Transportation question

[slenderella]

We are using the ME this trip in 2008. For the first time we will not be renting a car. We are kind of scared about the transportation. Not only the ME but also the busses that take you to the parks, etc...
Does anyone have any suggestions/comments?
TIA,
Jonna

 

[TammiMcMan]

I think one of the keys to Disney transportation is to make sure you choose a route with the least number of transfers. For example, if you're going to Epcot from the WL, you could take the scenic route (ie boat to MK, monorail to the TTC, transfer to the Epcot monorail) or the least number of transfers would be the Epcot bus from the WL. Maybe if you listed out the resort you were staying in and where you were planning on going, people could make recommendations for the quickest routes.

 

[WillCAD]

There is no reason to be scared; WDW transportation works just fine and will take you anywhere you want to go.

My personal preference is to always rent a car, because self-driving is much faster and more flexible, but I have had a number of trips where I have had no car and used the WDW transportation system instead. Aside from taking too long for an impatient person like me, the worst problem I have encountered with WDW transportation has been that the busses always seem to be packed like sardine cans. But I have never been stranded and have always gotten where I want to go.

Still, I prefer to rent a car for the convenience and time savings.

 

[azgal81]

The buses are very very easy to figure out. For one there's a huge board posted at the bus stops that has numbers and resorts. Then you just go to the bus stop that matches up with your resort number and wait in line. All the buses also say in front and on the side what resort/park they are going to so you can double check that. If you are still confused there is a window with cast members specializing in disney park transportation to ask. You will be fine!

 

[DOOM1001]

I've never used Magical express being a Floridian,but I think I've gone on every possible route on the Disney buses whether it be going to the parks,waterparks,Downtown Disney and all the resorts when we resort hop.All I can tell you is you have nothing to worry about as their buses,monorails and boats get you where you need to go in a reliable matter.Are there going to be a few times when you have to wait 20-25 minutes for a bus,sure but overall it's a great service,they must have thousands of buses.Make sure you familiarize yourself on how to get where you want to go since there's usually 2-3 different ways to get to you destination.A car is great to have if you want to make a trip to a Publix or want the fastest way to get from place to place,but you can do a whole Disney trip without ever setting foot in a car.

 

[CleveRocks]

We are using the ME this trip in 2008. For the first time we will not be renting a car. We are kind of scared about the transportation. Not only the ME but also the busses that take you to the parks, etc...
Does anyone have any suggestions/comments?

My suggestion is, "No need to be scared."

Any change is scary. You've never used Disney's transortation before. Millions and millions of us have. And we're not scared.

I've been to WDW 4 times as an adult, and I've NEVER EVER EVER used my own transportation there ... I've always relied on Disney. And I keep coming back!

 

[localdriver]

We are using the ME this trip in 2008. For the first time we will not be renting a car. We are kind of scared about the transportation. Not only the ME but also the busses that take you to the parks, etc...
Does anyone have any suggestions/comments?
TIA,
Jonna

What exactly are you scared of? What are your major concerns?

 

[goofy4tink]

Back in '99, when I went to WDW for the first time, I, too, was a bit nervous about figuring out the transportation system. Man, a lot of worry about absolutely nothing!! When you get to your resort bus stop, you will see that the buses all have the park name across the front and the side signs...so, you'll know which bus to hop on. When you are ready to return to your resort, just check out the board, outside the park gates, to see which number your resort is. You will see that the resort name is hanging down, below the bus stop number at each boarding area. Couldn't be easier.
Now, it does get tricky when you start going from resort to resort. You have to head to a park, usually, and then transfer to the resort bus of your choice.
If you tell us of any specific concerns, perhaps we can direct you or just calm your fears. The bus system is really quite good at WDW...even my dd had it figured out by the time she was 10.

 

[3mickeys&me]

ME is a really easy to use and has worked great for us. The transportations from the resorts to the parks are great too. You will see. Don't be scared!!

 

[slenderella]

What exactly are you scared of? What are your major concerns?

I guess it is not so much fear but a nervous feeling. We have always rented a car, and have been able to get where we want when we want. I guess my concern is the wait times. Like one of the previous posters, I am not the most patient person nor is my family. Does the transportation take long to get places? I know the monorail isn't bad, but the busses are another thing. I guess a few places we can use the water launch. Just trying to plan our dining along with all of this....Ugh. The unknown....
Thank you all for all of your advice. It so great to be able to state your concerns and be relieved by all of your expertise.
Thank you,
Jonna

 

[localdriver]

I guess it is not so much fear but a nervous feeling. We have always rented a car, and have been able to get where we want when we want. I guess my concern is the wait times. Like one of the previous posters, I am not the most patient person nor is my family. Does the transportation take long to get places? I know the monorail isn't bad, but the busses are another thing. I guess a few places we can use the water launch. Just trying to plan our dining along with all of this....Ugh. The unknown....
Thank you all for all of your advice. It so great to be able to state your concerns and be relieved by all of your expertise.
Thank you,
Jonna

I can only speak about DME, not any of the on-site transportation, there are others here that can speak to that subject that have much greater knowledge than I on the subject..

DME, Airport to Disney is about 30 mins to the first resort, and a MAX of 1:05 to the 4th resort in a 4 stop run. There could be a wait to board the bus as well. I'm outside, I don't know how long guests have been waiting when I arrive. Again, others here have experienced this and can verify or deny my info. There are very informed folks here on this board that can give you solid information as to what to expect with DME (from a guests viewpoint) and onsite transportation as well.

In any event, I hope you enjoy your visit. Based on the feedback you receive, make the choice that best fits your needs.

 

[SpecialK]

I guess it is not so much fear but a nervous feeling. We have always rented a car, and have been able to get where we want when we want. I guess my concern is the wait times. Like one of the previous posters, I am not the most patient person nor is my family. Does the transportation take long to get places? I know the monorail isn't bad, but the busses are another thing. I guess a few places we can use the water launch. Just trying to plan our dining along with all of this....Ugh. The unknown....
Thank you all for all of your advice. It so great to be able to state your concerns and be relieved by all of your expertise.
Thank you,
Jonna

I know exactlt how you feel. We've always rented a car or driven our own. We like the freedom and the speed of using our own transportation. I was at Food & Wine with my sister this past weekend and we used Disney transportation.

The busses are packed so be prepared. Also, plan on every trip taking twice as long as guest services tells you it will take. (It took us over an hour to get from the Swn to Downtown Disney for Cirque. We were told to plan on 25 minutes-we had the slowest driver in the history of the world...)

It's not convenient, but if you allow a lot of time you'll be fine.

 

[WillCAD]

I guess it is not so much fear but a nervous feeling. We have always rented a car, and have been able to get where we want when we want. I guess my concern is the wait times. Like one of the previous posters, I am not the most patient person nor is my family. Does the transportation take long to get places? I know the monorail isn't bad, but the busses are another thing. I guess a few places we can use the water launch. Just trying to plan our dining along with all of this....Ugh. The unknown....
Thank you all for all of your advice. It so great to be able to state your concerns and be relieved by all of your expertise.
Thank you,
Jonna

Perfectly natural to be nervous about something you've never one before, but try not to lose any sleep over it.

If you read over my many posts in the Transportation board, you'll probably notice that I hate taking Disney busses and always rent a car. But even so, when I have had to go to WDW without a car, I have never had any difficulty getting where I need to go.

It's faster with a car, but you can get anywhere you need to go with Disney transportation.