There was something missing here ... bus drivers. Let's tell some Bus Driver stories!!
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Bus Driver Stories
- Thread starter the.dreamfinder
- Start date
Clever Name
Well-Known Member
Bus drivers should drive the bus. They should never talk to passengers while the bus is in motion.
C&D
Well-Known Member
Husband and wife (both bus drivers), she getting a Disney job first (then he getting a Disney job as well), coming from New York and loving the move to Disney (and Florida) struck up a conversation with me and my wife (empty bus, 'cept for us); me stating that I was from 'Jersey and now living in S.C.. And his response, "well, you're half-way to 'heaven'". Still makes me smile when I think of that conversation; he was really a nice guy.
bethymouse
Well-Known Member
They don't usually. They will lose their job if they do.
bethymouse
Well-Known Member
We had a great bus driver to the AK early morn before 8am. He was smiling and so very pleasant! Another time, the bus driver put on the recording that celebrates birthdays, anniversaries, etc. He noticed all of the buttons! Ah... the little things!
Another time, the bus driver put on the recording that celebrates birthdays, anniversaries, etc. He noticed all of the buttons! Ah... the little things!
luis71091
Member
i forgot where we were headed to, but it was just some friends and I on the bus, and we started talking to the driver. We were talking about the fireworks and he told us that everynight MK spends about 60,000 dollars on fireworks, and Epcot 80,000. Now I have no idea how much pyro costs, but I thought it was a pretty interesting conversation.
Goofyernmost
Well-Known Member
They don't usually. They will lose their job if they do.
What? Where did you get that information. I drove buses for many years and never was I told not to talk to a rider. Obviously it cannot be an animated conversation and any driver that has a clue (pretty much all of them) will not engage or interrupt anyone else's conversation or converse in a situation that requires 100% attention to the job at hand.
Disney, however, went many, many years with the requirement that drivers not only talk to Guests but in many cases keep them entertained. It is better under normal circumstances to not spend too much time engaging a driver in conversation...but they are not machines, they are human beings capable of being social and do a job all at the same time. Driving buses is not as easy as it might look but it inherently requires someone able to multi-task. You don't drive safely without that ability.
bethymouse
Well-Known Member
I was told by our bus driver that he wasn't supposed to talk to guests when driving. When not in motion, of course they are to "entertain" guests. There are too many people out there who are "ready to sue". The bus driver just wanted to make sure that he had every attention to the road. We had numerous conversations w/ him when he was letting guests off of the bus. He was a cool dude!
He was a cool dude!
HDS
Well-Known Member
The year of me and my wife's honeymoon, we where on our way back from the MK EMH night. We we're staying at CBR in Aruba. After most the drop offs, the bus was only left with two couples me/wife and another young couple. The bus driver asked us where we we're from etc and congratulated us etc. Same with the other couple. Then he asked what stop we needed, then he asked what building. After we told him he said "Don't tell anyone", he pasted our Aruba bus stop and drove off the bus road and through the parking lot to drop us off right at the curb to our building! It was one of them magic moments, he was awesome!
Nemo14
Well-Known Member
We were staying at Pop once and had an early breakfast reservation for Boatwright's at POR. Knowing that we couldn't take a bus directly there, we figured we'd catch the Epcot bus, then switch busses to POR. When the Epcot bus arrived there was no one else getting on (it was quite early), and the driver asked us why we were going to Epcot so early. When we explained our plan he stepped off the bus and talked to someone, then got back and told us he could take us to POR. So there we were on our own private bus to POR!
eeyoremum
Well-Known Member
I have 4.
The first two were from our first trip as a family in 2003. The bus ride to EPCOT was amusing because the bus driver was entertaining with his what EPCOT really means; Every Pocket Comes Out Thinner and Every Pay Cheque Comes On Thursday. Also, the day we were going from POP to Chef Mickey for breakfast. This was before I discovered this site and all the planning involved in a Disney vacation. I thought we could just take the bus to MK and walk which you can but you need to use the walking path. Well we were late so stared walking across the grass near the bus parking area. The bus driver stopped us and took us to the Contemporary.
Last time we were at Disney my son was wearing his Captain Jack hat and the bus driver put on the announcements about Pirates invading the bus. I can't remember the exact spiel but it made my son's day.
The next is just a general wow what amazing people. My step mum, dad and my family went to Disney in 2007. My step mum had cancer and was in a wheelchair. The care and help the bus drivers offered were second to none. They also would never take a tip no matter how much my Dad tried to give them one.
The first two were from our first trip as a family in 2003. The bus ride to EPCOT was amusing because the bus driver was entertaining with his what EPCOT really means; Every Pocket Comes Out Thinner and Every Pay Cheque Comes On Thursday. Also, the day we were going from POP to Chef Mickey for breakfast. This was before I discovered this site and all the planning involved in a Disney vacation. I thought we could just take the bus to MK and walk which you can but you need to use the walking path. Well we were late so stared walking across the grass near the bus parking area. The bus driver stopped us and took us to the Contemporary.
Last time we were at Disney my son was wearing his Captain Jack hat and the bus driver put on the announcements about Pirates invading the bus. I can't remember the exact spiel but it made my son's day.
The next is just a general wow what amazing people. My step mum, dad and my family went to Disney in 2007. My step mum had cancer and was in a wheelchair. The care and help the bus drivers offered were second to none. They also would never take a tip no matter how much my Dad tried to give them one.
Phonedave
Well-Known Member
I have told this one before.
It was the middle of the day and I was on the bus with one other passenger - a guy maybe in his late 40's - and the bus driver (also male). While on the bus there was a huge downpour just before getting to Blizzard Beach. When we got there, there was a Brazilian tour group leaving because of the rain. It was all girls, in their late teens / early twenties. I guess they left quickly because they had not changed and were all still in bathing suits (mostly bikinis). They did not want to spilt the group, so they PACKED onto the bus. When we got to the destination and they got off, the other guy looks at me and says "they ought to make that a regular attraction and charge extra". The bus driver had a smile on his face that went from ear to ear.
-dave
It was the middle of the day and I was on the bus with one other passenger - a guy maybe in his late 40's - and the bus driver (also male). While on the bus there was a huge downpour just before getting to Blizzard Beach. When we got there, there was a Brazilian tour group leaving because of the rain. It was all girls, in their late teens / early twenties. I guess they left quickly because they had not changed and were all still in bathing suits (mostly bikinis). They did not want to spilt the group, so they PACKED onto the bus. When we got to the destination and they got off, the other guy looks at me and says "they ought to make that a regular attraction and charge extra". The bus driver had a smile on his face that went from ear to ear.
-dave
zurgandfriend
Well-Known Member
I don’t know if it’s common practice or not but we were waiting for a bus to Typhoon Lagoon. A bus pulled up, not the Typhoon lagoon bus. The driver opened the doors asked where we were headed, when we told him he said “that’s not too far out of my way, hop on.”
Galactic Hero
Member
A bus driver back maybe 5 or 6 years ago told my family there would be a new park coming in 2012. He's got 3 months to show me a new park.
Disneykidder
Well-Known Member
I have yet to meet a driver that wasn't very nice but my story is from 1996 or 97. We were on a bus ride from POR or CSR (depending on the year) heading to the MK. This one older bus driver was telling us trivia (like: on my right is the land that was supposed to be...or here is CSR built in..., asking us trivia questions and then had a sing-a-long of songs like Davy Crocket. I wish I could remember his name. He was the coolest bus driver we've ever met. It was a fun ride!!
It was a fun ride!!
Goofyernmost
Well-Known Member
I was told by our bus driver that he wasn't supposed to talk to guests when driving. When not in motion, of course they are to "entertain" guests. There are too many people out there who are "ready to sue". The bus driver just wanted to make sure that he had every attention to the road. We had numerous conversations w/ him when he was letting guests off of the bus.
I knew a lot of drivers that didn't talk while driving, but that was an individual decision. They, personally, felt that they couldn't concentrate properly while talking. Others are not bothered by it at all. It is too bad that we live in a society that makes a driver say that they are not allowed to talk because, and you know it's true, if they were to say that they didn't want to talk so they could focus on driving, some toe head would head straight for Guest Services and complain endlessly on how rude that driver was.
Pooh Lover
Well-Known Member
My 14 year old niece has a large crush on Jim Carrey. Last year we got on a bus late one night and took a seat very near the bus driver. He turned to look at us and looked exactly like Jim Carrey, smiling like something out of one of his movies. After taking a moment to get over how much he looked like "The Grinch", we laughed all the way home and still talk about having Jim Carrey as our bus driver.
bluejasmine
Active Member
Over the years we have had some great bus drivers! I love the ones who like to talk about the parks or the ones who go out of their way to say Happy Anniversary or Happy Birthday or whatever!
We had a great busdriver in June we got on the bus at Boardwalk asking to go to MK it was about 10 pm and the park was closing, we only needed to get to MK so that we could get on the monorail to get home to GF.
He looked suprised when we wanted to go to MK and he explained it was closing, so we exlplained what we were trying to do, he said hold on and got on his raido, a min later told us to hop on he had permission to take us straight to GF! We were the only ones on the bus! We were so grateful, we were exhausted from a long day at the park, the only reason we were out at Boardwalk so late was from a dinner ADR!
We had a great busdriver in June we got on the bus at Boardwalk asking to go to MK it was about 10 pm and the park was closing, we only needed to get to MK so that we could get on the monorail to get home to GF.
He looked suprised when we wanted to go to MK and he explained it was closing, so we exlplained what we were trying to do, he said hold on and got on his raido, a min later told us to hop on he had permission to take us straight to GF! We were the only ones on the bus! We were so grateful, we were exhausted from a long day at the park, the only reason we were out at Boardwalk so late was from a dinner ADR!