Just got back and we hated the buses!

[bdiddy]

This was our second trip to WDW and on our first trip last year we drove but this time we flew and took the ME and obviously the Disney transportation system.

We did not like taking the buses around at all! Granted we have 2 little kids, a bag and a double umbrella stroller but I couldn't get over how much time is spent waiting. My DH and I both thought driving was 1000x better. At least half of the time we had to wait the full 20 min to get the bus at our resort, at least half of the time we were standing trying to manage the 2 kids (except the rare times people gave up their seats). It sort of became a joke because on our first night there we went to Epcot and waited 20 min for the bus then the next day we see 3 Epcot buses in 5 min while we wait another 20 min for the bus we need. DH and I were just laughing and shaking our heads by the end of the week mouthing "this sucks" to each other on the bus.

One of the days our bus pulled up and it was really full and we barely got on and there was a family there with someone in a wheelchair and the driver told him he couldn't fit them on and he was sorry. The mother got upset and said they had been waiting a half an hour and this was the 2nd bus that was full. He said all he could do was put in a call for another bus. I felt really bad for them!

And standing in those awful queue's every night was terrible. The worst was we had to wait for the 4th bus on Sat when we left Magic Kingdom. We were so jealous of those people leaving walking right to their cars! And then one night we went from Animal Kingdom to the Lodge to have dinner at Boma so leaving we had to take a bus back to the park to catch the bus back to our resort and it took us literally 55 minutes (I timed it).

DH swears that the next time we fly we will be renting a car and he doesn't care about the cost. All that lost time in waiting is worth the cost. On our plane ride home DH and I were trying to figure out the lost time we spent waiting. About 15-20 every morning. Only one morning did we get a bus in the first 5 minutes. At least 15 min at the best to up to an hour at the worst at night. And then the two times we had to do transfers from resort/parks, etc...It literally was hours and hours of time that could have been spent at the parks, exploring our resort or sleeping! And I didn't count the time on the buses. It was just so easy taking our own car. And on our last trip we opted not to wait for the trams the one time we could have taken it and just walked. At least I feel like I'm making progress and not just standing and waiting, relying on someone else.

Anyway.....I know that when our kids are older or even if there is a time DH and I go ourselves it might not be that bad but I always hear people saying how great the buses are and we just didn't have a good experience.

Almost forgot to add - had no issues with the Magical Express...

 

[dburg30]

I dont know how many people say the buses are 'great' but I know some people just dont mind the rides / waits. Granted this month has seemed to be MUCH busier then this time in the past, so I'm sure the service is stretched pretty far.

I've never had bad luck with buses, or thought I lost THAT much time really, but it's a personal choice

 

[goofy4tink]

While the buses do a commendable job of getting a ton of people around a huge area, I think I may be renting a car in the future as well. This past trip (11/29-12/13) did it for me. After waiting for 30 mins for a bus at Kidani to the MK, I had had it. It took forever, and we had to leave a bunch of people behind when we stopped at Jambo House!!!
At BW, buses were better but not by much. Pop again had some of the best bus service to date. But all in all, I've pretty much had it with the buses. Between the adults who refuse to move on back (for some reason they have to stand right next to their spouse and kids, while holding a huge stroller, rather than moving back and making it possible for others to board), or those who allow children to stretch out over 3 seats..the poor things are tired you know, or just the long waits at the resorts...well, enough is enough.

 

[bdiddy]

While the buses do a commendable job of getting a ton of people around a huge area, I think I may be renting a car in the future as well. This past trip (11/29-12/13) did it for me. After waiting for 30 mins for a bus at Kidani to the MK, I had had it. It took forever, and we had to leave a bunch of people behind when we stopped at Jambo House!!!
At BW, buses were better but not by much. Pop again had some of the best bus service to date. But all in all, I've pretty much had it with the buses. Between the adults who refuse to move on back (for some reason they have to stand right next to their spouse and kids, while holding a huge stroller, rather than moving back and making it possible for others to board), or those who allow children to stretch out over 3 seats..the poor things are tired you know, or just the long waits at the resorts...well, enough is enough.

I can't believe people wouldn't want to separate on the buses! That's just bizarre to me, I mean what's the big deal?? DH and I split up a bunch of times. Quite a few times I'd be sitting with my 3 yr old on my lap and he'd be standing in the back with our 5 yr old. It's not like anything fun is going on on the bus that you need to be together as a family! LOL

 

[goofy4tink]

I can't believe people wouldn't want to separate on the buses! That's just bizarre to me, I mean what's the big deal?? DH and I split up a bunch of times. Quite a few times I'd be sitting with my 3 yr old on my lap and he'd be standing in the back with our 5 yr old. It's not like anything fun is going on on the bus that you need to be together as a family! LOL

Yep..that's my thought as well. But I can't tell you how many times adults said...'Just move by me. I need to stay with my family.' But it was a bit difficult to get past with all the stuff he had with him. I can't imagine what they thought was going to happen if dad was at the back of the bus and mom was in the front with the kids...perhaps mom (or dad) was too dopey to get off at the right place?

 

[cigar95]

I can understand the frustration. Waiting in crowds isn't fun.

Sometimes when you toss a coin, you're going to get "tails" five or six times in a row, and it sounds like this was your bad luck this time - next time, it might go the other way and you might find that the busses all seem to pull up right when you step up to wait.

Not saying that you shouldn't feel disappointed - just trying to let you know that it won't always be like this. Renting a car will usually save you time, but then you have to decide if the money is worth it - only you can decide that.

(Also, while the worst waits at the parks may be at the MK, remember that driving there has its own complications because it still requires a monorail or ferry connection.)

Thanks for sharing.

 

[seashoreCM]

Should be a poll question but I wanted to combine it with the rest of this thread.

Which is better:
1. Parents stand next to their seated children,
2. Parents take seats behind their children.

Not sure whether the drivers would go along with this particularly when it rains but maybe the buses could be equipped with a key operated switch to open the rear door from the outside. This is done to let guests board only when the driver is out there supervising.

Another which is better:
3. When the front of the bus fills up and no one else will please move back, the driver calmly closes the doors and proceeds.
4. The driver doesn't proceed until the bus aisle is packed the bus aisle from front to back.

 

[thefirebuilds]

driving is a part of my life that i am on vacation from. The last thing I want to do in WDW is worry about my stupid rental car. I don't even take my car keys in my pocket. How can you feel like a kid with keys in your pocket

but luckily that option is there for you not to use them I think I might be tempted to rent a car if I had a few kids, but we dont usually wait in ques since we stopped doing all star resorts... the only bad time was epcot to home after illuminations because SO many people use the TTC monorail when we're on our way to BLT.

 

[turkeymama]

Yep, me and DH split up on the busses as well. DH will always give his seat up for someone, so he figures he may as well stand with the stroller anyway. I try to find a seat at least for DS5 since he is so uncoordinated. Sometimes it happens and sometimes not.

As for wait times, we have experienced both good and bad. I'm normally pretty laid back about it, even in the evenings. I go into it knowing that we'll likely have to wait on multiple busses, all of them will be crowded, and the chances of getting a seat are 50/50. For us, we would stress more if we had to drive.

 

[SanFranciscan]

My family is planning to use the Disney buses so hopefully we won't have the same irritating experience that you had. We have been riding San Francisco's public transit for over 20 years though and don't own a car so we are used to inconvenience. At least we will be safer from crime on Disney's buses than we are here and won't have to put up with the Nazi-like fare inspectors who think that their uniforms make them twice the men (or women) that they will ever be.

May I suggest that you bring something to read for entertainment while you wait for the next bus if you decide to use the Disney buses again? I find that if I have a paperback or smaller hardback I can read with one hand while holding on while standing on the streetcar. What about a little journal to record your memories of what you just did that day in the parks or wherever? If you wrote them while waiting for the bus, you would have a record made while the memories were at their freshest.

 

[bdiddy]

My family is planning to use the Disney buses so hopefully we won't have the same irritating experience that you had. We have been riding San Francisco's public transit for over 20 years though and don't own a car so we are used to inconvenience. At least we will be safer from crime on Disney's buses than we are here and won't have to put up with the Nazi-like fare inspectors who think that their uniforms make them twice the men (or women) that they will ever be.

May I suggest that you bring something to read for entertainment while you wait for the next bus if you decide to use the Disney buses again? I find that if I have a paperback or smaller hardback I can read with one hand while holding on while standing on the streetcar. What about a little journal to record your memories of what you just did that day in the parks or wherever? If you wrote them while waiting for the bus, you would have a record made while the memories were at their freshest.

Nice idea but quite honestly they pack the buses so full that you can barely hold the pole much less a book and pen. (I'm surprised it is actually legal how full they can pack those buses!) I'm usually juggling one small child and a bag or stroller and my DH will have the same thing. So, not quite easy to read a book in our situation. You'll see when you get there when you are on really full buses!

I'm sure you'll have a good experience with them though based on your own experiences!

 

[thefirebuilds]

lol, tg for my iPhone, it kept me busy for the longer waits.

 

[Missytara]

I stayed for the first time at SSR; they seemed to have the older buses that had seating along the sides of the bus only and a few rows in the back.

I was pleasantly pleased to see that each morning, there was a CM with a radio calling for the buses that were needed. You could see the bus approach with nothing lit on the sign and miraculously it would change to the next bus that was needed.

I was also pleasantly surprised at how efficiently the DTD buses ran, again two CM's were there with radios calling the dispatcher for a bus needed as a queue got full.

The only issue we had was getting from SSR to POR (where one of my traveling companions' brother was staying). I thought that we could take the water taxi over to the stop by the RFC, then switch over to the POR one - but it didn't quite work out that way. They ended up going over to the other stop and then we took the water taxi back to RFC. It was fairly cold by then - we took the bus to DTD back and walked. It was so close.

However, I can imagine how difficult it can be with two small children and all the bags and stroller, etc. When I was at POR with my mom a few years ago, they would fill up the buses at POFQ and we would be left standing had we taken the bus. I didn't want to do that with her - so we would wait for the next one, which seemed to be just a few minutes behind it.

 

[MaumeeMom]

I'm sorry that you didn't have a great time with the buses. Do you ever use a bus system at home? I think that people who don't use public transportation at home often have high expectations for the Disney system.

I ride our RTA system here and waiting is common, full buses are common and trouble with the wheel chair lifts happens. You just have to roll with it.

For some, the cost of renting a car is prohibitive or maybe the actual driving is an issue. I know that I am a horrible driver and rarely drive anywhere outside of my comfort zone. I try to utilize public transportation where ever I go. Some places have better systems than others. I have found that the Disney system does a commendable job when you look at their ridership.

Also, the transportation department is in flux. They are currently looking to hire a VP of transportation and this lack of leadership may have something to do with the problems that people are experiencing.

 

[bdiddy]

We have actually never used a public transportation system although both DH and I went to a state college that used campus buses but that was 15-16yrs ago....so I think you are definitely right in what you are used to plays a factor into what you think of their buses.

I think what it came down to for us what having smaller kids, a bag and a stroller added extra stress to the situation and we looked at part of it as "unnecessary waiting" I guess. We are already waiting in lines for rides and even driving you have to wait a little bit but the buses were on a whole other level.

On the last trip we had our own vehicle so comparing walking out of our door at POR to our vehicle and being on our way to this time at CBR walking to the bus stop and waiting and then the same at night....it just didn't measure up I guess. Especially when you go to resort to resort - that was WAY easier driving.

I'll be curious to see in the distant future when the kids are older or DH and I are by ourselves if we still think the same thing about the buses!

 

[Darcy03231]

We used the buses the first week of December. I found we really didn't wait long (most times less than 5 minutes), other than at park closing time and even then it wasn't long as they kept sending plenty of buses along. I will say that it was 2 adults and a tween so we didn't have the stroller and other stuff either.

 

[PrincessKsMom]

I'm sorry you had a bad time with the buses. The worst wait I had was 1-1/2 hours in the sun for a bus from ASMo to AK in August of 2008. Thought I was going to die. Last time at CBR was the best. The longest we waited was 20 minutes, but that was only once. It was also during a super quiet time.

I still would rather use Disney's bus service. Even if you rent a car, you still have to wait for the Monorail/Ferry/tram or walk through the parking lots to get to your car. I think when you're moving the time doesn't seem so long, it's when you're standing on lines waiting that seems to take forever. We also make sure we either leave before park closing or hang around for 45 minutes or an hour after park closing to avoid the massive crush to get to the buses.

 

[n2mm]

This was our second trip to WDW and on our first trip last year we drove but this time we flew and took the ME and obviously the Disney transportation system.

We did not like taking the buses around at all! Granted we have 2 little kids, a bag and a double umbrella stroller but I couldn't get over how much time is spent waiting. My DH and I both thought driving was 1000x better. At least half of the time we had to wait the full 20 min to get the bus at our resort, at least half of the time we were standing trying to manage the 2 kids (except the rare times people gave up their seats). It sort of became a joke because on our first night there we went to Epcot and waited 20 min for the bus then the next day we see 3 Epcot buses in 5 min while we wait another 20 min for the bus we need. DH and I were just laughing and shaking our heads by the end of the week mouthing "this sucks" to each other on the bus.

One of the days our bus pulled up and it was really full and we barely got on and there was a family there with someone in a wheelchair and the driver told him he couldn't fit them on and he was sorry. The mother got upset and said they had been waiting a half an hour and this was the 2nd bus that was full. He said all he could do was put in a call for another bus. I felt really bad for them!

And standing in those awful queue's every night was terrible. The worst was we had to wait for the 4th bus on Sat when we left Magic Kingdom. We were so jealous of those people leaving walking right to their cars! And then one night we went from Animal Kingdom to the Lodge to have dinner at Boma so leaving we had to take a bus back to the park to catch the bus back to our resort and it took us literally 55 minutes (I timed it).

DH swears that the next time we fly we will be renting a car and he doesn't care about the cost. All that lost time in waiting is worth the cost. On our plane ride home DH and I were trying to figure out the lost time we spent waiting. About 15-20 every morning. Only one morning did we get a bus in the first 5 minutes. At least 15 min at the best to up to an hour at the worst at night. And then the two times we had to do transfers from resort/parks, etc...It literally was hours and hours of time that could have been spent at the parks, exploring our resort or sleeping! And I didn't count the time on the buses. It was just so easy taking our own car. And on our last trip we opted not to wait for the trams the one time we could have taken it and just walked. At least I feel like I'm making progress and not just standing and waiting, relying on someone else.

Anyway.....I know that when our kids are older or even if there is a time DH and I go ourselves it might not be that bad but I always hear people saying how great the buses are and we just didn't have a good experience.

Almost forgot to add - had no issues with the Magical Express...

It appears you have learned the lesson that us rental car folks learned a long time ago. Renting a car is a priority on our trips. We love eating at the resorts so taking 15 minutes to get from the WLV to the Poly is enough time for me. We sometimes will take the boat from WLV to the MK, but that is all the public transportation I'll use. I'm glad they offer the comp. transportation and glad some folks like it, but not us. Unlike another poster, I use public transportation to and from work every day (5 hours a day) and using public transportation while on vacation is something I won't do. Generally we walk to the parking lot and seldom wait for the tram, esp. at the AK. We often stay at the BWV or BCV so we don't have to drive to EPCOT or the Studios then. It sure sounds like the bus service is getting worse.

 

[MariDisney]

We ALWAYS rent a car for the reasons the OP mentioned. I wouldn't consider doing WDW with one.

 

[FireDancer]

Even when I had an AP and drove to the property I still took the buses around during the day. I don't really mind the wait and am rarely in a hurry even now that I only go every other year or so. I know the buses might be slow or packed and am prepared. Heck, I'm in Disney. It will take a lot more than any of that to put me in a bad mood.

Whether or not you use the buses really depends on how you vacation, what you patience threshold is, and whether the convenience of a car is worth the expense. There isn't a right and wrong way, just whichever you prefer.

There is a lot of rudeness on the buses but that isn't just limited to Disney. I am usually solo and am young and healthy so if a person with a young child or someone a bit older gets on I will give up my seat. I think it is just common courtesy.