vent about WDW bus passengers

[brockash]

In the same vein, if you and your child each have a seat and people are standing, do you put your child on your lap so that someone else can sit? More often than not, we find that parents do not put their children on their lap.

All of the things that are discussed here are part of using public transportation. Most people at Disney probably don't use public transportation on a regular basis and don't realize how difficult it can be. I always tell peole if they have small children, and/or strollers that they would be better served renting a car.

Everyone is tired on that bus.

Absolutely, and I again think it's rude/inconsiderate not to. One night during our last trip, I gave my 1 year old to my mom and let 2 other kids sit with my ds while I stood. Again, I was shocked by the amount of adults sitting comfortably on the behinds, while there were many small children attempting to stand. I just don't understand what's so wrong with some common curtesy.

 

[LilSweetPeaPhoto]

Last year I was 28 weeks preggo (look like most do at 40 weeks, I have HUGE babies, LOL), DD was 3, my mom was also there, and we had a stroller. We were on a late bus back from Epcot I believe. My DD was miserable as was I. No one offered either of us a seat. She had a full on meltdown (NOT LIKE HER AT ALL) and finally fell asleep standing on the bus.

I shot eye glares at quite a few people that could have easily allowed us to sit, LOL!

 

[BabyFu18]

The whole issue can be defended from both sides of the argument, but I think it's best if you don't want to stand on a bus (or even if the possibility of standing irritates you) then wait for a second bus or better yet have another option lined up (taxi, rental car, etc.).

I will usually give up my seat if I see someone is standing and/or struggling, because my parents always taught me from a young age that if I'm able to help someone out even in the smallest way I should do that. However, I have medical problems that are not outwardly noticeable and sometimes it is impossible for me to stand on a moving bus (so I get to the buses early enough to get a seat or I don't ride), and in that case I may not always give up my seat.

Is it nice for someone to offer you a seat if you decide to enter an already crowded bus and must stand for the duration of my trip, absolutely, but it's not something that you should let hinder your trip if it doesn't happen. Just think about how you'd feel if you were the one sitting and someone excepted you to get up for them and called you rude if you didn't. It's no fun on either side of the fence really, but it's a part of life and it's really not a big deal in the grand scheme of things.

 

[bavaria]

I'll turn this thread to where it is eventually going to go.

Having a child is not a disability. Leave the park earlier (before the big crowds); wait for the next bus (so you are the first ones on); drive your own car; or deal with standing.

Is it nice of others to stand for you? Sure (and I probably would). Should you expect it? Nope.

Agreed. I only read page 1 but I am quite certain that as we are on page 5 the molestor discussion will arise very shortly (if it hasn't already)

I would also like to point out that it appears from a decade of reading here that many people (adults and children) don't seem to take public transportation, other than at WDW, and thus don't seem to understand the International Bus and Metro Etiquette and Behaviour Code.

These arguments always come down to 'I am more important than you' or 'I have more needs than you' and people demanding respect that they refuse to give others.

I am a huge advocate of public transportation in general but WDW is the one place where I strongly suggest renting a car, especially if one is unwilling to recognize that one is just one person of billions in society.

 

[frtchr]

Oh, my.

 

[JUJU814]

I'd like to take this a bit farther with my thoughts on the whole crowded bus thing.

I LOVE Disney World. It's really important to me to take my kids here. It's the one place where I really get in touch with my "child within" and love to be a kid with my kids.

I HATE HATE HATE crowds and heat, crowded buses, and all that. I get irritable very easy. I do.

The important thing is that I recognize that and am very pro-active when it comes to my Disney vacations.

Having had experience travelling to Disney numerous times, staying at all levels of resorts, experience with crowds, mobbed buses, the monorails etc..I do what I feel is necessary to make our trip as comfortable and enjoyable as possible.

For us, that means carefully choosing our resort and the time of year we're going. I now prefer to stay in a "deluxe"..preferably on the monorail as we generally spend most of our time at MK or Epcot. I try not to go during the crowded times. That said, I'm going next month and I know it'll be crowded, so my expectations of what we'll do and cover are less.

For the love of God I despise the mass exodus from the parks at the end of the night...we liked GF and Poly so we could watch Wishes from there and not have to deal with it. We DO often use taxi's if convenient. So that it is more palatable to my pocketbook to stay there, we purchase one AP so that we can get good discounts on our rooms.

No matter where you are, where you go in life, there are going to be irritating situations, crowded buses, subways etc. There will be rude people everywhere. I have had to learn to just let it roll or else I could easily work myself up and really let something bother me that I have no control over. All I have control over is how I behave and treat other people.

I despise the crowded buses. It STINKS to get on one when everyone is soaked from a rain storm!

I will no longer stay at a value because the bus stops are sooooo far away from all the entrances, and my experience has been that the service is more infrequent. (heck though,had some of that at the deluxes too)

I don't even bother with buses to DTD. we just take cabs.

I could get a rental, but we just choose not to, hence the cabs if we want to use them.

The whole "giving up your seat" debate is almost pointless. There are those who will do it and it wouldn't occur to them not to, and those who won't. So what? That's everywhere.

I say be as proactive with your trip as possible and plan out these scenarios so as to avoid as much misery.

Just my take on it after many miserable, exhausted, crowded bus rides with babies, toddlers, kids on laps, backs, standing, sleeping, crying etc.

I never "expect" anyone to give up their seat to me in a situation..but it is certainly appreciated when someone does. It would never occur to me not to give up my seat to someone that seemed to really need a helping hand.

 

[scrapquitler]

I am coming into this discussion late, and I have not read all the responses (but I did read the first couple of pages).

Here's my take: I would NEVER EVER EVER expect an adult to give up his/her seat for my child on a crowded bus. In fact, I was always taught that a child should give up his or her seat for an adult as a means of showing respect.

If I were a child with my parents on that crowded Disney bus, my parents would have expected me to stand rather than take a seat that an adult could be sitting in.

Just my opinion.........

 

[KingdomKeepersFinn]

being 14 myself, I get up anyway for my elders. I know that I can take a lot more than them and after a long day, they deserve to have a seat. You should always respect your elders and always give up your seat for them

 

[alyssa810]

We rent a car. Bus problem solved.

 

[ClareH37]

The moral of the story is never ever judge a book by its cover - that apparently healthy adult sitting on their 'behind' could have a hidden reason why they are sitting in that seat on a bus - i.e. they have a medical condition/disability not apparent to the person who is too quick to judge.

You know what, if someone made a comment to me why I'm sitting in a seat on a bus, I would gladly swap with them my 'hidden' conditions which is why I'm in that seat, I really would - let them lead the life I'm leading away from the 'world'. I only sit in that seat on a bus when I feel I really need to, not just for the sake of it and have no issue with giving up my seat for someone who really needs it if I'm able to.

That's my rant done for today

 

[bear_mom]

ITA! I just don't get how any adult without medical problems (not ederly ect.) can justify their selfish actions.

How do you know they don't have medical problems? My dh looks like a fit, healthy 30'ish year old but has the knees of a 70 year old, he should be getting knee replacements, but he is too young. The worst for him is standing in one place. So after standing in line wating for the bus, for him to give up his seat on the bus, is very painful for him.

He does though, most of the time. Most of the people he gives up his seat for act like it is expected of him and don't thank him or acknowldge that he gave up his seat at all.

I guess if everyone were a little more understanding and less judgemental, things might be a little nicer for everyone.

Emily

 

[NHdisneylover]

I know this feeling...even was I was preggo, and holding a small child (4yr), I had to stand. No one offered! My DH wasn't with us, he is the one that is very outspoken, he will very loudly talk abt the rudeness of people not letting children sit, until someone gets up to let a child sit! My teen thinks it is funny!

See, I would not consider people keeping their seats rude, but the behaviour you describe stirkes me as very rude.

Nearly all of the busses have handles on the back (headrest area) of the seats--these can be reached by most young kids. When my kids were too small to reach them I just instructed them to hold onto my leg and I held a handle.

Our family often gives up seats to those who look like they need it--but once ina while we are jut too exhausted, or DS's asthma is acting up or my sciatica is, or DH's back is a problem or whatever. So sometimes we keep our seats--heck sometimes we wait for the enxt bus so we can sit. I fiure it is nice to offer up a seat so we often do, but I never feel obligated to do so and in fact the quickest way to assure that we will not offer you a seat is to come on looking/acting like you expect it. Most of the time we also try to minimize how much space we take up. MY 11 year old will still sit on the 13 year old's lap so we take up one less space (and he is not little kid sized anymore).

I alwasy wish that parents were better about keeping at least small children on their laps on the bus and that everyone were better about moving all the way to the back at peak times and filling in all the gaps so more people could get on. These (and people "hinting" that someone should give up their seat) would be the rude bus behaviours which bother me.

 

[dogluva]

I'll turn this thread to where it is eventually going to go.

Having a child is not a disability. Leave the park earlier (before the big crowds); wait for the next bus (so you are the first ones on); drive your own car; or deal with standing.

Is it nice of others to stand for you? Sure (and I probably would). Should you expect it? Nope.

But a child who falls may end up with a disability.

 

[Hannathy]

I always wonder on these "discussions" why isn't anyone mad at who everyone should be mad at? That would be Disney for not having enough buses running at closing and opening to handle the amount of paying customers they have.

I'm always a bit confused about one other thing, if your child is too short to hold on why don't they sit down? That's what I did with my DS if we got on a standing room only bus. he would just sit on the floor-can't fall that way.

 

[chicagodisneyfan]

We are staying at the POR resort now, and have stayed at ASMo in the past, this just irritates me to the bone! The adult passengers on a crowded resort bus not getting off their lazy you know what and giving up their seats to the small children that are standing! These people know good and well that these children cannot reach the bars! I understand that their are some adults that need to sit and those that are holding sleeping children, but my gosh people, if you are able to stand then give up your seat to a child! Ok, getting off my soapbox now and going to do laundry so we have clothes to wear the rest of the week.

Where I come from, children are raised to be polite and to stand so their elder can sit?

 

[J3nn78]

Pet peeve of mine too. I have always given my seat to those who need it more. On on of our recent trips, I was standing holding a sleeping baby in one arm and the hand of my other half asleep child. No one gave up the seat.
I also cannot stand when a family takes up so much space on a crowded bus. DH and I always bring our little ones on our laps when the bus is crowded.

 

[crashbb]

See, I will usually get up and offer my seat (pulling the hidden disability card, but if I'm in the middle of a flare-up, I may stay seated). I say this before anyone assumes I don't care about families (heck, I've carried sleeping children to their room before, when I could see a mother wasn't going to be able to deal with both kids).

HOWEVER, sometimes if I'm on a long subway/bus ride, I'll read my book and I may not notice right away that someone, who needs my seat, has come on. If, the time period between them boarding and me noticing, they pull some of the passive-aggressive crap noted here (eye glare, comments under their breath/to their children), these is no way my butt is leaving that seat.

 

[crashbb]

But a child who falls may end up with a disability.

?????

An adult who falls may end up with a disability.

If a parent is worried about a child falling and become disabled, it is up to them to prevent it (using the aforementioned ideas). They cannot rely on other people to do so.

I have no idea what this adds to the conversation.

 

[dogluva]

?????

An adult who falls may end up with a disability.

If a parent is worried about a child falling and become disabled, it is up to them to prevent it (using the aforementioned ideas). They cannot rely on other people to do so.

I have no idea what this adds to the conversation.

Why does it not add to the conversation. I have worked with brain injured children. A child who cannot hold on tightly enough will fall and may hurt his head. Adults are usually big enough to grab the rings or hold on to the bars.

Fine, don't expect someone to give up a seat to a small child. But it really is the nice thing to do and I cannot imagine not doing it myself.

 

[Melissa&Shawn]

Can I say that my view on this has changed now that I have children. I have always stood however. I would get frustrated pre-baby about cranky kids and would give up my seat but didn't really REALLY understand. Most people with young kids at DW will experience a meltdown and be in that situation. Last time DD was so upset and someone let me sit with her and I still remember that. I also the old lady pissed off a me standing with a sleeping baby because I asked her to move so I could get off the monorail. I ave also gone visibly pregnant and had people just stare at me while I held on bus rail and almost fall over. Yes I know it was my choice to take a bus rather than a cab and took a chance. And my father is a dialysis patient (was actually...just got a transplant) and he is in very bad health and even HE gave up a seat for a baby and mother.