the ssr bus people

[rubbergypsy]

we just got back from ssr sun night, we were there from 2/16-2/25 (snuck a four night cruise in 18-22. i was really amazed at how many ddd people were on the ssr buses. i love the bus transport in ssr, it is really great, but lots of folks were looking to get to ddd. i must have given directions 2 or 3 times a day to people totally confused when they arrived at congress park, i think someone is directing them to take ssr bus and walk to ddd. anyone else notice this on ssr buses? i also thought pres week was not bad at all, we follwed tgm and had little or no waits on the rides. great weather too!!!

 

[DisneyFreaks]

Sounds like you had a terrific trip. Our next SSR stay isn't until october and I am already counting down the days. We were there in early december and also noticed alot of DTD traffic on the busses. I guess this is allowed as I have read of CM's telling people to do this. It does make the busses a bit crowded though. Especially during really busy times like when we were there.

 

[BroganMc]

If that's the policy (CMs directing people at theme parks to take the SSR bus for DTD), I think I'd be chaffed as an owner. One of the perks of owning and staying at SSR is the proximity to DTD. Kinda defeats the purpose if the bus gets so crowded I can't use it to get back from a park.

I'll have to see this for myself. Never really noticed it last time, but then I was staying in the Springs.

 

[emlutz23]

We noticed the same thing when we were there in January. The parks don't have any direct transportation to DTD, so most are told to head to SSR to walk or take the boat since it's the closest resort.

Another option for people leaving the MK is to walk(or monorail) over to the CR and take a bus direct to DTD from there. We had a late dinner at the California Grill (after MK closed and buses stopped) and were able to catch a bus to DTD.

 

[The Prophet]

And lets not forget the people who park at DTD and walk to SSR to avoid paying the $10 parking fee


The Prophet

 

[mjfox]

My thought is that resort room keys should be shown to get on the bus. SSR bus is being used by people who don't want to go to there home resort and transfer to the DD bus. Also people who try to keep from paying for parking use DD and then walk to SSR and use there bus service. This puts a burdon on the SSR bus and our dues pay for that bus service.

 

[emlutz23]

I have been coming to WDW since I was a kid, but even just on trips as an adult, I have never been asked to show a room key. You are right, it is required since only resort guests can use Disney transportation for free, but apparently it's not something they feel is very important to check. I don't think much can be done about other resort guests using our buses, since it is a free perk as a guest. But it would be nice to see an effort made to decrease the # of DD people using them.

Has anyone ever been asked to show a room key when boarding a bus, anywhere on WDW property?

 

[HockeyKat]

I have also seen SSR people on a DTD bus, when coming home from dinner at a resort.

We use DTD as a virtual T&T center for resort hopping, since you can't go direct from resort to resort.

I don't think that they will ever enforce bus or boat hopping, since it is hard to judge motive. If I wanted to eat at SSR, or even tour it if I was looking at buying points there, I would hate to have someone turn me away on the bus because I didn't have a SSR resort id.

I do think they should charge for parking at DTD, with the usual AP and resort guest parking exemptions and maybe one for La Nouba/restaurant.

 

[mjfox]

I do remember when I was a kid that I had to show a card that was given to us at check-in. They also used to control the resort monorail this way to.

 

[tomandrobin]

I have been coming to WDW since I was a kid, but even just on trips as an adult, I have never been asked to show a room key. You are right, it is required since only resort guests can use Disney transportation for free, but apparently it's not something they feel is very important to check. I don't think much can be done about other resort guests using our buses, since it is a free perk as a guest. But it would be nice to see an effort made to decrease the # of DD people using them.

Has anyone ever been asked to show a room key when boarding a bus, anywhere on WDW property?

To enforce a room key policy would/could lessen the money Disney can make on us. Also, as a ticket holder to a Disney Park you are entitled to use the transportation system. Its not just limited to resort guests. At least I didn't think it did.

 

[crisi]

To enforce a room key policy would/could lessen the money Disney can make on us. Also, as a ticket holder to a Disney Park you are entitled to use the transportation system. Its not just limited to resort guests. At least I didn't think it did.

No, you are right, any multiday ticket entitles you to use of all Disney transportation.

I think they need a paylot at DTD - that would probably help a lot. If they want to validate parking with adequate purchase, that would be fine.

 

[Mickmse2002]

No, you are right, any multiday ticket entitles you to use of all Disney transportation.

I think they need a paylot at DTD - that would probably help a lot. If they want to validate parking with adequate purchase, that would be fine.

Interesting idea. That would certainly discourage many people who just use the lots to avoid paying for parking. It would also be easy to allow entrance for resort guests.

 

[gortman65]

I wonder if anyone in Disney transportation has considered adding buses that go direclty to DTD from the parks. That might ease some of the congestion on the SSR buses.

The idea of a pay lot at DTD as suggested would also, I think, be a way to improve the ratio of SSR guests to DTD folks on SSR buses.

DisneyFreaks, we are planning our first SSR stay for about the same time as you in October. What area have you requested? Any suggestions?

 

[Jessica R.]

If I recall correctly that at DTD at DisneyLand if you dine or make a purchase you can get 3 hours validated for your parking.

DTD at the world could do the same thing. Showing your ticket stub from AMC would count as well. However I'm sure that if Disney really thought that this was a problem something would be done.

I'm an SSR (BWV as well) owner and would prefer that the CM's would not suggest this practice.

 

[canwegosoon]

No, you are right, any multiday ticket entitles you to use of all Disney transportation.

I think they need a paylot at DTD - that would probably help a lot. If they want to validate parking with adequate purchase, that would be fine.

ITA...make it the same price as parking at the parks, and offer free or reduced parking with a purchase/meal/ticket stub(over the price of park parking).

 

[Coach Rick]

While I think charging would be a thing to do, think about it from a business standpoint. You want to make getting in and out of your parking lot as easy as possible so people will come and spend money in your stores. Add the agravation of sitting line to pay to park while somebody is arguing they simply want to turn around and many would probably keep driving right by.

Perhaps a better idea would be a gate that you have to use your room key to get through on the walkway from DTD to SSR.

 

[BroganMc]

Perhaps a better idea would be a gate that you have to use your room key to get through on the walkway from DTD to SSR.

Please NOOOO!

Adding another gate like that would make it hard for me to use it solo. I have a hard enough struggling with my room key, and if they mount the thing where the automatic door buttons are in AP I know it'll be out of my reach.

I own and stay at Marriott too. They have these gates on the pools, a lift the tab thing. It's 5.5 feet off the ground. I can't even reach the thing. Eliminates my ability to use the bridges between pools as a shortcut pathway. As it is I can't use the car gate by Congress Park because I can't reach the kiosk to put my key into.

Just get the CMs to stop telling people to take the SSR busses for DTD. Theme parks should have DTD busses anyway. Especially at closing when folks would want to go on to someplace else. Makes no sense that you'd have to waste 30-45 minutes going to your resort just to change busses.

 

[crisi]

Disney doesn't restrict access to the grounds of any of their resorts....why should they do it at SSR?

 

[simzac]

The reason there are no buses from DTD to the parks is that guests would then park at DTD to avoid paying for parking, creating no available parking for actual DTD guests. Maybe they just need more buses for SSR. JMO

 

[emlutz23]

Theme parks should have DTD busses anyway. Especially at closing when folks would want to go on to someplace else. Makes no sense that you'd have to waste 30-45 minutes going to your resort just to change busses.

There are no buses to DTD from the parks or vice versa. You have to connect through a resort. I think that is b/c if they had direct buses, there would have to be some sort of pay lot at DTD to deter people from avoiding the parking fees at the parks. But then (as mentioned by Coach Rick) a pay lot might deter locals and off-site tourists from shopping, movies, etc... I don't think we are going to come up with a solution that solves everything!