WDW testing larger busses.

[Figment632]

http://www.laughingplace.com/Latest-ID-79563.asp

While it won't solve the problem it's a step in the right direction!

 

[mcd2745]

Good to see that. It should certainly help - particularly at park closing times, where they really need the added capacity.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Or they could do what they've always preached and install more ecofriendly mass transit solutions that would provide a more permenant/ upgradeable fix.

But why bother with that if you can build bigger frack powered buses?

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Wait...are these tandem buses?

Oh no...i do not like it, not one little bit
Make them quit, make them quit, make them quit!

 

[skiingfast]

Is it a "test" or is that when the Monorail will be closed and they need more buses?

 

[Eliza32]

I think an articulated bus is what we Brits call a 'bendy bus'. It's made of 2 parts and bends in the middle, Still a single deck though.

 

[ChloroFiend]

I'm curious as to how that might work without substantial/significant construction.

Figure the "larger" routes are the shared bus lines to and from theme parks....like the Poly/Contemporary/GF->Hollywood Studios run, or when they run some combination of Swan, Dolphin, YC, BC, and BWI.

Where I see a problem is at the park side end of the run. All the bus stalls are designed for the length of bus currently in use. Going with articulated busses would seem to block up the stall behind.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

I think an articulated bus is what we Brits call a 'bendy bus'. It's made of 2 parts and bends in the middle, Still a single deck though.

the roads at WDW are not constructed for this type of vehicle. Neither are the drving skills of the bus driver.

just because they can "technically" make the turns in these things...doesn't mean they are going to have the room too....particularly the resorts constructed prior to 1995.

 

[Polydweller]

the roads at WDW are not constructed for this type of vehicle. Neither are the drving skills of the bus driver.

just because they can "technically" make the turns in these things...doesn't mean they are going to have the room too....particularly the resorts constructed prior to 1995.

The buses they are testing are Nova LFX articulated buses. They are 62ft long with a turning radius of 44ft 8 in. The Nova LFS non-articulated (in use at WDW) are 40 ft long with a turning radius of 40ft 10 in. They are like a trailer, the rear section simply follows where the front section goes. There should be few places where they don't work. A little specific training and any current licensed bus driver will have no problem driving them.

 

[manning]

We were there for 3 weeks in Feb. Except for park closings the buses were empty. Maybe half dozen people on them. Seems to me they should be looking at a small fleet of smaller buses for the day time. Something that would cost less to operate.

 

[Figment632]

We were there for 3 weeks in Feb. Except for park closings the buses were empty. Maybe half dozen people on them. Seems to me they should be looking at a small fleet of smaller buses for the day time. Something that would cost less to operate.

Is this a joke?

They were empty because your were there at the slowest time of the year.

 

[doconeill]

Disney already adjusts the number of buses on certain routes based on need. Not necessarily succesfully, mind you

The Artics actually handle pretty well - they can make it around Boston, which can't be easier than WDW

I would expect them to be on limited, busy routes - notably POP and the combined All-Stars routes, and probably AoA.

The main problem is the length, which is about 50% longer. At the typical stacked stalls at the parks and some resorts, this would overlap the stall behind it by enough of a margin to prevent the bus behind from being able to pull out. They would have to restrict them to certain stalls (like the last one) where possible, or rework some stalls.

Another possible change that might need to be made might be for the wheelchair access. All WDW buses have the loading at the rear door, but Nova's default config on the artics is at the front.

I also believe the model being tested is the LFS Artic, the LFX is for BRT applications, typically on restricted right-of-way applications.

 

[DSquare]

I could have sworn Disney used to use these type of tandem buses (in limited numbers) along time ago or something very similar. I remember waiting in a line to get back to ASM at park closing and after a few buses came and didn't make a dent in the line then a tandem bus pulled up and everyone cheered.

 

[manning]

Is this a joke?

They were empty because your were there at the slowest time of the year.

You have to understand cost of operating those big things. A small fleet of smaller buses can offset the cost of operating bigger ones. Over a period of a year there is more time where the load is light. Fuel costs are becoming the biggest costs.

to the other who remember the big ones years ago. They where abandoned because of cost.


The better way to solve it is to build a light rail system (not monorail). An 8 car train with one power unit and driver can move more people cheaper than 8 buses with 8 engines and drivers, and that's a fact. Building it at ground level solves the problem of handling people when there is a breakdown. Don't need a ladder to get them out. Include a few sidings and it can be moved there until after system is shut down for the night. Then move it to the shop for repair. The problem with the monorail is a breakdown backs everything up big time.

I was in transportation for over 30 years and there was a reason we shipped more rail than truck. IT WAS CHEAPER! Rail could be just as fast except the road beds where built years ago with many choke points.

 

[arthuruscg]

light rail would be nice, but the entire WDW transportation infrastructure would need to be changed.

 

[PACVII]

why not talk blue sky idea and put a PRT system in. connecting everything not on the monorail line back to the TTC.

sure it would be at a high cost but less then expanding the monorail line for the same service. it could run at ground level right next to the current highway system.

nice to dream....

 

[doconeill]

why not talk blue sky idea and put a PRT system in. connecting everything not on the monorail line back to the TTC.

sure it would be at a high cost but less then expanding the monorail line for the same service. it could run at ground level right next to the current highway system.

nice to dream....

I vaguely recall some PRT concept design shop tossing around an idea along with "Disney" - I don't think the Mouse was happy.

Disney already had a PRT-style system - the PeopleMover. They could use something like that to link some of the shorter routes...like Epcot, the resorts, and DHS - but they already have boats for that.

The big problem with such systems is the lack of flexibility with regards to bypassing problems. It's easy to route a bus around a problem. Not so much something on rails - unless you overengineer the solution.

 

[tjkraz]

The four primary WDW parks host 150,000 - 250,000 guests per day. Factor in round-trip transportation and they need to move 300K - 500K bodies daily. And that's just assuming one destination per person, per day.

Add in the water parks and Downtown Disney and the numbers only increase.

The investment required to implement any sort of mass transit system which can accommodate those numbers is staggering.

Easier to just make periodic additions to the bus fleet at $300,000 per.

 

[skiingfast]

You have to understand cost of operating those big things. A small fleet of smaller buses can offset the cost of operating bigger ones. Over a period of a year there is more time where the load is light. Fuel costs are becoming the biggest costs.

Mulitple small buses mean more of them and drivers when it's busy. Having a mix of small and big may work, but cost analysis can be tricky as demand fluctuates. Many of the large buses may end up being under utilized capital for most of thier lifetime of service.


Fuel Costs for many buses systems has been dropping over the last few years. The US has a huge over supply of natural gas, moving the US from importer to a giant exporter. These CNG buses may be what starts showing up everywhere.

 

[Cogswel_Cogs]

That gonna push some hotel stops even further away. I can barely make it to the stops now