Is the Transportation System at WDW good enough?

[Peter Pirate]

wtg2000 that was excellent! My sentiments exactly, even though I visit numerous times per year.

The transportation issue surely isn't perfect, though I'll not go as far as our new friend DVC-Kidds... In order to use WDW transportation you must be more flexible in what you're going to do. I agree that staying at the Poly and dining at AKL causes huge problems and if this type of travel is going to done then a car certainly would be preferential.

In the end it's a personal experience and while I don't find particularily offensive either. They are what they are.

Hopefully someday a new an innovative system can be utilized to downplay bus travel, as Walt would have done, but I'm not holding my breath...

 

[WDWHound]

I guess it all comes down to what relaxes you. Waiting for a bus or having to adjust my schedule to deal with Disney's bus system is frustrating to me. Driving in a new area does not bother me at all, and I have visited WDW often enough by now to know most of the roads. I acceot and acknowledge that your experience may vary.

I think the decision of whether or not to rent a car comes down to 2 basic questions:

1) Does driving while on vacation detract from your enjoyment?

2) Does the added lost time using Disneys Transportation options detract from your vacation experience?

If 2 bothers you more than 1 (as it does for me), rent. If not, save the money and use the buses.

 

[DisneyKidds]

I'll not go as far as our new friend DVC-Kidds...

to you Pirate . Really, this is all very subjective. However, more people would describe the system as 'adequate' and 'good enough' as opposed to 'great' and 'Magical', wouldn't you agree? It is one area where I agree that Disney could improve. I don't know how, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't try. If that puts me next to Baron in name or car then so be it.

Really, you try getting from the CBR to the GF for a romantic dinner on the first night of your honeymoon on your first married adult trip to WDW and see if that doesn't leave a lasting impression. I find nothing sexy or relaxing about multiple bus transfers and multiple waits at the bus stop. I suppose that experience 12 years ago set the tone for our views on cars vs transportation to this very day. It was still a fun trip and didn't ruin anything, but knowing I could have gotten there in one quarter of the time kind of bugged me. Even though that was the case you can see such an experience didn't carry over into all our thinking on WDW as there is simply too much great stuff there - but I can still point it out.

As you noted, if resorts to resort travel is a big part of your vacation then a car is downright necessary. We will usually find ourselves in two to three different resorts on any given day in WDW so you can further see why we feel the way we do. Furthermore, I find driving (which I have no aversion to) actually lets me relaxe more. I don't have to worry about schlepping the kids and all to the bus stop, missing the bus, waiting in the heat, transfers, not knowing if I'm going to make my PS, not to mention my example above about sleeping kids at the end of the day and the problems that creates on the busses. To each his own I guess.

My 'atta boy' would go to the Hound................exactly the way I feel.

To up the debate ante, don't you think it would behove Disney to improve the resort to resort transporation? Isn't that the kind of thing they want to encourage? Hard to spend money on all those things outside the theme parks if it is so hard to get there.

 

[Peter Pirate]

You knew I was only poking fun at your new found ability to take off those rose colored glasses, don't you?

I wholeheartedly agree that transportation needs to be addressed. In fact it was me who once started a thread entilted "WDW's biggest problem? Tansportation." (or some reasonable facsimile). It was intended to inspire debate, which it did, which many of my alleged positions around here do...But the subject matter itself, while not really the biggest issue, was serious.

I think the transportation issue is one of those things that could cause magic to happen to guests as a happenstance. If a guest is not only able to get from point 'A' to point 'B' in a reasonable time, with virtually no hassle I believe the atmosphere is set for all kinds of 'Magic' to happen to people. Add to that a transportation form out of the norm (as Walt did with the Monorail at DL) and it could be a reason for guests to actually smile! Lets face it, the happier we are the better things look to us, I'm afraid that transportation is something Disney only looks at as the facilitator rather than part of the 'Show'...And yes, I think that is too bad...

 

[DisneyKidds]

You knew I was only poking fun at your new found ability to take off those rose colored glasses, don't you?

Of course, my good Pirate . We still use smilies around here, so I'm sure you knew I wasn't offended by your comment made in jest. However, putting me together with Baron is only going to give him more reason to nominate me for shotgun .

Now as for those glasses, you know you take them off once in a while as well . Shall I call you the Peter LandPirate? Also, that ability I have isn't new found in any way. Like you I may not gripe about a lot, but it doesn't mean I don't see it for what it is..............

Glad we agree on the transportation as a whole, even if it leads us to make different choices about how we get from point A to point B.

 

[wtg2000]

To up the debate ante, don't you think it would behove Disney to improve the resort to resort transporation? Isn't that the kind of thing they want to encourage?

Does anyone know if there was a master plan for the resort 25 years ago, or did Eisner just start throwing darts at a map and say, "OK, the Studios go here?"

Downtown Disney is no where near being in the centre of the property, and the Magic Kingdom is in the top corner - and these were the first things there. Maybe Walt had planned to use the rest of the space for his EPCOT.

It just seems now that new resorts and parks are coming in piecemeal. I do pity the person who has to route all the transportation.

I'm not sure how much Disney cares about resort to resort transportation. They probably figure that people staying at a certain resort will do just that - stay at that resort. For off-property people, they can slip from a park to the resort and back. I'm not sure many of them go from resort to resort - and they would have a car to do so anyway.

If you're staying at the WL and want to go to the AKL for dinner, well if Disney doesn't have adequate transportation, then you'll stay and eat at Artist Point. Disney still gets your money. If they throw a direct bus into the mix and everyone staying at AKL goes to WL for dinner and vice versa - well, it wouldn't really make a lot of sense why people would do that.

I think it's possible to burden yourself unnecessarily with lots of moving to and fro. I'd say if it's too tricky to get from A to B - then don't. One night while staying at the AKL, my group decided to eat at Portobello at Downtown. Why? Beats me when AKL had plenty of choice. Disney has given each area of the resort plenty of options so it's not really necessary to scramble all over the place.

When we stay at WL we'll eat at places nearby. Same goes for YC/BC. We can there, Boardwalk or EPCOT. It's a waste of time to venture off to AKL or GF then fret about the long bus waits. I think it's best to devise a plan that keeps you in the neighbourhood, leaving you more time to relax.

Let's face it, the best moments at Disney are not going to be spent in a car or a bus.

 

[DisneyKidds]

It's a waste of time to venture off to AKL or GF then fret about the long bus waits.

Agreed, that is why we remove the bus wait factor by having a car .

Very little of our time is spent in a car, and almost all of it is spent exactly where it is we want to be................

 

[DancingBear]

We usually drive, but:

Picking a random week in September, Dollar offers a weekly rate on an economy car for $126 (plus taxes).

Compared to the towncar service of $80-90 plus tip, I'd spring for the car, just for the flexibility.

 

[ohanafamily]

I may be accused of spending too much time in NY, but a cab is around $40+/- each way and it will take a whole family from and to the airport. Also, a cab to and from DD and to each resort hop is from $5-$10. We generally stay at our hotel, but for a few trips it works to "cab it"

 

[wtg2000]

Agreed, that is why we remove the bus wait factor by having a car .

Agreed on that. If you plan to zip all over the resort then a car would be better. I guess for me I don't want to do that, and I don't like driving so the occasional bus is OK.

Just curious, if you're staying on property do you bus or car to the MK?

 

[ohanafamily]

It seems that most people Bus to the MK, the busses let out right in front, and with parking you still have to take some form of shuttle.

 

[crusader]

I believe the initial post referred to a specific guest staying at the WL or Poly.

WDWHound is absolutely correct here:

I think the decision of whether or not to rent a car comes down to 2 basic questions:

1) Does driving while on vacation detract from your enjoyment?

2) Does the added lost time using Disneys Transportation options detract from your vacation experience?

Actually answering the second question is the key. The only item I would add to it is the cost factor for those who are budget constrained but I must admit the price differential should not be substantial if you take the time to research and plan accordingly.

The time value is critical here especially if you are staying less than a week. I happen to have done this at the WL and have to agree with Baron on renting a car for all the reasons mentioned.

I found the efficiency in having the ability to get from point A to point B at any given time to be absolutely invaluable. There was no traffic or confusion in getting around - it was very easy to do and hassle free. For me, it was more important to have flexibility and convienence vs opting for the bus from the WL.

If you do decide to forgo the car, my only advice is be aware of what that immersion entails. The transportation system wait time alone can really test one's stamina after a few days and has proven detrimental to the mental well being of many an unsuspecting guest. Beware! Be prepared! Expect nothing - and you'll be fine!

 

[ThAnswr]

I think the transportation system is awful which is why I always use my car to get around.

Not are the busses too few and far between, when you do finally get on the bus, they're hot and crowded.

I'll take my car over Disney's transportation system anytime.

 

[d-r]

Sometimes we have a car, either a family member from Florida brings one, or we rent one because we have some other sort of plan in addition to Disney. We hardly ever use them, though, my MIL uses hers maybe to go to the kennel to walk her dog or something.

But when I read this, and read what the complaints are, I think we have just sort of naturally trained ourselves to use the Disney transportation system, because we don't fall into those situations. When we stay over at the magic kingdom resorts, we tend to eat at those restaurants and enjoy riding on the monorail or boat. That seems like an extra perk to us. And when we stay at epcot resorts we eat at the epcot resorts or epcot more often - that seems like a treat, too. It is rare for us to stay at beach club and eat at California Grill, or stay at wilderness lodge and eat at flying fish - but also, and this is more true of lunch, if we want to go somewhere on the other side of the world, we will do it on the day we are at that park. Like if we are at beach club and want to go to polly, we would do it the day we were at MK. Or if we were at WL and wanted to go big river we would go when we went to epcot. That just comes naturally to us, it isn't a commando planning thing, it just seems like what you would do. Like, well, here we are at Epcot, let's go over to Big River and get a beer. Or, here we are at MK, let's go over to 'Ohana for supper. I remember one time we were at AKL and decided to do that, go to 'Ohana for supper, and we ended up deciding to take a cab back to AKL because we were stuffed and all and didn't want that extra trip to dtd or whatever, but those kind of trips are really very rare for us. Next time I stay at the AKL I am just going to eat there and do DAK. I'd rather stay there for a weekend and do that and then move to beach club or boardwalk for the rest of the week than spend a week staying over there and driving around everywhere. So it works out, typically, if we are staying at the magic kingdom resorts we do stuff over there more, and if we stay at the epcot resorts we do stuff over there more, and our experience is that disney transportation is very convenient and really, fun, to be honest. It is a part of the trip, of the complete package. I wouldn't want to trudge out to some car in the parking lot and drive around, that breaks up my vacation, and the trips where we do a little of that because we have a car seem much more mundane, to be honest.

But some folks like to stay at OKW because it is convenient for them to get to their cars - it's the opposite of how I think, but I'm glad that it is there for them, and more power enjoy your vacation!

 

[wtg2000]

d-r - excellent post.

When at the MK we always go to Ft. W for the buffet lunch. It's a nice break to hop on the boat and float on over. I certainly wouldn't monorail to the parking lot, tram to the car, drive to Ft. W, bus down to the Tavern, etc and back.

And I wouldn't while in EPCOT-WS, walk back to my car, and drive to WL for lunch.

I think there is enough in each area of the world to avoid lots of bus travel. If people are having bus horror stories then I agree they are trying to do too much.

However, if you are at a bus resort (like AS, CBR, etc) and you want to eat at other resorts or go off property, I can certainly see wanting a car if you don't mind driving.

I've never found the bus waits that bad. I certainly don't find them hot (too cold sometimes), and I prefer it to driving around DD parking lot searching for a free space or battling the ever increasing traffic, especially in the morning or night.

Again, it depends on where you are staying, whats your amibitions are and how much you don't mind getting behind the wheel.

I agree that nothing breaks the magic more for me than hoping into my car mid-day to drive from say EPCOT to a resort. It completely takes me out of my holiday.

 

[mjstaceyuofm]

qualifier: we have yet to rent a car and drive around WDW property. We've always used a shuttle or towncar and used WDW transportation.

D-R: Good post. Virtually echos what we do on vacation, but we have yet to use a cab during our trips to the World. The bus system is what it is. Crusader summed it up best:

Beware! Be prepared! Expect nothing - and you'll be fine!

That's about how I feel too. You just have to be patient and know what you're getting with WDW's busses.

The only less than desirable bus experience we had was when we were staying at OKW and had a late-sitting for dinner at V&A's on a Sunday in September. We had to go to DTD and then to GF and vice-versa on the way back. It seemed like forever both ways... We probably should've cabbed it. But I can say this - no rental car would've worked in that scenario. There was NO WAY we were driving our own car after the amount of wine they served to us (with the wine tasting option). I was real thankful for the bus... Come to think of it, I'm glad I didn't even get a cab - who knows how much cash I would've given the driver in my anebriated state....

 

[raidermatt]

We haven't rented a car yet, but I can easily understand why the Head and DK do, with multiple children/strollers/wheelchairs. So far, we're just dealing with one child, so its not a problem for us.

Being DVC members who don't visit more than once a year, the "play where you stay" strategy isn't going to work for us. Being able to get from resort to resort is of growing importance to us, and as others have said, the current system is inadequate for this purpose.

Generally speaking, the bus service ranges from poor to adequate for us. However, we really like the boats and Monorail, more for their place in the "Show" than for any other reason.

We usually avoid the mad rush to the busses at park closings by hanging out until the crowds have thinned. But on the few times we have left with the cattle, er, other guests, the busses have been very annoying. The incident from our last trip that comes to mind was waiting about 50 minutes to go from MK to the Boardwalk because the line was so long it took 5 busses before we made it on one...meanwhile, a Wilderness Lodge bus whisked away 15 guests, and was followed by another Wilderness Lodge bus that sat and waited for folks to show up.

Anywho, depending on our schedule on our next trip, we may try out the rental car route.

Expect nothing - and you'll be fine!

I understand what you mean... once you decided to use Disney's transportation, there's not much point in getting upset about its limitations while you are on your vacation.

On the other hand, you should take note of the things that do and don't work for you, so you can make a more informed decision the next time.

Also, when taking a step back and looking at the situation objectively, it isn't realistic to tell folks to expect nothing... after all, the transportation system is part of the reason on-site room rates are what they are, and people will expect a certain value for their extra dollars.


And Mr. Pirate....

I'm afraid that transportation is something Disney only looks at as the facilitator rather than part of the 'Show'...And yes, I think that is too bad...

I agree 100%!

 

[crusader]

it isn't realistic to tell folks to expect nothing... after all, the transportation system is part of the reason on-site room rates are what they are,

Actually, the best objective response to give someone unaware of the realities of the transportation system is to advise them to remove all expectations. Then ask them to privately answer a very personal question honestly: do they consider themselves to be patient and generally tolerant by nature?

Because................

There is a high probability they will see a bus pull away when they are literally seconds away from the stop no matter where they happen to be, which will force a potential twenty minute delay in timing and tends to build anxiety.

There is a high probability the parks will be jammed upon exit and they will be forced to endure yet another long line just to get back to the resort which is added strain on an already tired family.

There are a many outside circumstances to potentially encounter within the system which may cause extensive delays and increased wait times.

There is no failsafe plan here. The decision has to be carefully considered in relation to the individual's personality.

Once this is fully understood, a guest can effectively decide whether they wish to be limited to full or partial utilization of the system.

 

[raidermatt]

Actually, the best objective response to give someone unaware of the realities of the transportation system is to advise them to remove all expectations.

Again, not truly practical advice. If you are heading for a dinner reservation, you have an expectation that you will arrive in time for it... even if you allow extra time, you still have an expectation. Its also impossible not to expect Disney to operate their system with a certain level of efficiency. That's not to say they don't, just that any human being is going to have their own idea of what is efficient, given what Disney's literature tells them, and what they are paying.

Going with the flow, and allowing extra time for when things don't go as planned/hoped IS very good advice, but that's not the same as asking someone to remove all expectations.

 

[raidermatt]

Did you consider other forms of Disney transportation? If I was trying to get from the MK to the Boardwalk, I would have taken the monorail to Epcot, and walked thru Epcot, thru the International Gateway, and to the Boardwalk...Of course, this depends on the time of night and if Epcot was still open, etc.

Very good suggestion, but this was a 9 or 10pm MK closure, so we didn't consider the Epcot route a possibility. (Just a clarification... the wait for the bus was a solid 45 minutes, maybe 50. That did not include the actual bus ride. As it turns out, we could have waited in the Swan/Dolphin line, because even though it was just as long as the BW line when we arrived, there ended up being more S/D busses for whatever reason...)