The buses were a nightmare

[honeydiane1953]

I just returned a week ago. My daughter, granddaughter and I were down for 6 nights and seven days. This was my first time at WL and loooved it. Mousekeeping, CM's, etc were perfect. The buses oh LAWD. It didn't matter when u left the resort or from another location u were in for a ride. Waiting for a bus was NEVER the problem. Making stops, pick-ups, drop offs, and just plain looping around killed too much time. We once stayed in a mod. and guess forgot what taking buses were all about. We had our own car but I have to have a scooter in WDW. I rent one from a great company but of course have no way to "carry" it on the car. We stay at CT MOST of the time but wanted to try WL this time for a change. If the WL could hide the monorail behind the woods so they wouldn't mess up with the theming it would be my new fav resort. The monorail is the only way to go imo. So of course that's just Poly, CT, and GF. Next yr will save us lots more for Poly. The buses must be getting the job done but talk about riding time!!!! It was almost impossible. FOR REAL

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

I am sorry you didn't enjoy the buses however just so you know when staying at the Contemporary, Polynesian and Grand Floridian, in the afternoons and evenings those resorts also share bus service when going to Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom/Blizzard Beach and Downtown Disney/Typhoon Lagoon. In the mornings it the Contemporary might share with the Polynesian or Wilderness Lodge. So while having the Monorail is great when going to the Magic Kingdom and Epcot, you still need to deal with bus sharing for the other locations the Monorail does not go to.

 

[Magicbus]

Sorry you weren't happy with the buses.
The bus service is what it is. Is it possible that you were expecting it to be something that it's not? It's pretty much the same from day to day. So I'm sure it wasn't any different during your stay. Some people like it, some don't.
The main reason that they don't add to the monorail system is simple economics, not appearance. Adding a loop just for the WL would not make economic sense. The track and the monorail vehicle are a lot more expensive than running buses.
The other important thing to bear in mind is that each resort and not the DTS decides what level of bus service they want. So complaints need to go to the WL if the DTS is in fact providing what they are contracted to do, and I believe they are.

 

[tink713]

We just got back Sunday and I agree, the buses were terrible! We waited forever for some buses and there was a lot of stopping and going. I think we will bring money for taxis next time.

 

[eliza61]

WDW transportation is such a hit or miss experience. I've gone some years and the transportation was fabulous, other times it was teh worst. We always have a car now primarly to eat offsite.

 

[maxiesmom]

WDW transportation is such a hit or miss experience. I've gone some years and the transportation was fabulous, other times it was teh worst. We always have a car now primarly to eat offsite.

Yep. I went the week after Easter, and the busses were fabulous! Never waited more than 10 minutes for one.

As far as the stopping and going, the only way to totally avoid it is to stay at the Pop. That is the only resort that never ever shares a bus with another resort. I have also found that if you stay at POFQ during high season, you don't share with POR.

 

[goofy4tink]

Buses are not going to work for everyone. Disney provides them in order to get the majority of guests to the parks. Resort to resort??? Not so easy.
And, like any 'public' transportation, there are going to be waits. And there are going to be multiple stops along the way...that's just the way they work.

If you want to ride buses that make no other stops, then stay at POP...that's about the only resort that has no other stops along the way.

Wait times?? The buses, the vast majority of the time, come along every 15-20 mins during the day. They are 'usually' more frequent at park opening and closing times. I know, I know..it seems like you're standing there, waiting forever when you want to get to the park for rope drop. I was standing there, waiting for a bus to DHS in Dec. I had been waiting about 5 mins at that point. A largish family arrived at the bus stop. They were also waiting for the DHS bus. When the bus finally came, a member of that group loudly exclaimed "FInally!!! I've never had to wait so long for a bus...we've been standing here for 30 mins!!" Ah, no...you were standing there for about 10 mins!!! Time really seems different when standing and waiting for those buses.

But, the buses are only going to aggravate you if you hate waiting. A rental car or a cab may be a better idea. There is no way that Disney buses are ever going to make 'direct' runs to the parks from all the resorts. Waaaay too many buses would be needed for that. The vast majority of resorts all have at least 2 stops along the way to a park. The moderate resorts actually have 4-5 within the resort. The deluxes usually have 2-3 other stops along the way. Now...you may luck out and be the resort that is picked up last...but you will also, most likely, be the last resort dropped off at the end of the run.

 

[simzac]

I agree, everyone should stay away from the buses so that when I use them it will be smooth sailing. Just kidding of course. I look at the buses this way. I'm on vacation, I will be waiting in lines the entire week in the parks, so waiting on a bus is no big deal. Just part of the WDW experience that I love.

 

[Magicbus]

Diane,
To add to your wait times being exagerated comments. People will say, I've been waiting for an hour. Guests probably are not aware that bus drivers know when the previous bus was dispatched to that resort. But all the driver can do is smile and say sorry, even though they know that the previous bus was there in 20 minutes or less. Not to say that sometimes there aren't longer waits.
I think it's the reality not quite living up to the perception.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Wait times?? The buses, the vast majority of the time, come along every 15-20 mins during the day. They are 'usually' more frequent at park opening and closing times. I know, I know..it seems like you're standing there, waiting "forever" when you want to get to the park for rope drop. I was standing there, waiting for a bus to DHS in Dec. I had been waiting about 5 mins at that point. A largish family arrived at the bus stop. They were also waiting for the DHS bus. When the bus finally came, a member of that group loudly exclaimed "FInally!!! I've never had to wait so long for a bus...we've been standing here for 30 mins!!" Ah, no...you were standing there for about 10 mins!!! Time really seems different when standing and waiting for those buses.

My favorite "waiting forever" story: I was staying at OKW, and as I approached the bus stop at Animal Kingdom one afternoon, the Guest at the end of the next line (CSR, maybe?) was YELLING at a driver across the way about how they'd 'been in line for an hour and they wanted a bus NOW and these d--- buses...' and just ranting on and on.

I headed over to the wheelchair waiting spot for my resort, which brought my right up by the FIRST people in line, also known as the Guests who had been waiting the longest. I'm curious. I asked how long they'd been waiting. "About twenty minutes"! Yet the family at the other end of the same line - and it was probably fifty or so people long by then - had been waiting an hour? Somebody needed to learn how to tell time, ya think?

 

[kaytieeldr]

Now...you may luck out and be the resort that is picked up last...but you will also, most likely, be the last resort dropped off at the end of the run.

Oh, that's why I love the Hospitality House area at Old Key West! You can board right at HH - last stop before the parks - and get off the bus at Peninsular Road!

 

[famsen]

We were at WL three weeks ago and while we never really had issues with waiting for a bus, we were not prepared for some of the extra stops they made.
One night we took the bus to DTD and I did not know that it also shared a stop with Grand Floridian. Well, it took us 40 minutes for us to get to DTD. On the way back, it made a stop on the West Side AND it was time for a driver shift change. All that made for about an hour and a half round trip ride for only a 30 minute visit to DTD (too crowded that night for us to even move).
We also didn't realize that WL shared buses with Fort Wilderness.

 

[Magicbus]

We were at WL three weeks ago and while we never really had issues with waiting for a bus, we were not prepared for some of the extra stops they made.
One night we took the bus to DTD and I did not know that it also shared a stop with Grand Floridian. Well, it took us 40 minutes for us to get to DTD. On the way back, it made a stop on the West Side AND it was time for a driver shift change. All that made for about an hour and a half round trip ride for only a 30 minute visit to DTD (too crowded that night for us to even move).
We also didn't realize that WL shared buses with Fort Wilderness.

Are you saying that it took 40 minutes to get to DTD and 50 minutes to get back after you got on the bus or did that include the waits? If it did, that's not that bad. If it didn't, other than the driver change, why did it take so long? Where there scooters involved? Slow driver? Where did the extra 30 or so minutes go?
All DTD buses do stop at PI on the way out, as long as the the MP is open, and if you're one of the lucky ones, you'll get two drivers instead of one. Does this experience mean that you won't visit WDW again?

 

[Pembo]

We go with the thought in mind that the buses are part of the experience. I also have had my share of frustration with the buses however they are great if you don't want to rent a car.

We rented a car on our last trip. We definitely found it easier to get some places with our car (DTD) but generally it was easier to get to the parks in the am on the bus.

 

[famsen]

Are you saying that it took 40 minutes to get to DTD and 50 minutes to get back after you got on the bus or did that include the waits? If it did, that's not that bad. If it didn't, other than the driver change, why did it take so long? Where there scooters involved? Slow driver? Where did the extra 30 or so minutes go?
All DTD buses do stop at PI on the way out, as long as the the MP is open, and if you're one of the lucky ones, you'll get two drivers instead of one. Does this experience mean that you won't visit WDW again?

What I'm saying is, the ride from WL over to Grand Floridian then on to DTD took 40 minutes. I know, I watched the electronic clock on the bus. I don't know why it took so long to get there. At one point I even thought the driver might have been lost because of the long commute.
The extra time on the drive back to DTD I supposed was mostly due to the driver shift change at our stop at Pleasure Island. It took quite awhile for the new driver to take over.

Of course I will visit WDW again. I'm just expressing a recent experience with the buses we encountered.
The lesson I learned is that I am not going to take a buses to DTD.
We always have a car with us and it is much quicker for us to drive there, unless we are staying at Saratoga Springs, then we walk over.

 

[Brian Noble]

The very first "extra" I budget for in any Disney trip is a rental car.

 

[Lewisc]

I thouht Disney was going to have electronic signs at the bus stops. Tell us about how long until the bus is expected to arrive. Guests who just missed a bus would know if they have enough time to go to the rest room or buy a bottle of water. They may re-think their plans, or consider a taxi, if the anticipated wait for a bus to DTD is going to be 30 minutes.

 

[keishashadow]

waiting for the buses is good practice for the rest of the day

we do rental car too to avoid the hassle as im a type A sort, guess it wouldn't work for the OP w/a scooter.

with the scooter, it's my understanding that u get on bus 1st?my only suggestion i make to those who don't want to wait in long busline is that off peak times sometimes work out the best...u may wait 1/2 hour for a bus, but likely to get a seat.

 

[PIRATEGIRL007]

Yep. I went the week after Easter, and the busses were fabulous! Never waited more than 10 minutes for one.

As far as the stopping and going, the only way to totally avoid it is to stay at the Pop. That is the only resort that never ever shares a bus with another resort. I have also found that if you stay at POFQ during high season, you don't share with POR.

CBR and CSR never share with anyone else either, but have multiple stops inside the resort itself. We have had excellent bus service with both though.

 

[Sandi]

The OP wasn't complaining about the wait time, the complaint was centered on the time it took to get anywhere once on the bus. It's funny to me that the deluxe resorts really have the worst bus transportation. Those resorts have one or two excellent forms of transportation (the monorail resorts and walking from CR; the Epcot resorts can walk or take a boat to DHS and Epcot) and then the busses from hell. We were at BWV the first week of April and with the stops at BC, YC, Swan, and Dolphin, it took a long time to get anywhere. The best bus service we've had has been at Pop.