DTD West Side Bus Stop?

[Cmdr_Crimson]

Has there been any word about at least placing a bus loading area in Downtown Disney's West Side? I mean it's still a hike to walk back to the PI Bus area. It'd be great to place it by the area around Cirque De Solie and DisneyQuest...But, I'm not sure as to how the Parking lot is laid out within the area...Anyone know?

 

[brertigger]

There used to be one there, but it was removed (probably for cost cutting).

It is quite a hike and would be nice if they reopened one near DQ.

 

[Chape19714]

The Stops are still there, and still kept up. They are located on a path between DisneyQuest and Cirque. There is a sign there that reads "WDW Bus service can be accessed at the Pleasure Island Bus Stops" or something to that effect. They will probally be used again, but who knows when. They are in good location and upkeep if a large # of resort guest are at 1 showing of Cirque, or HoB is having a big concert.

 

[typhoonguy]

The old West Side stop is used primarily for typhoon lagoon buy-outs (to bus people to typhoon).

 

[metscool]

They should open it up again. Why would you want to walk from PI to the west side.

 

[Space Mountain]

wait are we talking about these??

 

[typhoonguy]

wait are we talking about these??

http://www.disneypix.com/Transportation/Bus/2002c/Tran1202-15.jpg

No, those are the P.I. ones. We're talking about the ones next to Lot Q

 

[Rob562]

My guess is that they were used so infrequently that Disney decided that it wasn't worth the time and money to run buses to them. When they were open and being used, of all the times the bus I was in stopped there, I saw MAYBE 10 people in total in the bus stop area.

I used gmaps pedometer to measure out the distances. Walking from the closest PI bus stop to the plaza where the West Side Guest Services kiosk is (pretty much the start of the West Side) is 0.139 miles. That same distance measured from the closest West Side bus stop would get you to the walkway between Cirque and the HoB restaurant entrance, which is pretty much the *other* end of the West Side. So why go to the expense of running equidistant bus stops from the center of the West Side, when people will go to the one that's more populated and well-known.

It's very barren past HoB and Cirque, but there's three distinct empty plots of land (two are triangular on either side of the bus stop walkway, and one rectangular along the water). That's also the location of the West Side boat dock. If they built on those empty plots, and there was more foot traffic to the West Side from the baot dock (especially now that they're adding a dock at PI), they could very well re-open the West Side bus stops. But untill then, it's not economically viable.

-Rob

 

[dcaffey]

I had one of the longest waits for a bus I've ever had at WDW at the West Side bus stop - and the whole time we waited no one else showed up.

The PI stops really are not the much of walk.

 

[TTATraveler]

Anyone know if trying to make the DTD route more efficient by eliminating 1 stop came into play? I know the West Side stop was underutilized, so rather then try to promote that stop, did they just want to eliminate it to speed up the route travel time?

 

[Rob562]

Anyone know if trying to make the DTD route more efficient by eliminating 1 stop came into play? I know the West Side stop was underutilized, so rather then try to promote that stop, did they just want to eliminate it to speed up the route travel time?

I'm sure that factored into the money equasion. Detouring from Buena Vista Blvd back to the West Side bus stops probably added about 5 minutes to the drive time. To ensure the 15-20 minute bus intervals Disney advertises, that would mean an extra 1 or 2 buses on each route. If good service can be provided to the same number of Guests with only two stops, why use three?

-Rob