Resorts and bus service?

[oregondisneyfans]

For all you WDW veterans I have a question regarding buses and the different resorts. Does it vary greatly between Value, Moderate, and Deluxe? Which resorts have only one bus stop versus a bunch? Also which resorts have their own buses versus sharing with other resorts? Thanks for all your help

 

[cobbler]

Bus service at all resorts are hit and miss. Most of the time they are very good and wait time is about 15-20 minutes. Of course there is the occasional exception but bus service is good.

The resorts that share busses are the All-Stars,
Riverside and French Qtr
BW, BC, YC, Swan and Dolphin (I believe to certain parks) and
the MK resorts can share busses to places like DTD and some parks.

 

[Buzz2001]

CSR has terrific transportation. It does not share with any other resort (like POR / POFQ) and it only has 4 bus stops within the resort (vs 7 at CBR). And since CSR is centrally located, you'll have a quick ride to all the parks. Being a convention resort, the buses seem less crowded because guests are busy with their conventions.

You will usually experience about 10 min wait times and 5 min rides to Epcot, MGM and AK and 10 min ride to MK.

 

[estnh]

We have stayed at nine different Disney resorts over the years (some several times), and the ONLY one we have ever had a real issue with as far as bus service was the Fort Wilderness cabins. The service at Fort Wilderness requires switching busses from inter resort to regular, and to put it mildly is just plain awful!

We also found Wilderness Lodge and Carribean Beach to be just a little bit slower than others, but not a big deal. The other resorts we've stayed at are generally are all about the same--most of the time they are pretty good. We have never noticed a difference between resort classes in bus service--it benefits Disney to get people to the parks to spend money rather than sitting on a bus stop, be it a deluxe resort bus stop or a Value!

Its nice to choose a resort that has alternate methods of transportation, such as (obviously!) the monorail resorts, or the Epcot resorts which offer boat service to MGM and Epcot. Unfortunately, these are all deluxe resorts which cost big bucks (Location is everything at WDW!) The only moderate with alternate transportation is the POR resorts--they have boat service to Downtown Disney, which we think is a big plus.

Any way you look at it, though, with the exception of Fort Wildness, bus service is really not a big factor for us in choosing a resort.

 

[jbdreamer]

Does it vary greatly between Value, Moderate, and Deluxe?

Not at all. It all depends on the day. Usually it is only a 10 minute wait. Although The Caribbean Beach Resort has a ton of bus stops at the resort!

 

[scoutsmom99]

Personally I agree with cobbler it is hit or miss on each resort. I have stayed at resorts with multiple stops and ones that share busses with other resorts. I think it boils down to more than any thing else what is an extra 10 minutes to stop at another resort or hit all of the internal bus stops. When you check in they are usually pretty good at telling you how often the busses come last fall at CBR and AKL they said every 15-20 minutes or so. Plus when there is a lot of traffic leaving the parks they have extra busses on hand to move people through the lines faster. The bus system at Disney is amazing.

CBR and CSR both have multiple stops at the Resort
POFQ and POR share busses and POR has multiple stops
GF, CR, POLY, WL, FWC share busses (of course not all resorts in each bus, but usually two).
YC, BC, BW, Swan, Dolphin share busses
ASMu, ASMo, ASSp all share busses
POP has its own busses

 

[minnie61650]

Personally I agree with cobbler it is hit or miss on each resort. ...... The bus system at Disney is amazing.

CBR and CSR both have multiple stops at the Resort
POFQ and POR share busses and POR has multiple stops
GF, CR, POLY, WL, FWC share busses (of course not all resorts in each bus, but usually two).
YC, BC, BW, Swan, Dolphin share busses
ASMu, ASMo, ASSp all share busses
POP has its own busses

ITA
GF, CR, POLY, WL, FWC share busses (of course not all resorts in each bus, but usually two).
YC, BC, BW, Swan, Dolphin share busses

CBR has 7 bus stops.
CSR has 4 stops.
PO has 5 stops--First stop POFQ then 4 more at POR.

The All Stars sometimes share buses( It is usually 1 or 2 stops on the way to the parks. On the way back it may be all three but usually Sports and Music share and Movies has its own bus)

Pop has one stop at the current time but when the second half of Pop opens there will be 2 stops and the 2 sections of Pop will share buese sometimes. (during less busy times just as the All Stars do.)

 

[ADPOA Club Jester]

In my opinion the Deluxe Resorts should have better service then the Value & Moderate Resorts. I can't tell you how many times I have been waiting for a Contemporary bus at Downtown Disney, only to see 10 straight All Star Resort buses & because of that my family & I take my Dad's car when going to Downtown Disney. The way I see it guests at the WDW Deluxe Resorts pay the most $$$$ per night, so why should they not be intitled to the best bus service avaible?

 

[kaytieeldr]

Projection. There are about 500 rooms at (to use your example) the Contemporary, while the three All Star resorts combined have almost ten times as many rooms - so ten times as many buses makes sense. In addition, Disney has probably determined that a higher percentage of Contemporary Guests provide their own transportation - so a higher proportion of All Star Guests will be using Disney transportation.

 

[ADPOA Club Jester]

For the record I think the total number of rooms at the Contemporary is 1041, but if I am wrong some one please tell me the correct number.

 

[minnie61650]

For the record I think the total number of rooms at the Contemporary is 1041, but if I am wrong some one please tell me the correct number.

That is correct as of 2005.
The All Stars use to have 5,760 rooms but some (384) are being made into 192 suites so there will 192 less rooms soon.

I guess that means the All Star resorts have a little less 5 times the number of rooms than the Contemporary and 10 times the number of buses.

I do love staying at the All Stars and the great bus service that the All Stars have is very important to me.

I have limited mobility and use an ECV (electric mobility scooter).
I rely on Disney transportation and I think the bus service to and from the All Stars is wonderful!

It only takes 10 minutes to get to Epcot, MGM and AK from the All Stars.
MK is 20 min away. That's the same amount of time it takes to get to the MK on the monorail from the Contemporary.

 

[ADPOA Club Jester]

Since All Star Resorts are broken up into the Sports, Music & Movies section why are they listed as having 5,760 minus what you said about some (384) are being made into 192 suites. Basically since they require seperate check in buildings doesn't it make more sence to say All Star Sports has this number of rooms & the same for Music & Movies, or not because they share the same buses?

 

[minnie61650]

Since All Star Resorts are broken up into the Sports, Music & Movies section why are they listed as having 5,760 minus what you said about some (384) are being made into 192 suites. Basically since they require seperate check in buildings doesn't it make more sence to say All Star Sports has this number of rooms & the same for Music & Movies, or not because they share the same buses?

Each part of the All Stars has/had 1,960 rooms.(before converting some of the rooms at Music into suites.
Movies ,Sports and Music are consisdered as parts of the same resort.

When staying at the All Stars you can use any of the All Star pools.That means 3 main pools ,3 quiet pools and 3 kiddie pools to chose from.

Here are a few pool photos.

All Star Sports pool.

All Star Music Donald pool.

All Star Movies Mickey Pool.



You may also refill your All Star refillable mug at any of the 3 All Star food
Courts during your stay.

A WORD ABOUT BUS SHARING
To me Bus Sharing at the All Stars is really a non issue.

In the mornings during Park opening hours each All Star usually has a dedicated bus.
During mid day it is usually just our stop and maybe one more on the way to the parks. On the way back sometimes it is all 3 but often Sports and Music share and Movies has it's own bus back.

I guess some people who stay at POP see all 3 All Star names on the return sign of our bus stop when they head to the POP bus stop and think All Stars also has 3 stops on the way to the park.
(Even when we stop at another AS resort to load up it has not taken more than 5 minutes and we are on our way!)

 

[SteinsLaFemme]

I have never stayed there but I think the AKL does not share a bus with any other resort and it has only one bus stop.

Can someone verify this?

 

[minnie61650]

I have never stayed there but I think the AKL does not share a bus with any other resort and it has only one bus stop.

Can someone verify this?

You are correct. AKL has 1293 guest rooms,1 bus stop and does not stop at any other resorts.