SSR bus question -- actually can apply to other large resorts

[rutgers1]

I was wondering what is best when staying at SSR or another resort with multiple bus stops around the property:

If you are heading to a park from the hotel, do you want to be at the FIRST stop when the bus arrives or the last before it exits the hotel property? One could argue that it will be completely full when it arrives to the first stop (if it was a full load coming from the park) and perhaps there won't be enough room for you to get on if the original passengers are waiting to get off at a later stop. On top of that, even if you get on, you would then have to wait while the bus travels around the resort to pick up other guests. On the flip side, if you were waiting at the LAST stop before the bus exits, you would experience less of a wait but you might also be stuck without a spot to sit if the bus is full.

I wonder which one has better odds.

 

[RCharnay]

Just got back from a SSR stay with my elderly mom. We chose the Grandstand so we would be the first stop so she always had a seat. The only time it would come in full is at the end of the day and we usually aren't trying to catch a bus then. It comes in empty most mornings and then you have to sit while it makes the rounds. It takes about 5-10 minutes to make your way around but it's not a big deal. We were at all the parks in less than an hour from leaving our room--usually closer to 30 minutes. I love Disney transportation. Our only problem was when we had a reservation at DTD after AK. We had to go to a hotel and then wait for the bus -- you can't get there from a park. That was a wasted hour.

 

[AirGoofy]

I was wondering what is best when staying at SSR or another resort with multiple bus stops around the property:

If you are heading to a park from the hotel, do you want to be at the FIRST stop when the bus arrives or the last before it exits the hotel property? One could argue that it will be completely full when it arrives to the first stop (if it was a full load coming from the park) and perhaps there won't be enough room for you to get on if the original passengers are waiting to get off at a later stop. On top of that, even if you get on, you would then have to wait while the bus travels around the resort to pick up other guests. On the flip side, if you were waiting at the LAST stop before the bus exits, you would experience less of a wait but you might also be stuck without a spot to sit if the bus is full.

I wonder which one has better odds.

It also may depend on when you go. We never had a full bus at SSR, but it may be different during Easter or Christmas. It also depends on the resort.

 

[Sammie]

Since the bus can be full at any stop I don't base any of my requests on transportation.

We have stayed at Grandstand and except for the first bus of the morning, yes at many times it was full when we got on due to others coming from the park.

 

[rutgers1]

I was kind of thinking that there are pluses and minuses to both. The only place where I ever really had an issue with transportation was the Boardwalk. My wife is convinced that the buses take longer from there, which isn't as big of a deal to us since we walk to two of the parks.

Anyone else notice bus issues at the Boardwalk?

Another thing I do is budget taxi rides into my vacation. We don't do it a lot, but we always grab a taxi 2 or 3 times in any given week. For example, on Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend, we were only staying for 2 full days, and I really didn't have time to work the bus system to get to ESPN to pick up my race packet. That would have ruined the day, so I took a taxi there and back. It cost money, but it was worth it.

 

[JWG]

Our issues with BWV transportation are tied to it being 1 of multiple resort stops. Epcot area resorts is too big of a run for one route. They really need to separate swan and dolphin into their own.

 

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

I was wondering what is best when staying at SSR or another resort with multiple bus stops around the property

It also may depend on when you go. We never had a full bus at SSR, but it may be different during Easter or Christmas. It also depends on the resort.

At SSR, there is sometimes an issue at the Springs stop. The buses could arrive at this last stop as standing-room-only or even be full to capacity. As AirGoofy already indicated, this is really only an issue during extremely crowded times of year, such as Spring Break and Christmas. Summer can also be crowded, but not to the same extent. The problem is also at its worse during the "rush hours" when everyone is trying to get to a park in the morning. At other times of day, it isn't as bad.

If you're heading to a park in the evening, yes, the bus could be crowded when it gets to the first stop. But chances are, you'd find a seat anyway. If you don't find a seat initially, you're certain to before the bus leaves the resort.

So in that regard, I'd say the earlier stops on the route (Grandstand, Carousel) would have the advantage. If you need to stand, it's likely to be just for a few mintues through the resort. Whereas a full bus at the Springs would mean standing for the 15-20 minutes to get to the park (or in rare cases, being left behind altogether.)

I was kind of thinking that there are pluses and minuses to both. The only place where I ever really had an issue with transportation was the Boardwalk. My wife is convinced that the buses take longer from there, which isn't as big of a deal to us since we walk to two of the parks.

Anyone else notice bus issues at the Boardwalk?

I absolutely hate the buses at BWV and BCV. They're wonderful resorts for heading to Epcot and DHS, but I hate getting to and from MK and AK.