New Express Transportation: $19/day or $29/week-SERVICE ENDING AUGUST 23RD 2017

[yulilin3]

So AK's pick up drop off is changing? Ok thanks, also anyone heard if they might use this for hotels too? I saw someone in dec ask if they were doing resort drop off too.

it already changed, it was reported a couple pages back. No word on resort pick up

 

[AngiTN]

also anyone heard if they might use this for hotels too? I saw someone in dec ask if they were doing resort drop off too.

Because you bypass security and turnstiles I do not believe it will ever include resorts. Not until they start some sort of bag check at the resorts (and I can't imagine they plan that but who knows)

 

[djc9699]

They can read MB with their Ipads. Just can't process payment from them
If you've ever entered the park for a party or a PPO ADR it's the same type of system they use for those.

Thanks, I thought that would be how they would do it since they have to see you have a park hopper. I just got confused when I read there was no mickey reader. My misunderstanding. I love the ease of the magic bands and didn't want anything else to keep up with.

 

[wehrengrizz]

Just got back after 5 days and using the bus. The schedule is the same between parks as posted. TRAFFIC is an unknown that can vary your times. I tracked routes on my phone, and they often don't take the most direct highway route, so are susceptible to possible delays. Like others, 20 min. seems about average. Our longest trip was from AK to EPCOT at night, which I think actually topped out around 35 minutes. But very professional, and always left on time.

***

So, I just happened to think up a mnemonic device on the trip that actually allowed me to remember the schedule without referring to paper, which was convenient when sitting in dark on a ride and trying to think up the next options! I'll post it here, in case it might help others

First, you do have to know the basic layouts of the Parks geographically, or it probably won't help.

If you are familiar, think of a square, and where each park would be positioned on each corner of that square if you had to assign them each to a single corner. It would be:

[Magic Kingdom] [EPCOT]




[Animal King] [H. Studios]

Now, think of a clock. When the hands are straight up-and-down, they're at "0" and "30" past the hour. These are the N/S vertical routes on the square, and the only 30 minute combo that "fits" the same direction on the map as a clock (i.e. 10/40 and 20/50 aren't diagonal or horizontal on a clock).

Next, think of trucker movies from the 70's and CB Radios. Remember the phrase "10-40 good buddy"?. When you think of truckers (and their historic usage of CBs), you think of them driving cross-country, especially coast-to-coast. That's generally considered east-to-west and vice versa (horizontal). Also, CBs are old, and the oldest parks are MK and EPCOT, so another way to remember 10/40 is horizontal.

Finally, you're left with 20/50, a diagonal. There's only one remaining path, but if you think of 20/50 being the most "complex" sounding of the 3, and diagonals are more "complex" than basic horizontal or vertical lines, then you can remember it's parks that you'd make diagonal lines in the hypothetical square are the 20/50 times. Or forget "complex" and remember that in a square the diagonal line is a *longer* line than the straight lines that connect the corners so it's numerical length will be a LARGER number than the other lines, and 20/50 is the LARGEST combined number of the 3 as well.

Hence, as has been posted back in Post 1135, you can see how this (0/30 = vertical, 10/40 = horizontal, 20/50 = diagonal) all fits the schedule:

MK - EP 10/40
MK - DHS 20/50
MK - AK 0/30

EP - MK 10/40
EP - DHS 0/30
EP - AK 20/50

DHS - MK 20/50
DHS EP 0/30
DHS - AK 10/40

AK - MK 0/30
AK - EP 20/50
AK - DHS 10/40

Yes, mnemonic devices are pretty stupid but if you can remember at least 2 of the 3 triggers I mentioned (with the last being the default) maybe it can work for you to some extent as well!

Here's what I LOVE about this (aside from the fact that I get it):
This is probably something obscure enough that it's exactly what Disney did to make this schedule!!!
Thanks for sharing your awesome idea, I took a pic w/ my phone too but this is going to be way easier for me

 

[AngiTN]

Here's what I LOVE about this (aside from the fact that I get it):
This is probably something obscure enough that it's exactly what Disney did to make this schedule!!!
Thanks for sharing your awesome idea, I took a pic w/ my phone too but this is going to be way easier for me

LOL... I can so pull it up faster on my phone than I can remember all those steps. My brain is simply too old for that much work LOL

 

[indyumd]

Has anyone had luck getting the week pass extended to a length of stay pass? Say 10 days? Or am I better of just trying to find the best 7 days to use the pass?

 

[Lizardsoccernut]

Apologies if this has been asked and answered, but will the express service work during EMH? For example: is it possible to hop the last AK bus at 8:50pm (with a 9pm closing) to make EMH 9-11pm at EP?

 

[AngiTN]

Has anyone had luck getting the week pass extended to a length of stay pass? Say 10 days? Or am I better of just trying to find the best 7 days to use the pass?

No one has thus far. I'd find the best 7 days (and remember, it's 7 days in a row, not 7 uses like a park ticket)

Apologies if this has been asked and answered, but will the express service work during EMH? For example: is it possible to hop the last AK bus at 8:50pm (with a 9pm closing) to make EMH 9-11pm at EP?

In your scenario, yes. Epcot will still be open when it leaves so would still run. To my knowledge, no one has successfully taken a bus after the destination park closed.
Like if AK closed at 10:00, Epcot at 9:00 but had EMH till 11:00. The last word is, you couldn't take a bus to Epcot that got you there after regular park close, even if the park you are in is still open. If anyone has taken a bus after the destination park closed but was open for EHM, they haven't reported (that I've seen at least)

 

[Maistre Gracey]

If this gets popular enough, I'm betting there will be a ticket add on in the future rather than a seperate purchase. Perhaps even automatic with a park hopper. Of course, park hoppers would certainly increase in price.

MG

 

[Araminta18]

Adding a data point--was at DHS on Saturday night, park close was at 9. MK was open til 11, and they ran the last express bus at 9:20 to MK (so after DHS park close). It was perfect--watched Fantasmic and then headed over to MK.

Seriously, this service was amazing. Hit three parks in one day without even trying hard. On Friday, went from MK to Epcot for a last minute Frozen FP, then over to DHS for a last minute Tower of Terror FP, and then back to MK for dinner at the castle. It's so quick! I love it. I was the only person on a couple of my buses, and usually it was only about 5-10 of us, but one or two of my rides had about 20 people.

 

[JadeDarkstar]

ok I loved the above post. How did you get fp+ in two different parks. Were they the 4th and 5th fp's? If so can you use your first 3 and then go online to add a 4th or 5th by looking on your phone's app instead of a kiosk? With my family loving what I have told them of the service they want to now sit down at lunch time and decided where to go next (after the major planning is done we have afternoons most of the time free only mornings and evenings are hard-planed)

 

[Suzanne74]

I think someone mentioned that the busses that leave at 10 and 20 will leave one more time AFTER a park closes to a park that is still open, not including EMH.

So looking at the schedule, park hopping to MK from AK must be done by park closing since they are 00/30. Is that correct?

 

[Araminta18]

ok I loved the above post. How did you get fp+ in two different parks. Were they the 4th and 5th fp's? If so can you use your first 3 and then go online to add a 4th or 5th by looking on your phone's app instead of a kiosk? With my family loving what I have told them of the service they want to now sit down at lunch time and decided where to go next (after the major planning is done we have afternoons most of the time free only mornings and evenings are hard-planed)

Yep, it was my 4th and 5th fastpasses for the day. Once your 3 are done, the app will let you book one in whatever park you want. So as soon as I tapped in on Frozen, I pulled up the app and got the one for Tower of Terror.

Yes! FP in the morning, sit down lunch, then hop to your next park. That's literally exactly what I did that day. Used 3 FP in the morning, then had lunch at Skipper Canteen (super fun by the way), and then my friend was tired so she went back to the hotel while I waited for the check and all that. While I was waiting, I pulled up the app and was just playing around with the FPs, and saw the Frozen one pop up. Snagged it, meandered over to the Express bus, and off I went!

 

[ChloeChipper]

I am so excited to use this service on our upcoming trip. We are going to try to do 4 parks in one day our first day I think its totally doable!

 

[Araminta18]

I am so excited to use this service on our upcoming trip. We are going to try to do 4 parks in one day our first day I think its totally doable!

Not just doable, but easy! Have fun! You'll love it.

 

[prettypatchesmsu]

We park hop, but this is totally going to rock our strategy! I'm excited about the possibilities and hope they have this in September because we are totally doing this!

 

[gortman65]

We used the service earlier this month and overall thought it was a great transportation option. However, we had a heck of a time getting it added to our account. I tried once at WL concierge the night before we were going to first use the express bus, but the castmember said her system was not working. I then tried to add it the next day at the Epcot express umbrella/kiosk but the castmember's tablet was not connecting to the system. He said I could go over to Guest Services and the fine people there would be able to help me. Feeling a bit frustrated, I walked over to find the customer line spilling out the door. Luckily a castmember was standing outside and I explained my issue to him. He suggested going to Guest Relations at the front of the park. I finally found success there, but I bet it took 15-20 minutes total before we finally had the option added to our account.

Kudos to the castmember at Guest Relations for sensing my frustration and adding a "good anytime that day" Everest Fastpass for everyone in our party.

 

[AngiTN]

ok I loved the above post. How did you get fp+ in two different parks. Were they the 4th and 5th fp's? If so can you use your first 3 and then go online to add a 4th or 5th by looking on your phone's app instead of a kiosk? With my family loving what I have told them of the service they want to now sit down at lunch time and decided where to go next (after the major planning is done we have afternoons most of the time free only mornings and evenings are hard-planed)

It's even possible to book only 2 in the first park (if you only want 2) and then booking the 3rd at another park as soon as you use your first one.

 

[JadeDarkstar]

oh wow ok admittedly I did not realize that. Thank You AngiTN

 

[SoCalDisneyFan2708]

Haven't read through all the pages here but I'd like to chime in with my experience. First of all I definitely loved the option of having it and at 24 bucks it's a no brainer. The only thing that was a negative for me was it leaving every half hour. My last day at WDW I went to all 4 parks. I utilized the express bus but at certain times it made more sense to take the regular bus. For example, I was in AK at 11:15am at Expedition Everest and I wanted to get Epcot for my FP's. I knew the express bus left at 11:20 and the next one after that wouldn't leave till 11:50. So I thought there'd be a good chance I could get to Epcot faster by taking the regular bus. It was early in the day and most ppl wouldn't be park hopping yetis there wouldn't be a big line. The only way the regular bus would be worse is if one just didn't show up for a while. In the end it was decision as I only waited a few min at the regular bus stop for the Epcot bus.

Just thought I'd share that cause the few reports I've read from others who've used this have had nothing but praise for it and like started out by saying it is worth it. The best part about it for me was the different locations of the bus stops in each park between express and regular busses. AK in the back next to Safari and HS next to RRC were my favorite.