"I LOATHE the BUS..."

[mothermouse]

sixteen candles is my all time favorite movie jake ryan is sooo dreamy "is that you, that me"

 

[SnackyStacky]

Ah come on now....people you don't know??? A crowded bus is a great place to meet new people, to make some new friends, to hand out some info. I have met some of the nicest people on the buses. Granted, those times were NOT when standing, behind to behind, at the end of the day. But, at less crowded times I have had some absolutely wonderful conversations with complete strangers.

Yeah - it's the behind to behind stuff that bothers me.

I'm a driver. And it's not that I haven't given the busses their fair chance. Absolutely have! I just definitely prefer to drive.

 

[simzac]

Riding the bus, along with the boats and the monorail, is part of what makes a WDW so special. If the OP doesn't like the bus, fine; that just means a open seat for me.

 

[goofy4tink]

Don't go making the busses seem like a good transportation option.

I'm just a 'glass half full' type I guess!!

You know...I've sat up front on a lot of buses. I like that vantage point when traveling by myself. I have seen, for myself, the driving 'skills' exhibited by tourists driving around WDW!! I know there's a lot of .....'Oh, honey...that's our exit right there!!!!', coming from the passing lane. Who cares if there is a line of traffic as well as a few busses in those right lanes!! Over they go.....right in front of the bus. Have to make that exit you know! It has been truly scary. I don't want to be that driver who is clueless. And no, I am not saying all tourist drivers out there are clueless. I have a decent enough idea of where I'm going the few times I have needed to drive. And I know a ton of people who are very knowledgable about how to get around in that area. But, I'm just not willing to be part of that nutty group, driving around. I figure I'm basically safer up in that bus.
And no....I'm not looking for a debate here. Everyone who wants to drive is more than welcome to drive. I, personally, don't feel the need to spend hundreds of extra dollars to join the masses on the road, trying to figure out which exit to take, just to save myself a bit of time each day. But again...that's just MY opinion, and what works for me. YMMV!!!

 

[Buzz's Buddy]

We always use the buses. Sure there are times that we waited longer than we hoped and times when we had to stand, but I drive sooo much when I'm home, that I prefer not to drive on vacation.

The buses are part of the "Disney experience" for us. Most times, it's a pleasant experience, including meeting other nice people and families.

 

[SDSorority]

I'm glad that so many people still prefer the buses. I can't imagine the traffic if everyone decided to drive!

That's true!

I just hate waiting for the bus... I like to have my own schedule and be in control of leaving when I want to leave, not when the bus decides to pick me up.

 

[mamapajama]

If we have a car the only pplace we drive is one that cannot be easily and directly accessed by bus from our resort, i.e. Boardwalk or a resort for a meal. I will say that we found that the Values bus experience is worse than the ones we have had at any DVC resorts (we now own DVC). I remember a lot of very crowded bus rides after LONG lines at ASMu and ASMo. And I NEVER drive my car to a park, especially during the day. The last thing I want is to have to take a tram, or a boat, or a monorail to the parking lot then walk to my extremely HOT car. We usually only rent a car for a day to go to Walmart for food, etc. This year we are driving but we will not be using the car much.

 

[Missytara]

Maybe for you.

For me, part of the appeal of WDW is that I can park my car and not look at it again for a week. So yeah, it does make it more of a vacation for me.

Ditto for me, Disney has spoiled me with ME and all the wonderful modes of transportation. It is so relaxing know that for eight days I don't have to drive a car, rent a car, figure out where I am going, etc.

What a joy it is to take Disney Transportation!

 

[Tara]

That's true!

I just hate waiting for the bus... I like to have my own schedule and be in control of leaving when I want to leave, not when the bus decides to pick me up.

All that is true for me, and Disney hasn't come up with a bus route that includes a stop at my beloved Chick-Fil-A, which I can't get at home. I don't want to say we'll never go without a rental car again, but it's pretty darned non-negotiable for us at this point. We even went ahead and got a Sunpass transponder so we can go through the high-speed toll gates and not worry about coins or exact change. And we almost always have a AAA Diamond Parking pass and we use valet parking a lot (even now that it isn't free to DVC members, though sometimes we get it free when dining with TIW), so hardly gets any better as a driver at WDW. I've never found WDW hard to navigate either - I'm blessed with a pretty good sense of direction as it is, and by now I know it like the back of my hand.

That said, I do think the buses are getting a bit of a bad shake here and in other threads! They aren't perfect and they just aren't how I want to spend my time, but even I will admit that they do the job pretty well for what they are. There are plenty of people who don't just like the buses, the love them, as evidenced by many responses in this thread. And like them or not, there are lots of people who are just THRILLED that they can navigate their Disney vacation without spending more money on ground transportation. I for one am very glad they provide the service.

(I will cop to smothering a giggle when my husband starts singing "Poor, Unfortunate Souls" a la "The Little Mermaid" whenever we pass a bus stop crowded with people...but I do smother it pretty quickly and tell him to be nice. )

 

[JB2K]

I can go both ways when it comes to the buses, as I can count on them to (eventually) be there when I need them.

Plus, as a Shades of Green guest, I have the added extra of being able to use both SOG and WDW Transportation, meaning my wait times to nearly anywhere on-property aren't as long as that group of 12 that came down from New Jersey who can only continue to wait for that next Disney bus.

But, at the end of the day, I prefer putting our gear in our car, and not having to listen to everyone else on the bus...

 

[eliza61]

I took the resort buses my first stay at wdw and vowed never again. the only thing I'll take is the boat from WL to the MK.

Getting on a packed bus at the end of the night, after sweating all day in the park is not my idea of a nice ending to a long day.

I don't like public transportation in real life either.

 

[Mike]

I have a little bit of a different spin to put on the discussion. I will always have a car - either my own if we drive or a rental if we fly. One of my main reasons for doing so is Disney Dining. We go for 2 weeks every year and I have become quite dis-enchanted with the dining options, the quality of food and the prices. I more than make up for the price of the rental by going offsite to eat a majority of our dinners. We get better food for a lot less money. We love trying new places each trip and have discovered some true gems like the Orlando Ale House.

IMHO, ME has caused Disney Dining to become complacent because so many people are now trapped onsite to eat. The DDP has certainly not helped matters. We still eat some meals onsite but we enjoy going offsite. Plus we make 2 trips to WalMart each trip to stock our villa.

Some of the other reasons apply to me as well - I love being in control of my own schedule, I hate waiting in line at closing time and we head over to DTD a few times each trip. We still occassionally take the bus from OKW, especially to the MK. When we do, it is not horrible. Once in awhile there are issues. Just all in all it is not for us.

But from a pure economical standpoint, for a family of 5, the rental practically pays for itself.

 

[cm8]

My only gripe with busses is when men - or for that matter women--will not give up their seats to: Pregnant women, old people, small kids ( ever had your kid practically pull your pants off as they struggle to hold onto your legs) or a parent with a kid in their arms. I also think when the bus is crowded if you kid can fit on your lap they should and let someone else take a seat.

, Just because those "men" did not volunteer their seats, does not mean they are "supposed" to. First come, first serve comes to mind. If the bus is that full, then you had/ have a choice to grin and bare it or WAIT for another bus. I have Waited when the bus was filled and was standing room only as I knew I could not hold onto the straps. I have been tired, feet hurting, wet, cold, hot, hungry and WAITING another 20 or so minutes was the best thing for MY safety and the safety of my group.

We all want to get back after being there all day, but if YOUR safety and concerns can not be handled on that trip, then as a Pregnant women, Older Patron, small child and parents with children in their hands should for THEIR safety WAIT for the next one to come along.

 

[ratlenhum]

never mind

 

[kaytieeldr]

GACs are not good for getting ahead of a bus line, why should an ECV

There are two, occasionally three, tie-down spots for wheelchairs/ecvs per bus. Contrast that with sixty or more seats/standing spaces. Having the wheeled Guest wait alone while their family got in line (aside from being unequal because all Guests on foot - including Guests in strollers - would still be allowed to wait with their entire parties) would be noncompliant with the ADA except by complete chance. The odds of there being space for the wheeled Guest to board the bus and to have the mobility device safely tied down when it was their 'turn' to board as indicated by their party reaching the front of the line are slim. Therefore, they would be denied boarding - and that's illegal.

Guests on wheels aren't better than anyone else. Walt Disney World tries to treat everyone as equally as possible. Does it offend you as much, or at all, that the person/party you resent for being able to board ahead of you is probably STILL waiting to get OFF the bus when everyone else is back in their rooms, or passing through the park turnstiles?

When there are four or five Guests on wheels, and three buses for one resort 'piggybacked' in the parking lot, and Guests in line are directed to all three buses - but the Guests on wheels can board ONLY the bus parked right at the curb, and only TWO at a time, how do you feel?

When there's ONE Guest in an ECV who's now waiting for the FOURTH bus because both tie-down spots were full on the first bus, and the driver of the second bus didn't 'see' that Guest - despite the Guest waving wildly and grinning at the driver and thinking eye contact was made* - and the lift on the third bus wouldn't open properly, is that fair because it doesn't affect you (not necessarily the quoted poster, but anyone with the same attitude)?

*The bus driver was told there was somebody waiting to board but apparently didn't care; and more than just the affected Guest complained back at the resort. I know. I was the affected Guest.

 

[disfan07]

We love the buses at WDW. We rented a car once and we only used it once...it just didn't feel like a "real" WDW vacation if we didnt take the bus.

We went with my grandparents once (we drove from Delray Beach to disney) and they drove everywhere and we just met up with them wherever we were going because we wanted to take the buses.

We have never had the problems with buses that people talk about on here. I don't know if we have much lower expectations than they do or if we are just that laid back and go with the flow type of people at disney, or what but we don't seem to encounter the problems with CM, buses, hotels, etc that so many people complain about

 

[goofy4tink]

There are two, occasionally three, tie-down spots for wheelchairs/ecvs per bus. Contrast that with sixty or more seats/standing spaces. Having the wheeled Guest wait alone while their family got in line (aside from being unequal because all Guests on foot - including Guests in strollers - would still be allowed to wait with their entire parties) would be noncompliant with the ADA except by complete chance. The odds of there being space for the wheeled Guest to board the bus and to have the mobility device safely tied down when it was their 'turn' to board as indicated by their party reaching the front of the line are slim. Therefore, they would be denied boarding - and that's illegal.

Guests on wheels aren't better than anyone else. Walt Disney World tries to treat everyone as equally as possible. Does it offend you as much, or at all, that the person/party you resent for being able to board ahead of you is probably STILL waiting to get OFF the bus when everyone else is back in their rooms, or passing through the park turnstiles?

When there are four or five Guests on wheels, and three buses for one resort 'piggybacked' in the parking lot, and Guests in line are directed to all three buses - but the Guests on wheels can board ONLY the bus parked right at the curb, and only TWO at a time, how do you feel?

When there's ONE Guest in an ECV who's now waiting for the FOURTH bus because both tie-down spots were full on the first bus, and the driver of the second bus didn't 'see' that Guest - despite the Guest waving wildly and grinning at the driver and thinking eye contact was made* - and the lift on the third bus wouldn't open properly, is that fair because it doesn't affect you (not necessarily the quoted poster, but anyone with the same attitude)?

*The bus driver was told there was somebody waiting to board but apparently didn't care; and more than just the affected Guest complained back at the resort. I know. I was the affected Guest.

So true. The problem with the whole 'ECV's don't have to wait but can cut into the line' argument is that able bodied guests are up and off that bus and have then forgotton all about that ECV bound person, still on the bus. Or, as they are boarding the bus, they fail to give the ECVer a second thought, since they are getting on the bus, and the ECV isn't. Everyone fails to remember that first on, first off does NOT apply to ECV riders or their family. That person in the ECV must wait until the bus is emptied and only then can they get off..it's the reverse of getting on. So, we are all on our way to the park entrance, some may even already be in the park, by the time that ECV guest is getting off the bus. In their case it's 'first on, last off'. But heck....that shouldn't bother them because they were able to 'cut' in line and take up those valuable seats.
A bit more empathy is a wonderful thing.

I have a little bit of a different spin to put on the discussion. I will always have a car - either my own if we drive or a rental if we fly. One of my main reasons for doing so is Disney Dining. We go for 2 weeks every year and I have become quite dis-enchanted with the dining options, the quality of food and the prices. I more than make up for the price of the rental by going offsite to eat a majority of our dinners. We get better food for a lot less money. We love trying new places each trip and have discovered some true gems like the Orlando Ale House.

IMHO, ME has caused Disney Dining to become complacent because so many people are now trapped onsite to eat. The DDP has certainly not helped matters. We still eat some meals onsite but we enjoy going offsite. Plus we make 2 trips to WalMart each trip to stock our villa.

Some of the other reasons apply to me as well - I love being in control of my own schedule, I hate waiting in line at closing time and we head over to DTD a few times each trip. We still occassionally take the bus from OKW, especially to the MK. When we do, it is not horrible. Once in awhile there are issues. Just all in all it is not for us.

But from a pure economical standpoint, for a family of 5, the rental practically pays for itself.

I have to disagree. I do agree on the quality of food offerings declining in the past few years. But, that really isn't the fault of DME. That would be the result of DDP...especially free dining. I doubt that there are all that many people that used to drive but decided to just forgo the car and take DME because it's 'free'. Those that want a car, will always have a car. If they merely wanted a car to get to WDW and back to MCO, they would have used a towncar service instead. Much cheaper.
But, I do hear you about the food choices off site. I'm getting a bit bored with dining at WDW.....a rental car may very well be in my future at this point. I had never thought about the economics of it before. You probably do make up close to the cost of the car by eating offsite...especially on longer trips. Great thought...thanks.

 

[mamapajama]

I don't think that DME necessarily affects the number of people who rent cars. We took Mears before there was DME or we used a Town Car a few times. So we are not renting a car any less. In fact now that we are DVC owners we rent a car every trip but only for one day so we can go to Walmart and buy our toiletries & snacks, milk and cereal for the room. We do not cook in our room even though we have a full kitchen. I'm on vacation-I am not cooking, LOL! I agree it is more DDP than DME but with the recent changes to DDP, we didn't use it last year and opted for TiW instead and it worked out well for us. With the future changes to DDP, I would think that people using it will drop somewhat since they keep taking things away from the plan but the price seems to stay the same. But many people just still like the convenience of staying on property & knowing their meals are paid for. We never went into town to eat even when we have had a car.

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

Seriously. You people (yes, you people) are why we take a car and smile the entire trip. We see enough of you in the parks.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Note to self: no more trips to Pleasure Island with DISers who lump me in with "you people"