What's up with the new design of all the Disney busses?

[goofieslonglostsis]

Hearing about the new buses now has me worried about our trip in November. I have to wonder what Disney's liability will be when someone falls and is injured due to having to stand on the bus. It is well documented of how many accidents Disney buses seem to be involved in and even when they have to stop short because some tourist cuts them off while not an accident can cause someone to loose there footing if standing on a bus.
There are so many posts about the rights of the disabled, about people who do not want their children to stand as it is dangerous, what about us older visitors who at times tend to be unsteady on our feet being forced to stand for lack of seating. Gone are the days when anyone offers up a seat to the elderly, believe me I know it happened to me on our last trip in 2009.
And before you say it no we do not want to rent a car, we have never rented a car, always using Disney Transportation. I hope with the design change they will put on additional buses but it seems to me that the new design would be to eliminate buses if there capacity it more with extra standees now.

You always have the choice to board a bus or not. If you find it's (probably) only standing room; wait for the next one. Let others behind you in line enter if they want to stand; you'll wait for the next bus.

Just like many others decide to do something, not do something or alter plans because they've found the given situation didn't fit their wants, needs, pov etc.

 

[maxiesmom]

Hearing about the new buses now has me worried about our trip in November. I have to wonder what Disney's liability will be when someone falls and is injured due to having to stand on the bus. It is well documented of how many accidents Disney buses seem to be involved in and even when they have to stop short because some tourist cuts them off while not an accident can cause someone to loose there footing if standing on a bus.
There are so many posts about the rights of the disabled, about people who do not want their children to stand as it is dangerous, what about us older visitors who at times tend to be unsteady on our feet being forced to stand for lack of seating. Gone are the days when anyone offers up a seat to the elderly, believe me I know it happened to me on our last trip in 2009.
And before you say it no we do not want to rent a car, we have never rented a car, always using Disney Transportation. I hope with the design change they will put on additional buses but it seems to me that the new design would be to eliminate buses if there capacity it more with extra standees now.

Umm, where are you seeing all of these documented Disney bus accidents? I think I have heard of 2 over the last few years. Two, when they move how many people around? It would seem you are safer on a Disney bus then in your own car.

Also, if you think the busses are dangerous, then don't use them. You can grab a taxi or just wait for the next bus. But don't stand on one, knowing ahead of time that you have balance issues, and then blame Disney for your poor decison. They are not forcing you onto the busses.

 

[divawife]

Alright, it might now be brand new to some but I was there in 2009 and didn't see this. Just got back from a great trip to WDW and noticed 99% of the busses running to the parks all had the sideways facing seats (where you're looking at the person across from you) with maybe 12 seats at the back of the bus on an upper level facing forward.

This is the same type of bus we saw and used in April 2008. I haven't been back since then but it sounds like the exact same type of bus.

 

[wendy1974]

This is the same type of bus we saw and used in April 2008. I haven't been back since then but it sounds like the exact same type of bus.

Guess I've lucked out up until now then, because I only saw 1 or 2 last year and none in previous trips.

 

[MrsJD]

I personally would always give up my seat for a child, an elder or a person who just looks worse off than me(physically). But if you expect this from everyone, then you are likely to be disappointed. If you find the Disney busses to be that inconvenient or uncomfortable, you need to get a rental car.

I've always had a car available to me and usually use it. But the few times I have used the bus, it's been fine. This trip we are not getting a car...we are solely relying on Disney transportation. But we are also all able bodied adults. If I was bringing my grandma, my daughter or a disabled friend, I think I would opt to get a rental car.

 

[bigtony777]

I personally prefer what is being called the newer buses. With the old ones is you are getting on with any kind of stroller it is very difficult to lift it over and I always worry about hitting someone in the head when getting to the back. We do not have a jogging stroller and it just doesn't make sense to me why they do not allow the person with the stroller get on through the back. I have been allowed a couple of times but the usual answer is that no one gets on through the back door.

The other thing that really annoys me is when younger individuals(teenage and up) or men do not give up a seat for a child or even worse a mother with a small child. Unless I can see that my bus is not going to fill up, I do not even bother sitting down. How can a parent sit there and allow their 16 year old son not give up a seat. I guess some or simply oblivious to common courtesy.

 

[MusiqChic99]

The "newer" style was much easier for my son (then 3) to walk on himself. The "older" style, he definitely needed help getting up those steps. Actually I'm short, they are easy for me to get on too. LOL

But really I dont mind either style. We saw both last Oct. There were only 2 times the whole trip that someone in our party had to stand. Otherwise we always got a seat. I'm sure this is not at all true during peak times. In fact, I know it isn't. We used to frequent WDW on July 4th...well every year in fact. I remember standing in a long line just to get on a bus and then by that time you were just happy to be on a bus and didn't care that you were standing!

 

[mindync]

I believe the new ones are to accomodate more people. The bus driver once told us, "if you see the floor...there is room for more."

Disney does many things very very well but I don't feel transportation is one of those things. I get his humor but I dislike the truth behind it. It is annoying to have to stand up almost every time we ride the bus (especially for the shorties like myself that can barely reach those upper handrails)!!!. There HAS to be a better way to accomodate the guests.

The buses are one reason we aren't going to stay at PORR the next trip...why why why does that resort seem to have the longest lines??

 

[LilyWDW]

This is the same type of bus we saw and used in April 2008. I haven't been back since then but it sounds like the exact same type of bus.

We never took a bus that had the two by two seating in 2007... and we took bus transportation for 5 days to all the parks.

And if you don't want to risk standing on the bus or do not think they are safe, then don't use them and rent a car instead. Disney transportation is no different then any big city transportation.

 

[seashoreCM]

Almost all traditional (not low floor) transit buses have at least one set of sideways (longitudinal) seats on each side just behind the front door and just behind the center door. This is because of the wheel wells.

How many of you rode school buses which have only crosswise (transverse) seats and got the "bad seats" which were the ones just over the wheels. No leg room.

On some low floor buses the wheel wells are so high that no seats, crosswise or sideways, can go over them.

On inter-city buses (Greyhound, Magical Express) the floor is even higher (more steps to climb) so the wheels don't come up into the passenger area and all the seats can be crosswise.

 

[Puncek]

I do prefer the older ones due to more of a chance to sit down but I also never have liked sitting sideways, I usually get a headache.

We get excited when we see the 'older buses,' they are also easier to stand in as there are 'handles' on each aisle seat. The 'straps' are too high in the newer buses.

 

[claryche]

I also think the newer buses are easier to get on/off due to the fact that they are lower and there aren't any steps. I do prefer the older ones due to more of a chance to sit down but I also never have liked sitting sideways, I usually get a headache.

I like the newer buses because of them being lower and aren't any steps. On our first trip with my DS when he was a year and a half, I would cringe when I saw an older bus. He wasn't walking, so we had to carry him, and it was so much harder getting up all those steps with him. I got to where if it was an old bus, my DH would carry DS and I got stuck with the stroller, which even though it folded up well, it was still a pain.

So I'm happy for the newer buses. I will take those over the other ones any day. And if I really need to sit, then I'll just wait for the next bus. Because the ease getting on and off, especially if you have a sleeping child or a young child period makes up for the less number of seats. Plus with the newer buses, it's easier for them to get the wheelchairs and scooters on the bus, from what I have seen. I know one time we were on an older bus, and about to leave and someone in a scooter showed up. So they started that whole process. And easily 15 minutes later we still hadn't left and another bus for MK showed up. Filled up with some people and then several of us on our bus looked at each other and went running to the other bus. When we got to MK, we were already off the bus with DS in stroller slowly walking to the entrance, when I saw the other bus that we had been on, pull in. A good 6-8 minutes behind our bus. So another reason for the newer buses.

 

[skiingfast]

My local buses have had the same evolution as the ones at WDW.

I rarely ever see a ECV or stroller come on board, maybe once every 100 or 200 rides.

A huge user of these are tourists. Since we have several types of buses running, I can see the obvious difference in load time. That low floor and wide isle makes a big difference.

 

[fla4fun]

Umm, where are you seeing all of these documented Disney bus accidents? I think I have heard of 2 over the last few years. Two, when they move how many people around? It would seem you are safer on a Disney bus then in your own car.

Also, if you think the busses are dangerous, then don't use them. You can grab a taxi or just wait for the next bus. But don't stand on one, knowing ahead of time that you have balance issues, and then blame Disney for your poor decison. They are not forcing you onto the busses.

I can think of four, maybe five, in the past year, but that could be because our local news jumps on any Disney accident, regardless of how minor or who is at fault. There was the one exiting MK involving two buses, the one near Epcot, the one at FW, and if I remember correctly, one on Bonnet Creek near PO (not 100% sure of the location - it was one that was not the fault of the bus so it didn't get as much news coverage). Seems like there was another one that wasn't Disney's fault but I can't remember the location off the top of my head - maybe out near AK (I just remember the news helicopters hovering above and showing very little in the way of actual news). Still, I agree that they move a lot of people without much going wrong, and I certainly use the buses when I'm there.

 

[pampam]

Hearing about the new buses now has me worried about our trip in November. I have to wonder what Disney's liability will be when someone falls and is injured due to having to stand on the bus. It is well documented of how many accidents Disney buses seem to be involved in and even when they have to stop short because some tourist cuts them off while not an accident can cause someone to loose there footing if standing on a bus.
There are so many posts about the rights of the disabled, about people who do not want their children to stand as it is dangerous, what about us older visitors who at times tend to be unsteady on our feet being forced to stand for lack of seating. Gone are the days when anyone offers up a seat to the elderly, believe me I know it happened to me on our last trip in 2009.
And before you say it no we do not want to rent a car, we have never rented a car, always using Disney Transportation. I hope with the design change they will put on additional buses but it seems to me that the new design would be to eliminate buses if there capacity it more with extra standees now.

People have been standing on Disney busses since 1972 when WDW opened and I've never heard of anyone being seriously injured. Millions and millions of people have been transported. I think the odds are good you will get where you are traveling on a Disney bus safely.

 

[torinsmom]

Hearing about the new buses now has me worried about our trip in November. I have to wonder what Disney's liability will be when someone falls and is injured due to having to stand on the bus. It is well documented of how many accidents Disney buses seem to be involved in and even when they have to stop short because some tourist cuts them off while not an accident can cause someone to loose there footing if standing on a bus.
There are so many posts about the rights of the disabled, about people who do not want their children to stand as it is dangerous, what about us older visitors who at times tend to be unsteady on our feet being forced to stand for lack of seating. Gone are the days when anyone offers up a seat to the elderly, believe me I know it happened to me on our last trip in 2009.
And before you say it no we do not want to rent a car, we have never rented a car, always using Disney Transportation. I hope with the design change they will put on additional buses but it seems to me that the new design would be to eliminate buses if there capacity it more with extra standees now.

If you want a seat, I would wait for the next bus. Last time we stayed onsite(2 years ago), we had a car and rarely used the bus. The year before, we used the buses quite a bit and always waited en extra cycle to get a seat. One day, there is going to be a bad accident on one of those buses and those standing will be injured. It's just a matter of time. I stood quite a few times the first time we stayed onsite and I came close to falling, just when the bus stopped unexpectedly.

I personally prefer what is being called the newer buses. With the old ones is you are getting on with any kind of stroller it is very difficult to lift it over and I always worry about hitting someone in the head when getting to the back. We do not have a jogging stroller and it just doesn't make sense to me why they do not allow the person with the stroller get on through the back. I have been allowed a couple of times but the usual answer is that no one gets on through the back door.

The other thing that really annoys me is when younger individuals(teenage and up) or men do not give up a seat for a child or even worse a mother with a small child. Unless I can see that my bus is not going to fill up, I do not even bother sitting down. How can a parent sit there and allow their 16 year old son not give up a seat. I guess some or simply oblivious to common courtesy.

I am sorry, but if I wait for a bus where I can sit, I am sitting. Everyone has that choice. I will offer to hold onto someone's stroller or even let a child sit on my lap(with the parent right there). Especially in the new style of buses, the strap is too high for me to reach comfortably, and as I said, I don't think it is safe to stand. It is not that I haven't taught my son common courtesy, its that I have taught him that we need to ensure our own safety at all times. Just like I have taught him not to ride in a car where someone has been drinking, or where his seat belt does not work. And he knows that we wait for the next bus, and so can other people.

I have even suggested to parents that they wait for the next bus, but they will get on and expect someone to give up a seat. Usually its a 10 minute wait, and totally worth it to be safer and more comfortable.

The change in the style of the buses probably has to do with the increase of obesity as well. The forward facing seats don't leave much of an aisle if you are not average or smaller size.

 

[seashoreCM]

Wasn't it in stories about the Titanic (also the movie) that the phrase "women and children first" got invented?

So we can feel free to let kids (say, up through age 9 which is the limit of Disney's definition of "child") keep the seats they found in the bus, no? After that then teach them that they should stand up for other more infirm persons.

Are the bus aisles really too narrow to slide a stroller through? Some cities including Boston specially ordered buses and streetcars with single seats on one side (and double seats on the other side) so there would be more aisle width. I would say it is okay to not lift a stroller overhead yourself if you don't feel comfortable doing that; someone else will come along to help if he is that concerned. Put on flame suit before going to Flyertalk dot com and searching for the thread on "help me with my baggage".

I haven't seen the latest style Disney buses but in Boston there are a lot of low floor buses with smaller passenger compartments because the rear three feet or so has all the mechanical equipment that would go under the floor had it been a "high floor" bus.

Maybe they could build buses with "stalls" for people to stand in so if there is a sudden stop, there won't be that many people behind you piling on top of you.

 

[Withacy]

I've had my annoyances with the WDW buses - and I hate standing as much as the next person. But I still use them exclusively (even though I drive to WDW, and have a car available to me). My choice.

The one thing I'd add - and this is by way of constructive criticism - I wish they had more to hold on to, especially for us short folks who can't reach the straps. The only thing worse I can think of is the "train" under the Atlanta Airport (each compartment has a raised platform at the front and back, and a number of polls throughout - the rest is open space and you're on your own to hold on as best you can).

Maybe a few more polls or longer straps?

 

[MissRoseRed]

The newest of the new buses may have a lot more standing room, but boy are they uncomfortable if you're not 6' tall. I don't mind standing so much, but there just isn't much to hold onto in the new buses. The bars are way too high and those straps aren't much help. If you can get one, you'd probably still need to be above average in height (for women). I'm 5'6" and had a hard time reaching. Plus, since they aren't stable, you about get your arm yanked out of the socket every time the bus lurches or stops. I lived in NYC for years and like to think I'm fairly good at keeping my balance in crowded, moving places, but it must be really rough for folks who have never been on a subway and might be holding a little one, too...

I love the Disney buses as a whole, but I sure don't like those straps.

 

[goofieslonglostsis]

The one thing I'd add - and this is by way of constructive criticism - I wish they had more to hold on to, especially for us short folks who can't reach the straps. The only thing worse I can think of is the "train" under the Atlanta Airport (each compartment has a raised platform at the front and back, and a number of polls throughout - the rest is open space and you're on your own to hold on as best you can).

Maybe a few more polls or longer straps?

Don't just wish; speak up! Let it be known at guest relations, tell management at your resort and most of all; take the time to sent WDW an email or better yet; a letter. They should've known already but app. don't or haven't acted up on it. If enough of these remarks get sent in and keep being sent in, there is no way around it but to look into them. It's not a guarentee but the only thing we can really do to do our little bit in this.

Maybe we should bombared them with pics of folks standing that can't reach the strap and/or poll. Or maybe even a "before" and "after" pic after the trip is done? Standing without being able to hold on is of itself a whole new attraction ride. Or is that the reason behind all of this!?