome]

Thanks! I am not a huge Star Wars fan, though I really enjoyed seeing Anthony Daniels a few years ago. Peter Noone I AM a huge fan of, I'm sure both will be a lot of fun. It will be fun to get some pics too.

I need to pick up some Star Wars stamps too, I think they just came out a few days back.

 

[GbG]

Hybrid busses - Yosemite NP has been using them since 2004. I'm surprised as PC as Disney has gotten, that they haven't had a whole fleet of them a long time ago. They still burn plenty of diesel - just a whole lot less than a regular diesel-powered bus (about 50% less).

The engine runs a generator to charge the batteries. The batteries run electric motors to turn the wheels through a continuously variable transmission. But in addition to the engine, the batteries are constantly charged by all the braking they do each time they stop through what they call regenerative braking.

 

[Eeyore'sthebest]

We saw the hybrid bus as we were checking in. I asked the CM about it and she said that they were testing the bus with hopes to replace the entire fleet with them. She said they are very quiet and seemed to like them.

I didn't ride it because I didn't go to any parks this weekend.

And yes, as a DVC member, those Contemporary rumors are flying like crazy.

 

[nbodyhome]

The hybrid bus has been tested internally at FW, but the plan is to send it to Epcot to test with a lot more guests. I am now spoiled though, I want a nice bus like that one to ride with plush seats. Of course, any buses Disney would order would be without nice seats - just the plastic!

 

[Eeyore'sthebest]

The hybrid bus has been tested internally at FW, but the plan is to send it to Epcot to test with a lot more guests. I am now spoiled though, I want a nice bus like that one to ride with plush seats. Of course, any buses Disney would order would be without nice seats - just the plastic!

Those nice plush seats would be rather scary after awhile. Think about all the sweaty people on that fabric. I'm not a germaphobe and that would still gross me out!

 

[nbodyhome]

Those nice plush seats would be rather scary after awhile. Think about all the sweaty people on that fabric. I'm not a germaphobe and that would still gross me out!

The bus driver said they were hard to clean. So I do understand that.

 

[CarolinaBlue]

We were at the fort for 8 nights and finally got to ride on the Hybrid bus on our last afternoon. It was very nice and very quiet.

Love your Peter Noone pictures! We were there on Thursday, but didn't have good seats like you did. We had to wait about 15 minutes for the Epcot bus, so we got to the concert just as he was being introduced. I ended up standing on the side to take pictures. It was a very good show.

 

[nbodyhome]

I am surprised you didn't get to take the hybrid until the 8th day! I was only a day guest and rode it twice. It was a nice bus, we'll see if they buy more!

Peter Noone is great, I always enjoy seeing him. I am glad you enjoyed the photos - I have two sets of them from two different days (about 50 of each). We had side seats for one show yesterday, but I have some okay photos of that, and then I rushed my husband out on the last song so we could stand in line for better seats. He has the most fun facial expressions, it's nice to be closer! (I do have a 10x zoom also, which helps!)

 

[nbodyhome]

Oh - tomorrow should be the day that the bus moves to Epcot to test it with more guests. (that is what I was told by the drivers, anyway!)

 

[Colson39]

Nice, glad to see FW taking this approach. As for the Contemporary construction, I have seen a couple of models of what they plan on putting there (new DVC), I think it would be an awesome place to stay at a couple times, but if it goes as high as in the model, I think it will upset some people.

 

[nbodyhome]

Nice, glad to see FW taking this approach. As for the Contemporary construction, I have seen a couple of models of what they plan on putting there (new DVC), I think it would be an awesome place to say for a couple times, but if it goes as high as in the model, I think it will upset some people.

I think they put the bus at FW because it's not as busy as other places - but that will change when the bus goes to Epcot. The bus drivers seem to really like it.

I hope the building also doesn't go as high up! But hopefully it will be better than I think it looks.

 

[Colson39]

Yea, it would easily block the view of the castle and Space Mountain on the north side of Discovery Island if it was to to go as high as in the model, and I always have loved being able to see them while on the way to the Contemporary.

 

[nbodyhome]

Yea, it would easily block the view of the castle and Space Mountain on the north side of Discovery Island if it was to to go as high as in the model, and I always have loved being able to see them while on the way to the Contemporary.

It's a great view, now, though! I hope it isn't in the way, Disney usually does a pretty good job (I think at least they did at the WLV). But we'll see.

 

[nbodyhome]

Someone posted a comment on my site that the hybrid has left FW for Epcot now (I think he actually said "has left the forest"). Also, he said it is already handicapped accessible, that some seats would have to be pulled up (which you know Disney will do - actually probably yank the seats out of the bus to make room for the ECV's and wheelchairs).