The worst bus ride EVER!

[Magicbus]

do those computers ever fail or simply go 'down'?

Yes, it happens to every driver a few times a week.

We hear so many instances of drivers going in the wrong direction that I have to wonder if they have come to rely on the computers too much.

I don't think drivers rely on the computer that much. Drivers are expected to be able to do all runs without the aid of the computer. I'm also wondering how often drivers get lost or go to the wrong location? With so many drivers and so many runs, even if a driver messed up once a year, that's a lot of buses going to the wrong place.

 

[joelkfla]

It's almost always just a distraction -- a conversation with guests, thinking about how long till lunch, or just not feeling 100% that day and falling into "autopilot" mode. But a good driver will usually catch it before they're far enough off course for the guests to notice.

The computers don't give turn-by-turn directions like a nav system; they just have a text file listing the directions, available from a menu. The driver can't even look at it while the bus is in motion. Its really only useful at the start of a route you're not familiar with.

The really bad mistakes, like the PP's driver getting lost in the WWoS, or the legendary driver who got half way to Tampa before his guests convinced him to turn around, are very rare.

As for the OP's bus, those resorts are not usually combined on a route, so it was probably a very late bus in what I call "taxi mode." All the guests going to resorts that are close together are loaded onto a single bus, and it's up to the driver to work out the most efficient route. That driver just did a really bad job of it.

 

[disney david]

It's almost always just a distraction -- a conversation with guests, thinking about how long till lunch, or just not feeling 100% that day and falling into "autopilot" mode. But a good driver will usually catch it before they're far enough off course for the guests to notice.

The computers don't give turn-by-turn directions like a nav system; they just have a text file listing the directions, available from a menu. The driver can't even look at it while the bus is in motion. Its really only useful at the start of a route you're not familiar with.

The really bad mistakes, like the PP's driver getting lost in the WWoS, or the legendary driver who got half way to Tampa before his guests convinced him to turn around, are very rare.

As for the OP's bus, those resorts are not usually combined on a route, so it was probably a very late bus in what I call "taxi mode." All the guests going to resorts that are close together are loaded onto a single bus, and it's up to the driver to work out the most efficient route. That driver just did a really bad job of it.

tampa really i wonder how they convinced him to turn around i wonder if a fhp sees a disney transport bus on i-4 heading towards tampa with people on it. Wouldnt they think the bus is stolen or in trouble. i guess we should be worried if the drivers start makeing stops at lynx stops and picking up riders ad collectig fares. i ride the bus from mk to boardwalk inn and always make it to boardwalk inn beside the fact that once got a driver told us that the black windows on the swan and dolphin where they was or are going to put the monorail through. see i would of not said anything and like to see where he was going to drop us off in tampa.

 

[seashoreCM]

But a good driver will usually catch it before they're far enough off course for the guests to notice.

The instance I described further up (skipping All Star Sports after announcing he would go there "next"), the driver either could not or would not correct his mistake after being notified within about a quarter mile after the wrong turn.

 

[aubriee]

The instance I described further up (skipping All Star Sports after announcing he would go there "next"), the driver either could not or would not correct his mistake after being notified within about a quarter mile after the wrong turn.

This has happened to us also. We caught the bus from DTD to POFQ. The driver dropped off at PORS first, then drove right past POFQ. When everyone on the bus started yelling at him that he'd missed our stop, he apologized, said he was thinking about something else and just missed the stop, then said he was going to have to run by Blizzard Beach then AK, then he'd get us back to our resort ASAP. There was almost a riot with everyone yelling no way and demanding he take us back to POFQ immediately. For some strange reason he absolutely refused, said he was sorry, but he had no choice but to go where he was told. We went all the way across property to Blizzard Beach, then stopped at AK, then was finally taken back to POFQ, with everyone on the bus yelling at the driver the whole time. Some people got off at Blizzard Beach saying they were going to talk to a transportation manager and then catch a POFQ bus from there. Those that stayed on the bus were saying that we all needed to go to guest services at POFQ and complain. By that point, I was running late and needed to get changed to go to a Signature restaurant so didn't go in with the rest of the angry guests. It made no sense at all that he wouldn't turn around and take us back to POFQ, or at least drop us off at DTD so we could catch another bus or the boat. Instead he drove us out of our way, all the way across property.

 

[GldnGrl75]

How can Disney make it up to you?


What do you think should happen to the driver?

At this point, I don't feel that Disney needs to do anything to make it up to me. At the time however, it would have been nice for the the bus driver to have acknowledged and correct his error.
I strongly believe that the bus driver should be written up for what happened ... Assuming that repeated mistakes, would be cause for termination.

 

[GldnGrl75]

Sorry you were not feeling good that day but I am having trouble following your logic. You were sick but you still managed to go to Planet Hollywood? Then you waited for a bus?

I've been sick on vacation before and I just go back to my hotel.

Sometimes, as a single parent, I do things that my daughter wants to do and put myself on the backburner. Grant it, our transportation situation would have most likely turned out differently had we not gone to Planet Hollywood, but it did not effect the way I was feeling one way or another.

 

[budbeerlady]

It does happen. We were at DTD and hopped on the bus, headed back to ASMu. The bus was packed from the 1st stop and we were almost back to ASMu when the driver turned us back to the 1st stop at DTD. No one got off and then 2 people got off at the Cirque side of DTD. He had forgotten to stop at that one I guess. We assumed he had already been there and was running us all back to the resort. It was a very, very long ride.

 

[WDW LifeLong Fan]

Wow sorry that sounds worse than ours. We had the slowest bus driver in the world one time. I swear it seemed he wouldn't go over 15mph.

We must of had this driver last week returning to the GF. Slowest..........I've...........ever...............moved...........in...............a................vehicle.

Honestly, I thought he was kidding around.

We had a blast thinking/talking/laughing about it the rest of the trip.

 

[hsmamato2]

ugh....one note for bus riding in WDW...always go the bathroom first,and if you feel ill...call a cab,or most especially don't eat a big meal before getting on.... I loved the bus/boat rides on our last trip,but you have to know that even without mistakes like your driver made...it could take a solid hour to get where you want to go......