SSR and OKW Epcot Bus Combined.

[madcoco]

Having relatives staying at SSR and ourselves at OKW,we have been doing alot of traveling back and forth. After Illuminations we decided to take the SSR bus.(SSR and OKW share the same stop at Epcot) They were jamming people on the bus to capacity. They were combining OKW and SSR and some of the SSR people weren't happy when we pulled into OKW for the 15 min. tour. Every other SSR bus we have been on has been separate from OKW, even when we were the only ones on it. Overheard the bus driver explaining to one unhappy camper, that it is more efficient way of getting people out of the park at night.

 

[Chuck S]

I'm sure this is temporary until SSR gets more buildings finished. During Phase 1 of OKW we shared a bus with the Treehouse Villas.

 

[dyingtodisney]

That happend to us during our SSR stay also, I was just glad that it only happend at Epcot and not at all the parks

 

[Allan]

We were there a couple of weeks ago and there was a family that had been waiting at the OKW/SSR bus stop at Epcot for about an hour that didn't realize it was a combined bus. Man, he was mad when someone told him the OKW bus went to both resorts. He had a very heated discussion with the bus driver who then got on the radio and had a bus brought over just for them. I kinda felt sorry for them, but the bus we got on had OKW/SSR on the sign so it was obvious to me it went to both resorts.

 

[canwegosoon]

I know it's not ideal, but as Chuck S said, they will probablly have a SSR only bus as the property reaches completation. Next year everything will be great Transportation can not really be blamed if someone can not read signs or ask questions(IMHO)

 

[LisaSt]

I think the combined busses are just fine especially at night after the parks close it should be done for all the parks for OKW and SSR it is after all just one loop around from one resort to the other. So all of about a 4 minute drive if that from OKW to SSR. Kinda silly to get mad about a shared bus and the family that couldn't read the sign well they should have asked the question rather than assuming things as you know what happens when you assume things.

 

[DebbieB]

If you look at the number of rooms, combining OKW and SSR is less rooms than combining YC/BC/BW and sometimes Swan/Dolphin.

 

[mickeymouse710]

Since it seems that most of the guests staying at OKW drive their own cars, it makes sense for Disney to combine the buses. I am surprised they do no combine all the buses, until the time that SSR is fully built and will then maybe require more buses. But time will tell, maybe since SSR also has parking in front of every building, most of the guests staying there will also drive their own cars?
There are most likely more guests at GF, Contemporary & Poly who do not drive their own cars then at OKW, and their buses are combined.
It seems prefectly logical for Disney to combine OKW & SSR buses.

 

[palmtreegirl]

Oh I wouldn't be happy about that. We went over to OKW to take a look last trip and made the mistake of staying on the bus to get to the Hospitality house, that's a long ride.

 

[brivers222]

I dunno, I would still like the ability for SSR and OKW to have seperate Busses. Very true about some people driving their own cars at OKW and possibly SRR.

I will have our car on site as well but after driving 20+ hours to get to WDW, the last thing I really want to do is drive around to all the parks. I would much prefer to allow disney to drive me around.

 

[B'rer Karen]

Thanks for the heads up. I hope it's not like this at the end of October. If it is I may just go out the International Gateway and catch a bus to DTD from BC. Then I can just walk to SSR.

I hope this is just temporary. It takes a long time for the bus to make it's way around all the stops at OKW. That being said, I do remember once or twice after an E-night where there was a combined Disney Institue/OKW, so it's not an unusual occurance. But it sounds like right now this is the norm, which I don't like.

As for the number of rooms being serviced, that's probably true, but how many different stops do you make on the YC/BC/BW/ loop? If I recall correctly thats 4, and then another 2 for S/D. The combined OKW/SSR stop has how many stops, 8? It's the stops that take forever.

 

[Chuck S]

How many stops are currently on the SSR Route? OKW has 5, Miller's Rd, Peninsular Rd, South Point, Turtle Pond and North Cove (Hospitality House).

 

[PamOKW]

As long as they are doing OKW first, I think it's probably okay while they have a limited number of guests at SSR. The SSR people are probably spending about the same time on the bus as they would if they had to wait for one bus to make the complete circuit from Epcot to SSR and back. (If there are so few people, I doubt they would run more than one bus at night.)

The comment about walking out the International Gateway may very well be how a lot of SSR people are getting home. This may be another reason for the reduced bus service home at Epcot.

It should be made to clear to SSR guests that this is the policy and that they will have to look for the OKW/SSR to return at night. Chances are someone in each group will put that into their subconscious and remember it when they don't see a SSR only bus.

 

[JJSWDW]

Other things to think about...
There are 2 issues here...
1) the most efficient way to get people out of the parks
2) the most efficient way to get to your hotel

these are not the same. from what the driver said in the original post, the goal is #1 which makes some sense because if people stand too long in line at the park bus stop, they don't feel service is fast enought, etc. As for #2, if people feel like they're going somewhere it's better than standing going no where. While at 10pm, after being in the parks all day, an extra 10-15 minutes may seem like an eternity, it's really not too bad considering the number of people disney shuffles around as the parks close.

It's a tough call, especially when we all want to be catered to while on vacation.

Last, you really can't complain too much about the bus being packed to capacity in this instance, because they are normally packed to capacity when they are draining the queues as the parks close.

Generally, I try not to get too worked up about the bus service and routes since it seems to change often.

Have fun!!!

 

[mickeymouse710]

Originally posted by B'rer Karen
Thanks for the heads up. I hope it's not like this at the end of October. If it is I may just go out the International Gateway and catch a bus to DTD from BC. Then I can just walk to SSR.

I hope this is just temporary. It takes a long time for the bus to make it's way around all the stops at OKW. That being said, I do remember once or twice after an E-night where there was a combined Disney Institue/OKW, so it's not an unusual occurance. But it sounds like right now this is the norm, which I don't like.

As for the number of rooms being serviced, that's probably true, but how many different stops do you make on the YC/BC/BW/ loop? If I recall correctly thats 4, and then another 2 for S/D. The combined OKW/SSR stop has how many stops, 8? It's the stops that take forever.

I have read posts saying the OKW bus rides are not long at all. That it is even shorter than the bus trip from an Epcot resort to most locations on WDW property??

 

[dianeschlicht]

Originally posted by mickeymouse710
Since it seems that most of the guests staying at OKW drive their own cars, it makes sense for Disney to combine the buses. I am surprised they do no combine all the buses, until the time that SSR is fully built and will then maybe require more buses. But time will tell, maybe since SSR also has parking in front of every building, most of the guests staying there will also drive their own cars?
There are most likely more guests at GF, Contemporary & Poly who do not drive their own cars then at OKW, and their buses are combined.
It seems prefectly logical for Disney to combine OKW & SSR buses.

You make one assumption here that I think is incorrect. I do NOT think most OKW folks drive their cars to the parks. In more than a dozen OKW trips, we can count on one hand the number of times we have ever driven to a park, and most of those are on get-away day. I think the issue with using evening buses for both resorts is to keep folks moving out of the Epcot area in the crunch that happens after Illuminations is over. Those buses usualy have standing room only on them. It's one of the only times we see this situation at OKW.

 

[dianeschlicht]

BTW, to clear up some misinformation...There are NOT 8 stops at OKW. There are only 5 ! Penninsular Road, South Point, Turtle Pond, Miller's Road and Hospitality House.

 

[mickeymouse710]

Originally posted by dianeschlicht
You make one assumption here that I think is incorrect. I do NOT think most OKW folks drive their cars to the parks. In more than a dozen OKW trips, we can count on one hand the number of times we have ever driven to a park, and most of those are on get-away day. I think the issue with using evening buses for both resorts is to keep folks moving out of the Epcot area in the crunch that happens after Illuminations is over. Those buses usualy have standing room only on them. It's one of the only times we see this situation at OKW.

I make this assumption based on the number of posts that I have read in reference to the ability to park a car in front of the OKW buildings and not have to use valet parking, etc, being a very valued aspect of this resort. Maybe I have incorrectly assumed, but I assumed if the ability to park in front of your villa was important--then the guests would be driving their own car????
I am still confused as to the actual travel time for an OKW bus to complete the circuit. I have read it is very short, no longer than an Epct resort, but B/rer Karen's experiences did not sound that way?? What is the travel time for the whole OKW loop to then a park?

 

[spiceycat]

the loop itself can be anywhere from 5 minutes ( fast driver) to 15 minutes - slow driver and waits a couple of minutes at each stop.

Epcot is about 2 minutes (this assumes the light is green when you get there - if not add about 3 minutes).

MK is about 15 minutes to get through the front gate - the back gate - 5 minutes (again assuing both lights are green when you get there)

MGM is about 6 minutes (again assuming that all 5 lights are green) -

to all these times you need to add 5 to 15 minutes that bus drivers can take to get around OKW.

alot of this time depends upon the driver - some driver wait until everyone is seated before moving - other drivers will leave once everyone is on the bus - just depends. I like the faster drivers myself - less time at OKW - more time I can spend at the parks - but everyone is different.

I have not riden the AK bus so I can't tell you there.

 

[B'rer Karen]

Originally posted by dianeschlicht
BTW, to clear up some misinformation...There are NOT 8 stops at OKW. There are only 5 ! Penninsular Road, South Point, Turtle Pond, Miller's Road and Hospitality House.

I was guestimating that the two resorts together had 8. As you have confirmed there are 5 at OKW, and I believe there are 2 at SSR (I'm sure that someone will correct me if I'm wrong), I was only off by one.