how bad is the bus service at old key west?

[dts718]

I've been hearing so many negative things about the buses at old key west and wanted to get some input on the boards! I've heard that they pick up on a schedule, but how are they for returning to OKW from the parks? Any info is appreciated!
Thanks

 

[shelbyjosh]

Not sure how they are now, but in the past it has been fine. I guess we'll find out shortly as we will be there next Tuesday!!

 

[rsschneck]

We were @ OKW in October and we LOVED the bus service. Very quick and easy!

 

[llp479]

The only place we've ever had an issue is at AK. I'm not sure why, but no matter where we're staying, BWV or OKW, the returning bus service from there always seems to be an issue.

 

[slc224]

We have never had any problems with the bus service at OKW in over 18 trips......

 

[KathyR]

We have been pleased w/the bus service from OKW. No complaints here. Of course you have an occassional wait, but that is to be expected and is not the norm. I'd say 1 or 2 times during a trip it may happen. Nothing really to complain about.

In most cases it has exceeded our experiences at BWV and BCV as well as VWL.

 

[jmminarik]

As someone who hates riding buses on vacation because they just remind me of daily life, the buses at OKW last Oct. were not too bad. Didn't wait terribly long the few times we rode them. They DO get you to the MK faster, but I did get to miss out on the ferry ride towardk the MK with the breeze blowing off the lagoon and the castle slowly growing larger, and larger, and larger, until finally you're there.

Of course, I do need to add the disclaimer that it was just wifey-poo and I...no kids, no strollers and nothing more than wifey's handbag. I still prefer to drive.

-Joe

 

[dianeschlicht]

We have always thought the bus service was good at OKW, but I must say the past year or two it has been SPECTACULAR! Both our trips in the past year we had no waits most of the time, and when we did wait, it was only about 10 minutes. The AK return bus IS always the worst, and it also takes a long time to get there and back because of the stop at Blizzard Beach.

 

[PaulaMurf]

We were there in January and the bus service was teriffic! There was one morning where we waited a full 20 minutes, but, we had just missed the AK bus we actually saw it pulling away from the stop as we left our room.

On a couple of occasions, the bus drivers were extra nice, we were delivered as "cast members" when my DS (2.5) fell asleep on the way back, the bus was empty so the driver went straight to our stop. (This happened a few times)

We felt that the drivers at OKW were also a bit nicer, we never boarded a bus that the driver was not in the disney spirit!

Have fun!
Paula in CT

 

[Disney Doll]

We've never had a huge poblem with OKW bus service. We've been members since 1997, and so have stayed there numerous times. I am sure there have been times we have waited a few minutes or whatever, but nothing that sticks out in my mind as horrible.

 

[MAC3]

The only time we have ever had a problem was leaving AK to return. Last 2 yrs in a row it has taken over 30 minutes to get a bus. Once it was more like 45min.

I have complained about it both times.

 

[PADVCmember@OKW]

We were also there in October. I thought the bus transportation was improved over our July trip.

 

[johde]

We were at OKW in December and didn't have any major troubles with the busses. The only place we had troubles was going to and from DTD and that was from everywhere not just OKW. We waited 45 minutes at the Grand Floridian one evening to go to PI.

 

[dianeschlicht]

I agree that bus service to DTD isn't always great from the resorts. We usually rent a car just for going to the restaurants at the other resorts and getting back and forth from the airport.

 

[Pa@okw95]

The bus service is an insult. I have been a member since 95 at OKW and have learned the hard way not to use the bus with one exception that is to MK. I lived through and seen the worse WDW has to offer regarding the busses, trust me, if you have a car and know what to do with the car, then drive. There was a time when we had free valet service to all resorts, those days are gone. We still have free valet service to DVC resorts therefore for a tip, whatever you tip valet service people you get save yourself a lot of grief. You can drive to AK in about 10 minutes whereas the bus trip can take, counting time waiting, about 50 minutes or more. I have waited for over 45 minutes at MGM two or three times and saw one person almost attack the bus driver. At OKW one person was so mad that he waited so long that when he went to get on the bus yelling and screaming the bus drive shut the door on him with his kid in the bus. Years ago I wrote, talked to management about the buses. I got no where. PLEASE NOTE THE BUSES AT ALL THE WDW RESORTS HAVE GOTTEN WORSE OVER THE YEARS, DUE TO CUT BACKS, SO IT JUST NOT OKW.

 

[dts718]

thanks everyone for all the info. We'll have 2 small kids with us which is why the bus is such a concern for us and we don't want to have to drive any where so I guess we have some thinking to do...

 

[dianeschlicht]

If you don't have two strollers, you will be fine on the OKW bus. The bus seems to be an issue for folks who have multiple or very large strollers.

 

[BWVDee]

The bus service at OKW is fine. It is no better or no worse then the bus service from any of the WDW resorts.
The major difference is that at OKW you need to rely on the buses to get to all the major parks as opposed to the other DVC resorts that have several non bus transport options available for guests.

 

[jaysue]

We have stayed at OKW three times, and the buses have been great - usual wait no more than 10-12 minutes

Best we have experienced at any of the DVC properties

thanks
jaysue

 

[jodifla]

We stay at OKW frequently, and we were just there in January. We do take our car everywhere but MK, where it's better to take the bus because you skip the Ticket and Trasporation Center. Any time you take public transportation, you sometimes have to wait a bit if you've just missed the bus. That happened to us, and we did have to wait 15 minutes (saw the bus heading out of OKW just as we got to the stop!)

But I thought the bus service at OKW was better than I'd ever seen it. Buses seemed to be going through all the time. But folding up the stroller to get on a bus can be a drag, it's true. We have toddler, so we take the car most places.

One note: We stayed one night to see Wishes, and when we came out, saw the longest line for the OKW bus we'd ever seen! We thought it would take hours to get home. But they brought over 3 buses simultaneously to accommodate the big crowd. We were on in a jiffy.

Why don't you want to drive? Will you not have a car?