The bus...

[goofy4tink]

Some drivers will make an announcement reminding guests to keep an eye out for someone that may need a seat...very young, elderly, or infirm in some way.
Here's the thing. I'm 62..not sure how the heck that happened, but it did. You wouldn't know it to look at me. My knees are starting to go, the back isn't far behind. I do manage to keep up with the 'younguns' in the parks..those 30 something friends of mine from right here on the DIS. I have had seats offered to me by very nice young men. BUT...I have also given up my seat to elderly men (who seemed somewhat embarrassed to accept my offer), pregnant women (been there, done that and a seat is very nice) and very young kids and a parent.

It's really all about common sense. If you feel you can't (for whatever reason) give up you seat, fine. No one knows your reasons, and they don't need to. If you feel you can't take the chance of not getting a seat on the bus, then wait for the next one. If you see someone you think might like a seat, and you are in a postition to offer them one, go for it.

This argument is never going to be resolved here. Talk about 'tale as old as time'...this one has been going on for as long as I can remember!!!

 

[Azrael]

I wish the buses weren't so cold. Especially at the end of the night.

 

[1girln3boys]

I'm the first one to give up a seat, and make my 3 son's give up theirs! Not when I see toddler's sitting in their own. I still only take up 2 seats on the bus....so shame on the parents that let this happen. I'll stand for the elderly, and any parent with a child younger than mine. I will not move if there is another family with toddlers stealing a row of seats. Put them damn kids on your lap! I'll be in wdw next week....and I'm done being nice. I'm sure I'll be the mom with 3 boys hogging the bus seats! It's too bad...that people suck!

My husband and I always put the little ones in our laps when the bus is full. One day as the bus got full I took my 7 yo and told him to sit in my lap to make more room. The lady sitting next to me had her daughter younger than mine in her lap and asked the daughter if she wanted my son's seat. But before she could move I put my hand there and asked a lady that was standing with a young sleeping child if they wanted a seat. Stuff like that really bothers. I don't know why she thought I was putting my child in my lap but it sure wasn't to give her daughter a seat.
I do make my older kids give up their seats for a mother/father with a sleeping child or one that looks like they are having trouble standing.

 

[rachel09985]

I'm sorry, and I know this is a flammable opinion, but at the end of the park day, aside from guests in wheelchairs who obviously require a specific spot on the bus, the rest of the seats are fair game, and I will not be giving my seat up after 13-17 miles of walking in the park.

TOTALLY Agree! Everyone is tired!!!!! I can understand my boyfriend who is 25 giving up a seat for a mom and a tired baby but even that, his feet still hurt.

 

[stargazertechie]

I think anyone that can be on their feet in the parks can manage to stand on the buses. I don't understand why everyone goes nuts on this topic--does everyone think, "Ok, it's bus time, I must sit down now"? Be thankful for the AC and the fact that you'll be in your bed soon.

During my january trip I had iPhone sized blisters on both feet from the marathon (stupid shoes!). I rented a wheelchair in the parks during the day, but I didn't have one to get back to the resorts. So if you saw me, I was sitting in the bus queue, and there was NO WAY that I could possibly stand on the bus. It just wasn't gonna happen.

 

[StitchSpawn]

Whoa, calm down there. I'm glad you'd get up for someone who was in need. But like I said, I've seen the argument I posted made but that doesn't mean its my opinion. And it wasn't an argument as in "I'm superior therefore I should sit". It was an "I'm not as delicate as you and can stand therefore I will allow you, the less strong person to sit" stance.

It is completely the argument you put forth in your second post about the "olden days". I am stating that not everyone has moved on from that.

http://blogs.forbes.com/jennagoudreau/2011/06/28/is-chivalry-sexist/
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/relation...lly-benevolent-sexism-feminists-conclude.html


PS. While you may think its cool to put things like "you're just trying to start a fight" and "this is a ridiculous post", think how someone else might react to that. Your post itself sounds a bit inflammatory.

I just honestly don't know why you'd post that in the first place?

Who cares what a small ignorant minority thinks, and hey, if they think they are so much stronger than me and I need a seat, sweet I'll take it! But in the days of reality tv like bridezillas and jersey shore, I think we can say most women are not "delicate". Although meeting most of those women on any bus would be more like a nightmare

 

[StitchSpawn]

I think a lot of this has to do with how you were brought up. I was brought up with deep southern roots that the man should pay for the dates (at least in the beginning, even if it's just coffee) and should open the door for you and maybe offer me a seat on the bus, if they do not feel like they need it more than me.

I don't take it as I am incapable and delicate. I take it as southern manners and, I like chivalry and I hope it does not completely die out. It's just my way of thinking though, I do not think I am below any man or incapable of opening the door for myself

Disney World, an international clash of manners and etiquette

 

[Suellen]

What gets me is that we WAIT for a bus if we don't get to sit, I just think it is unsafe for my 4 year old to be standing on a moving bus... she isn't really strong enough to hold on properly AND she often gets stepped on if I let her sit on the floor.

THEN we get on the next bus and people expect us to give up our seats for them.

I'll be glad to have our car this next time... though my girls think riding the bus is AWESOME!

 

[tony609]

,I like chivalry and I hope it does not completely die out.

Chivalry will Never die as long as we have automatic doors.....

 

[KSDisneyDad]

What gets me is that we WAIT for a bus if we don't get to sit, I just think it is unsafe for my 4 year old to be standing on a moving bus... she isn't really strong enough to hold on properly AND she often gets stepped on if I let her sit on the floor.

THEN we get on the next bus and people expect us to give up our seats for them.

I'll be glad to have our car this next time... though my girls think riding the bus is AWESOME!

We are car people and have driven on most of our trips. We took the bus when our kids were younger, but after a trip where we encountered several rude guests, we decided to rent a car. We did that for years, but in 2009 we decided to save some money and use the buses. Big mistake.

Our kids were begging me to call the rental car company and get a car every morning while we waited in line. They couldn't stand the bus. It wasn't so much the standing as they liked to stand even if there were seats available. It was the waiting for the buses themselves. And when they did come (we were at All Star Music), the bus was already mostly full from it's stop at the All-Star Sports. So for those of you who said to wait for the next bus, we could have waited over an hour just to get a bus with a seat! Tell me that's practical.

We reverted back to a car on our last trip and it was so much less stressful for our family. No long waits for a bus, no multiple stops before arriving at your destination, driving faster than buses, getting dropped off by the tram much closer than the bus stops, being able to visit other resorts without an hour and a half one-way commutes, being able to visit DTD in 10 minutes vs 45 minutes, being able to go off-site to the Premier Outlet Store or even Wal-Mart for some groceries for the week, not dealing with bus lines at closing, everyone having their own seat and very close parking at BLT every time! We drive so much in WDW that it's practically our second home so we have no issues with directions, etc. And the traffic wasn't bad at all for us. A lot better than my daily commute here at home! I know that driving is not for everyone, but for us, it's the best choice. YMMV

 

[StitchSpawn]

Chivalry will Never die as long as we have automatic doors.....

 

[PIRATEGIRL007]

um you are contradicting what you said on an earlier post to me. In the earlier post you stated you stayed at inexspensive off site motels and in this post you seem to state that you stay on property.
Which one is it?

I don't think anyone knows who you are talking to. Maybe try quoting the person you are reffering to next time.

 

[aleshad01]

Our children were 4 & 2 during our last trip to Disney. If there were no seats then we would wait for the next bus. We plan on doing that this trip as well. It will be hard to stand, hold on, and help our children hold on as well (my husband will be holding the stroller and I will have our 1 year old). The buses do jerk pretty hard at times.

 

[DisneyFive]

I think different people have different hot buttons. Plus, I can say that there is a big difference in expressing an opinion at home after your trip about your pet peeve than the impact it really has when you're at WDW. Personally, very few things mentioned on these boards really both me when I'm actually at WDW such as line cutting, taking tables at counter service before you get your food, using late fast passes, people stopping in front of you, guests arriving late for parades or fireworks, the stroller brigades, etc. However, for our family, we have grown to dislike the Disney bus service and even little things bother us about it now. Perhaps it's just us trying to justify why we no longer use the buses, but it does frustrate us having to wait in an unshaded line for 20+ minutes only to stand on the bus. And suggesting that we wait for the next bus in the morning - forget it. It will take another 10 to 20 minutes and it most likely will be full too. And then when you get on the bus, people do block aisles, let their bags have a seat too or you may see many elderly guests or parents holding small kids having to stand.

I also believe that most of these people standing have no expectation of a seat or feeling of entitlement. Howeer, as a disinterested observer, I find it sad that so many will sit while someone who visibly needs a seat has to stand. Even if one or two of those individuals had a hidden illness, odds are that there are at least 5 or 6 close by who don't have a hidden illness requiring them to sit. And yes, I understand those that preach about taking responsibility and waiting for the next bus, hiring a cab or renting a car. Life isn't always that practical especially in the mornings heading to the parks. Buses do not come one after another. In the evening, I can see waiting as an option. Further, renting a car is discouraged by the Disney advertising machine. They'd rather trap you at the resorts with their "free" ME service to/from the airport. Once there, you're dependent on buses. Buses take 45 minutes one-way to DTD many times. Getting from resort-to-resort is an hour and a half proposition at times. Getting to the major parks is usually okay, but there is an occassional long wait in our experience to get to the major parks.

I'm just trying to say that the topic that you see as people "making a bigger deal out of something than they should" can and does bother others. It's just their opinion about it. Similarly, there may be something that bothers you that I don't think is that big of a deal. I don't think that chiding others for discussing this topic is productive. JMHO

Well said. I agree that it is much easier to gripe about things that bother us once we are back home. I view topics like this as more of a "wish list" than annoyances. For instance, I wish people would not stop right in front of me in the middle of the walk way or cut right in front of me pushing the stroller, or I wish etc...

Many of these things seem like annoyances now, but at the parks, we are having so much fun that they really don't bother me at the time.

Dan

 

[BillyBuff]

I think a lot of this has to do with how you were brought up. I was brought up with deep southern roots that the man should pay for the dates (at least in the beginning, even if it's just coffee) and should open the door for you and maybe offer me a seat on the bus, if they do not feel like they need it more than me.

I don't take it as I am incapable and delicate. I take it as southern manners and, I like chivalry and I hope it does not completely die out. It's just my way of thinking though, I do not think I am below any man or incapable of opening the door for myself

Disney World, an international clash of manners and etiquette

This so true! I absolutely agree it has a lot of how you were brought up.

Take Bermuda for example...I have been there so many times and still surprised when pre-teen school kids get up to offer me a seat and I'm not even that old! (40) I was told by a Bermudian(sp?) that they're taught to be courteous to their elders at a very young age.

But I guess it's common sense to give up your seat to someone that is elderly or pregnant but sometimes I can't tell...seriously! I gave my seat to a woman once whom I thought was pregnant and got yelled at. She said she wasn't pregnant!

 

[mom2rtk]

I gave my seat to a woman once whom I thought was pregnant and got yelled at. She said she wasn't pregnant!

Oh man......... you missed lesson number one. NEVER comment on a suspected pregnancy unless you can see the baby's head!

 

[Sammie]

What gets me is that we WAIT for a bus if we don't get to sit, I just think it is unsafe for my 4 year old to be standing on a moving bus... she isn't really strong enough to hold on properly AND she often gets stepped on if I let her sit on the floor.

THEN we get on the next bus and people expect us to give up our seats for them.

I'll be glad to have our car this next time... though my girls think riding the bus is AWESOME!

Totally agree, if we don't want to stand we, wait also. Since this option is open to all, I see no reason to give up a seat.

 

[LilyWDW]

Totally agree, if we don't want to stand we, wait also. Since this option is open to all, I see no reason to give up a seat.

I feel that way also. If I choose to wait another X number of minutes to be sure that I get a seat, then others can do so as well. IF they choose to get on a standing room only bus, they they choose to do so knowing what it means. They can only count on themselves and can not expect others to get up for them.

I think that is what my problem is... some (not all and not any one person in particular) people seem to have an expectation that even if they get on a SRO bus, that someone should get up for them. Then they judge everyone who "looks" healthy enough to stand.

If you need a seat, you can do what the rest of us that need seats do... wait for another bus or rent a car.

 

[Boo :)]

This is one aspect of Disney that infuriates me. Of course if you need a seat then you should get one.

If you're in a wheelchair obviously you should get priority. However do people really need to take around ten people on with them. To queue for a bus for around 20mins only to see a wheelchair user with a group of ten people get on before you is infuriating. Surely some of their group can join the queue and wait like everyone else.

 

[julie4423]

This is one aspect of Disney that infuriates me. Of course if you need a seat then you should get one.

If you're in a wheelchair obviously you should get priority. However do people really need to take around ten people on with them. To queue for a bus for around 20mins only to see a wheelchair user with a group of ten people get on before you is infuriating. Surely some of their group can join the queue and wait like everyone else.

Yes! I can't stand this. I can understand one extra with the person to help them, but not a dozen. I could go on with more on the whole bus topic, but what's the point? Things are how they are, and we all have the option of choosing a different way to the parks. We usually rent a car, so we choose based upon what we feel like doing that day.