what is going on with disney busses???????

[BamaFan121s]

Wow...we just returned from POR this past Sun and didn't have any of the issues you described with the busses. I guess we should consider ourselves lucky! I've never heard of the busses skipping BB and TL altogether...we had no problems with the transportation getting to and from the water parks.

 

[Totally Tink]

We had great bus service all week EXCEPT for the day we tried to get to BLIZZARD BEACH! We got on the AK/BB bus, got to AK and the bus driver asked us where we were going since we didn't get off. Ummmmm....we're going to BB! He flat out REFUSED to take us there. He told us to get off (we were the only ones going to BB) and get on another bus at AK to take us there. Mind you, this was the first day we were heading to a park - not a magical way to start the trip. My husband argued with him and told him that was his route, and his reply was that it was too early to go to BB. It was 8:20 and BB opened at 9:00?????? We got another bus to take us to BB and then saw that dude driving right by us when we were turning into the entrance.

Now, as for it being too early??? C'mon. I don't know what was going on as there was a bit of a language barrier, but I didn't want to start the trip out going around complaining to management. My DS was already in tears because he didn't understand what was going on and just wanted to get to the waterpark. However, I did have to end up doing just that at MK one day after being on the receiving end of some horrendous customer "service" at the jewelry shop.

We still had a great time and will continue to go back in the summer. However, I would say that the customer service aspect at Disney is degrading at bit. I was a bit shocked to say the least.

 

[Kaler131]

Wow! Looking more and more like getting a rental car is a good idea.

Yes, it is. I have done it both ways and I will NEVER rely on the bus system again after our trip a few weeks ago!! From now on I will ALWAYS rent a car. It's so much nicer!!

 

[Kaler131]

There were a few times that I shook my head later in the week, like when TWO Epcot busses went by (back to back) followed by TWO DHS busses back to back on the same day as we continued to wait for a MK bus.

That happened to us EVERY day! I just got to thinking that I must have extremely bad luck in picking which park to go to each day....

 

[jayandstacey]

Has anyone considered the fact that WDW has had two rounds of staff reductions in 2009. One (10% Disney-worldwide) in early January and 1900 specifically in March (including apx. 500 open positions which were not filled).

You can't possibly think this will happen with no impact on our guest experience.

yes, my original post in this thread suggested that the economy and Disney's reaction were to blame.

 

[make.it.blue]

We stayed at AKL last December, and we were on several buses that made the Blizzard Beach stop when no one was getting on/off there... and the weather was pretty cool that week. I can't believe they're refusing to take people when it's 100+ degrees outside I realize it's more crowded in the summer, but there has to be a better way to manage this. Good luck to all those heading to WDW soon!

 

[jayandstacey]

First off, you will NOT be stranded anywhere. There is always service and cast members there to assist you.

I am sorry that you had some trouble. However, when something like this happens it is better to talk to a manager at your resort rather than post it here on a message board. This is the only way the problem can be corrected. Now that it is after the fact, I'd still email or write to guest relations about your experience. Again, it is the only way things can get fixed.

Getting on a bus for your resort, then having it NOT go there and being asked to disembark is pretty much stranding a person. Yes, they will eventually get there. But whats the point?

And while informing guest relations is important, there is value in posting here as well.
a) it may help future visitors avoid similar fates
b) it checks to see if this was a fluke or a common occurrence
c) it opens dialog about how to improve the Disney experience

And fixing it while in the middle of the problem makes no sense - as going to talk to a manager means potentially missing the next bus - the very thing they DESPARATELY NEED!

We all seem to agree that the bus system is, by and large, decent and reliable. There seems to be anecdotal evidence that it is a little less reliable and a little less decent recently, probably due to cutbacks. And while 99.9% delivery isn't bad - imagine if 1 out of 1000 ice cream cones were served with poop instead of chocolate ice cream!!!!

I've said the busses are a no-win for Disney - no one raves about them but one delay and it is a real pain. They cost a ton but bring in no revenue. I still think Disney should charge for them in some way.

 

[MGMBill]

my daughter and i just returned from a very magical stay in the kingdom where we enjoyed ourselves very much. that is except for the bus transports to the parks. one day we waited for the animal kingdom/ blizzard beach bus at our resort, por, which we boarded with some other blizzard beach goers only to be told when we arrived at the animal kingdom that we had to get off and take a bus heading for pop centery. we then asked three busses heading to pop centery if they would be stopping at blizzard beach , every answer was no. very frustrating. we explained to each driver that our orginal driver told us that the pop centry bus was the final leg on the journey. my question is then, why did the first bus that pulled into por resort have the sign on that said he was in fact going to blizzard beach??????? we spent the next hour and a half trying to get to blizzard beach, again very frustrating when we're there to relax. then the next day we went to typhoon lagoon and spent some time there. we waited 40 mins. for a bus to arrive that said it was going to port orleans. we got as far as the french quarter when the driver asked if we were heading to the riverside, which is the usual next stop for a bus heading to port orleans unless it specifies its only going to one or the other, we said yes and he said we had to get off and take a bus to the magic kingdom but to ask first if it was going by way of por. very, very frustrating. we waited for three busses and no luck. we tried to take the boat transport but for some reason it was going to be delayed for an undertermined amount of time. we had dinner ressies and time was ticking. since my daughter has asthma and it was very hot and humid our only choice was to take a cab one resort over because disney busses have no clue as to where they're suppossed to be. i did complain to the bus time keeper at our por stop and she said she had never heard of this happening before and i made mention of it to the castmembers working the check in area. all in all our trip was very nice but my daughter and i have fears of getting on a disney bus and wondering where we'll end up being stranded.

I have to admit this is a bit odd. According to the OP there were a number of people going to BB. So this bus driver inconvienced several people (not that is would be OK to inconvience 1 person) It also doesn't make sense since at BB there may have been people waiting to be picked up to return to the resorts. I used to take public transportation, and face it, that's what this is, and even completely empty buses would continue on their way since they may be picking up people on the way or at the final desitination for the return trip. Disney opened BB as a destination and they should provide dependable bus service to it.

In terms of the 2nd incidence, I think that I would have justed walked from POFQ to POR since it is only about a 10 to 15 minute walk between them and I already do a lot of walking at the World anyway. I quess this wasn't an option for the OP since she said her daughter has asthma. Either way, it would have been annoying.

 

[goofy4prez]

I've said the busses are a no-win for Disney - no one raves about them but one delay and it is a real pain. They cost a ton but bring in no revenue. I still think Disney should charge for them in some way.

I believe the bus transportation has gone way down hill, not to mention the safety of having a bus packed with 20 people standing and kids sitting on parents laps without a seat.

I disagree that it brings in no revenue. WDW bills itself as a "magical" experience. Leave the car at home, jump from park to park, and let us get you there. It is a magical land where we will wisk you away.

WDW was innovative in it's concept and marketing when it came up with this. It resulted in people paying the added cost of staying in a WDW property instead of staying outside. it kept the guests on the property, spending money in their parks, eating at their restaurants, and staying in their resorts, and spending money at DTD. So yes, the buses have generated income for WDW. It has been all part of the magic of Disney never having to leave. It's a package deal: Resorts, restaurants, entertainment, transportation, amusement parks all inside one magical place.

 

[IslandAdventure4]

I hope this isn't a new normal. That would be the deal breaker in our regular disney vacations. Transportation is a huge part of what makes it so much fun.

Amen, that is part of what makes our trip so injoyable, that I dont have to drive anywhere starting from getting to the airport!!!!! we have only had 1 time when the buses were slow, that was our last trip. we stayed at Sports, I was chalking it up to us staying at a value resort??

 

[LUVMICKEY]

I'm very sorry to hear that problems with the busses has been experienced by anyone. In our over 30 visits to WDW, I can only remember a couple of times we had a problem with the busing with the exception of DTD. We never have a problem getting there, but it's always a very long wait to get back to our resort. Both times that we had an issue was at our resort. Both times we had waited over an hour for a bus to take us to the park we needed to go to. One of us went inside the resort and told someone behind the desk about our problem, and both times they called the garage to let them know what was going on and so we wouldn't have to wait any longer, they offered to take us where we needed to go. our last trip was in January of this year and we didn't run into anything then either. We will be there on July 1 and we know how crowded it going to be so we'll have to see how it goes.

 

[Finally08]

I just wanted to throw my own bus story in from last week. I used my car the whole time until our last day there when my group decided to go to DTD. Since I had them with me I took the bus, otherwise I would not chance it alone (dd is young and clumsy and the thought of having to stand, while holding on to her, and while holding the stroller on a jammed bus - no way).
Well of course just after arriving at DTD my group ditched us (deciding to go to Disney Quest when they knew me and dd didn't have passes to go there) so I took her and decided we would head to MK or to get my car from the Poly.

We waited about 15 minutes hoping for the bus that stops at Contemp/Poly. I wanted an easy way into the MK, and my car was at the Poly...so it was either get to my car or get to a monorail hotel where my car could then be accessed from. Well no bus ever came, and I honestly couldn't even tell there was a bench for that stop (there was s sign, but the covered bench areas seemed to be for the buses on either side). I finally gave up and after seeing the 4th Wilderness Lodge/GF bus by we jumped up and ran to it knowing we could ride the monorail around from GF. When we boarded the bus driver announced his stops to me and said "is that where you're going?" I told him actually no but it would get me there, and we had given up waiting for the bus we needed. There were literally 2 other people in the bus and I chatted with them about how I had been dumped by my group, now I had a very hot and tired kid and was just trying to get back to my car.

Well after 45 minutes of going to TL for a pick up, then drop off at the WL I was excited as it meant the GF stop was coming and we could go board the monorail and transfer to Poly. Well the bus driver must have had sympathy for me because he detoured and dropped me off right at the Poly. I was so thankful...it saved another half hour of commuting for us and it had already been a long hour.

 

[mazdabug]

OK lets get started about Disney Transportation. There are alot of factors when it come to scheduling. The GPS systems on board can be monitored live at any point and time along with speed and direction. As another poster mentioned that it would be nice to have arrival time posted. The major problem is cost. Let me break it down for you.

Cost
Bus $325,00.00
GPS $900.00
GPS programing $1700.00 per bus
Software for GPS monitoring $75,000.00
Average miles per bus 325 miles per day @ $1.96 a gallon
Maintenance cost average $35,000.00 a year per bus
Total cost of fleet $100,270,000.00

So as far as cost is an average of $370,000.00 per bus. Not to bad for free transportation. They are going as fast they can. Sure you are going to get a driver once in a while with a bad attitude. Heck you get that at walmart,McDonald's and so on. But we still go back there. Some people can barley afford a Disney vacation. Now some people say you need a rental car. With a little for thought, Disney transport is great and be happy you do not have to pay to ride it every time you get on .

 

[Mouseaholic!!!]

OK lets get started about Disney Transportation. There are alot of factors when it come to scheduling. The GPS systems on board can be monitored live at any point and time along with speed and direction. As another poster mentioned that it would be nice to have arrival time posted. The major problem is cost. Let me break it down for you.

Cost
Bus $325,00.00
GPS $900.00
GPS programing $1700.00 per bus
Software for GPS monitoring $75,000.00
Average miles per bus 325 miles per day @ $1.96 a gallon
Maintenance cost average $35,000.00 a year per bus
Total cost of fleet $100,270,000.00

So as far as cost is an average of $370,000.00 per bus. Not to bad for free transportation. They are going as fast and as best as they can. Sure you are going to get a drive once in a while with a bad attitude. Heck you get that AL walmart,McDonald's and so on. But we still go back there. Some people cam barley afford a Disney vacation. Now some people say you need a rental car. With a little for thought, Disney transport is great and be happy you do not have to pay to ride it every time you get on .

I beg to differ.

To me - it's all about VALUE. Waiting in long lines and riding on a bus crowded with hot sticky bodies is not my idea of value.....even for FREE.

Spend a week at Boardwalk Inn when you are the last stop to pickup -- after Swan, Dolphin, Yacht Club and Beach Club. Add onto this frustration that some people are paying $300+ p/night for this FREE service. Even at castmember rates it has never been a Value to us to ride the Disney busses.

I'll say again....faster, easier, less sweaty, no standing....rental cars at $48 for 10 days are the Value for my DH and I.

Free has never automatically equalled value.

 

[DSNYGRL_JKS2006]

My boyfriend and I had a BAD experience w/ the busses as well last trip.. LONG story short.. VERY bad lightening storm, nasty nasty storm, infact we saw a funnel cloud this was in the heat of the Summer July 08'. We had SUCH a hard time getting to the Yaught & Beach Club from Epcot.. they dont provide bus service because you can "walk" through the back entrance of Epcot of course.. well I love that you can do that.. BUT on a day like THAT day where it stormed for hours..a nd lightning was bad.. i'm sorry but there is NOOOO way we were walking.. tooo dangerous! Well.. we went to the bus stops of course out front and asked the one CM in the booth to help us out see if we can get on a bus to get over there etc. we had reservations.. WELL we were nicely told a bus would be there shortly.. others as well started requesting to get over to Y&B Club.. well 10mins.. 20 mins.. 30mins goes by .. I then went to the CM.. he radio'd the bus.. he then said they were on their way.. another 20mins goes by.. I usually do NOT get angry in Disney but I was SO MADbecause we were told over and over it was coming etc. It was just frustrating because they danced around!!!! Anyways I could go on forever.. oh yeah btw the bus NEVER came.. and we finally walked w/ our ponchos once the "lightning and thunder" went away.. and just the rain remained

Also I do not like how theres talking in the bus on the loud speaker(like your sitting in the monorail).. I loved when the bus drivers would talk LIVE themselves.. im sure you guys can remeber.. i mean its not BAD.. i just love it only on the monorail!!! next thing you know the boats will start doing it too LOL! NOOO!!!

 

[goofy4prez]

OK lets get started about Disney Transportation. There are alot of factors when it come to scheduling. The GPS systems on board can be monitored live at any point and time along with speed and direction. As another poster mentioned that it would be nice to have arrival time posted. The major problem is cost. Let me break it down for you.

Cost
Bus $325,00.00
GPS $900.00
GPS programing $1700.00 per bus
Software for GPS monitoring $75,000.00
Average miles per bus 325 miles per day @ $1.96 a gallon
Maintenance cost average $35,000.00 a year per bus
Total cost of fleet $100,270,000.00

So as far as cost is an average of $370,000.00 per bus. Not to bad for free transportation. They are going as fast they can. Sure you are going to get a driver once in a while with a bad attitude. Heck you get that at walmart,McDonald's and so on. But we still go back there. Some people can barley afford a Disney vacation. Now some people say you need a rental car. With a little for thought, Disney transport is great and be happy you do not have to pay to ride it every time you get on .

The cost to WDW to purchase and operate a bus is part of their expense; not to sound calous or uncaring, but I don't care what it cost them. The cost to them is passed on to what a vacation cost me. As for free, it is not free. It is all part of the cost they are charging you when you book your trip. Every single expense that WDW pays, from the minimum wage cm selling you a Dole banana right up to the cost of a 370k bus,we the customer pay for it.

As for bad attitudes: I own a business; I have bad days, but never can I,nor my employees pass that on to my clients. I do not tolerate it and will take whatever measures I need with the employee, and steps to appease the customer treated unfairly. It's not acceptable at McDonalds where I spend 5 bucks for a value meal and it's certainly not accept at WDW where I spend 5k for a weeks vacation.

Again, as for Disney busing being great and you don't have to pay when you get on, again you have paid for it. And no it's not great. The transportation system has gone down hill.

I am not a habitual complainer, but I am not going to pull the shutters down on my eyelids and say all is well in the happy magical world of WDW. I love WDW, it is still a great time, but when there are problems we need to let them know.

 

[Melnzai]

Wow! I am very stubborn, so those bus drivers and I would have had some words. As a paying customer, you will take me where you are supposed to go. I could care less if you are being re-routed. You finish your route for me and then go on your way. We have never had such an issue at WDW. While waiting for transportation can eat time, we find that we really have very few issues and don't mind allowing someone else to drive us around.

 

[Brian_WDW74]

I've moved this thread to the Transportation board.

 

[mazdabug]

OK. so lets improve Disney Transportation. We can raise ticket, hotel and food prices then we can have everything we want in Disney Transportation. But wait higher prices cant do that. Improvements come with a price and i am telling you it is not cheap. The reason in know the figures is because i am the Director of maintenance of a local city transportation system. Sure we would love to have perfect times and route schedules. But in reality it not the case. No it is not free but be happy they provide it. We get drives on occasion that have poor attitudes and yes there is no excuse. But you the consumer have got to realize. Disney Transportation is a well run system. At times it may not look like it. When a bus is late you have to take in account break down, ECV loading and traffic.
When someone calls in and they say they are on the way, dispatch looks at the GPS mapping system and can tell when the bus is going to arrive.
Not to mention a driver can make an honest mistake about going to the wrong location. We stayed at POP one year and the driver went to AKL instead, He realized it after we pasted AK. Came over the PA and apologized. Was an honest mistake.
So in ending if you do not like Disney Transit, rent a car. If you plan things out and allow a little time, should be no problems.

 

[AprilAuroraLily]

We have been going to WDW for many years. My first trips (back in the 90's), the bus service was fantastic - right on time and not usually crowded. Then we went for our last trip in February, 2009 and it was HORRIBLE. We stayed at AS Movies this trip and normally stay at the Poly - so I was wondering if the bad service was due to staying at a Value resort. This September we are taking a quick weekend trip and staying at the Contemporary. I planned everything we're doing so we could use the Monorail system. We do have one ADR where we'll have to use the busses and I'm very worried.