Marriott owners using OKW transportation

[spiceycat]

Okay I know I am a little bit upset - but on my last trip - when we were in the parks - some other people came up to the OKW bus stop and I asked (being noisy) if they were members - no - they weren't even staying at WDW but Marriott and they were trying to get to Downtown Disney.

Now I realize that WDW has stopped the buses from going to the theme parks to Downtown Disney - but telling off site visitors to go to a WDW hotel (or in this case a DVC resort) and using their transportation to get to DD is a little strange.

Anyway I though it strange!

 

[KNWVIKING]

It seems that the last 5-6 years or so WDW stopped caring about who was on their buses. I remember having to show room keys in the past but apparently that was too time consuming. Couple years ago I was telling DW that if I were a kid growing up around WDW, I'd find a way to DTD,hop on a resort bus,and go swimming for the day.

 

[DeeP]

It seems that the last 5-6 years or so WDW stopped caring about who was on their buses. I remember having to show room keys in the past

I have read this several times and I am always surprised. I have been going to WDW since the late 70's, I always stay at a WDW resort, I have stayed in every WDW resort but 2 and I take at least 3-4 trips per year that average a minimum of 10 days per trip and I have NEVER been asked to show proof that I am a WDW resort guest on any type of WDW transportation. I guess we must always look like we belong, LOL!

 

[KNWVIKING]

Well, if you'd take off that silly mouse suit...

 

[DeeP]

Well, if you'd take off that silly mouse suit...

Aww shucks, now my secret is out!!

 

[Regina]

They weren't instructed to do this, they were avoiding paying for parking.

Years ago they would occassionally ask us to show our resort ID's. It's a shame, but there are always those who will ride the buses for hours rather than spring for parking.

 

[Laurajean1014]

Do you really think that Disney encourages this? Maybe it was very slow?? I can't believe that WDW bus drivers would allow this. Especially when buses are a sour subject with DVC owners. My family usually does not have a problem, but I've read on these boards that many people wait over 20 minutes for the buses.

I suspect that WDW knows this is happening, but has not implemented a program yet???

 

[DeeP]

they were avoiding paying for parking.

But if they were getting the bus from one of the parks, as the OP said, they would have already paid for parking. They probably did not have a car but took the shuttle bus from the Marriott to the park and then did not want to wait for the next shuttle since they run something like every hour or so. So they got a OKW bus since it is so close to DTD and very easy to get there from OKW using the boat. This is not right by any means, but I bet that is what was going on.

 

[Dean]

I'm going from memory so be gentle with me. If I recall correctly the ticket media now states that the holder has the right to use WDW transportation. There are no qualifications that would prevent this issue. I do believe that is a change from the way it was 8-10 years ago.

 

[Regina]

Deep, I know that my cheap BIL used to do the same thing.

If you've ever gone to Downtown Disney early in the morning, you'll see that there are tons of cars. Go in the shops, and there's nowhere near the amount of people that there should be when looking at the cars in the parking lot.

It's pathetic, but people will park downtown, take any bus that comes along to a resort, and take that resort's transportation to the parks.

You just happened to come across a couple using OKW's transportation.

Unfortunately, as Dean has mentioned, use of Disney's transportation is inclusive when you have a multi-day park pass.

 

[KNWVIKING]

How much is parking ? 6-7 bucks ? By the time you find a spot at DTD,walk to the bus stop,wait for a bus, then do the same thing in reverse to get to your car, how much time have you wasted. I put my vacation time at a premium,worth quite a bit more then the price of parking.

 

[EmptyNester]

I put my vacation time at a premium,worth quite a bit more then the price of parking.

Absolutely.

but...

Unfortunately, as Dean has mentioned, use of Disney's transportation is inclusive when you have a multi-day park pass.

If the people the OP spoke to had ticket media that included WDW transportation, (and considering that we've only assumed they were trying to avoid parking charges) what exactly is the crime?

 

[WDWMom]

This subject has always seemed kind of funny to me. I've never asked because it really doesn't affect us. We don't rent a car when we stay on our DVC. Anyway, isn't parking a hassle? You fight the traffic jamb in the morning and night , all for the privaledge of paying a few bucks, then you have to walk to a tram, take the tram to the monorail or the slow boat to nowhere. all the while still fighting crowds. Thn you get the same walk in distance wise as the bus people. It just seems so simple to hop a bus. At times I know the bus service is sporadic, but them so is the traffic into and out of the parks so isn't the bus just easier? For everytime we have waited 20 min for a bus we've caught 5 that took less than 5 minutes.

 

[Chuck S]

This brings up a question. Do guests of the hotels near DTD get free park parking, since they are staying at an "on-site" hotel, even if it isn't Disney operated?

 

[KNWVIKING]

I guess stupidity is still legal in all 50 states.

 

[EmptyNester]

Originally posted by KNWVIKING
I guess stupidity is still legal in all 50 states.

Who, exactly, are you calling stupid?

 

[KNWVIKING]

We always have a car and it saves us a ton of time,especially when we go from park-to-park or resort-to-resort. No standing up on crowded buses, no bruises from people trying to drag strollers the size of Buicks onboard, no getting to the bus stop just in the nick of time to get a lung full of exhaust smoke as the bus pulls away...... ah,give me my car any day.

 

[KNWVIKING]

People that will waste an hour or more of their time in order to save a couple bucks by not paying for parking.

PS: I'm so sorry, after re-reading the threads I realized it looked like I was calling you stupid. Never the way it was intended to sound.

 

[EmptyNester]

Originally posted by KNWVIKING
People that will waste an hour or more of their time in order to save a couple bucks by not paying for parking.

PS: I'm so sorry, after re-reading the threads I realized it looked like I was calling you stupid. Never the way it was intended to sound.

Apology accepted

 

[InstImpres]

Originally posted by KNWVIKING
ah,give me my car any day.

I'm with you. We always drive to DTD, AK and MGM. I'm greatful not to have little ones hang on me at the bus line. For MK and Epcot I do think the bus/boat is easier

JMHO
Sandy