Our worst bus experience this trip....

[daisyx3]

was not even involving our resort, POR!
On our Epcot day, there was a Christmas flag I wanted that I had seen at Downtown Disney. Mousegear used to have a huge Christmas selection. Now they have squat. The woman told me most of it was available at Magic Kingdom or...Downtown Disney.
So we decided to go to DD. We have stayed at the Boardwalk before, so we went out the international gateway and walked out to their bus stop.
25 minutes later.....probably 30 people were waiting for what was already almost a full bus. It was obviously standing room only. My DS and I got on the front, but most had to get on the middle because no one would move! One woman told her daughters, "don't move, girls!" And the bus driver would not say "move as far as you can back", so we had to kind of shove in with another 3 or 4 people who got on the front.
We were all packed like sardines--it was a miserable ride.
DH was saying "we'll rent a car next time," but the fault was not that we didn't have a car--it was that bus route is STILL for 5 resorts--BC,YC, swan, dolphin, and boardwalk. 5 resorts at almost maximum capacity for Easter week.
Perhaps it would have been better if we'd gotten on at YC or BC, but sorry Disney, having 5 deluxe resorts on one bus route is just stupidity.
Daisyx3

 

[spiceycat]

yea besides that the Beach Club bus stop is much, much close to IGW.....

 

[seashoreCM]

Not unusual for the buses and subways I ride on close to home.

Last time I was at Disney the driver would not let other people get on in the middle when there was space back there and the front aisle was clogged by people who would not please move back.

 

[cm8]

, don't know what else to say.

 

[cg1200]

Wow. Normally during busy times the Boardwalk only shares a route with S/D. We've stayed at BWV 4 or 5 times and only once had to stop at YC/BC. once coming back from AK in the middle of the afternoon.

Maybe it's just DTD. My worst bus experiences have been going to/from there.

 

[goofy4tink]

The buses to DTD at BW nearly always share with YC/BC during the midday hours. It is only at park opening and closings that they share with only the S/D.
I have never seen a driver open that back door in order to allow passengers to get onboard...only those with wheelchairs, ecv's, or possibly large strollers. Most of the drivers will sit there, and not move, saying 'Please, move all the way to the rear of the bus to allow other guests to board. We are not moving until they are onboard.' That usually gets people to move back. Otherwise, I just shove past them. I will not be polite if I see spaces in the back and there are those who refuse to move back, but stand in place up front!!!

Bus service to DTD is some of the worst bus service onsite. It's one reason I only head to DTD once per trip. It is just too time consuming and I don't feel that I need to give up an hour or so each way, just to get there.

 

[cg1200]

Bus service to DTD is some of the worst bus service onsite. It's one reason I only head to DTD once per trip. It is just too time consuming and I don't feel that I need to give up an hour or so each way, just to get there.

100% agree. We've gone to DTD a few times and always had to wait an eternity for a bus. Last time we waited over 40 mintes for a bus. We just wanted to home. It was getting really late. Not sure why Disney transportation treats DTD like a second class citizen.

 

[goofy4tink]

100% agree. We've gone to DTD a few times and always had to wait an eternity for a bus. Last time we waited over 40 mintes for a bus. We just wanted to home. It was getting really late. Not sure why Disney transportation treats DTD like a second class citizen.

I'm not sure they think of DTD as a 'second class citizen'...I think it's more a case of fewer people needing to get there. Disney focuses on getting guests to the parks. It's always a good idea to leave plenty of time to get to and from DTD.
I have to say that the first time I drove, from BW, to DTD I was astounded at how quickly we got there. It sure does make taking the bus really awful now. Between the hugely long waits for the bus to get to the resort, then you add in the convoluted route the bus takes (which adds on a substantial amount of time) and you could have driven to and from DTD several times in your own car.
But...I do understand that the buses follow that route for a reason. And I refuse to rent a car just to get to DTD more quickly.

 

[chartle]

I wonder if the DTD "free parking" for the parks issue also comes in to play here. If the transportation was easier it would encourage more abuse.

 

[TDC Nala]

when I used to spend every evening at DTD when staying at an Epcot resort (usually BCV) I had to realize that there would be a lot of stops on the route home. I don't know why they'd specifically want to discourage "abuse" to the Epcot resorts outside of peak times. I think it's just what was posted above, they don't move enough passengers on that route to split the buses. They concentrate on routes to the parks, not DTD - that's not where most of the passengers are.

Also remember if you're coming from DTD in the afternoon/early evening that there's also a stop at Typhoon Lagoon...

 

[maxiesmom]

I wonder if the DTD "free parking" for the parks issue also comes in to play here. If the transportation was easier it would encourage more abuse.

I have to think it does come into play. Just look at how many times people post here, wanting to know if parking at DTD and getting to a park is a viable option.

I agree that the busses to DTD usually stink, which is why I love POFQ and POR. The boat ride to DTD, while not speedy, is much more enjoyable than waiting forever for a bus then being packed on it.

 

[BigTigger]

Also remember if you're coming from DTD in the afternoon/early evening that there's also a stop at Typhoon Lagoon...

We were there in mid-February and every DTD bus stopped at Typhoon Lagoon on the way to/from DTD from BWV, despite the water park being closed due to the 45 degree temperatures. No cars in the TL lot, nobody waiting to be picked up, and gates rolled down at the entrance, but every bus that week stopped there like clockwork!! I mentioned it to the BWV front desk and in my survey they so nicely asked me to fill out after my trip. The waste of energy to stop there for no reason was a much bigger issue to me than the extra five minutes on the bus.

 

[seashoreCM]

The buses should run according to the posted schedule information.

I would like to see actual timetables published for bus routes that run less often than every 20 minutes.

 

[cranbiz]

The buses should run according to the posted schedule information.

Be careful what you wish for, it may come true. This can backfire in peak times.

DTD runs an average of 65 buses a day while MK runs an average of 80. If we take away from the parks, now we get the complaints that it took too long to get to the park.

There is a feeling from many that there is a convoluted route to DTD, how do we service Marketplace then? If we go BVD the entire way to the Marketplace, then you will get a huge backup trying to enter MP as you will need to cross traffic and there is only a little bit of road to sit on before you screw up the traffic at BVD and Hotel Plaza Blvd intersection.

Until a manager gives the OK to alter routes, drivers are going to stop at all stops during the day, even if TL is closed.

If you want separate buses for the Boardwalk resorts, then be prepared to pay more. You are getting one bus because that is all the resorts want to pay for. You get separate buses for YC/BC and BW/SW/DO to Magic because the resorts pay for it.

 

[chartle]

I'm not sure they think of DTD as a 'second class citizen'...I think it's more a case of fewer people needing to get there.

I do think Disney thinks of DTD as a second class citizen maybe even a third class citizen behind the parks and the water parks.

 

[Anjelica]

I'm not a big fan of the rresort sharing bus routes. I understand the cost savings, etc. just not happy with the times we have done it (i.e. VWL/FW). I've always had exceptional bus service when staying at AKL because it doesn't share bus service.

Over the years I have slowly but surely gotten away from using Disney bus transportation to renting my own car purely because I have a bit more "control" on the how, when and where. Additionally I have two small children so its easier not to have to worry as much about waiting and/or being able to make it on a bus. Maybe when the kids get older we will go back to using more of the Disney Transportation.

 

[pooch]

didn't have park-hoppers because, if I were at Mousegears & was told the item was at MK & DTD, walking to BW & taking the bus to DTD would definitely not be my first thought. Monorail to MK!! But, again, maybe she didn't have hoppers.

DD and I use the bus system exclusively on our annual trips and the trip to DTD, particularly from BW is always our "least favorite"!! Alas, we love to spend evenings at ESPN Zone and so must endure the BW-DTD-Pop trip. Poor us!!!!

 

[seashoreCM]

was not even involving our resort, POR! … at the Boardwalk before, so we went out the international gateway and walked out to their bus stop.3

If you want separate buses for the Boardwalk resorts, then be prepared to pay more. You are getting one bus because that is all the resorts want to pay for. You get separate buses for YC/BC and BW/SW/DO to Magic because the resorts pay for it.

If there is a "funny money" behind the scenes transaction, it should be "for bus service" as opposed to "per bus".

 

[maxiesmom]

I'm not a big fan of the rresort sharing bus routes. I understand the cost savings, etc. just not happy with the times we have done it (i.e. VWL/FW). I've always had exceptional bus service when staying at AKL because it doesn't share bus service.

But now with the villas open, AKL has 2 stops. And from what I have been reading here, the busses are now packed to the gills. No longer as convenient as it used to be.

 

[Missytara]

I was very pleased when I was there last December; there were two people with radios, telling the dispatcher what resort buses were needed. It seemed like we never waited more than five or so minutes for a bus.