NOT impressed with the Beach Club! Just back...

[25eels]

I returned from BWI just last week and felt the same about the buses. I think it's a valid complaint. All 5 resorts seem close until you take the driveways and Epcot Resorts Rd. into consideration. The two separate Swan and Dolphin stops take ages even through the two are almost spitting distance from each other. I know, boo hoo, I have to wait my turn--but at those prices it does seem like Disney could improve that one aspect.

 

[Nancyg56]

But the transportation IS consistent and it IS reliable. Do the buses take you where you want to go? If you get on a bus at DTD to go to BC, does it drop you at Port Orleans? Of course not.

The OP's complaint is that it takes longer than she thinks is reasonable, and is using what it costs her per night to stay at a Deluxe as a justification. For me, I understand how long the buses take. I know that I cannot change the busing system (and Disney doesn't seem to be willing to for the costs involved), so I choose not to partake of it and rent a car instead.

Guess who had a better time at Beach Club....me, or the OP?

I have waited for those buses and they are consistent......slow. DD and I took a cab back to our resort rather than deal with it.

I do not think one should feel the need to rent a car in order to get around the WDW complex. I have stayed at several resorts some deluxe and some Mod and I just feel that if one is spending the amount of money it takes to stay at a deluxe the transportation should be good.

Complaining about bus waits is, to me, tantamount to complaining about wait times for walk-up dining reservations at sit-down restaurants at the World. If you are aware of the inconvenience you can plan ahead, either by leaving enough time to be transported by said buses or find some other transportation.

Because I am on the DIS, I am in the know. That means I make my ADRs months in advance and I choose not to spend my Disney vacation time waiting for a bus.

If someone on the DIS went to BC and didn't know that there were 5 stops, whose fault is that?

Not everyone who visits is on the DIS and they should not need to be in order to experience satisfactory bus service. This is one of the perks Disney offers when selling their resort. I am pretty easy-going when on vacation. I do not get impatient waiting for transportation. IF I have to rent a vehicle in order to compensate for extra long wait times at a bus stop then I am going to reconsider the value of staying onsite. I stay because I hate to drive and if I need to spend that money and drive..............

 

[jenrose66]

Isn't it honeybees that people are concerned about dying? I am betting they were something more like yellow jackets or some other kind of wasp. And yes, I think they could do something about them.

That's what I was thinking too. Honey bees don't tend to be near food or things like that, they stick to the flowers.

Yellow jackets have been terrible in my area this year. They are getting VERY aggressive too. The bees aren't aggressive.

Back to the OP. I feel for you with the bus situation. I've never stayed at the Beach Club but we did walk over to the resort to explore and then decided to take a bus back to DTD and it took FOREVER.

 

[pixie08]

I returned from BWI just last week and felt the same about the buses. I think it's a valid complaint. All 5 resorts seem close until you take the driveways and Epcot Resorts Rd. into consideration. The two separate Swan and Dolphin stops take ages even through the two are almost spitting distance from each other. I know, boo hoo, I have to wait my turn--but at those prices it does seem like Disney could improve that one aspect.

Yea it's a REAL issue. I really don't mind if it is BW/YC/BC but I think swan and dolphin should be on their own then or something. Or vice versa make it BW/Swan/Dolphin and YC/BC separate.

 

[NancyIL]

Yea it's a REAL issue. I really don't mind if it is BW/YC/BC but I think swan and dolphin should be on their own then or something. Or vice versa make it BW/Swan/Dolphin and YC/BC separate.

There is a bus from the Boardwalk, Swan, and Dolphin to the parks, and a separate bus from the Yacht Club and Beach Club to the parks (AK/MK). All 5 Epcot resorts share a bus to Downtown Disney, and occasionally to the theme parks during slower times of the day.

 

[AndyFL]

Funny how different people's experiences can be so different. We stayed at the YC Feb 2011 and the BC....can't remember the date but within the past 2 yrs......and we found the buses to be the best of any resort we stayed at. Must make a difference as to how busy the resorts are.

 

[theblondebee]

Uh-oh... DH and I are staying at BWI this November. I've heard multiple times that the bus system is bad but over an hour wait in the rain seems a little much. (plus the additional 5 stops?)

Sorry for hijacking this thread... but does anyone know how easy is it to take a cab? Is the taxi line close to where the buses are? (generally?)

When we stayed at BWI, we discovered it was faster to get of at swan or dolphin and walk to the resort rather than thank the bus all the way.

 

[MistressMerryweather]

We stayed at BC for the first time last year. We were really really annoyed at the QS. It is a pitiful excuse for QS at a deluxe resort.
The buses were also horrible. They need to step up and get these things changed and right.

Oddly enough, despite those things, we adored the BC.

 

[Tink415]

OP, your complaints are valid and I agree with most of them. I still love BC
tho because its so close to Epcot, SAB, the beach, and looking at the Boardwalk at night. I try to work around its shortcomings.
Enough people feel the same way that the shortcomings don't get fixed. 'It is what it is' is an accurate statement.

I have to add: pool side service - none would be better than 1 person. Getting food in general is a joke. If you're willing to walk around the entire Epcot resort area for food, no problem. I don't understand why the old Ariel's isn't used for quick service/food court We've stayed several times and never made it inside Beaches & Cream, we're too impatient I guess

Anyway, sorry your experience was disappointing.

 

[goofy4tink]

I haven't read past the first page....but....all the deluxe resorts share a bus with at least one other, and usually two other resorts. And those resorts are sometimes not as close as the Epcot resorts. It's just not a big deal. And I own at BWV so am there a lot. Do I like having to stop at the YC/BC? No, but that's how it works.
If each deluxe resort had it's own bus?? You can not begin to imagine the room rates then. Doubt you would all be happy.
Want your own bus??? Stay at either Pop or AoA..those resorts are so large they have to have their own bus.

Food options at BC??? Yes, it could be better. I wish they had a larger food court area vs the Marketplace. And BWV has nothing....other than a small lounge area.

 

[jennylyn_b]

Sorry to hear about your bad experience...

The buses concern me. Especially because we are planning on having breakfast at Cape May Cafe when we go in November and don't want to be waiting around all day for a bus to come take us to DHS after breakfast.

Just walk out to the dock at the Yacht club and take the boat to HS! No need for the bus. You can also walk over to HS but its a longer walk (15-20mins).



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[gonemousin']

We're here at the BC right now. Haven't noticed any bees (although this has been a terrible year for bees at our home so perhaps Florida is experiencing the same thing) at the pool or otherwise. Yes they have had to close the pool for storms but I can't say I noticed them taking a long time to clean up and reopen beyond the 30 min post lightening wait.

We have used the marketplace several times but knew ahead of time that it wasn't a quick service restaurant so had no unrealistic expectations. The bus service has been fine all week. We have not waited more than 20 minutes for a bus to or from AK or MK. I was expecting worse having stayed at GF and CR in the past and was tortured by long waits for buses at those resorts. The shared busing hasn't been that big a deal. Our room is close to EPCOT and the bridge to BWI so we tend to hop off at the BWI bus stop and walk the 5 mins to our BC room. I agree that sharing buses for 5 resorts is ridiculous but we're flexible and just make the best of it. Love being able to walk to EPCOT and HS!

The staff has been fabulous - kind and friendly. Mousekeeping has been driving us a bit bonkers in that they haven't been servicing our room until 3-4pm. We like to come back from the parks mid day to rest/swim and would much prefer our room to be done. But that's our only complaint, so I think we're doing just fine.

OP, sorry you didn't enjoy your stay. It is a lot of money to spend to wind up disappointed.

 

[mickeynut1]

My experience has been that not only the AK bus stopped at all 5 places, but the bus to MK in the morning at 8 am (with a 9 am opening) also stopped at all 5 resorts. It was crazy crowded and took a looong time to get to the parks.

This was our experience as well and we were there during a pretty busy time.

Not everyone who visits is on the DIS and they should not need to be in order to experience satisfactory bus service. This is one of the perks Disney offers when selling their resort. I am pretty easy-going when on vacation. I do not get impatient waiting for transportation.

I totally agree. We just go with the flow and are never in a hurry when we're on vacation, so waiting for a bus might get a little long, but it is what it is and isn't a big deal for us. The problem we had when we stayed at the BC was the buses were always VERY CROWDED with standing room only by the time it got to the BC. Since it was our first stay at the BC, we didn't have any experience with the transportation and thought waiting for the next bus would be better. Well, after doing that once or twice we realized ALL of the buses were crowded and we just had to deal with it. It didn't ruin our vacation by any means, but it did get frustrating to always have to stand.

There is a bus from the Boardwalk, Swan, and Dolphin to the parks, and a separate bus from the Yacht Club and Beach Club to the parks (AK/MK). All 5 Epcot resorts share a bus to Downtown Disney, and occasionally to the theme parks during slower times of the day.

During our stay, the buses serviced all 5 resorts, and we weren't there during a slow time. In fact, our visit was right before Christmas when the resorts were crazy with people coming in to be there over Christmas Day.

We stayed at BC for the first time last year. We were really really annoyed at the QS. It is a pitiful excuse for QS at a deluxe resort.
The buses were also horrible. They need to step up and get these things changed and right.

Oddly enough, despite those things, we adored the BC.

We feel the same way about the CS. The Marketplace came after our stay, but that would not even be an option for us as the variety is very limited with no hot items for breakfast (i.e., eggs, waffles, bacon, etc). The transportation is not that big of an issue for us to make us not stay there again as we could deal with that, but the limited CS options is what makes us hesitate. With that said, we loved our stay at the BC and are trying the YC in July 2013, but we will only be there for 2 nights prior to a Disney cruise, so hopefully the CS issue won't be bad to deal with for just 2 days.

Getting food in general is a joke. If you're willing to walk around the entire Epcot resort area for food, no problem. I don't understand why the old Ariel's isn't used for quick service/food court

I agree. Alot of people say Epcot is great for CS as it's so close, but we aren't ones to leave the resort for breakfast unless we are doing a TS, so for CS it would be a big inconvenience for us.

...all the deluxe resorts share a bus with at least one other, and usually two other resorts. And those resorts are sometimes not as close as the Epcot resorts.

You are right that all deluxe resorts do share buses and we are ones that don't mind the wait, but IMO, Disney should add more buses to accommodate the amount of people using them. The buses at the BC were so very crowded every day of our stay that it was a little ridiculous, especially for the amount of money people spend to stay there.


OP....I'm sorry you didn't have a good stay.

 

[smiths02]

Complaining about bus waits is, to me, tantamount to complaining about wait times for walk-up dining reservations at sit-down restaurants at the World. If you are aware of the inconvenience you can plan ahead, either by leaving enough time to be transported by said buses or find some other transportation.

Because I am on the DIS, I am in the know. That means I make my ADRs months in advance and I choose not to spend my Disney vacation time waiting for a bus.

If someone on the DIS went to BC and didn't know that there were 5 stops, whose fault is that?

I think the buses from DTD are a problem in general. We went in 2009 (staying at AKL) and decided to take the bus...it was a PITA. We had no other bus problems the entire trip.

So having been on the DIS and having encountered the problem before, we decided to drive to DTD on our trip in 2011 (we don't rent a car, we drive to Disneyworld from GA). This was basically just as big a nightmare because there was NOWHERE to park-circling the parking lot for 30 minutes is very stressful. So our only option is a taxi? We probably put out $3k for our 5-night vacation for 2 adults and a 1 child...and I am expected to also pay for a taxi as the only way not to wait an extended period of time for transportation, really? (When Disney so heavily advertises their transportation options or the ability to use your own car and park for free on property?)

 

[bwifan]

We stay at the BW a lot and the bus to DTD is rediculous, so rediculous In fact that we don't go. We are on vacation. Waiting for over an hour with three kids for standing room only for a long bus trip is not our idea of vacation. We end up saving money by avoiding all that anyway.

We were there last in June and other than that the buses were reasonable.

CS does seem lacking compared to the monorail resorts, but we must not mind because we keep going back to the BW.

And yes, bees are annoying!

 

[Masonmj84]

I do not think one should feel the need to rent a car in order to get around the WDW complex. I have stayed at several resorts some deluxe and some Mod and I just feel that if one is spending the amount of money it takes to stay at a deluxe the transportation should be good. Not everyone who visits is on the DIS and they should not need to be in order to experience satisfactory bus service. This is one of the perks Disney offers when selling their resort. I am pretty easy-going when on vacation. I do not get impatient waiting for transportation. IF I have to rent a vehicle in order to compensate for extra long wait times at a bus stop then I am going to reconsider the value of staying onsite. I stay because I hate to drive

Agree 100%.

A big part of why we choose to stay on-site is to avoid the hassle of renting a car and driving (don't want to deal with waiting at the rental car counter, fiddling with car seats, finding our way around, parking, filling the car up with gas before returning it, etc.).

The response, "life's full of tough choices (either dealing with the hassle of renting a car or dealing with poor bus service), innit?", misses the point.

For the premium Disney charges to stay on site (where "complimentary" transportation is a major selling point), guests shouldn't be forced to choose between renting a car or enduring poor bus service, especially at deluxe resorts, where the premium for staying on site is super high.

 

[twinboysmom]

Because the bus service has been so terrible for us at the Epcot resorts (we have always shared with all Epcot resorts and during the peak season-June) we will not return to any of these resorts until our boys are out of strollers. We own DVC and get a really great discount as well at the swalphin so it is frustrating but it is just that terrible (in our opinion). With the rates that are charged I truly do not understand why these resorts don't have better bus service (and this includes the monorail resorts as well but I have not found them as bad but still unacceptable for a deluxe resort).

 

[wdisneyaholic]

I agree with some of the stuff the OP has issues with. Counter service pretty much stinks in that area. HH is very good but only offers a few selections. We were actually at the YC the same time as the OP. every time we were at SAB there were at least 2 waitresses at SAB. The one day there were 3, one of which was training. Never had an issue with getting a seat. I think one of the reasons the lifeguards clean up the pool area before opening after a storm is to open up chairs that people have tried to "save". I saw this alot while there. They had people removing towels if it looked like no one was using it but just saving the seats.

We do NOT use the busses. We always drive, to use it's just more convenient. I agree that at the price you pay to stay there you should not have to share a bus. I could see sharing a bus with Beach Club but not the others. I just think in general it's more crowded in Disney and they need to add more busses.

For us we just love the hotel and that area. Being able to walk to Epcot and the Studios is great.

Btw, mousekeeping sucked. They pretty much made the bed and removed the trash.

 

[ladyandthetramp2]

Why do some people on here have to be so mean?
I was stating facts that happen to me on my trip-I don't need the penut gallery telling me I am wrong, etc.
Thanks to the others who chimed in with informative, nice comments!

 

[carrie1626]

Your observations are definetly valid. Top notch $$$ should be rewarded with top notch amneties.

I'll defend the pool/lightening wait time though. Florida is the #1 lightening strike capital. It's common advise to wait 30 minutes from the last seen lightening or heard thunder to be safe!. I'm sure the lifeguards are doing pool chores after the 30 mi. just to keep busy.