PLEASE HELP, bus VS rental

[bocaj1431]

I normally rent a car while in DW. This year I am trying to save $ so, I am wondering about the DW bus system. Can anyone give me a list of the cons taking the bus from VWL, VGF, and BCV to the parks and DW water parks.

I will be there from June 11 - June 23. Is there air conditioning on busses? Does it work well? Do the crowd levels in June make using the busses horrible? What is the longest you have had to wait for a bus? Are there many stops on the bus routes from VWL, VGF, and BCV to Blizzard, Typhoon and DTD? Roughly how long would it take to get from either of those hotels to Blizz, Typh, or DTD? Do the busses drop you off at the main entrances to the parks? Other than saving money are there any pros to using busses? Is it customary to tip the drivers?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. It shouldn't matter but I am traveling with a special needs child by myself so I want to have a thorough understanding of how the DW transportation system works. Thanks!

 

[SandyinMonterey]

There are many posts about WDW transportation vs. getting a rental car on the boards. Don't forget there are also the boats (like from WL to Mk) and monorail when getting around. My husband always insists on a rental car. At first I tried to talk him into using the ME from MCO and just using WDW transportation to save $. But the more I thought about the long lines and wait times, I knew a rental car was the way to go. Especially in you have a meal reservation. I read a post that this couple was doing an "experiment" to see the different in time between rental car vs. bus (boat, monorail). Her husband would take the car and she took WDW transportation. On average she said her husband was ahead of her 20 to 30 minutes. There are also many posts about rental cars and ways to save money. People are really helpful about posting a coupon code or let you know when rates go down.

 

[sam_gordon]

I normally rent a car while in DW. This year I am trying to save $ so, I am wondering about the DW bus system. Can anyone give me a list of the cons taking the bus from VWL, VGF, and BCV to the parks and DW water parks.

I will be there from June 11 - June 23. Is there air conditioning on busses? Does it work well? Do the crowd levels in June make using the busses horrible? What is the longest you have had to wait for a bus? Are there many stops on the bus routes from VWL, VGF, and BCV to Blizzard, Typhoon and DTD? Roughly how long would it take to get from either of those hotels to Blizz, Typh, or DTD? Do the busses drop you off at the main entrances to the parks? Other than saving money are there any pros to using busses? Is it customary to tip the drivers?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. It shouldn't matter but I am traveling with a special needs child by myself so I want to have a thorough understanding of how the DW transportation system works. Thanks!

Using Disney transportation is really a personal decision. When the topic comes up on the boards, I'd say the responses are ~60% for using a rental and 40% for using busses.

Personally, I'm a "busses" kind of guy. I like not having to worry about driving. It helps me stay "in the magic". The busses are air conditioned, but can get crowded (standing room only) depending on when you get on them.

I don't understand the "crowd" complaint though, since if crowds were that big a deal, you wouldn't be at Disney in the first place. It also allows you to meet & talk to other vacationers.

The busses do generally take you to the front gates of parks. Some driving in cars might be "closer", but they've also gotten there early to get those prime spots.

As far as how long it will take, I think the current "budget" time to allow is 60 minutes to get from any one point to another point. This allows for waiting for a bus and riding between locations. It rarely takes that long though (it might feel like it ).

Usually busses will make 3-4 stops in their "loop". For example, the WL bus (I think) stops at Poly & GF before heading on to the destination.

 

[joelkfla]

I will be there from June 11 - June 23. Is there air conditioning on busses? Does it work well? !

If a bus has a serious A/C problem, it's generally pulled out of service ASAP. There are usually a lot more complaints about buses being too cold then not cold enough.

Are there many stops on the bus routes from VWL, VGF, and BCV to Blizzard, Typhoon and DTD?

• WL buses usually make one stop at either Fort Wilderness or GF. Boat or express bus to MK.
• GF is usually the last stop on the way to a park, but buses will stop at 1 or 2 resorts coming back to GF. Monorails to MK & Epcot.
• BC usually shares a bus with YC, BC being the 2nd stop. DTD/TL buses usually stop at Swan, Dolphin, & YC before BC, and at BW after; they are many people's least favorite route. But you have the advantage of Epcot being virtually right outside the back door of the resort, and DHS a boat ride away.

Roughly how long would it take to get from either of those hotels to Blizz, Typh, or DTD?

About 15-25 minutes to BB, which shares a bus with AK. TL shares buses with DTD, but the route changes: it stops at TL first then DTD in the a.m., and at DTD then TL in the p.m. So in the morning, it will take 15-25 minutes to TL & 25-35 to DTD; in the p.m. 15-25 to DTD, and up to an hour to TL. The changeover happens around 11 a.m. Of course, you also have to allow for up to 20 minutes wait time on all forms of Disney Transport.

Do the busses drop you off at the main entrances to the parks?

Yes, but not quite as close as the parking trams. It could be up to a 5 minute walk to the gate.

Is it customary to tip the drivers?

Absolutely not! Disney bus drivers are not allowed to accept tips.

 

[mslhb]

Interested to hear responses as well. We have always had AMAZING luck with Disney transportation. Our last trip we got to the ME area at the airport.. almost immediately boarded a bus... were the last one on board so the bus immediately left.. and our hotel was the 1st stop! Our luck has been equally good with the boats and buses. Honestly though even using Disney transportation we almost always take a cab or two to get to resort ressies. This trip I think I have decided to rent a car. We are planning a day at Typhoon Lagoon, a day off-site and have several ressies at resorts/DTD. For some reason driving makes me very nervous! In the end I figure you don't know both sides until you try! So in your case I say why not give Disney transportation a try. If it really becomes a pain you can always rent a car while on-site.

 

[HarrisonTinkerBell]

Absolutely not! Disney bus drivers are not allowed to accept tips.

But keep in mind that ME is operated by Mears, so if you use that between MCO and WDW (or vice-versa), a "gratuity [is] permissible for exceptional service," as the sign says.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

The question of taking WDW buses versus driving a rental car is a matter of personal preference.

If you go back to old threads on this forum, you'll find people who insist that a rental car saves time because the car is ready when you are, compared to waiting for a bus. But they don't mention huge parking lots or waiting for parking lot trams -- and having to get to and from the TTC in the case of the Magic Kingdom.

You'll also find people who want nothing to do with driving. They love being able to rely on free transportation and not driving on unfamiliar roads.

I'm somewhere in the middle.

A rental car is much better when it comes to resort-to-resort transportation. If your plans include a full schedule of ADRs at resorts other then your own, a car is a good thing. Also, a rental car is great if you want to go to off-site attractions, restaurants, and retail.

But if your destinations are theme parks and water parks, you can do well with WDW Transportation (buses, boats, monorail) and walking (such as from BCV to Epcot). By the time you account for the parking lots and parking lot trams, it's likely that your average resort-to-park and park-to-resort times will be the same with buses and driving -- or perhaps somewhat faster with buses.

The big advantage of buses is that they go between a bus stop near your resort's porte cochere and a bus stop near the park entrance.

In theory, buses to run every 20 minutes between each resort and each park. In reality, that's usually the worst case. Buses run more frequently at busy times.

Twice in the past 20 years, I've had to wait a full hour for a bus. It was annoying to watch bus after bus arrive at the stop going to destinations other than where we needed to go. But far, far more often, buses have arrived within minutes of when we arrived at the bus stop.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Is it customary to tip the drivers?

Is it not customary to tip the WDW Transportation bus drivers for doing their regular jobs, but we've tipped a couple times for extraordinary service.

Absolutely not! Disney bus drivers are not allowed to accept tips.

WDW Transportation bus drivers may not be allowed to accept tips, but they do.

 

[goofy4tink]

I've taken a car to the parks on occasion...mostly use WDW transportation. Yes, it can sometimes take longer when using a bus. But.....you're on vacation. The only time I would seriously consider spending the money for a rental is if I was traveling with people that had never been to WDW, and it was going to be a short trip (under 4 nights). Otherwise, I use WDW buses/boats/monorail.

How long will it take? You could arrive at the bus stop just as the bus you wanted is pulling away. So, you could wait 20 mins for the next one if its not a busy time of day. Buses tend to come more frequently the hour prior to park opening to about an hour after, and just at park closings.
The trip from most resorts to AK is longish...unless you're at the All-Stars. They are close to AK, but a bit distant from the other parks.
At VGF, you have monorail and boat access to MK, monorail access to Epcot, and buses to the other destinations.
At VWL, boat or bus to MK, bus elsewhere.
BCV, boat or walk to Epcot and DHS, bus to everywhere else. I tend to miss not having a car at the Epcot resorts. Why? I hate the combined buses to some places. When you take the bus to DTD, for instance, it takes close to 20 mins to get there...not including the wait times. If I drive, it takes me less than 10 mins to get there. The first time I drove to DTD, I was shocked to see how close it is.

It's up to each family to decide between a rental car or wdw transportation. There are good things, as well as not so good things, about each. I tend to prefer leaving the driving to the 'experts' vs dealing with some of the idiots on the road in that area...even if it does take more time. I'm on vacation.....I want to relax.

 

[joelkfla]

Is it not customary to tip the WDW Transportation bus drivers for doing their regular jobs, but we've tipped a couple times for extraordinary service.

WDW Transportation bus drivers may not be allowed to accept tips, but they do.

If one feels absolutely compelled to tip, the best way to do it is drop it in the driver's lap, or offer a handshake and furtively pass it, and then promptly walk away before the driver has a chance to react. Anything else could get the driver in trouble.

But again, tips are neither expected nor allowed.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

Buses have A/C. Keep in mind summer months are the busy time at Disney so the bus could be crowded and feel warmer with more people.

I prefer rental car. That way we are free to come and go as we please. IF we need something we can run to the store rather than pay inflated Disney prices. We eat 90% of the time offsite and the amt. of money we save by doing this more than pays for the rental car. So the car is a no brainer for us.

Last time we went to Disney I saved every receipt and added up how much we spent of food. We spent less than $50 a day total for the two of us. Had we eaten onsite that amt would have easily been doubled.

 

[bumbershoot]

It shouldn't matter but I am traveling with a special needs child by myself so I want to have a thorough understanding of how the DW transportation system works.

For me in that situation, I'd be renting a car.

For me in just about any situation I rent, or WANT to rent, a car.

But I really really dislike the bus transportation, and every time I convince myself it's OK and more convenient, I'm proven wrong and it gets more solidified that the rental car is needed for me/us.

 

[bocaj1431]

Thank you to everyone who responded. The information you shared was extremely helpful. I am definitely going to rent a car again.

 

[goofy4tink]

If one feels absolutely compelled to tip, the best way to do it is drop it in the driver's lap, or offer a handshake and furtively pass it, and then promptly walk away before the driver has a chance to react. Anything else could get the driver in trouble.

But again, tips are neither expected nor allowed.

Let me ask you a question....is it a good thing for a bus driver, or boat pilot, to have a guest give a great comment to someone about their transportation experience? I know that if I stop at GS and leave a positive comment about a CM, it is supposed to go into their employment file, and can be seen by supervisors, especially at review time?
If this is the case, who would you let know? Is there a specific dept or person to give a compliment to?
I would think that, in the long run, a complimentary comment in their file would have better results than a five dollar bill dropped in their lap.....which could have not so good consequences.

 

[donkeyandshrek]

I have always rented a car, but for my trip in January, I decided to give the Disney transportation a try. Never again will I be without my car!

Disney transportation is okay if you are uncomfortable with renting or driving in Orlando.

I could've parked my car at the front door of my resort and saved myself a two-mile hike to the bus stop (exaggerated a little maybe). I could have been at the park in the length of time I waited for the right bus to pick me up.

My daughter got sick and it was a major stress over finding a way to get some medication to her (had I had my rental car, I could've found a 24-hour Walgreens).

The one taxi trip to walmart cost me almost as much as the rental car would've cost for 4 days.

I learned my lesson and I will not go again without a rental car.

 

[joelkfla]

Let me ask you a question....is it a good thing for a bus driver, or boat pilot, to have a guest give a great comment to someone about their transportation experience? I know that if I stop at GS and leave a positive comment about a CM, it is supposed to go into their employment file, and can be seen by supervisors, especially at review time?
If this is the case, who would you let know? Is there a specific dept or person to give a compliment to?
I would think that, in the long run, a complimentary comment in their file would have better results than a five dollar bill dropped in their lap.....which could have not so good consequences.

Yes, please.

Just go to GS or send a comment to the usual email address. Try to get the name & hometown off the nametag, the bus # or boat name, the route (from-to), and the approximate time. GS should route it to Transportation management.

Thanks.