Express Transportation starting Dec 7th

[LongLiveTheKing]

It took me a bit to figure out how this new service works. The transportation only takes you from one park to another (not back to Disney Resorts), so it would not be a option for me to use or even try. Actually it is a good idea for those who have a one or two day park hopper ticket and want to jam in as much as possible. Since I stay on property, I rarely go to two parks in one day. And if I do indulge, the time I spend at WDW, I usually hit one park in the morning, then return to hotel for some R & R and venture out again in the evening to another park.

Interesting take on it. I hadn't even considered that it's probably most people's routine to just go to one park per day both because of hopper prices and more importantly travel time, so for those people this service really doesn't have value. This service seems to have even more problems than we realized initially, even with its low promotion amount. It is definitely weird that there's no hotel to park express bus, especially in the morning when it would be most valuable.

 

[jt04]

Interesting take on it. I hadn't even considered that it's probably most people's routine to just go to one park per day both because of hopper prices and more importantly travel time, so for those people this service really doesn't have value. This service seems to have even more problems than we realized initially, even with its low promotion amount. It is definitely weird that there's no hotel to park express bus, especially in the morning when it would be most valuable.

This program has nothing to do with going from resorts directly into the parks. That would be logistically impossible.

 

[eternalsunshine]

This is idiotic and frankly terrifying. Not only are they breaching security (which they are, because although they are taking ticketed guests from park to park, they are also traveling outside the parks, and anyone who WANTED to get in to do harm has a great way to get in), but they are providing what has now been identified as the perfect terrorist weapon: a truck or bus in a crowded place with high emotional, cultural, or symbolic value. What were they thinking?

 

[Creathir]

This is idiotic and frankly terrifying. Not only are they breaching security (which they are, because although they are taking ticketed guests from park to park, they are also traveling outside the parks, and anyone who WANTED to get in to do harm has a great way to get in), but they are providing what has now been identified as the perfect terrorist weapon: a truck or bus in a crowded place with high emotional, cultural, or symbolic value. What were they thinking?

How do you suggest someone getting on the bus between parks? It doesn't stop anywhere and let people on/off...

Hop on the roof?
I'm going to guess this has been thought of... what would stop someone from hopping on the roof of a food delivery truck?

 

[Bolt]

This is idiotic and frankly terrifying. Not only are they breaching security (which they are, because although they are taking ticketed guests from park to park, they are also traveling outside the parks, and anyone who WANTED to get in to do harm has a great way to get in), but they are providing what has now been identified as the perfect terrorist weapon: a truck or bus in a crowded place with high emotional, cultural, or symbolic value. What were they thinking?

I'm not sure you know how this works. The bus doesn't pick you up from your house, it picks you up after you've been in a park (and after going through Security).

 

[drizgirl]

This was the MK to Epcot Express bus today.
View attachment 182119

Serioulsy..... that's the funniest post I've seen in a long time!

 

[eternalsunshine]

How do you suggest someone getting on the bus between parks? It doesn't stop anywhere and let people on/off...

Hop on the roof?
I'm going to guess this has been thought of... what would stop someone from hopping on the roof of a food delivery truck?

Not legally, certainly. The buses have to stop at traffic lights and stop signs. In past attacks, the trucks have been hijacked and the driver killed. It's obviously a nightmare scenario, but you'd think with recent horrific events in the news, Disney would be tightening security, not loosening it. And don't food delivery trucks remain backstage? You don't exactly see them parading through the park. I thought that was the whole point of the backstage area--to maintain the magic. I just think if they want to implement an express system, they can do with without letting buses into the park by adding express lines for people with a special pass. Heck, add a dedicated bus if it makes them feel special. They can even have a second dropoff point at the backstage area. All of this can be done without bringing buses into the actual park. Ah well.

 

[jt04]

Not legally, certainly. The buses have to stop at traffic lights and stop signs. In past attacks, the trucks have been hijacked and the driver killed. It's obviously a nightmare scenario, but you'd think with recent horrific events in the news, Disney would be tightening security, not loosening it. And don't food delivery trucks remain backstage? You don't exactly see them parading through the park. I thought that was the whole point of the backstage area--to maintain the magic. I just think if they want to implement an express system, they can do with without letting buses into the park by adding express lines for people with a special pass. Heck, add a dedicated bus if it makes them feel special. They can even have a second dropoff point at the backstage area. All of this can be done without bringing buses into the actual park. Ah well.

The busses are a quick way to test demand. If demand is sufficient than I would imagine they might make more elaborate modes available. I think Uni might pioneer some concepts due to what will be very dispersed facilities.

As for the bus system as it is currently being run at wdw representing any sort of threat, that is just ridiculous.

Finally, if it isn't something you care about then don't utilize it. It isn't mandatory.

 

[drizgirl]

Not legally, certainly. The buses have to stop at traffic lights and stop signs. In past attacks, the trucks have been hijacked and the driver killed. It's obviously a nightmare scenario, but you'd think with recent horrific events in the news, Disney would be tightening security, not loosening it. And don't food delivery trucks remain backstage? You don't exactly see them parading through the park. I thought that was the whole point of the backstage area--to maintain the magic. I just think if they want to implement an express system, they can do with without letting buses into the park by adding express lines for people with a special pass. Heck, add a dedicated bus if it makes them feel special. They can even have a second dropoff point at the backstage area. All of this can be done without bringing buses into the actual park. Ah well.

And you don't think security at the park would know about the hijacked bus before it got there?

I agree there's likely some offstage vulnerability in the security system of the parks, but the express buses are not the concern.

 

[JoeCamel]

Not legally, certainly. The buses have to stop at traffic lights and stop signs. In past attacks, the trucks have been hijacked and the driver killed. It's obviously a nightmare scenario, but you'd think with recent horrific events in the news, Disney would be tightening security, not loosening it. And don't food delivery trucks remain backstage? You don't exactly see them parading through the park. I thought that was the whole point of the backstage area--to maintain the magic. I just think if they want to implement an express system, they can do with without letting buses into the park by adding express lines for people with a special pass. Heck, add a dedicated bus if it makes them feel special. They can even have a second dropoff point at the backstage area. All of this can be done without bringing buses into the actual park. Ah well.

You have never taken a vehicle backstage have you....

 

[GeneralZod]

This is idiotic and frankly terrifying. Not only are they breaching security (which they are, because although they are taking ticketed guests from park to park, they are also traveling outside the parks, and anyone who WANTED to get in to do harm has a great way to get in), but they are providing what has now been identified as the perfect terrorist weapon: a truck or bus in a crowded place with high emotional, cultural, or symbolic value. What were they thinking?

I couldn't decide between a snowflake or Chicken Little pic for my reply, so I just decided neither.

Calm down...sheesh.

 

[JAtheFourth]

Having used it when I was there over marathon weekend, it was very handy, especially getting to MK without having to get on the boat or monorail to go over. I was able to get to rope drop at MK, grab a ADR for Be Our Guest B'fast, do a few rides, hop over to Epcot where I had a Frozen fastpass, go to HS, and then back to MK to pick up my car. I figure that the $24 cost was more than made up for by the few hours that I would have had to wait for regular transportation to get it done. I do hope that it continues, because it made Disney World feel more cohesive, and probably gave me 2-3 hours more in the parks, instead of sitting on line for a bus, or driving the park to reposition my car.

 

[TrojanUSC]

Not legally, certainly. The buses have to stop at traffic lights and stop signs. In past attacks, the trucks have been hijacked and the driver killed. It's obviously a nightmare scenario, but you'd think with recent horrific events in the news, Disney would be tightening security, not loosening it. And don't food delivery trucks remain backstage? You don't exactly see them parading through the park. I thought that was the whole point of the backstage area--to maintain the magic. I just think if they want to implement an express system, they can do with without letting buses into the park by adding express lines for people with a special pass. Heck, add a dedicated bus if it makes them feel special. They can even have a second dropoff point at the backstage area. All of this can be done without bringing buses into the actual park. Ah well.

Yes, delivery vehicles remain "backstage" at the park but they have to get to the park somehow - by using the same public roads as everyone else. There are literally hundreds of vans, private vehicles, trucks and busses that traverse the resort and enter secure areas every day. Safety is a concern but a bus that is constantly monitored taking guests from one secured area to another secured area is simply not an issue.

 

[Disorbust]

But if this is a test how accurate is it if they are trying to figure out demand for the service if they are charging for it? We never used it because I didn't want to deal with the hassle of figuring out would we use it one or our whole stay, was the price worth it and how/where do I pay. I think Disney should offer it for free to ease up the congestion at the parks main gate security.

 

[Rteetz]

But if this is a test how accurate is it if they are trying to figure out demand for the service if they are charging for it? We never used it because I didn't want to deal with the hassle of figuring out would we use it one or our whole stay, was the price worth it and how/where do I pay. I think Disney yo

I used it two weeks ago. We bought the 7 days and used it about 4-5 days out of the week. For the current price it's worth it in my opinion. If the price goes up, my opinion could very well change.

 

[Thunder Fan]

Is there any way to reserve this ahead of time or can you only do this at the park/resort?

 

[Bandini]

I used it two weeks ago. We bought the 7 days and used it about 4-5 days out of the week. For the current price it's worth it in my opinion. If the price goes up, my opinion could very well change.

So was it being used by a lot of people?

 

[Rteetz]

So was it being used by a lot of people?

Not really but it wasn't well advertised at the time.

 

[Bandini]

Not really but it wasn't well advertised at the time.

I don't think advertising will help. It seems to me that WDW management is throwing out a boatload of up sells and then seeing which ones make money. So far, I believe Tiana's Riverboat Dessert Party, the Cabanas, and this express transportation scheme are failures. I will also bet that the Star Wars tour and the VIP Family MK tour will also fail. The only idea that seems to have worked is the Monorail Dinner. But according to the reports I've read, it's a one and done type of deal. So will it have staying power? Who knows?

 

[jt04]

Is there any way to reserve this ahead of time or can you only do this at the park/resort?

Apparently there is no need to reserve early. For the time being.