The bus...

[KSDisneyDad]

It always surpises me how in every thread about transportation, ECV comes out as a problem or situation needed to be improoved. Why not to accept things the way they are. Sometimes people using ECV wait much longer then if they were in a regular line, unfair works both ways. The way things are is to protect our feet and to protect rights of people in ECV or wheelchairs. I am sure that those creating rules and regulations played out different situations and this is the best way things can work.

I agree. I don't see what the big deal about ECV's are. Although they are the first ones on the bus, they are the last one's off.

To me, if ECV's annoy you, just like waiting in long lines may annoy you, having to stand in lines may annoy you, no direct service to/from other resorts may annoy you, no direct service from DTD to the parks may annoy you, or having multiple stops annoy you, rent a car or take a cab.

 

[Don Disney]

The bus thing can be a drag sometimes.We are a family of four(2 DD's 6+7).We prefer to wait for a bus so my DW and DD's can sit.I usually get a seat too,until some lady with a kid,or "older"person shows up and I have to give up my seat!!!! So,a lot of the times,I'm standing and holding the stroller(for stuff-not kids),and doing my best to keep from falling over-some of those drivers really know how to make that bus lean on the curves! I would love to sit,but I have to set an example for my girls so they KNOW how it is SUPPOSED to be-at least that's the way I was taught.On the other hand,I have no problem giving the "Evil Eye",or smarting off to some jerk who sits there,and leaves my DW,or some other woman standing there without at least offering their seat! That said,I will offer my seat to ANY lady,but if I ask twice,and she says"that's ok,I'm fine" then I keep my seat! As far as ECV's,and Wheelchairs-it's a pain in the neck to wait(and I have been known to mumble about it),but I have to remember(with my wife's help)that I need to be thankful that I can stand,and walk etc.. without assistance;kinda puts everything back into it's proper perspective.

 

[maxiesmom]

On the other hand,I have no problem giving the "Evil Eye",or smarting off to some jerk who sits there,and leaves my DW,or some other woman standing there without at least offering their seat! That said,I will offer my seat to ANY lady,but if I ask twice,and she

You can't know just by looking who needs a seat and who doesn't. In that case, you could very well be giving the evil eye or smarting off to someone who actually needs the seat more than your wife. In that case, there is a jerk, but it isn't the person keeping their seat.

I'm just saying, watch the snap judgements.

 

[LilyWDW]

On the other hand,I have no problem giving the "Evil Eye",or smarting off to some jerk who sits there,and leaves my DW,or some other woman standing there without at least offering their seat!

Wow... how do you KNOW that the "jerk" doesn't need the seat? I have never heard of someone who could tell disabilities just by looking at someone... so I do have to wonder. Giving anyone the "evil eye" or smarting off to them is just plain rude, especially when you know nothing about the person. Hopefully, you won't do this only to find out that the person really did need the seat... you would end up looking like the mean one.

 

[crashbb]

Wow... how do you KNOW that the "jerk" doesn't need the seat? I have never heard of someone who could tell disabilities just by looking at someone... so I do have to wonder. Giving anyone the "evil eye" or smarting off to them is just plain rude, especially when you know nothing about the person. Hopefully, you won't do this only to find out that the person really did need the seat... you would end up looking like the mean one.

If I were a bystander, the PP would look like a passive-aggressive jerk even if the person didn't need the seat (which, quite frankly, I'd never know anyway).

Actions like that would make me stay in my seat, even if I were on the verge of standing up to offer it (I'll offer it to anyone who looks like they need it - but as a middle aged female, I doubt that the PP's wife is someone to whom I'd be offering my seat)

 

[raidermatt]

We never leave at closing time unless it is absolutely necessary. We either duck out early or linger after closing until the herds have moved on.

If the busses aren't your cup of tea, think about doing the same. You can save yourself a lot of aggrevation. It's a lot more relaxing to haven an ice cream and hang out on Main Street for an extra 30-45 minutes.

We do rent a car but honestly the MK is the one park where the busses are faster.

 

[PatsMom]

The bus thing can be a drag sometimes.We are a family of four(2 DD's 6+7).We prefer to wait for a bus so my DW and DD's can sit.I usually get a seat too,until some lady with a kid,or "older"person shows up and I have to give up my seat!!!! So,a lot of the times,I'm standing and holding the stroller(for stuff-not kids),and doing my best to keep from falling over-some of those drivers really know how to make that bus lean on the curves! I would love to sit,but I have to set an example for my girls so they KNOW how it is SUPPOSED to be-at least that's the way I was taught.On the other hand,I have no problem giving the "Evil Eye",or smarting off to some jerk who sits there,and leaves my DW,or some other woman standing there without at least offering their seat! That said,I will offer my seat to ANY lady,but if I ask twice,and she says"that's ok,I'm fine" then I keep my seat! As far as ECV's,and Wheelchairs-it's a pain in the neck to wait(and I have been known to mumble about it),but I have to remember(with my wife's help)that I need to be thankful that I can stand,and walk etc.. without assistance;kinda puts everything back into it's proper perspective.

Wow! I don't know that you are really setting a very good example for your daughters. Most young women have no more need of a seat than a man does. We are not the weaker sex despite whatever antiquated lessons you may have absorbed when you were young. I wonder if you were the person giving my husband the "evil eye" and making comments under his breath on our last trip? He's a young looking 66. And to look at him you would never know he has several bulging discs in his back, ankylosing spondylitis and peripheral artery disease that makes it extremely painful to stand by the end of the day.

I am so glad that you are omniscient and would automatically know his medical condition so it couldn't have been you last trip!

 

[KSDisneyDad]

We never leave at closing time unless it is absolutely necessary. We either duck out early or linger after closing until the herds have moved on.

If the busses aren't your cup of tea, think about doing the same. You can save yourself a lot of aggrevation. It's a lot more relaxing to haven an ice cream and hang out on Main Street for an extra 30-45 minutes.

We do rent a car but honestly the MK is the one park where the busses are faster.

But we do like to leave at closing time. Thus, the buses even at MK are slower. Before we started staying at BLT, we used to drive to the Mk as well. Sure, it took a little longer in the morning, but it saved LOTS of time at night!! Plus, we like to enter the MK via the monorail or ferry. So much more magical than entering on the buses IMO.

We did take the buses once and decided to hang out on main street an extra 45 minutes or so to wait for the buses. By the time we left, the bus lines were still 30 to 40 minutes long!! Yuck. That was the only time we tried that strategy.

Regardless, some love the bus service. We don't. Nothing the least bit convenient about it except the cost. But I don't mind paying a little extra to avoid the aggravation. YMMV.

 

[KSDisneyDad]

You can't know just by looking who needs a seat and who doesn't. In that case, you could very well be giving the evil eye or smarting off to someone who actually needs the seat more than your wife. In that case, there is a jerk, but it isn't the person keeping their seat.

I'm just saying, watch the snap judgements.

I know the two have to be completey unrelated, but I am curious as to the story behind your Tag Fairy tag. I assume it's probably something to do with your kids and not strangers.

 

[TinkerBelle920]

I am just not reading through this thread and I'm amazed at the number of losers who are not willing to give up their seats for a pregnant woman or an elderly person. I have been to Disney pregnant and it was about half the time that someone gave up a seat for me. But everytime I am on the bus I give up my seat to someone that needs it more than I do. Especially people with small children. What do you suggest people with babies do? Hold the baby and hold onto the railing above.

I think these people who don't give up theirs seats are pathetic. What goes around comes around. It plays into the whole entitlement mindset that many have at Disney. "I paid good money so I deserve something free and I deserve to ride every ride with no wait, and I deserve to have a seat on the bus" And all kindness and decency goes out the window.

 

[ReallyRosie]

Just to add to the ECV conversation... I just came back from a trip where someone in my party had an ECV (has post polio syndrome and poor tolerance for walking any distance). It was uncomfortable and embarassing at times for my group to hold everyone up while they loaded the ECV and to jump the line because they loaded the ECV first. It was also a big inconvenience on a few occasions when a bus would arrive too full to load us the ECV and we would have to wait for the next one (almost missed an ADR because of it). But the situation was what it was; there was no way for her to do Disney without the ECV.

 

[raidermatt]

But we do like to leave at closing time. Thus, the buses even at MK are slower. Before we started staying at BLT, we used to drive to the Mk as well. Sure, it took a little longer in the morning, but it saved LOTS of time at night!! Plus, we like to enter the MK via the monorail or ferry. So much more magical than entering on the buses IMO.

We did take the buses once and decided to hang out on main street an extra 45 minutes or so to wait for the buses. By the time we left, the bus lines were still 30 to 40 minutes long!! Yuck. That was the only time we tried that strategy.

Regardless, some love the bus service. We don't. Nothing the least bit convenient about it except the cost. But I don't mind paying a little extra to avoid the aggravation. YMMV.

Whenever we have gone, things have calmed down a lot by the 45 minute mark and we have done it many times. But certainly there are exceptions.

Bottom line though is as long as whatever one is doing doesn't cause the blood to boil, keep doing it.

But if the stress meter is going whacko, as it clearly is for some, it's time to try something different.

 

[Virtucomp]

Before we started staying at BLT, we used to drive to the Mk as well.

I find the bus a necessary evil as we fly down and don't usually have a rental car. Since I've never driven in or out of the parks what is the traffic like when you find you car in the hugh transportation center lot and have to get out at the end of the night from MK?

Is it bumper to bumper all the way to the resorts or does the monorail and tram system filter the crowd down to a manageable traffic pattern?

 

[KSDisneyDad]

Whenever we have gone, things have calmed down a lot by the 45 minute mark and we have done it many times. But certainly there are exceptions.

Bottom line though is as long as whatever one is doing doesn't cause the blood to boil, keep doing it.

But if the stress meter is going whacko, as it clearly is for some, it's time to try something different.

Good points about stress. That's why we rent a car as it keeps our stress lower. Others probably experience the opposite.

The long waits for buses happened to us in October when the lines were still outrageously long after the park was closed for 45 minutes. We found it better to sneak out as quickly as possible rather than wait the next time we visited.

 

[brunette8706]

Hello All!

Regarding the ECV's I believe the problem(s) arise when guests wait in line for a bus, sometimes as long as 45 minutes per an earlier poster, and out of nowhere an ECV arrives along with 10 of his closest friends/family, and they (ALL) get priority seating in front of the long line. I think this is where people are having problems. Does that make sense?

Brunette

 

[KSDisneyDad]

I find the bus a necessary evil as we fly down and don't usually have a rental car. Since I've never driven in or out of the parks what is the traffic like when you find you car in the hugh transportation center lot and have to get out at the end of the night from MK?

Is it bumper to bumper all the way to the resorts or does the monorail and tram system filter the crowd down to a manageable traffic pattern?

No, actually, the traffic flow is very smooth and manageable and gets back to posted speed limits as soon as you exit the parks. Disney does a great job of getting you in and out of the parking lots in an orderly fashion. It's nothing like trying to leave a professional football or baseball game in your home town.

I've only had one traffic nightmare leaving a park and that was Typhoon Lagoon. However, even the buses were stuck in that traffic jam. So I was happy to be sitting in my car rather than standing on a crowded bus with a bunch of people who had just exited a waterpark at closing!!

ETA: Orlando rental cars can be much more reasonable than one might think. On our last trip, we had a 10-night rental on a minivan for $267 including all taxes and fees. Others reported getting rates of under $100 for a full-size car for a week all taxes and fees included. The best prices are generally found about 3 to 4 weeks out. Any ealier than that, prices are inflated. It's seems counterintuitive, but watch the Transportation boards for some helpful hints on getting an inexpensive rental car. Plus, you can go off-site to the character premier outlet or make very convenient trips resort-to-resort or to DTD!

 

[maxiesmom]

I know the two have to be completey unrelated, but I am curious as to the story behind your Tag Fairy tag. I assume it's probably something to do with your kids and not strangers.

It acutally has to do with a post about parade watching. And the rude people who try to shove their child in front of you and your family, who have been patiently waiting, so that their child can see. I've let many a child in by me, and would have no problem with doing so again, if asked. But don't try to shove any of my family out of the way, or try and make room for your child when there is none. If you try it, you will get the mean squinty eye.

I've learned that if we really want a good spot for parade viewing, you need to be able to defend it, and not be a total pushover. Tell someone there is room for their 1 child, and you may end up with 3.

 

[KSDisneyDad]

Hello All!

Regarding the ECV's I believe the problem(s) arise when guests wait in line for a bus, sometimes as long as 45 minutes per an earlier poster, and out of nowhere an ECV arrives along with 10 of his closest friends/family, and they (ALL) get priority seating in front of the long line. I think this is where people are having problems. Does that make sense?

Brunette

Hello Brunette,

I agree with your assessment as to why ECV's can sometimes be perceived as frustrating by those waiting in already very long lines. However, that is just how it goes IMO. I would not want to trade my mobility for that one tiny tindy advantage. Plus, if you're in an ECV, you are the last one off the bus even though you're the first one on.

Unrelated to your question, I think there are so many reasons the buses are slow. Loading ECV's is just one of them, but so are just the massive crowds and trying to move them from Point A to Point B during peak times. Disney advertises the heck out of ME and free transportation so they do trap a lot of guests on-site with no other choice. When you're stuck in a long line at closing, it's easy to find things to complain about IMO.

 

[KSDisneyDad]

It acutally has to do with a post about parade watching. And the rude people who try to shove their child in front of you and your family, who have been patiently waiting, so that their child can see. I've let many a child in by me, and would have no problem with doing so again, if asked. But don't try to shove any of my family out of the way, or try and make room for your child when there is none. If you try it, you will get the mean squinty eye.

I've learned that if we really want a good spot for parade viewing, you need to be able to defend it, and not be a total pushover. Tell someone there is room for their 1 child, and you may end up with 3.

So true. Been there done that, bought the t-shirt!

I hate having to defend our parade spots or fireworks viewing spots that we've been saving for so long, but that's a whole other thread.

We haven't tried the mean squinty eye for this. A stern "We've been standing here for "X" amount of time and didn't save our spots to share" seems to work for us. We will occassionally allow a small child in front of us, but only if we know the rest of the family won't take advantage of us. Usually in these cases, the parents are quite appreciative and kind.

 

[PatsMom]

I am just not reading through this thread and I'm amazed at the number of losers who are not willing to give up their seats for a pregnant woman or an elderly person. I have been to Disney pregnant and it was about half the time that someone gave up a seat for me. But everytime I am on the bus I give up my seat to someone that needs it more than I do. Especially people with small children. What do you suggest people with babies do? Hold the baby and hold onto the railing above.

I think these people who don't give up theirs seats are pathetic. What goes around comes around. It plays into the whole entitlement mindset that many have at Disney. "I paid good money so I deserve something free and I deserve to ride every ride with no wait, and I deserve to have a seat on the bus" And all kindness and decency goes out the window.

I cannot imagine going to Disney pregnant. But if I chose to do so, I would not expect special treatment. I was pretty healthy and did a lot of walking. Pregnancy is not an illness.

I suggest the people with babies who can't juggle the baby and the handrail wait for the next bus. That is what I would do if having a seat was important to me.