I have had it with SSR and the busses full of people just going to DTD!

[tjkraz]

The issue isn't that some people take another resort bus to get to a restaurant or something in that nature... many of us have done that...and the extra loads there are very minimal due to limited occupancy in those small places...but when SSR busses only factor in SSR guest occupancy and we have a lot additional people using them for DTD (which will only get worse at Disney Springs grows)... then I feel like this is unfair for the SSR guests (regardless of DVC dues, etc.)

I won't dispute that. However if Disney IS funding part of the SSR route because DTD guests use the buses, one of two things would happen if they offered direct service:

1) SSR dues would increase to maintain the same level of service. If Disney ends their subsidy, owners will pick up the rest. Or...

2) The frequency of bus service decreases. Which essentially gets us back to where we are now: fewer guests, but fewer buses to carry them.

Charging for DTD/DS parking will be the first sign of improvement. If that happens, I suspect one of two actions will follow. Either Disney will start running buses direct from DS to the theme parks again or they will make Disney Springs officially part of the SSR bus loop. The latter wouldn't be as cumbersome as it may seem on the surface. At least then guests would have better guidance to and from DTD/DS. And the ride wouldn't dramatically increase since the redesigned Disney Springs will have just one bus depot with better traffic flows and fewer vehicles on those local surface streets.

 

[dcibrando]

I won't dispute that. However if Disney IS funding part of the SSR route because DTD guests use the buses, one of two things would happen if they offered direct service:

1) SSR dues would increase to maintain the same level of service. If Disney ends their subsidy, owners will pick up the rest. Or...

2) The frequency of bus service decreases. Which essentially gets us back to where we are now: fewer guests, but fewer buses to carry them.

Charging for DTD/DS parking will be the first sign of improvement. If that happens, I suspect one of two actions will follow. Either Disney will start running buses direct from DS to the theme parks again or they will make Disney Springs officially part of the SSR bus loop. The latter wouldn't be as cumbersome as it may seem on the surface. At least then guests would have better guidance to and from DTD/DS. And the ride wouldn't dramatically increase since the redesigned Disney Springs will have just one bus depot with better traffic flows and fewer vehicles on those local surface streets.

very true... but my guess is Disney is funding some of the busses to SSR because there are also cash rooms available there (not in DVC inventory), not because people are using it for SSR because they don't know (think, or want to believe lol) people are using it for DTD

I just hope they eventually begin running busses from the parks to DTD/Disney Springs however the scenario plays out...because based on my past 5 or 6 trips... I'm starting to like staying at OKW must more

 

[disneynutz]

SSR owners are currently paying approximately $8,051,315 per year for transportation, seems like a lot of money.

Bill

 

[dcibrando]

SSR owners are currently paying approximately $8,051,315 per year for transportation, seems like a lot of money. Bill

I wonder what that is compared to say OKW which is also a large resort

 

[disneynutz]

I wonder what that is compared to say OKW which is also a large resort

OKW is about $5,200,175 for transportation in 2014, $2,851,140 less than SSR.

Bill

 

[dcibrando]

OKW is about $5,200,175 for transportation in 2014, $2,851,140 less than SSR.

Bill

wow... that's significantly less. I wonder why...cause I sure don't feel like there are extra busses running to SSR than there are to OKW based on my stays at both places.

I know SSR is larger...but...isn't usually full

 

[TisBit]

My two cents.

I think that Disney is fine using the SSR busses to get to DtD and building the bridge from Congress Park to DtD was not for resort guests, it was to make it that much easier to traverse the walkways and reduce the hassle for everyone. If they wanted to eliminate this, they would have installed an access gate that required a resort ID. I fully suspect that they will also be puting up signage, etc.

As for the additional charges for transportation at SSR, it is a much larger resort with more stops. For the bus to make it through SSR, generally the next park bus is coming to stop 1 shortly after the last bus left the resort. Also, you have to factor in the bus transportation to the treehouse villas, which run all day.

I own there and while it is concerning that WDW subsidizes the costs if this will be the primary transportation, I also understand it and frankly I use resort busses all the time for different reasons. Sometimes to go to a resort to explore, grab a bite to eat, easier to get to a park from DtD, etc.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

My two cents. I think that Disney is fine using the SSR busses to get to DtD and building the bridge from Congress Park to DtD was not for resort guests, it was to make it that much easier to traverse the walkways and reduce the hassle for everyone. If they wanted to eliminate this, they would have installed an access gate that required a resort ID. I fully suspect that they will also be puting up signage, etc. As for the additional charges for transportation at SSR, it is a much larger resort with more stops. For the bus to make it through SSR, generally the next park bus is coming to stop 1 shortly after the last bus left the resort. Also, you have to factor in the bus transportation to the treehouse villas, which run all day. I own there and while it is concerning that WDW subsidizes the costs if this will be the primary transportation, I also understand it and frankly I use resort busses all the time for different reasons. Sometimes to go to a resort to explore, grab a bite to eat, easier to get to a park from DtD, etc.

Except I think OKW and SSR have the same number of stops and are in similar locations and both have similar boat service so one wouldn't expect the transportation to be almost 50% more at one compared to the other.

Does OKW have an internal bus like is needed for the tree houses at SSR? I thought I saw that several years ago but didn't notice it on a stay at OKW last year. That would be the one difference I could think of but it still shouldn't equal that much.

I do tend to think that Disney resorts is off loading some expenses onto DVC that it might be argued shouldn't be but these two resorts should compare well since they are both DVC only.

 

[dcibrando]

Yes, as of last week I can confirm OKW does have an Internal Resort Transportation bus
and you're right ...the same number of stops, boat transportation as well... does seem a little odd with such a large difference

As for the new bridge to Disney Springs from SSR - my thinking was it more for safety (to keep people from walking to the sidewalk next to the busy road) and the fact that they had to build a new dock in the middle of the water anyways for the boats so extending it a little further for a complete walking path didn't take a whole lot more to do and looks good to fit with the new theming

If they are actually including extra SSR transportation fees for DTD visitors using those busses, then I would expect to see more busses being run in the afternoon/evening/night hours from the parks... and believe me... that is never the case on the visits I've had over the numerous years.

Disney may be fine with lots of people using the SSR busses to get to DTD from the parks, but as an SSR owner, frequent visitor and user of the bus system at SSR... I'm not to the extent that it is taking away from resort guests. Again I have no problem with a few here and there taking a resort bus to get to say O'hana or Chef Mickey's... but when most wanting to go to DTD from the parks get on SSR or are being told to get on SSR... well DTD is a bigger attraction and has more people visiting it than some of the dining locations and it's beginning and will continue to become more of a problem...and as an SSR owner... I'm not happy with this direction and considering staying at other resorts next time or worse off selling my SSR ownership and considering another if the problem gets worse

 

[tjkraz]

Except I think OKW and SSR have the same number of stops and are in similar locations and both have similar boat service so one wouldn't expect the transportation to be almost 50% more at one compared to the other.

Similar, but not equal. Several reasons immediately come to mind as to why SSR would be more costly:

1) Distance to destinations. SSR may be just up the road from OKW that's still additional miles traveled...twice for every trip. As the crow flies, SSR is almost twice as far from Epcot. Hollywood Studios is about 50% further. MK, AK and Typhoon Lagoon are also further. Add it up and that's a lot of extra miles.

2) SSR has nearly twice as many rooms. This doesn't play a huge role mid-day when buses are half empty. But in the early morning hours and at park closing times, SSR requires more buses than OKW to transport guests.

3) The Treehouse Villas internal shuttle. About 15 hours per day, there is a dedicated bus running between the treehouse stops and SSR proper. OKW doesn't have anything of the sort.

On a per-point basis, SSR owners are still paying less than OKW owners for transportation: $.57 per point SSR vs. $.68 per point OKW.

If Disney sets the transportation budgets as it does other things, I suspect the numbers actually spring from a complex formula including the guest counts at each resort.

I doubt they are tracking the exact number of miles run between a resort and its other destinations, adding in fuel cost, wages, maintenance, depreciation, etc. Instead, they probably start with the cost of all WDW transportation services and split it between the resorts based upon guest counts, distance to destinations, type of service offered (bus, boat, monorail) and a variety of other factors.

 

[hakepb]

OKW is about $5,200,175 for transportation in 2014, $2,851,140 less than SSR.

Bill

If SSR pays $8,051,315 divided by (1260 (Max) units * 365 (days)) = $17.51/day

OKW pays $5,200,175 divided by (761 (Max) units * 365 (days)) = $18.72 / day

It seems transportation is billing based on available units, but I wonder if they actually provide more transportation.

 

[dcibrando]

If SSR pays $8,051,315 divided by (1260 (Max) units * 365 (days)) = $17.51/day

OKW pays $5,200,175 divided by (761 (Max) units * 365 (days)) = $18.72 / day

It seems transportation is billing based on available units, but I wonder if they actually provide more transportation.

certainly not that I've ever experienced... and I've stayed at both places many times.

Also that is assuming the units are full - which in most cases SSR is the least full

 

[PetePanMan]

I agree it is a significant problem already that is bound to get much worse.

 

[jeankeri]

With the construction going on at DTD/DS, how is SSR controlling access to SSR parking? Has parking by unregistered guests increased as well?

 

[dcibrando]

With the construction going on at DTD/DS, how is SSR controlling access to SSR parking? Has parking by unregistered guests increased as well?

I haven't noticed - they still check for an existing reservation (resort or dining) as you come through the gate but I'm sure there are ways by

 

[Simba's Mom]

I haven't noticed - they still check for an existing reservation (resort or dining) as you come through the gate but I'm sure there are ways by

So what if you're going down to Lake Buena Vista golf course? Or is that now a separate entrance?

 

[Disneybuckeye]

We did this once from Epcot when we were staying at BWV. There were eight of us on the bus.