Why no bus time info on the MDE app?

[Runnsally]

Curious if anyone has any thoughts as to why Disney does not include the resort bus times to he parks on the MDE app (or even just display the screen available at the bus stop on the in-room TV). Seems like a no-brainer.

 

[Robo]

Curious if anyone has any thoughts as to why Disney does not include the resort bus times to he parks on the MDE app (or even just display the screen available at the bus stop on the in-room TV). Seems like a no-brainer.

The screens at the bus stops are what I can generously call, "mildly accurate."

 

[mrzrich]

The screens at the bus stops are what I can generously call, "mildly accurate."

Robo, I think that you are being generous. I honestly think those screens are a farce. I love the way the time jumps from 3:35 to 3:38 to 3:49 to 4:02. Then the bus shows at 3:55.

 

[EdmondD]

The technology is obviously there, especially when they control/have knowledge of everything that the bus has to navigate. The cycles of the lights, when the bus is supposed to leave, how long the bus stays at a given resort, real-time traffic information from cameras, etc. I mean, if Waze can tell me how long it's going to take me to from home to any given destination - and that initial number is usually pretty accurate and if something happens during my drive it adjusts accordingly - certainly Disney can have a system that does the same.

 

[Runnsally]

Interesting. I find the screens to be pretty good - at least never and underestimate, which would help with planning.

 

[AngiTN]

I think they are very accurate. Granted, I don't monitor them closely to check for accuracy of every bus pulling in but if we walk up and see the bus is arriving in 10 min, 99% of the time, it's arrived within 9-11 min.
Yes, the times change. That's because they read a real time GPS on the bus and the times change if the bus stops in traffic longer than normal. I've never seen one alter by more than 1, 2 min. Nothing remotely 10 min or more. And I've never seen it list a bus that never shows.
I have said before that I think they could easily add it to the TV feed at a given resort. Whatever cabling they have that goes to the monitors at the bus stops could be tied in to. Why they don't I'm not sure.
I think adding it to ME would be way more complicated since you'll have to have too many listed to cover all the property. I don't see them ever doing that (though I should never say never)

 

[AngiTN]

The technology is obviously there, especially when they control/have knowledge of everything that the bus has to navigate. The cycles of the lights, when the bus is supposed to leave, how long the bus stays at a given resort, real-time traffic information from cameras, etc. I mean, if Waze can tell me how long it's going to take me to from home to any given destination - and that initial number is usually pretty accurate and if something happens during my drive it adjusts accordingly - certainly Disney can have a system that does the same.

And it does exactly that, very well in our experience.

 

[MaC410]

This is a good idea. Could probably even use your location to automatically show you the times for the bus stop closest to you.

 

[cigar95]

This is a good idea. Could probably even use your location to automatically show you the times for the bus stop closest to you.

I think you identify maybe the biggest task at hand. If you're in a larger resort with multiple bus stops, the television feed would have to be dependent on the room. Not a show-stopper, but one more thing that requires work (and thus money.)
Similarly for the app - they'd need to use the GPS to determine the closest stop. Another possibility is to bring up a map with bus stops and let the user pick. That would allow certain flexibilities, including checking times for, say, a family member who is still back at the resort while I'm already in a park or on an earlier bus.

 

[Runnsally]

The tech seems too straightforward to be the barrier. Would think Disney would see this as a way to significantly improve guest satisfaction and desire to stay on property. Could also increase spend per guest as no one spends money while waiting in a bus line. My guess is that we'll see this addition very soon unless there is a counterincentive for Disney that I'm missing.

 

[MaC410]

I think you identify maybe the biggest task at hand. If you're in a larger resort with multiple bus stops, the television feed would have to be dependent on the room. Not a show-stopper, but one more thing that requires work (and thus money.)
Similarly for the app - they'd need to use the GPS to determine the closest stop. Another possibility is to bring up a map with bus stops and let the user pick. That would allow certain flexibilities, including checking times for, say, a family member who is still back at the resort while I'm already in a park or on an earlier bus.

Yeah having it on the TV would present a little bit harder problem to solve. Having in the MDE app though wouldn't be the biggest task. You can easily retrieve gps coordinates in an app and then use those coordinates to figure out which bus stop is closest to you. I've actually done some work like that for an app for my job. Without getting too sciencey you can simply plug in two sets of latitude/longitude coordinates into a formula and it gets the distance between them. It's pretty cool!

 

[joelkfla]

The tech seems too straightforward to be the barrier. Would think Disney would see this as a way to significantly improve guest satisfaction and desire to stay on property. Could also increase spend per guest as no one spends money while waiting in a bus line. My guess is that we'll see this addition very soon unless there is a counterincentive for Disney that I'm missing.

I think there would be more guest anger than satisfaction. Consider the app saying a bus will depart at 7:04, and a Guest arriving at the bus stop at 7:02 as the bus pulls away, and the screen saying the next bus will arrive in 20 minutes.

Waze/Google have a constantly updating database of driver reports, observations by the apps, and data from official sources. Any bump in travel time can be recognized pretty quickly. For Disney buses, the most common cause for delay is wheelchair loading, or just heavier than expected loading. And it doesn't have to be for the bus being tracked; it can be for a bus to a different location 2 buses up the line, blocking entry into the load zone.

 

[goofy4tink]

I think there would be more guest anger than satisfaction. Consider the app saying a bus will depart at 7:04, and a Guest arriving at the bus stop at 7:02 as the bus pulls away, and the screen saying the next bus will arrive in 20 minutes.

Waze/Google have a constantly updating database of driver reports, observations by the apps, and data from official sources. Any bump in travel time can be recognized pretty quickly. For Disney buses, the most common cause for delay is wheelchair loading, or just heavier than expected loading. And it doesn't have to be for the bus being tracked; it can be for a bus to a different location 2 buses up the line, blocking entry into the load zone.

As usual, on the same page!! Just too many factors to be hugely accurate. And rather than guest satisfaction, it would be guest dissatisfaction!!! As you can see, just on this thread, there are those that think the bus signage at the stops are a joke, and seldom accurate.

 

[Robo]

As usual, on the same page!! Just too many factors to be hugely accurate. And rather than guest satisfaction, it would be guest dissatisfaction!!! As you can see, just on this thread, there are those that think the bus signage at the stops are a joke, and seldom accurate.

The problem is, if it is "often accurate," (and I consider that it is that,) what kind of "dependability" is that for the guest?

The way it is now, it's kind of a pleasant thing.
We were just there for well over a week within the last 60 days and
I personally experienced all kinds of mis-info on the screens.

Consider that a large part of what I do on these boards has to do with specific locations and timing, as the reason I was paying special attention to the displays.

 

[Jacova]

NJ Transit does this for it's entire line of buses. I see no reason why Disney couldn't do the same for a relative tiny % of buses that they have. It's called mybusnow - you just put in the bus stop or corner that you are picking up the bus, and it tells you when the next bus will show up - I've seen it up to 3 or 4 different buses a half hour out. We use it all the time and it's 99% accurate. Gets more accurate as the bus gets closer. I think this would be a great thing for Disney to implement on MDE and honestly - it beats showing up to a bus stop blind and watching the bus you want pull away.

 

[mrzrich]

Here is my long time beef with the buses. Say I am at MK waiting for a POR bus....as I wait the line gets longer and longer. There is a cast member standing nearby with a radio. I also presume that there are cameras that can see the line building up. It is obvious at this point, that when the bus does come it will be jam packed, and some people will be left waiting for the next one.

While we wait a bus comes for CBR and takes the much smaller group of people waiting there. A few minutes later a second CBR bus comes. There is no one waiting, so it just pulls away empty. That infuriates me.

Isn't there a way to divert buses to where they are needed most.

I have another peeve that I think speaks to the "show" aspect of Disney customer service. Buses, not it use, parked near the bus stops. I especially see this in Epcot. I understand that there is a reason that those buses are standing by, but do you think that they should do it out of the line of sight of hot miserable guests who have been waiting for a bus?

 

[supersnoop]

Disappointment is the result of reality falling short of your expectations.

Disney does reroute buses all the time. They do not run on a set schedule. If they put the times in the app, they set your expectations. When the bus gets rerouted and it takes 5-15 minutes longer for one to show up, you get disappointed.

To help prevent disappointment, Disney doesn't give you more information than you need.

 

[Runnsally]

If NYC transit can make their bustime app work (which it does), then I think this is something Disney can reasonably achieve. Too many positives not to make this happen.

 

[goofy4tink]

The problem is, if it is "often accurate," (and I consider that it is that,) what kind of "dependability" is that for the guest?

The way it is now, it's kind of a pleasant thing.
We were just there for well over a week within the last 60 days and
I personally experienced all kinds of mis-info on the screens.

Consider that a large part of what I do on these boards has to do with specific locations and timing, as the reason I was paying special attention to the displays.

You and me both!! I'm always sitting at a bus stop, noting which buses come and go, whether or not the signage is correct. My Transportation people want to know what the deal is!!!

Here is my long time beef with the buses. Say I am at MK waiting for a POR bus....as I wait the line gets longer and longer. There is a cast member standing nearby with a radio. I also presume that there are cameras that can see the line building up. It is obvious at this point, that when the bus does come it will be jam packed, and some people will be left waiting for the next one.

While we wait a bus comes for CBR and takes the much smaller group of people waiting there. A few minutes later a second CBR bus comes. There is no one waiting, so it just pulls away empty. That infuriates me.

Isn't there a way to divert buses to where they are needed most.

I have another peeve that I think speaks to the "show" aspect of Disney customer service. Buses, not it use, parked near the bus stops. I especially see this in Epcot. I understand that there is a reason that those buses are standing by, but do you think that they should do it out of the line of sight of hot miserable guests who have been waiting for a bus?

Drives me nuts too!!! But, that empty bus has already been directed to a specific place...probably (in your case) to CBR to pick up people. It can't be diverted to POR.

Here's the thing...it's vacation. Everyone should realize what the bus system is like. It is not a fast or personal service. It is mass transit...it really does a decent job of moving thousands of people around the area. If guests don't want to wait more than 5 mins, or they want to be able to plan their travel times, they may be better served by either renting a car, or using a cab/Uber.

 

[mbrown2097]

If they can put the info on the Bus Stop Screens, then they can put it in the APP. Shouldn't cause anymore dissatisfaction or problems than that info does now. Perhaps they can put a message on the screen that says the information is an approximation.