ISO - Disney Bus Wait Times Displays

[chris benton]

Wondering if anyone can point me to a list of resorts with the electronic displays of bus ETA's. I found one from 2015 on wdwinfo, I'm guessing that more have been added? I also saw a few mentions of bus wait times being intergrated to MDE, but that probably has not happened yet, I assume.

This is all for some seriously granular research on narrowing down which resorts to try to score free dining if it's offered. I'd be so much happier staying at a resort that has bus wait times posted. I'm really interested if Port Orleans or CBR has these displays.

 

[sirenia88]

Pretty much the us pick up and drop off location will have Digital screens displaying ETA for the different locations the stop takes you too. Pretty much all the resorts go to the parks. However, places like Typhoon Lagoon there is a transfer At Disney Springs. However between resorts you may have to go through the TTC or another form of transport like the monorail or the ferries. Our last trip to Disney turned me into the bus believer. The bus system seemed to work out better than our normal boat or Monorail. Most the of time, the trip to the final destination seemed much quicker and personable as you had interaction with the driver of the bus. AS the one driver said, there will always be another bus about 5 to 10 minutes after I leave. So it's no big if some one misses the bus.

 

[buzznina]

I find no advantage to the displays. We get to the bus depot and it says MK bus ETA 8:15, then a few minutes later the ETA is now 8:18 etc. Yes it is giving you the time it will arrive, but really, what good is it? JMO

 

[chris benton]

I find no advantage to the displays. We get to the bus depot and it says MK bus ETA 8:15, then a few minutes later the ETA is now 8:18 etc. Yes it is giving you the time it will arrive, but really, what good is it? JMO

LOL. That is hilarious. When I walked from MK to the Contemp, I was thinking to myself - "that display board is cool as @#@$@%" because if I walked to the bus stop, and I just missed one, I could just call an Uber for a few bucks, and not have to get bent out of shape waiting without knowing when the next eta is. Sounds like it might wind up getting me even MORE bent out of shape.

 

[AngiTN]

I find no advantage to the displays. We get to the bus depot and it says MK bus ETA 8:15, then a few minutes later the ETA is now 8:18 etc. Yes it is giving you the time it will arrive, but really, what good is it? JMO

I don't understand your argument against the displays and how that tells you nothing. Can they keep to a fixed time down to the minute? No, they can't control speeds the buses can drive or lights the buses hit along the way. You see the time and you know a bus is on the way. And an approximate arrival time. Sure it changes by minutes because buses have to stop along the way. But if you walk up to a depot and it is 8:10 and you see a bus down for 8:15 or you see a bus down for 8:30, it tells you a lot. When we see an arrival time that is that far off I'll go and call Lyft instead of waiting, especially if we have a tighter than I'd like time frame

 

[AngiTN]

To answer your original question, I believe every resort has the screens now. I know every one we stayed in last year did. We either stayed in or caught a bus from all but OKW and SS

 

[buzznina]

I don't understand your argument against the displays and how that tells you nothing. Can they keep to a fixed time down to the minute? No, they can't control speeds the buses can drive or lights the buses hit along the way. You see the time and you know a bus is on the way. And an approximate arrival time. Sure it changes by minutes because buses have to stop along the way. But if you walk up to a depot and it is 8:10 and you see a bus down for 8:15 or you see a bus down for 8:30, it tells you a lot. When we see an arrival time that is that far off I'll go and call Lyft instead of waiting, especially if we have a tighter than I'd like time frame

Not if you see 8:15 and you decide to stay, and then the the actual time the bus finally arrives is closer to 8:30.
I know they cannot control the exact minute, but I have had a times where the difference was over 10 minutes more then the original ETA. For us it really does not matter, we have adopted the "when we get there is when we get there" mentality, it's so much more relaxing Let me say that I think the WDW transportation does a fantastic job and enjoy taking the bus etc.

 

[CMNJ]

To answer your original question, I believe every resort has the screens now. I know every one we stayed in last year did. We either stayed in or caught a bus from all but OKW and SS

SSR does have them too

 

[WEDWDW]

Here is one of the Bus Monitors in discussion for anyone who may not have seen them.

Do ALL the "Depots" at the Mods now have Monitors or just the "Main Depot"?

 

[AngiTN]

All of them as far as I know. For sure all of them at POR

Here is one of the Bus Monitors in discussion for anyone who may not have seen them.

Do ALL the "Depots" at the Mods now have Monitors or just the "Main Depot"?

 

[AngiTN]

Not if you see 8:15 and you decide to stay, and then the the actual time the bus finally arrives is closer to 8:30.
I know they cannot control the exact minute, but I have had a times where the difference was over 10 minutes more then the original ETA. For us it really does not matter, we have adopted the "when we get there is when we get there" mentality, it's so much more relaxing Let me say that I think the WDW transportation does a fantastic job and enjoy taking the bus etc.

Fair enough. I haven't been unlucky enough to have one change that drastically. Never more than 2, 3 minutes and usually it goes up, down, up, down and the bus ends up arriving at about the same time it originally displayed.

 

[WEDWDW]

Not if you see 8:15 and you decide to stay, and then the the actual time the bus finally arrives is closer to 8:30.

But that is not the "norm" and I would still MUCH rather have the new system than the "old days" when we just stood there having NO IDEA when the next bus would arrive!

 

[AngiTN]

What I would LOVE to see them do with the signs, expand it to display on a closed circuit channel on the TV in the room. Imagine how awesome it would be to turn to a channel and know when you need to head out to a bus stop? I don't foresee it happening mind you, but I would love it. They could do it by tying in to whatever feed they have for the monitors at the stops, so it wouldn't be hard or be a stretch.

 

[elaine amj]

What I would LOVE to see them do with the signs, expand it to display on a closed circuit channel on the TV in the room. Imagine how awesome it would be to turn to a channel and know when you need to head out to a bus stop? I don't foresee it happening mind you, but I would love it. They could do it by tying in to whatever feed they have for the monitors at the stops, so it wouldn't be hard or be a stretch.

OR have it on MDE!!!!

 

[AngiTN]

OR have it on MDE!!!!

Yes, that would be nice but it would be harder, take a different layer of tech. Adding it to the TV broadcast wouldn't, since they already broadcast it to TVs at each resort now.

 

[buzznina]

Fair enough. I haven't been unlucky enough to have one change that drastically. Never more than 2, 3 minutes and usually it goes up, down, up, down and the bus ends up arriving at about the same time it originally displayed.

I understand your side too I think it's a good "feel good" item where, like WEDWDW mentioned, you have a visual and your not totally in the dark wondering if they have totally forgot to send a bus, which I have felt a couple of times. One funny story was when we were at GF and waiting for the bus with a couple of other families, and a little daughter asked her mom when was the bus coming and the mom said in 2 minutes, then a couple minutes later see asked again and the mom looked back at the board and said in 2 minutes. The daughter looked confused and asked if minutes are longer at Disney World. It got all of us laughing so hard.

 

[elaine amj]

Yep - its nice knowing if you have just missed the bus (ie a 15-20 min wait or so) or if there is one coming in 5-10 mins.

 

[HopperFan]

What I would LOVE to see them do with the signs, expand it to display on a closed circuit channel on the TV in the room. Imagine how awesome it would be to turn to a channel and know when you need to head out to a bus stop? I don't foresee it happening mind you, but I would love it. They could do it by tying in to whatever feed they have for the monitors at the stops, so it wouldn't be hard or be a stretch.

THIS! It would be great to know next bus is in 10 minutes and we need to hustle or that no bus is showing and we can do a couple things.

While they may not speed up the buses it's helpful to know how long for lots of reasons.

If they are not helpful to someone ...... don't look at them.

 

[DebbieB]

They have it at Boardwalk but it was broken the entire week l was there in October.

 

[iheartbelle87]

I'd love it IN the parks too!