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Disappointed in the Disney bus service
- Thread starter cslafferty
- Start date
Lucky
Well-Known Member
We've stayed there twice, and had better experience with the buses there than anywhere else.
Tom
Beta Return
Ironic, because POR was where we had the worst of the worst service in all of our stays. We stayed there a few times in various Junes, and once in May. Getting TO the parks wasn't bad, but getting back to the Resort was terrible.
That was also when they used to lump POR and POFQ together, even at park closing. I believe they merge them during the day, but then split them at closing time, which probably helps. We haven't stayed there for at least 4 years. It's been all DVC since then.
wdwmomof3
Well-Known Member
I have only had one bad experience with waiting for a bus, and that was at Hollywood Studios (MGM then) several years ago. It was closing time & the bus lines were packed and we waited for well over an hour. Since that night, we always drive our car back to the park in the evenings so that when we leave, we can hop right in, and we are normally back in our room within 15 minutes. It's so nice when you are so tired from the long day. 
graphite1326
Well-Known Member
I was at POFQ from 8/21 - 8/26. Never had a problem. In the past, I have stayed at all the All Star resorts and have never had a problem either.
French Quarter
Well-Known Member
I'm so happy to hear these report since it's POFQ that we will be staying at in January. Getting so excited! :sohappy:
stuart
Well-Known Member
Can't say we have ever had any real issues with the bus system in all the years we've been going - and thats always end of June / July time. Animal Kingdom / BB was the one that was poor a couple times, a couple years on the trot - but then guests are made aware of that the times on these cross - property buses can be a bit longer. Certainly had no problems last few years, we have been like most people when there will be the odd time when a bus passes the 20 minute mark - and typically two come at once!
For those who are saying they have waited upto 70 minutes from the parks - have you not thought about going to speak with the dispatcher and let them know of your excessive wait? Obviously at a resort, you have to try and get a driver to put a call into his dispatcher to let them know the bus to your park is delayed. The times we've spoke with a dispatcher they have put us on a bus that was sitting at another load zone with no one in sight, called the next bus at the point to us, and one time - ourselves and guests at the Yacht Club got put in a minivan and taken to our hotels - this was mid morning from AK.
And as for POFQ / POR buses sharing - this has always been the case, and in the 15 years of going when it was PO / Dixie it has never been a problem. The Magic Kingdom bus is split, and at night depending on park numbers, return service from EPCOT is split. Its never been a problem during the day. For POR the Magic Kingdom and DD buses do the outside stops first and then the stop at the front entrance. The other park buses pick up at the main entrance first and then the outer stops.
DTD is not the best place to connect at. The last few years it has been posted on signs, and drivers have been telling guests they should connect to a POFQ/POR bus or boat at DD and then to the park they want. Why you would park here and go to a park/hotel you have a meal at I don't know. Surely it would make more sense to park your car at the park itself?
For those who are saying they have waited upto 70 minutes from the parks - have you not thought about going to speak with the dispatcher and let them know of your excessive wait? Obviously at a resort, you have to try and get a driver to put a call into his dispatcher to let them know the bus to your park is delayed. The times we've spoke with a dispatcher they have put us on a bus that was sitting at another load zone with no one in sight, called the next bus at the point to us, and one time - ourselves and guests at the Yacht Club got put in a minivan and taken to our hotels - this was mid morning from AK.
And as for POFQ / POR buses sharing - this has always been the case, and in the 15 years of going when it was PO / Dixie it has never been a problem. The Magic Kingdom bus is split, and at night depending on park numbers, return service from EPCOT is split. Its never been a problem during the day. For POR the Magic Kingdom and DD buses do the outside stops first and then the stop at the front entrance. The other park buses pick up at the main entrance first and then the outer stops.
DTD is not the best place to connect at. The last few years it has been posted on signs, and drivers have been telling guests they should connect to a POFQ/POR bus or boat at DD and then to the park they want. Why you would park here and go to a park/hotel you have a meal at I don't know. Surely it would make more sense to park your car at the park itself?
mp2bill
Well-Known Member
I had an eerily same experience. My wife and I had an ADR for La Cellier at 7PM. We were at EPCOT for the day and around 4PM, it got noticeably cooler, so my wife wanted to run back to the room so that she wasn't cold for Illuminations later that night. We left the park around 4:30 and barely made it back for the ADR (having to run from the entrance to the restaurant at about 6:50).
What made it all the worse is that once we got back to our resort (the Wilderness Lodge) and waited for a bus back to EPCOT at their bus stop, we saw multiple (at least 4 of each) buses going to TL, BB, DD, and AK. I realize that the 2 water parks and AK close earlier than the other parks, but is there really the need for multiple buses at 4 different destinations and not one for EPCOT? I could understand this scenario for MK because you can take a boat over from WL, but to get to EPCOT, this doesn't make much sense. 2 hours between buses to a certain location seems crazy to me.