Plans have been filed for DVC expansion at Caribbean Beach Resort

[rteetz]

I'm just being a wise guy. You aren't dumb, at at the very least it's not for me to judge(i'm being a wiseguy again, this is where if we were in the same room, you'd smack me in the shoulder, then hand me a beer).

Express transportation for park hopping has recently begun service.
I'm suggesting that in addition to that, it's in the realm of possibility that more specialize bus service could develop.

Disney surveyed about such a service last year.

 

[Madonna3]

I'm just being a wise guy. You aren't dumb, at at the very least it's not for me to judge(i'm being a wiseguy again, this is where if we were in the same room, you'd smack me in the shoulder, then hand me a beer).

Express transportation for park hopping has recently begun service.
I'm suggesting that in addition to that, it's in the realm of possibility that more specialize bus service could develop.

I didn't really think you thought I was dumb. I was just playing off your words as well.

right, the express transport. Then there is the express Grand Flo boats (right, isn't that a thing or at least was discussed as being a thing?).

To make this on topic, we've stated that we think this resort will have it's own buses, so is that considered express?

I think the transportation being so slow (efficient, but slow) that they will find ways to make it faster at the cost to the guest and ya know what, I'll pay it.

 

[dlavender]

Express transportation for park hopping has recently begun service.
I'm suggesting that in addition to that, it's in the realm of possibility that more specialize bus service could develop.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but are you saying on demand underwater bus service?!

Trying to not get too excited and cash in my 401k now. But man would it be worth the tax hit for this.

 

[sachilles]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but are you saying on demand underwater bus service?!

Trying to not get too excited and cash in my 401k now. But man would it be worth the tax hit for this.

Yes, it's a throwback to 20,000 leagues under the sea.

 

[dlavender]

Yes, it's a throwback to 20,000 leagues under the sea.

Rumor has it they never got rid of those submarines.....

 

[sachilles]

Rumor has it they never got rid of those submarines.....

Yup, it's going to be sponsored by flex seal.

If they can make those old boats water tight, it can fix anything.

 

[Sweettears]

I'm sad to see this dying out.

I think they're going to connect the monorail to this resort.

Anyone? Anyone...?

What if they dug a canal to connect to Epcot?

 

[beer dave]

Here's the thing you all are missing-- just because they are building a tower on the current CBR location doesn't mean it will be a CBR property--- What if this is a new Epcot country and they are going to expand Epcot to take over 50% of CBR-- Then the remaining CBR would truly be theme park access, and be the bestest deluxe everrr....

 

[dlavender]

Here's the thing you all are missing-- just because they are building a tower on the current CBR location doesn't mean it will be a CBR property--- What if this is a new Epcot country and they are going to expand Epcot to take over 50% of CBR-- Then the remaining CBR would truly be theme park access, and be the bestest deluxe everrr....

That's it!

If they could make 300 million by not connecting, 600 million with a canal/walking bridge/underwater monorail, then they could easily make 1.6 billion with this idea. It's definitely happening.

You, sir, are an evil genius.

 

[skier_pete]

To make this on topic, we've stated that we think this resort will have it's own buses, so is that considered express?

I think the transportation being so slow (efficient, but slow) that they will find ways to make it faster at the cost to the guest and ya know what, I'll pay it.

I do think it's funny that so many people dislike the bus service, even though it generally isn't any slower than using the boats or even at times the Monorail. (Take the Monorail from VGF to Epcot and tell me that that is faster than a bus from AKL to Epcot. The answer - it's not...) If you poll most guests, particularly deluxe guests, they would tell you Monorail > Boat >>>>>>>>>>>>>> Bus.

However, you make a good point - part of the sales job that could potentially occur at this resort, is they could sell it as "EXPRESS transportation to both Epcot and DHS". With an single bus stop, you pretty easily claim a "5 minute ride to both parks", and could also minimize wait times if they ran two buses at all times (less than 20 minutes round trip transport should mean wait times of less than 10 minutes at worst).

In reality it would be no different than the boat ride from Boardwalk to Epcot or DHS or the boatride from WL to MK - which typically takes 15-30 minutes depending on how long you wait for the boat, but in terms of perception - the guest still sees "a bus is a bus is a bus" and it would NOT be looked at favorably by members.

(I'm that rare guest that doesn't mind the buses, with the exception of during mass park exodus post fireworks shows. For the most part, we find it rarely takes more than 30 minutes between the wait and the ride to/from most parks...and we just consider it part of the experience. Not having to deal with driving a car is such a favored part of my Disney experience that I will gladly take the occasional longish bus ride if it means I don't have to drive once in 10 days.)

 

[Madonna3]

I do think it's funny that so many people dislike the bus service, even though it generally isn't any slower than using the boats or even at times the Monorail. (Take the Monorail from VGF to Epcot and tell me that that is faster than a bus from AKL to Epcot. The answer - it's not...) If you poll most guests, particularly deluxe guests, they would tell you Monorail > Boat >>>>>>>>>>>>>> Bus..)

Uh, yeah. Here's the thing. I don't hate Disney transportation. In fact, I love it. See, when we go to WDW, I am usually the one doing the driving because I know the roads so well. However, I hate the buses. I'd rather take the long monorail journey from GF to Epcot vs the short bus ride from AKL to AK.

However, you make a good point - part of the sales job that could potentially occur at this resort, is they could sell it as "EXPRESS transportation to both Epcot and DHS". With an single bus stop, you pretty easily claim a "5 minute ride to both parks", and could also minimize wait times if they ran two buses at all times (less than 20 minutes round trip transport should mean wait times of less than 10 minutes at worst). In reality it would be no different than the boat ride from Boardwalk to Epcot or DHS or the boatride from WL to MK - which typically takes 15-30 minutes depending on how long you wait for the boat, but in terms of perception - the guest still sees "a bus is a bus is a bus" and it would NOT be looked at favorably by members.

Right. Imagine that. Express bus service to ALL parks, not just DHS and EP. If they dedicate 10 buses to this new resort (2 for each park and 2 for the waterparks/DHS) with no stops and make it direct access, man that would be a temptation. Right now, any resort, ANY resort you grab a bus from, you're making mucho stops. I think the exception is actually the value resorts where you can grab a bus from POP and go right to the parks. That's so messed up the values are actually king of the bus service, but they're so crowded that I'd rather take my car, thanks.

(I'm that rare guest that doesn't mind the buses, with the exception of during mass park exodus post fireworks shows. For the most part, we find it rarely takes more than 30 minutes between the wait and the ride to/from most parks...and we just consider it part of the experience. Not having to deal with driving a car is such a favored part of my Disney experience that I will gladly take the occasional longish bus ride if it means I don't have to drive once in 10 days.)

I used to love them. The first time I took my husband to Disney one of the things I wanted to show him were these awesome Disney buses. He was not impressed being from Montreal. When I visited Montreal for the first time, I learned why. I was on a Disney bus, without the music. Over the years, I feel the bus transportation while always efficient has become so slow. This is not the way to travel if you're in a hurry. Taxi, Uber, personal vehicle has always been faster. One time, I grabbed a bus and my husband took our car. We left at the exact same time. He beat me back to the resort by 10 minutes!! TEN MINUTES!! That's a lot of time when we traveled the exact same route and he didn't break the speed limit.

 

[skier_pete]

Right. Imagine that. Express bus service to ALL parks, not just DHS and EP. If they dedicate 10 buses to this new resort (2 for each park and 2 for the waterparks/DHS) with no stops and make it direct access, man that would be a temptation. Right now, any resort, ANY resort you grab a bus from, you're making mucho stops. I think the exception is actually the value resorts where you can grab a bus from POP and go right to the parks. That's so messed up the values are actually king of the bus service, but they're so crowded that I'd rather take my car, thanks.

I don't think this is true at all. Yes, it's true at the moderates, but are there any deluxe buses that make more than 2 stops? Sure, Poly and VGF share but that's it. BC/YC share, but again just those 2. It's only the Disney Springs buses that often share many resorts.

I used to love them. The first time I took my husband to Disney one of the things I wanted to show him were these awesome Disney buses. He was not impressed being from Montreal. When I visited Montreal for the first time, I learned why. I was on a Disney bus, without the music. Over the years, I feel the bus transportation while always efficient has become so slow. This is not the way to travel if you're in a hurry. Taxi, Uber, personal vehicle has always been faster. One time, I grabbed a bus and my husband took our car. We left at the exact same time. He beat me back to the resort by 10 minutes!! TEN MINUTES!! That's a lot of time when we traveled the exact same route and he didn't break the speed limit.

IDK - I guess I don't see it that way. Sometimes the buses are slower, sometimes faster. On our last trip, we left our room at AKV at 8:05 AM for MK, and we just missed a bus, waited 20 minutes for the next one. We took 50 minutes to get from the resort to the front of the park. The last day of the same trip, we walked out to the bus stop at 7:25 AM (MK opened at 8 AM that day)...bus pulled up within 2 minutes, we were through security and watching the rope drop show at 7:52 AM, so less 27 minutes door to door. Doing that in a car would have been somewhere in the middle. Similarly, we had one transition from resort to Epcot that was 15 minutes, another that was about 20 minutes, still another that was 25 minutes. The car (with parking and walking to the front of the park) might have been 15 minutes every time, but I'm sorry, to me the hassle of renting a car, then driving around property and such...I'll take those little 10 minute losses with no issue. (And truthfully they are only 10 minute losses to sitting in our room. With the bus system, we leave the room at 8:15 AM to make 9:00 AM rope drop, If I had a car, I would leave the room at 8:30 instead.)

Certainly the buses are nothing special and neither are the rides, but we make the best of it. We talk to other families, and play games. (We learned a game we really love to play on the bus from another family on the bus..."I'm thinking of a Disney character that begins with (LETTER)" where LETTER is a letter of the alphabet - or sometimes two letters - Captain Hook would be CH. It's amazing how many Disney characters you can come up with for every letter of the alphabet. We start by allowing guesses, and then give hints. (Animated vs Live Action, Human or Animal, Disney vs Pixar) It's a game you can make as easy or hard as you want: "C" can be Cinderella or Chip or Cogsworth or as hard as Cleo or Chernabog.

Anyways - back to the topic at hand....even though I like the buses, I don't think that "direct bus" would be much of a sales pitch to most people. Not like a boat, or a monorail. Even if you say "no more than 10 minutes" people still would think of it as a bus.

 

[Moliphino]

I do think it's funny that so many people dislike the bus service, even though it generally isn't any slower than using the boats or even at times the Monorail. (Take the Monorail from VGF to Epcot and tell me that that is faster than a bus from AKL to Epcot. The answer - it's not...) If you poll most guests, particularly deluxe guests, they would tell you Monorail > Boat >>>>>>>>>>>>>> Bus.

I agree. I actually think the boats are the worst because they're just so maddeningly slow. I can walk faster from DHS to Epcot. I'd also rather walk from Poly to TTC if I'm going to Epcot to avoid having to ride the resort monorail all the way around and then transfer.

 

[Madonna3]

I don't think this is true at all. Yes, it's true at the moderates, but are there any deluxe buses that make more than 2 stops? Sure, Poly and VGF share but that's it. BC/YC share, but again just those 2. It's only the Disney Springs buses that often share many resorts.

Wilderness Lodge shares as far as I know. BC/YC share with BW and SWD

 

[skier_pete]

Wilderness Lodge shares as far as I know. BC/YC share with BW and SWD

We stayed at BC/YC in 2015 - none of the buses shared with BW and SWD other than the stupid DS bus. Just 2 stops - BC and YC. Yes, I think WL shares with Contemp. As I said, two stops for most Deluxes (except OKW and SSR which have somewhere around 25 stops, or that's what it feels like).

 

[Madonna3]

We stayed at BC/YC in 2015 - none of the buses shared with BW and SWD other than the stupid DS bus. Just 2 stops - BC and YC. Yes, I think WL shares with Contemp. As I said, two stops for most Deluxes (except OKW and SSR which have somewhere around 25 stops, or that's what it feels like).

Ok perhaps you're correct abput the DS springs bus, but I seem to remember on the way back from MK once we had to stop at SWOLPHIN/BW/and YC/BC and that was a reason it took me a long time to book there. Then on another run, I remember sharing with GF/Poly/ and Wilderness Lodge with Contemporary. I think at a deluxe level, you should have dedicated buses.

 

[sachilles]

For my family, we don't see the monorail, nor boats as faster options. We do see them almost as an attraction. We make a point to use them, but never when time is an issue. We don't mind the busses, we just don't see them as any sort of treat. The boats are painfully slow, in both loading and movement, but some days a nice cruise is in order.

That being said, direct bus transport will be the new hot ticket. I believe I remember reading that their dispatching system is getting updated. I hopeful that some number cruncher has done the math, and they are starting to realize that people stuck waiting for transport, can't be in the park spending money. They fact that you can get food at some bus stops now, indicates to me that they are starting to think that way.
I would not be surprised if there becomes an option to use the park hopper express transport stations, where you get security screened at your resort before boarding. If you had the option to be screened at your bus stop at a deluxe and enter the side entrances that the express transport offers, would you see that as a perk? I certainly would. I could see that as a pilot program at CBR with only service to DHS and epcot. The epcot express transport entrance is on the CBR side of the park I believe(buena vista, to backstage rd, to overpass road into the test track area.

As cool as the idea of a canal is, any possible option doesn't seem a quick as walking bridge. Even if they could solve the physics, an but a boat dock at the cbr tower, with most direct water route. Whether you offload at the international gateway or offload by Germany with a new entrance gate. It would be a scenic cruise, but not a quick one.

I also think some sort of trolley, tram, light rail that runs down the center of buena Vista Drive, with stops at DS, CBR, the epcot/dhs canal, Typhoon lagoon and Blizzard beach, Coronado and all-star would be a welcome addition, and would likely help bring more customers to DS.

 

[Madonna3]

I would not be surprised if there becomes an option to use the park hopper express transport stations, where you get security screened at your resort before boarding. If you had the option to be screened at your bus stop at a deluxe and enter the side entrances that the express transport offers, would you see that as a perk? I certainly would. I could see that as a pilot program at CBR with only service to DHS and epcot. The epcot express transport entrance is on the CBR side of the park I believe(buena vista, to backstage rd, to overpass road into the test track area.

Excuse me, where can I sign up for this and do you take AMEX?

I also think some sort of trolley, tram, light rail that runs down the center of buena Vista Drive, with stops at DS, CBR, the epcot/dhs canal, Typhoon lagoon and Blizzard beach, Coronado and all-star would be a welcome addition, and would likely help bring more customers to DS.

that would be amazing

 

[sachilles]

Excuse me, where can I sign up for this and do you take AMEX?

Why yes I do, PM your card number. Don't be surprised if you see a "deposit" on there from Disney. If it indicates it for a vacation for 3 people from Vermont, don't worry it's just a typo....its for the new bus transport.

 

[skier_pete]

I would not be surprised if there becomes an option to use the park hopper express transport stations, where you get security screened at your resort before boarding. If you had the option to be screened at your bus stop at a deluxe and enter the side entrances that the express transport offers, would you see that as a perk? I certainly would. I could see that as a pilot program at CBR with only service to DHS and epcot. The epcot express transport entrance is on the CBR side of the park I believe(buena vista, to backstage rd, to overpass road into the test track area.

I totally dislike this idea. I hate to pull the "Walt would never have allowed it" card, but to me an important part of Disney is about the show. Everything about the entrances to these parks is designed to leave a conscious and unconscious impression on you. Animal Kingdom for instance - that oasis section, the meandering, the overhanging foliage, the fact it moves you uphill and then you reveals you at the Tree of Life - but you are now at an elevated point (because you've been climbing) so instead of looking up to the Tree - you are looking AT the tree. The use of the train station and the castle at Disney World are well documented and unnecessary, but every park has the entrance designed.

I realize most people don't remotely care about such things, but the idea of letting people enter the park backstage just grinds my teeth. I don't even REALLY like this whole "hopping transportation" option - not so much that it exists, but that it allows people to go backstage like these things don't matter. It's bad show, but not nearly as bad as not having people enter the park for the first time through the front. (I am hypocritically OK with the back entrance to Epcot - though I really wish there was a way to access the front entrance when staying at those hotels. While it's not the intended entrance, it is still "on-stage" the whole time. That's why when I talked about a walk-way I suggested something that was covered/enclosed so that you would take the walkway directly from the CBT and enter directly into the park. Anything that takes you through a backstage area should NOT be allowed.)