Good news for bus riders!

[JudithM]

According to several CMs in Transportation, Disney World is phasing out the old RTS buses . I use a scooter at WDW, so that is good new! It is so much easier to get on and off a Nova or Gillig bus than the old RTS buses.

 

[jdb in AZ]

According to several CMs in Transportation, Disney World is phasing out the old RTS buses . I use a scooter at WDW, so that is good new! It is so much easier to get on and off a Nova or Gillig bus than the old RTS buses.

Not familiar with the terminology. What specifically is the difference, ramp vs lifts or what?

 

[Bete]

and is this better and easier for wheelchair, too?

 

[JudithM]

The RTS buses are the ones where I had to back on with the scooter . It is the old fashioned transit bus with at least three steps from the ground up to the seating level. To get a scooter or wheelchair on it, the back steps have an elaborate folding method where it turns into platform to lift the scooter up into the bus. The mechanism is slow and prone to breakdown.

The newer style buses - Nova and Gillig - have a lower floor and no steps. The ramp in the back just flips out and one can "drive" on forward. Much easier in my opinion!

 

[jdb in AZ]

The RTS buses are the ones where I had to back on with the scooter . It is the old fashioned transit bus with at least three steps from the ground up to the seating level. To get a scooter or wheelchair on it, the back steps have an elaborate folding method where it turns into platform to lift the scooter up into the bus. The mechanism is slow and prone to breakdown.

The newer style buses - Nova and Gillig - have a lower floor and no steps. The ramp in the back just flips out and one can "drive" on forward. Much easier in my opinion!

Thanks for the clarification.

 

[SueM in MN]

That is good news.
Those are the old buses with ramps.
The buses they have been buying for the past few replacement purchases have been the buses with ramps, which are faster to use, less prone to need repairs and easier to use. As the lift buses 'age out' that is what is replacing them.

 

[LGH1946]

That is the best news!!!! I, too use a scooter in the parks. The steps up on the bus are very hard for me because of bad knees. I have seen a few of these busses but not enough. I hope they are all new!!!

 

[WheelieBigDisFan]

I'm sure for those in power wheelchairs and/or scooters this is a great step forward. I am having concerns though for those like me who self propel a manual wheelchair. I don't always go to the parks with a companion (when I go to DLR, still working on getting to WDW) and having to enter a bus with a steep ramp could be dangerous. Since I use a custom ultralight weight wheelchair, my center of gravity is set to somewhat tippy, but when you add a steep ramp my casters pop off the ground with no trouble at all. This would mean that I am more likely to tip over backwards trying to enter a bus, and as we learned from another thread recently, the angle of the ramp for a bus could be as steep as a 1:4. A ramp that steep I probably wouldn't even try on my own...and if I didn't have someone to help, or if the CM was unwilling/unable to help, I would have to roll back to my resort myself.
Mandy

 

[disney david]

they have been replacing them for the last 2 years or so their rumors they got 30 new ones a couple months ago. they are replacing the nova rtts with a new nova version and a gillg both low floor buses and lay outs. their fronts look different and the way the ramp comes down. The novas ramp slides down and the gillg folds down.

here a video of the gillig and loading a wheel chair sorry it at night i can't find another video.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zxDFPPnIFE&feature=related

 

[Debbie Jean]

Great news!!

Whenever I would get an older bus I'd ask the driver what he'd done to get one of the old clunkers instead of a newer one One gentleman said he actually preferred them... although it was harder to work the handicapped ramp, as a driver you sit much higher up so he had a far better view of the road... I found that interesting...

Personally I won't miss them

 

[dclfun]

I wonder how long this will take, to phase out all the old busses. I'm pretty sure I've heard this news for at least four years, so while they're working on it, they're not going to replace a bus until it's "life" is up.---Kathy

 

[GranJan]

I wonder how long this will take, to phase out all the old busses. I'm pretty sure I've heard this news for at least four years, so while they're working on it, they're not going to replace a bus until it's "life" is up.---Kathy

I was wondering the same thing. About 4 years ago, before I was using a scooter, some of the buses had such steep steps that my husband had to practically push me from behind before I could get up that first step. We were told that they were changing all the buses to the kind that kneel. Now that I use a scooter, we always rent a car, so I haven't been on the buses since then, but it sounds like in 4 years that hasn't happened. We're going to try the buses again next May & I'd much rather get off my scooter & with help get up the stairs if possible. I don't like the idea of trying to stay on my scooter while it's loaded. My scooter is small so I figure my husband can push it onto the lift or ramp or whatever they use to load it. I was hoping all the buses would be made easier to get on by now. I'm sure there are lots of people who don't need WC or scooters who have problems with the stairs.

 

[GranJan]

they have been replacing them for the last 2 years or so their rumors they got 30 new ones a couple months ago. they are replacing the nova rtts with a new nova version and a gillg both low floor buses and lay outs. their fronts look different and the way the ramp comes down. The novas ramp slides down and the gillg folds down.

here a video of the gillig and loading a wheel chair sorry it at night i can't find another video.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zxDFPPnIFE&feature=related

After watching that video I feel much more confident about the buses...I had a much steeper ramp in mind. If all the buses are like the one in the video, there'll be no problem.

 

[disney david]

I was wondering the same thing. About 4 years ago, before I was using a scooter, some of the buses had such steep steps that my husband had to practically push me from behind before I could get up that first step. We were told that they were changing all the buses to the kind that kneel. Now that I use a scooter, we always rent a car, so I haven't been on the buses since then, but it sounds like in 4 years that hasn't happened. We're going to try the buses again next May & I'd much rather get off my scooter & with help get up the stairs if possible. I don't like the idea of trying to stay on my scooter while it's loaded. My scooter is small so I figure my husband can push it onto the lift or ramp or whatever they use to load it. I was hopping all the buses would be made easier to get on by now. I'm sure there are lots of people who don't need WC or scooters who have problems with the stairs.

The new buses don't have any stairs to enter the bus their just not plush with the ground so that why they use a ramp. Disney gets their buses from nova and gillig they make the same buses for public transportation Disney has 300 plus buses to replace.

Here an example of how long it takes get bus delivered from nova bus company


Nova Bus has secured an order for 328 articulated buses for MTA New York City Transit (NYC Transit). The 62-ft vehicles will be assembled in Nova Bus’ Upstate New York plant. The articulated buses are set to be delivered from August 2011 to April 2013.

 

[disney david]

After watching that video I feel much more confident about the buses...I had a much steeper ramp in mind. If all the buses are like the one in the video, there'll be no problem.

they still have some of the old buses the only differnce between the two new buses is the front. You can still use the ramp to walk up or stay on your scooter and transfer to a seat if you want.

here a pic of the nova the other bus it has no disney paint it from the nova web site nova is owned by volvo

http://www.novabus.com/transit-solutions/vehicules/nova-lfs.html

 

[Bete]

I think this is easier. I hope we have them on our December trip.

 

[JudithM]

I believe the bus driver said the RTS buses should all be out of service by next spring. We have seen very, very few RTS buses over the last several days.

 

[dclfun]

I believe the bus driver said the RTS buses should all be out of service by next spring. We have seen very, very few RTS buses over the last several days.

Good to know! I have many a memory with the RTS busses, namely being thrown under one by the lift and fracturing a kneecap. I was wedged under the bus for over 1/2 hour while they tried to get me out. This was ages ago, back when AKL first opened. Another time I was brought up the lift at the same resort but then hydraulic fluid started leaking so they couldn't get me off the bus. We took a side trip to their mechanic's area and got it fixed then returned to the park where they did give me FPs to help out. My kids will tell you that travelling with Mom back then was always an adventure, and the poor CM at Jambo who was there for both incidents probably got a gray hair or two. I laugh at these things now, believe it or not but I wouldn't want to go through it again!---Kathy

 

[bedogged]

According to several CMs in Transportation, Disney World is phasing out the old RTS buses . I use a scooter at WDW, so that is good new! It is so much easier to get on and off a Nova or Gillig bus than the old RTS buses.

Hate to be negative, but I was told exactly the same thing a year ago last May. This was when I was trapped on the bus for over an hour when the lift broke. They transferred all walking people to another bus, but I had to wait until they could force the lift back into place. Not the end of the world, but still not a favorite memory.

 

[GranJan]

Oh No! Just when I was starting to feel at ease about using the buses. The two previous stories have got me worried again. Lets hope they do replace all the old buses soon...we don't want any repeats of those experiences.