Staybridge Suites I-Drive - Shuttle Bus Info?

[cherry-pops]

My parents have funded a trip to FL & WDW for my other half and myself. We'll be staying at the Staybridge Suites on International Drive, we won't be hiring a car and will be relying on public transport.

In the Thomson brochure it doesn't mention shuttle transfers but my mother would never book me somewhere without this facility so I trusted her. On the Staybridge website it lists this:

* There is one departure from the Hotel to each Theme Park every day. All departures occur in the morning.
* Returns from the Theme Parks back to the hotel occur in the evening. There is one return to the hotel from
each Theme Park.
* Exact schedules will be given out at check-in, as they do vary month by month and are subject to change.
* Once you are inside the Walt Disney World® Resort, transportation between the Disney Theme Parks and Water Parks is provided by the internal Disney Transportation System.

One departure a day? And one return? So the possibilities of returning to our suite in the afternoon then going back for evening entertainment is out and we'd have to stay at the park all day, or use taxis? I thought shuttles would run at regular intervals throughout the day, like a normal bus does in any town or city....

Mind you, the information could just be old...it doesn't list Animal Kingdom as a Disney park and still lists MGM not Hollywood Studios.

Does anyone have any experience of the Staybridge shuttles, or other similar shuttles? Please! I'm a bit worried!

 

[dougsmom98]

From what other people have reported, most hotel shuttle services only run once or twice each day. If you can swing a rental car, you may want to do that.

 

[dawgsgirl]

If you are not staying at Disney, you really should rent a car. I think everyone will give this advice. The shuttles are not very reliable and do not run very often. There is a public bus system, LYNX, but I don't know anything about it. Maybe someone else will come along that does.

 

[TaraPA]

I stayed on I Drive in May (not at Staybridge) and there were 3 morning shuttles & 3 pm shuttles from my hotel - all shared with other hotels so it was hit or miss if there was even room each day. The shuttles were run down & dirty - nothing compared to Disney transportation! One day I missed the shuttle & had to get a taxi to MK. It was $55 one WAY! So if you can't rent a car then utilize your shuttle. Call the hotel's front desk (not the reservation line) to get an idea of exactly how & when the shuttle operates.

One good thing - it says there is one shuttle to EACH theme park every day - my hotel ONLY dropped off & picked up at Epcot - so I had to transfer to other parks from Epcot, which took forever. Also be advised that the offsite hotel bus loading areas aren't right with the Disney transportation busses - they are far, far away! My bus only picked up at 10:30pm in the offsite bus area at Epcot - it was a little creepy (I was there solo)!