News Disney Springs Bus Service to Resorts Now Requires Reservation Verification

[_caleb]

Oh yes indeed! we’d have maglevs and all kinds of cool transport.

While it obviously didn't pan out as a ride, and would have been a terrible mode of transportation, I loved how DL framed the RocketRods as a new innovation in personal transportation. The queue included sections of monorail, peoplemover, Rocket Jets, and blueprints for the subs and Flying Saucers.

My favorite was the CircleVision 360º film about transportation and the classic Magic Highway U.S.A!



I know "what would Walt do?" isn't really relevant anymore, but I think he'd want WDW to move beyond buses.

 

[JMcMahonEsq]

Would you feel better if you found out that all of them were staying there? What difference does it make?


Oh yes indeed! we’d have maglevs and all kinds of cool transport.

What difference does it make? A hotel, any hotel has a finite number or resources. As a paying customer/guest I would want and should expect that those resources go towards paying guests, not just people hanging out. These aren’t office spaces for rent or public libraries.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

What difference does it make? A hotel, any hotel has a finite number or resources.

Were the 5 people who may or may not be “paying guests” taking up all of the resources of the hotel lobby and sitting areas?

As a paying customer/guest I would want and should expect that those resources go towards paying guests, not just people hanging out.

If they buy a coffee from the attached coffee shop are they allowed to sit in the library? What is the standard they should meet?

(By the way… read this as a fun question not argumentative- I’m curious not angry haha)

 

[castlecake2.0]

Would you feel better if you found out that all of them were staying there? What difference does it make?


Oh yes indeed! we’d have maglevs and all kinds of cool transport.

I guess if I were paying to stay there I would be annoyed that all the tables in the lounge were taken up by people not staying there. I’ve worked at wdw for almost 20 years, it’s easy to spot the different kinds of guests. If they were all staying there ok fine, but they did not look like it.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

I guess if I were paying to stay there I would be annoyed that all the tables in the lounge were taken up by people not staying there.

I would be annoyed if I wanted to sit down with my coffee and pastry (and they do have really good pastries there!) and there was no place to sit. But there’s so many places to sit between the library, the cafe, and the lobby I’m not sure if that is ever an issue?

 

[easyrowrdw]

if the appeal of the parks to you is the transportation between the parks as opposed to the parks themselves then honesty I can’t help you, nor do I think Disney is looking to help you. I mean to each their own, I don’t like roller coasters or thrill rides which, so I am not riding the Tron or guardians or Everest which some people might find odd , but I don’t think-the vast majority of people who visit the parks share the view that the transportation between resorts or parks a main focus. Nor do I think that is where WDW should be putting their money

I don’t think it is the main focus either. But I do think it matters to many people. Skyliner resorts are more expensive than comparable resorts with only buses, for instance. Disney can do that because people value it on some level.

 

[castlecake2.0]

I would be annoyed if I wanted to sit down with my coffee and pastry (and they do have really good pastries there!) and there was no place to sit. But there’s so many places to sit between the library, the cafe, and the lobby I’m not sure if that is ever an issue?

Yah me neither. For me it also takes away from the vacation vibe when the resort lounge starts to look like a Starbucks full of people on laptops. I’m not sure if it’s a true problem or anyone else really notices.

I could also just be a grumpy person that doesn’t like change lol. It’s the same for me with "pixie dusting" now, for me I don’t like it and I think it disrupts from the carefully planned environments when people start covering their doors with junk for people to take, or hiding things around for people to find. But back to the riviera, the library has become a trending place on social media to WFH in, specifically because of its ease to get to from DHS on the Skyliner, but I’ve seen posts for people doing it at almost every deluxe resort.

Would actual paying guests be mad if there was a no laptop rule in lounges and lobbies? "In order to preserve an elegant and relaxing environment for all, we kindly request no laptop usage in our lobbies and lounges. We invite you to visit our business/convention center for such needs". Not sure it would ever get to that point, but someone somewhere has decided that "bus roulette" has become a big enough issue to spend money on labor to stop it, at least during peak times.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Would actual paying guests be mad if there was a no laptop rule in lounges and lobbies?

I’d be furious. I spend virtually every morning in the lobby / coffee shop of hotels.

I usually will just hang at the Wyndham but I have been known to take the boat to French quartet for beignets and then do some work there. Especially when I stay at Riverside.

 

[parksandtravel]

Yah me neither. For me it also takes away from the vacation vibe when the resort lounge starts to look like a Starbucks full of people on laptops. I’m not sure if it’s a true problem or anyone else really notices.

I could also just be a grumpy person that doesn’t like change lol. It’s the same for me with "pixie dusting" now, for me I don’t like it and I think it disrupts from the carefully planned environments when people start covering their doors with junk for people to take, or hiding things around for people to find. But back to the riviera, the library has become a trending place on social media to WFH in, specifically because of its ease to get to from DHS on the Skyliner, but I’ve seen posts for people doing it at almost every deluxe resort.

Would actual paying guests be mad if there was a no laptop rule in lounges and lobbies? "In order to preserve an elegant and relaxing environment for all, we kindly request no laptop usage in our lobbies and lounges. We invite you to visit our business/convention center for such needs". Not sure it would ever get to that point, but someone somewhere has decided that "bus roulette" has become a big enough issue to spend money on labor to stop it, at least during peak times.

I don't think they can or should stop any resort guests from getting work done there while on vacation. But they could curb locals from using the resort facilities as a Starbucks.

 

[_caleb]

The parks, the resorts, sure I can get on board with that. My bus ride from the airport or my car ride to the parks? My drive from the resort to the parking lot at AK? The bus to MK from swan and dolphin to MK? That’s transportation.

When I first visited WDW, I remember boarding MCU's "Automated People Mover" and thinking this strange new mode of transportation meant we were already at Disney World! Back then, Jack Wagner voiced the audio announcements for it as well as the WDW Monorail.

if the appeal of the parks to you is the transportation between the parks as opposed to the parks themselves then honesty I can’t help you, nor do I think Disney is looking to help you. I mean to each their own, I don’t like roller coasters or thrill rides which, so I am not riding the Tron or guardians or Everest which some people might find odd , but I don’t think-the vast majority of people who visit the parks share the view that the transportation between resorts or parks a main focus. Nor do I think that is where WDW should be putting their money

This is of course leaving aside the fact we are talking about transportation back and forth to an outdoor mall in this case specifically.

It isn’t “transportation as opposed to the parks” or “transportation as the main focus.”

Disney has invested in transportation infrastructure over the years, and some of us appreciate when they add modes beyond buses.

 

[Burgermeister]

I don't think they can or should stop any resort guests from getting work done there while on vacation. But they could curb locals from using the resort facilities as a Starbucks.

Ding, ding, ding!! We have a winner! And how might Disney curb locals from using resort facilities as a Starbucks during busy times of the year when resort facilities should be available for paying guests? By limiting the most convenient way for locals to access the resorts. I honestly don’t know if locals camping out in resort public areas while working is a big problem or not but eliminating the easiest and most convenient way for an non-paying local to get to the resorts is a smart way to do so.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

The bus to MK from swan and dolphin to MK? That’s transportation.

That was kind of the point - a bus ride feels more like traditional transportation (although Disney bus rides are much nicer - the drivers are certainly more friendly!)

But a friendship boat ride from swan and dolphin to studios or Epcot is part of the Disney resort experience for me.

 

[Sir_Cliff]

Ding, ding, ding!! We have a winner! And how might Disney curb locals from using resort facilities as a Starbucks during busy times of the year when resort facilities should be available for paying guests? By limiting the most convenient way for locals to access the resorts. I honestly don’t know if locals camping out in resort public areas while working is a big problem or not but eliminating the easiest and most convenient way for an non-paying local to get to the resorts is a smart way to do so.

Indeed. If this keeps growing to the point it becomes a problem, the next step will be to expand checks on people taking resort transportation. They could also just have checks at the resort entrances; it would depend on what would be easier, I guess.

As everyone else is saying, I don't know whether this is actually an issue. As relates to this and the bus issue, though, I do think Disney can have good reasons for putting some controls on how people use their facilities in ways that optimise the experience for paying guests. It doesn't seem to me that they have an obligation to just cater to however people want to use them, be they resort lobbies or the transportation system, nor to take a very expansive definition of guest to mean anyone who decides to enter the property. In this case, there seems to be a suggestion Disney should be building transportation systems to resort hotels according to the needs of people who aren't staying at them to visit during peak periods which seems a bit much.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

In this case, there seems to be a suggestion Disney should be building transportation systems to resort hotels according to the needs of people who aren't staying at them to visit during peak periods which seems a bit much.

I don’t think that’s the suggestion- a few of us started talking about non-bus transportation from parks to springs but that was a side topic.

The issue is not the transportation system - it’s the parking getting filled up at springs.

 

[JMcMahonEsq]

I don’t think that’s the suggestion- a few of us started talking about non-bus transportation from parks to springs but that was a side topic.

The issue is not the transportation system - it’s the parking getting filled up at springs.

I thought the issue is the limiting the resort buses from Disney springs, during select peak times, to resort guests only, which makes it a transportation issue.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

I thought the issue is the limiting the resort buses from Disney springs, during select peak times, to resort guests only, which makes it a transportation issue.

No, that’s the solution to the parking issue.

The actual transportation system is fine.

 

[JMcMahonEsq]

No, that’s the solution to the parking issue.

The actual transportation system is fine.

I hadn't seen/heard of there being an issue with parking not being available at Disney Springs, as a result of people parking there and going to other locations. The issues i had seen that they were trying to address is crowded buses and preventing people from parking for free at Disney springs, escaping fees from parking at the parks themselves. Neither of those are parking issues at Disney Springs pe se.

 

[easyrowrdw]

I hadn't seen/heard of there being an issue with parking not being available at Disney Springs, as a result of people parking there and going to other locations. The issues i had seen that they were trying to address is crowded buses and preventing people from parking for free at Disney springs, escaping fees from parking at the parks themselves. Neither of those are parking issues at Disney Springs pe se.

From the WDWMagic article...

Cast Members told us this temporary measure is in place during the busy Easter period. The restriction helps increase parking availability at Disney Springs discouraging people from leaving their car while going elsewhere on property.

Parking at Springs and going elsewhere may have multiple impacts, but this particular decision is apparently centered on parking availability at Springs.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

I hadn't seen/heard of there being an issue with parking not being available at Disney Springs

That was the only official reason reported on this site (the article not the forum) as well as other sites that reported it.

 

[Sir_Cliff]

That was the only official reason reported on this site (the article not the forum) as well as other sites that reported it.

If the issue is people using free parking intended for visitors to Disney Springs in order to take the buses to the parks via the resorts (if I understand correctly), wouldn't that be analogous to restricting access to the buses/skyliner so that hotel facilities aren't being occupied by people working remotely rather than hotel guests? One argument in the latter case could be that they just need to modify the hotel facilities to accommodate people who want to work there from their laptops. However, it seems reasonable to me if they decide that's not what those facilities are for and thus try to restrict people from using them in that way.

What is the alternative in this case if the amount of parking is the issue? Build more parking structures? Change whatever their agreement is with the district to start charging for parking? Neither seems like a great option for Disney. The first just encourages more people to take advantage of this "hack", putting more pressure on the transportation and resorts. The other makes it less attractive for people to do what they want them to be doing at Disney Springs.