Weird Bus Routes back to Hotels Attn: Chip 'n Dale Express

[PrincessAurora]

Chip:

Thought you would be da man to answer this. WHY do bus drivers sometimes go WAY out of the way in the middle of the night when there is no traffic?

Example: Last time I was at Pleasure Island we were picked up around 1am to be taken back to our hotel. We were ONLY serving our hotel. It took 45 in- 1 hour to get back home. We went down every goat path in Disney. We went past Port Orleans, past Osprey Golf, past Fort Wilderness (NOT stopping there) - we were getting PO'd. Not only did adults have to pee in a major way, there were a few kids that had to go as well. (I wont get into kids being out at 1am, that is for another Board).

There was no traffic. There were no other stops. WHY in the name of all that is holy do drivers sometimes not take the most direct way home? Would it work to ask the driver which route he's taking before getting on the bus and being trapped in Hades?

No one at the Hotel was up at that time to give me an explaination and no one at the desk really cared in the morning.

HELP!

 

[PrincessAurora]

Guess it would help to say I was staying at Wilderness Lodge.

 

[Wish Upon A Star]

We also had a weird thing happen to us on the bus while staying at WL.

We were headed over to p/u Grand Floridian guests and the bus driver went past the GF on the other side of the road, turned around by some Exxon gas station and then went back the same way we just past and then turned into the GF.

I figured maybe he was not clear on how to get to GF and missed the turn?? He went out of his way a good 10 - 15 minutes. Odd.

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

Originally posted by PrincessAurora
Chip:

Thought you would be da man to answer this. WHY do bus drivers sometimes go WAY out of the way in the middle of the night when there is no traffic?

Example: Last time I was at Pleasure Island we were picked up around 1am to be taken back to our hotel. We were ONLY serving our hotel. It took 45 in- 1 hour to get back home. We went down every goat path in Disney. We went past Port Orleans, past Osprey Golf, past Fort Wilderness (NOT stopping there) - we were getting PO'd. Not only did adults have to pee in a major way, there were a few kids that had to go as well. (I wont get into kids being out at 1am, that is for another Board).

There was no traffic. There were no other stops. WHY in the name of all that is holy do drivers sometimes not take the most direct way home? Would it work to ask the driver which route he's taking before getting on the bus and being trapped in Hades?

Well... hate to tell you this, but that IS the way to get back to WL from PI. It's the way I'd recommend, as well. And it doesn't take 45 mins to get there. 20 mins with a slow bus... Of course with everyone having to go, and getting agitated, it might have felt longer.

Exiting out from PI, one takes a right onto Buena Vista Drive (yellow). At the intersection of Bonnet Creek, one takes another right (green). On this road, you'll pass Old Key West, and Port Orleans. At the end, you'll take a left onto Vista Blvd (orange). On this road you'll pass the golf course, and Fort Wilderness. Vista Blvd will merge directly into World Drive (pink, after toll plaza), to which WL will be up on the right. (blue)

Taking BVD all the way down to World Drive, and then over will be a much longer route. Despite the lack of traffic, there are still tons of traffic lights. The back roads are much quicker, and are preferred routes.

Don't forget -- WDW is 47 square miles, and you are travelling from one corner of property to another.

Here is an aerial view of the route.

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

Originally posted by Wish Upon A Star
I figured maybe he was not clear on how to get to GF and missed the turn?? He went out of his way a good 10 - 15 minutes. Odd.

We're human... we sometimes get caught in a daze, and oops, missed the turn. Especially if it was a WL/GF run... LOL

I've done it before, myself.

 

[PrincessAurora]

Thanks a lot! Time can drag when you have to pee. I really appreciate you explaining it. Aside from the one night, I always had really good bus service at the Lodge.

 

[Tartan Tigger]

Originally posted by Chip 'n Dale Express
We're human... we sometimes get caught in a daze, and oops, missed the turn.

I've done it before, myself.

Two weeks ago I got on the Caribbean Beach bus at Blizzard Baech and the driver (I'm sure he was Australian, can't remember his name but he was good fun) took us to MGM, as soon as he turned into MGM he apologised, said it was where he went on his last run He said its not just the tourists who make mistakes.

 

[lsyorke]

"Here is an aerial view of the route"

Tyler that is a very neat aerial view, I'm impressed!(I can't even figure out how to get my digital pictures into my signiture.

Thanks for the view.

 

[seashoreCM]

Tyler:

Would the run be more efficient if the bus got onto Epcot Drive, near the junction of Buena Vista and Bonnet Creek, and then to World Drive?

Also, do you know if the traffic light system was designed by Disney's Imagineers? I would have thought they could have come up with something that is not so much stop and go on a main drag.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

The most circuitous bus ride I heard of was some years ago, If I remember, I was going from All Star Music to Downtown Disney. The driver dropped off and picked [me] up at 'Music first, then 'Movies, then forgot 'Sports. Even though the passengers called out the mistake, the driver continued all the way to DTD saying he would bring the many 'Sports guests back on the next circuit. One consequence is that the bus filled up and had to leave other guests behind on the PI platform. I then got off at West Side.

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

Originally posted by seashoreCM
Would the run be more efficient if the bus got onto Epcot Drive, near the junction of Buena Vista and Bonnet Creek, and then to World Drive?

It takes the exact same amount of time... A fellow driver and I were going home one night from DTD... He took Vista, I took Epcot Center Drive. We met up where World Drive and Vista merge just past the toll plaza.

Originally posted by seashoreCM
Also, do you know if the traffic light system was designed by Disney's Imagineers? I would have thought they could have come up with something that is not so much stop and go on a main drag.

Unfortunetly, there's really no way around it. A good example would be Blizzard Beach. It didn't originally have a traffic light, but we found that there was no way cars or buses could safely make it through the intersection.

Another good reason for traffic lights... they SLOW down the reckless speeders. We have a few lights that default to Red, and will turn green as soon as a car approaches, and stops. Yes, having the car stop is time consuming, but it keeps people in check with the speed limit.

Originally posted by seashoreCM
The most circuitous bus ride I heard of was some years ago, If I remember, I was going from All Star Music to Downtown Disney. The driver dropped off and picked [me] up at 'Music first, then 'Movies, then forgot 'Sports. Even though the passengers called out the mistake, the driver continued all the way to DTD saying he would bring the many 'Sports guests back on the next circuit. One consequence is that the bus filled up and had to leave other guests behind on the PI platform. I then got off at West Side.

There are a lot of routes that go Music & Movies, with no Sports.

 

[erikthewise]

Princess Aurora,

I know what you mean about that route. It happened to me when driving! I was trying to drive from WL to DTD, and intended to go down World drive and get off on Buena Vista. But I missed the proper turnoff at the TTC-Polynesian and ended up going what I thought was the wrong way. So I went around and tried it again, and made the same mistake! After I did it again for a third time(!) I just followed the road. It turned out to be similar to the one Tyler mapped out, and it was actually a better way to DTD! (At least I didn't need to pee!)

Tyler, if you need to make a few extra bucks, maybe you could offer a tour: "Secret Goat Paths of WDW".