Disney bus transportation etiquette rant

[EmmieSue]

Oh and to add something sweet to this thread as well. A couple and their two little boys got on an all, but full bus one night when we were leaving magic kingdom and there was only one seat left that an older lady had her purse in. She very kindly moved it and let the two little guys share the seat beside her and didn't make a fuss when the one little boy fell asleep on her. Instead she was very kind about it. That was really nice to see after all the other terrible bus stuff that I saw while there.

 

[JIMINYCR]

Ever since I was young I was taught manners and to give up my seat to women, the elderly or even someone who I decide could use a seat more than myself. I've taught my DS to do the same. I put the blame on parents for not teaching their children properly. But also society as a whole is to blame... it teaches to think of # 1 first, claim whats yours and dont give it up, You get there first... you won the seat... dont give it up. Theres no difference between a man & a woman. We're all equals and no one is at a disadvantage so no need to give anything away.
Maybe it would be a good policy for bus drivers to announce to guests after they board that its a decent thing to do, to give up their seats to the elderly, children, women and people carrying children.

 

[DManRightHere]

Strange thing is...if I'm sitting and I offer a seat I'm usually told they don't want my seat. Now I just stand when boarding until the bus gets moving and see if I anyone takes the seat.

I kinda wonder if a lot of people at Disney even think about bus etiquette. Maybe Disney is the only time their on a bus. Even then, it seems like common sense, but that is how I grew up.

 

[muse1983]

There have been days that my feet have been hurting so bad that I have sat down. However, if I ever saw someone looking for a seat I would always happily give mine up.

 

[J_Carioca]

I agree to an extent with some of the comments, however, I most agree with the topic post!
We originally planned our vacation (this coming August) to stay for the first time at a Disney Resort and use the bus system but the more I hear about them the more horrified I am. We decided last week to add a rental car to our package.

I would also like to add that during our last visit to Disney in 2009 we had direct problems with people that were obviously locals. Mind you, Florida residents get into the parks at a fraction of what the rest of us pay to vacation there and they treat us like crap!!! I'm sorry to say it but if Disney wants to maintain quality they're sadly going to have to bump up the prices for FL residents. It goes beyond stubbornness when you have to spend the rest of your vacation in fear that you may or may not be physically attacked by a "gang" of people.

I’ve relied on the buses on all but two of my many trips, and I don’t understand the “horror stories”. Largely, the bus system has worked well for us. I honestly have very few complaints. I rely on public transit at home too, and trust me, the Disney buses are a joy compared to real transit.

 

[Minnesota disney fan]

I find it uncomfortable to be sitting when someone else is standing - no matter the gender, age or whatever - so I always offer - HOWEVER - if someone has a personal situation where they MUST sit, they do have the option of letting others go ahead and waiting to be first on the next bus.

I am elderly and have an invisible disease, and I always wait for a less crowded bus if there is no sitting room on the bus. If I want to sit, I wait. Sometimes I have to ride the bus to a reservation, so get on the bus, but 99% of the time someone gives me a seat. I appreciate it very much, but don't expect it as a right!

 

[LAKid53]

I've always given up my seat to anyone who needs to sit - elderly, parent holding young child, pregnant woman. And I'm in my 60s. My mother would have given me that look if I didn't. It's how I was taught - respect your elders, don't talk back to your parents, wait your turn in line (oh, if only Disney guests would learn this), remember to say please & thanks, etc. Which is why I always say "please" when making a special request of a CM (if possible, can we please sit in the last row on Thunder Mountain? Thank you so much - always works), given them a smile and remember to say THANK YOU. Even if they are repeating something they repeat 1000 times a day ("please fill in all the gaps"). Being friendly, polite (and try a little bit of charm) will get you miles.

 

[bethymouse]

We were on a very full bus filled with teenagers. They were very loud and boisterous. My husband was sitting with my 2 little guys, when one of the teenagers stepped on my husband's foot rather on purpose. My husband yelled out loud. The bus driver turned on the lights to see what was wrong. The bus driver told the "kids" that they needed to settle down.
My guys are 10 now, and are perfectly capable of standing ( although they don't like to). I don't mind standing, but like others have said- those darn strollers! There is no doubt if a family has small children or a pregnant woman, or elderly that they SHOULD have a seat! It is just not safe for them to be standing IMHO ( for that matter no one really should be standing- they pack those buses too tightly!).

 

[rob0519]

Society, and I can only speak for what I've seen in this country has changed dramatically over the last 30-50 years, which is when it appears most of us learned that is was good manners to give up your seat to a woman or someone who appeared to need it.

However, in that time, some women have decided they don't want our seat. They see taking the seat as being weaker than the male who offered it to her. Other people think they paid a lot of money to be on that bus just like the people standing. Why should they have to stand if they happened to get on the bus first?

People used to dress up in suits, sport coats, ties, dresses, etc. to go out shopping, get on an airplane, and go to church. Today, the malls, churches and airplanes look like the people are at an amusement park with shorts, flip-flops and sleeveless shirts. DCL has a dress code for their main dining rooms, yet every night men would come in wearing sport shorts, flip-flops and sleeveless shirts, while castmembers looked the other way rather than enforce their own rules.

The point I'm trying to make is rules, manners and what is acceptable public behavior has drastically changed. I cannot change the manners of other people and so over the years, I've come to simply expect the worst of people in this age of entitlement and I am rarely disappointed. When I see a incidence of what we call old school manners, courtesy and common sense I thoroughly appreciate it.

 

[RandomPrincess]

It doesn't just happen at Disney we were on the Metro (subway) in DC coming home from a long day and the train was full. My 4 year old started acting up and he needed to be in a seat (contained environment). As soon as one opened I went straight for it only to be cut off by a business man in a suit who put his bag on the second seat next to him. Everyone was shocked as I had been struggling with my son for several minutes and everyone on that end of the car knew it - I had seen all the looks including from him. Thankfully after that happened a couple offered us their seats and as soon as we were in the row we had no more problems with my son.

 

[surfsupdon]

I haven't had a seat on a Disney bus since the late 80s. I have actually made a sport out of bus surfing -- really works the core muscles and tons of fun!!!

 

[daisyduckie]

Maybe it would be a good policy for bus drivers to announce to guests after they board that its a decent thing to do, to give up their seats to the elderly, children, women and people carrying children.

I think people would ignore it, just like they ignore being told to move to the back of the bus to fill in all available space.

 

[BJones82]

I think people would ignore it, just like they ignore being told to move to the back of the bus to fill in all available space.

Or like they ignore the no line cutting..........................

 

[jloucks]

Ever since I was young I was taught manners and to give up my seat to women

Those days a long gone. Anything other than equality creates societal biases that aren't healthy in this particular society.

 

[Squigglove]

no difference between a man & a woman. We're all equals...

Maybe it would be a good policy for bus drivers to announce to guests after they board that its a decent thing to do, to give up their seats to the elderly, children, women and people carrying children.

Not exactly.

And as for bus drivers announcing decency - it's a sad thought indeed that a bus driver should have to remind people to be courteous.

 

[wdisney9000]

Ive had plenty of rude reactions from women who were offended that I dare offer them my seat .

Look ladies, I get it, your tough. Im just being a gentleman like my father taught me, Im not trying to suppress the women's lib movement. This country is a$$ backwards.

 

[J_Carioca]

Not exactly.

And as for bus drivers announcing decency - it's a sad thought indeed that a bus driver should have to remind people to be courteous.

Agreed that bus drivers shouldn't have to remind people to be courteous, but it wouldn't hurt. Where I live the buses have little signs at the front of the bus announcing that those seats are for "priority" passengers, like the elderly, pregnant women, people with disabilities. It's not a rule that's enforced, but the suggestion is clear. And if people choose to ignore it, then they can't claim ignorance or that they didn't know any better.

 

[Squigglove]

I am very appreciative when a gentleman offers me his seat, but sometimes I decline just because I don't want to inconvenience him. I would never react rudely or be offended by it.

I'm 37, but I'm old fashioned in many of my belief systems. I don't agree with so much of what has become socially acceptable today. I don't appreciate being told that I can take out the trash because I'm "equal" meanwhile my husband (and no former boyfriend for that fact) has ever cooked dinner for me because "that's a woman's JOB." It seems women are only equal when it's convenient to a man. But I have always blamed that on the financial parameters of my social standing. What happens when you mix the social classes is utter chaos!

 

[fauna]

I agree that there has been a real erosion of manners, and unfortunately when you put rude and nasty out there you tend to get rude and nasty back which just makes things ruder and nastier.

As far as the Disney busses go, it's not always bad manners, sometimes people are just oblivious. I'm a woman in my 40's and I've often given up my seat on the bus to a parent holding a sleeping child, mom-to-be, etc. and when I do there's sometimes a shame faced embarrassed man who just didn't look around and notice the need (Maybe he's talking to his wife or kids, maybe he's on his cell phone, maybe he's just tired) until I got up.

 

[jloucks]

I agree that there has been a real erosion of manners, and unfortunately when you put rude and nasty out there you tend to get rude and nasty back which just makes things ruder and nastier.

...but paradoxically it is the only way to fight rude and nasty. ...get nasty or be taken advantage of.