HOTEL PARK SHUTTLES-- The Good and The Bad

[kilee]

There have been a couple threads lately involving the hotel shuttles. I know this could be a transportation board issue-- but I really want to get hotel specific.

So, if you've used a hotel shuttle offsite for your park transportation tell us how it was, and be sure to mention the hotel. This way we might be able to come up with some good hotel ideas for people needing to stay offsite and those that will be dependent on a shuttle.

I'll start:

We used a shuttle for one trip. About 1/2 way through we gave up on the shuttle. It was at the Days Inn Maingate East. Unfortunately the shuttle was running 4 times a day. Twice in the morning and twice in the evening. Only the hours didn't always correspond w/ any of the park hours. Sometimes the last shuttle was at 8pm but the parks were open late (week after Easter). It was kind of crazy. It was a free but that was about the only perk to it.

Anyone else????

 

[spiceycat]

it has been many, many years since I took an offsite shuttle.

but yes they are generally 2 in the morning, and 2 in the evening.

and they also seem to leave before the park closed....

Now when we were are LAquinta lakeside - now Best Western Lakeside - they were sharing a bus with several of the near by hotels.
Sorry I won't get on that thing...

but anyway we watched as people tried to get on it. It was close to packed when it arrived - when it left it was definitely full....some people could not get on it.

so be sure to arrive early and try to be one of the first in line.

 

[pooh4evr]

The shuttles for the Downtown Disney hotels run every 30 min maybe an hour for water parks- the start before the parks open (no sure how early and I believe the run until a bit after the parks close) Thay drop you off in the shuttle lot of course and tell you which slot to return to for pickup if I remember right the return @ 15 and 45 of the hour. We did not really have any trouble taking the shuttles yes they can get crowded and it takes about 30 min to get from tthe oark back to your hotel but its better than paying for a rental for a week! We stayed to Best Western DTD in May 05

 

[RC Fan]

HI!

We stayed last May at the Doubletree Club(on Apopka Vineland) and found the shuttle service to be fairly good. The bus itself was a tour-bus style of bus in good condition and really wasn't that crowded. It serviced a couple of other hotels, such as the Sheraton Safari. The schedule wasn't really elaborate, but probably had 4 or 5 departures and returns a day. If we missed the bus, we knew we could always walk from DTD to our hotel. I would certainly stay there again and would also use the buses again.

I guess I would suggest that if you are interested in staying offsite, but not interested in renting a car, that you have the hotels you are considering fax you their shuttle schedule. After you find a place with a decent schedule, see you if can work your touring plan around the shuttle schedule. As long as you know that you need to work around the bus schedule and are willing to deal with the limitations therein, I think the offsite shuttles can be a feasible alternative to renting a car.