How best to use Disney transportation when staying at a Value resort?

[klfrech]

We will be staying at one of the Value during spring break next year without a car.

We never gone without a car before, or stayed at a Value, for that matter.

I was wondering if there are any tricks, secrets, etc. to making the most out of Disney transportation during this busy time.

Is one Value preferable over the others for providing more efficient service to and from the parks?

 

[dmunsil]

Stick with Pop Century or Art of Animation - they both have dedicated bus service, while the All Stars may combine buses, though during peak season they lay on more buses to all the resorts. Also Pop and AoA are newer and slightly closer to the parks. AoA has slightly nicer rooms and interior corridors.

Just curious: have you considered staying at an offsite hotel and using the savings to rent a car? You can usually get a much nicer hotel room for quite a bit less than the Disney Value resorts. They don't usually have as elaborate a pool, but there are some exceptions like Caribe Royale and others. Staying offsite, though, you really want a car.

 

[brymolmom]

For using Disney buses, I always tell people one thing - it is about EXPECTATIONS. If you go to get the bus expecting to be at the park in 10 minutes...You will be angry and disappointed. At regular times of the year - I tell people to expect an AVERAGE wait time of 15 minutes for a bus to get there. That means that sometimes it'll be a minute or two and other times it might be 20 - 25 minutes. For peak times I would adjust this to say expect an average wait time of 20 minutes.

I have always loved POP Century for bussing...Even above the Mod's and Deluxes (I HATE the unroped off line areas for busses - then the push and mob to the door as it pulls up). I love POP because it has its OWN bus (unless it now shares with AoA which I heard might be true in the future). I like that when I get in line and I am the 20th person in line - that I will get on the next bus that comes. At the All Stars, with bus sharing, and at the Mods at the various stops throughout, you never know if the next bus will only fit 10 people on it.

Other than that - one other tip is if you choose to stay til close at a park - and the lines are INSANE for buses....You can grab a cab, pay $20 and likely save yourself a headache or two.

Other tips might be that if you are traveling with a stroller...make sure to have your strategy down (my dh would always get right near the rear door with folded stroller and hop out quick and set it up before we got off the bus). Also - if you really want or need a seat...Make sure you wait for the next bus if it is getting full - don't expect others to get up for you.

That's all I can think of.