Need recent experience with BC bus service, please

[Nik's Mom]

Hi! I'm trying to decide if we should stay at BC or AKL next August. I always like to stay at a different hotel on each trip, so I'm leaning toward BC, but I am concerned about the bus service. I did a search and there were several complaints about slow bus service at BC on previous posts. I'm wondering if anyone has more recent experience. Did you have to wait a long time for the bus to arrive? Did it make stops at several resorts? Were the buses so crowded that you didn't have a seat? We're traveling with our elderly parents, so this is a concern.
Thanks, everyone!

 

[Tiggery]

Over the last 3 years we have stayed in the Boardwalk area for over 40 nights. I can remember waiting around 40 mins once and can recall several 20ish mins waits otherwise the service has been very good.
hope it helps.

 

[grimley1968]

I stayed there last September. While the wait times weren't necessarily any worse at BC for buses than anywhere else, the number of stops at other resorts started to really grate on us. We usually stopped at: YC, Swan, Dolphin and BW separately before heading on to the park. It was never all that crowded for us, but the stops were definitely the worst aspect of bus transportation from BC. Sorry to say this, but I don't want to give you an impression of better bus service than we actually got.

But keep in mind that AKL, while it might have more direct bus service, still has nothing BUT bus service to anywhere, while at BC you can at least walk next door to EPCOT or boat over to MGM. That's a pretty big factor to consider when you're thinking about transportation. Even though the bus service was slow from BC, I'd still say we saved time overall in transportation, when compared to AKL, simply because of the walking/boating options to EPCOT and MGM.

 

[robinb]

I stayed there last September. While the wait times weren't necessarily any worse at BC for buses than anywhere else, the number of stops at other resorts started to really grate on us. We usually stopped at: YC, Swan, Dolphin and BW separately before heading on to the park. It was never all that crowded for us, but the stops were definitely the worst aspect of bus transportation from BC.

I have always wondered if the Epcot resort bus service is a Chicken and Egg scenario. Is the service lousy (long wait times, stopping at 5 resorts) because there are so few riders, or are there so few riders because the service is lousy? I'll be staying at the BCV next week and this is my #1 complaint about the resort.

 

[Nik's Mom]

Thanks, everyone. I'm really struggling with my decision between BC and AKL. Yes, you are right about being able to walk to 2 parks. Something else to consider. Robin, can you report back on bus service when you return? Have a great trip!

 

[kmjmom]

We visited the BC last month and found the bus service to be frustrating. We often had to stand. The BC was always the last stop on the return trips after stopping at the Swan, Dolphin and Yacht Club. The wait was sometimes 30-45 minutes to leave the resort also. We had better service when we stayed at POFQ.

 

[Nik's Mom]

Maybe I'd be better off at Swan then?

 

[SB in KY]

And if you think the bus service is bad at BC try staying at the Boardwalk!!

It is on the same bus route and it is the last to be picked up and dropped off on all 3 routes (1 to AK and Blizzard Beach, 1 to Typhoon Lagoon and DTD and one to MK)....so there were never any seats on any bus we saw all last week when we were there at any time of day or night!! (and often in the AM's the buses would fill before they got to BW, so they would skip it and go straight to the parks...they supposedly call for another bus to finish the pickup, but we never saw one that wasn't already packed with people when it got to BW)

Then on the return trip BW is the last stop also, so you ride forever to get to the hotel....after about 3 days (OK, so I am a little slow on the uptake) I finally figured out that you don't take Disney buses if you are staying at BW!! The slightly good news for the OP is that BC is the 4th stop instead of the 5th on those same bus routes...so you are slightly better off than the poor folks at BW!!

 

[snowy76]

SB, this happened last week? That's so weird. When we stayed at BW in June we found we almost always had our own bus -- once we shared with S/D (I think this was coming back from DTD), and once was all three (after closing at MK). I figured this was a smart change... guess not.

 

[PCFriar80]

I know this doesn't solve your outbound bus question from the BC, but on return
we always get off at the first stop (Swan) and take a leisurely walk back to the
BCVs via crescent lake. All in all it probably doesn't save any time but it is better than stopping at the Dolphin and then the YC. I strongly recommend this
strategy for the BW.

Personally, in our 30 plus visits to the BC we have never experienced "bad" wait
times to AK, MK or the water parks. I can also tell you that the bus stops do vary at times, sometimes skipping S/D on the return or BW on the outbound. I'm sure load factor/crowds impact that. Just plan accordingly and allow some extra time.

I also agree with Grimely about the walking or boat to Epcot/MGM. You can't
get that at AKL.

 

[SB in KY]

Yep...it was last week....we checked out Sat AM (8/6)...we had stayed at BW a couple of years ago and I don't remember any real bus problems...but that was in January during a very slow time...I did remember making quite a few stops coming back to the hotel on that trip, but not too bad....not sure what the deal was last week....maybe just a very busy time, but every bus that came by was packed to the max....and sometimes people would be complaining that they had waited 40 and 45 minutes for a MK bus (we never went to MK this trip, so it wasn't us)...but the others came fairly infrequently and were always jammed, even mid-afternoon.

 

[Nik's Mom]

Thanks for letting me know. It looks like BC and Swan/Dolphin are out of the question then. I need good bus transportation for this trip, since we are not renting a car. I'll have to save BC for another trip then.