POR Riverside Bus info

[Lilolvr]

Has anyone ever stayed at POR and hated it becasuse of the bus transportion to and from the parks?
DH and I are going for 4 days the week after July 4th Tuesday to Friday? We are morning people, don't mind the walking and we will have the Park Hopper. Just wondering what to expect. We have stayed at CBR and CSR and never had an issue with the buses, we have always ended up being near the first pick-up spots just by luck and we don't mind standing up, so I don't think I would like to see buses go by full especilly 2 buses, I saw a post mention that it could happen, has it happened to anyone. Wanted to try POR this stay, and just had this concern after reading some of the posts. Thanks

We hated the bus transportation. It was a nightmare with our two young ones and strollers having to stand and wait through 3 or 4 buses leaving the parks because the queues were so long.

 

[peyjax]

That's great to know. It seems like the more recent POR goers have had better bus service. The most complaints are from 2-8 years ago, so I'm not overly worried about the service. I'm pretty sure it has improved over the years and I wouldn't think you will have anything to worry about. It sounds like if anything, the MK might require some waiting, but the other park buses should be just fine.

I am sorry but I disagree. I bought what you and a fifty other people said about the busses last year. I am sorry but the majority are saying it stinks for a reason.

I thought I am a positive person and could deal with it. It was terrible!!!!!
I can not stress that enough, we had very similar experiences to that of HUGSFOREYORE in that it was a battle every morning. It was not just to MK but to all the parks. We were there in September for two weeks. It was so disorganized.

These boards are great for helping people get informed on all aspects of the resorts. The good and the bad! The bad is definatley at POR with the bus service. The grounds are beautiful and if I had a car I would love to stay there again.

 

[trcckdarby]

we are staying at the por because the last time we went we stayed off site and my husband did not like the 45 min bus ride. so should is there any time advantages with staying on site as opposed to not? or should we have gone all out and stayed at a delux resort? we are going the second week of june because our friends were worried about taking their kids out of school.

 

[peyjax]

we are staying at the por because the last time we went we stayed off site and my husband did not like the 45 min bus ride. so should is there any time advantages with staying on site as opposed to not? or should we have gone all out and stayed at a delux resort? we are going the second week of june because our friends were worried about taking their kids out of school.

There are lots of advantages of staying on site. The theme of Disney if everywhere. However if you have an impatient husband who does not like Disney you might want to consider a deluxe if you can swing it. The epcot resorts are great for transportation because you can walk or take a boat to two of the parks. The monorail resorts are great because you can take those instead of the busses to Epcot and MK, however I think they can get crowded at times. The deluxes have a few more ammenities than that of the mods, however the big difference is in the transportation.

You may be fortunate and have no problems with the busses at POR. There does often seem to be no ryhme or reason with the system there, so who knows? However are you willing to risk that with your DH? My DH is both patient and likes Disney however after our POR he was ready to swear off Disney I was not happy about that.

 

[SherylWrites]

We were at POR last September and the busses were crowded but not unbearable. Often I or my husband would stand for a senior or a mom with a toddler. No big deal there. I'm not sure if it makes a difference but we always caught the bus at the front of the resort as it was closest to our room. The bus service from the parks was always crowded but again, with a little patience it wasn't terrible. It's not like you're on the bus for an hour.
I noticed someone say that the bus drop off at the parks was very far from the front gate. I only noticed this at AK but it wasn't a big deal if you are an able bodied person. I would assume that if you had difficulty walking a distance it could be or a tired child to carry.

 

[FBandA]

Thanks everyone for all the information about the buses. Just booked POR this morning. Just me and DH for 4 days. After hearing both sides of the bus situation I think we can handle it. POR here we come.

 

[andrewilley]

I've rarely had problems with the bus service, but we do usually tend to travel out of peak times (May or Sept/Oct). We always catch from the South Depot though, and one time early evening going to MK for SpectroMagic, our bus was full before we got to the other AB depots so no-one could get on at the later stops.

The worst time is definitely when you get out of the park after fireworks, and even though Disney try their best and lay on lots of extra buses, there is only so much you can do when a park full of people want to go to a 2,000 room resort all at the same time. The best tip is don't be a sheep, and just hang around in the park for a bit until the bus queues have died down a bit.

Oh, and one other thing which can cause the lines to really back up is when the bus drivers are loading ECVs or wheelchairs. These quite rightly get priority loading, and the bus drivers are very diligent about safety, but sometimes it really does seem to take an age - and no-one else can get on or off the bus while they are doing this. I've sometimes seen another bus arrive, load to full capacity, and depart while this procedure is still taking place. Not sure what Disney could do to speed it up though, as it's a safety issue.

Andre

 

[bbass1]

Did you fly to WDW or drive? We've stayed at POR for the last 3 yrs and yes on ocassion we waited, but that is to be expected if it's a busy time. The last time we went we drove to the parks and loved it. I'm sure we spent less time getting from the resort to the park than if we had ridden the bus. Plus you are free to go anywhere without being limited to where the buses run. Just a thought.

 

[trcckdarby]

thank you for the info!