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How could Disney Enhance the Bus Ride experience
- Thread starter juniorthomas
- Start date
Mukta
Well-Known Member
I think this is a great topic and one we haven't discussed to death.
I think a film with the top 5 attractions for where ever we are heading would be great.
Maybe a marquee with park hours on it.
Maybe a film with WDW history of the park we are visiting or the hotel we are returning to.
I remember a bus driver on my trip in 2005 asking trivia questions. That was a lot of fun.
The AC always seems like overkill to me. I would like it if the buses weren't so cold.
How about a screen showing which TS for that park still have ADRs available for the day?
eilie
Member
Something that could potentially make the bus slightly more fun and would cost next to nothing: theme each bus individually to some Disney property - ride, film, character, etc.
It doesn't have to be anything over-the-top or expensive, just something simple. Not a huge paint overlay on the exterior, but rather simple banner graphics above (in the slots normally reserved for ads for the next Beverly Hills Chihuahua movie, etc.). If they want to spend slightly more money, they could pipe in the soundtrack from the film or ride while you're traveling from place to place. Each bus would have its own unique identity, rather than its current theme of "generic infrastructure."
Each bus you get on the trip would have a different theme, and you could look forward to guessing what you might get next. One could be a Haunted Mansion bus, another could be a Winnie the Pooh bus, and so on and so forth. Imagine riding on the Space Mountain bus, with a star field overhead and the music from the Star Tunnel playing quietly in the background.
Think how much fun it is to guess what monorail color you're going to get next. Or what animal you'll get on the tail of your Frontier Airlines plane. I think it would be kinda fun.
It doesn't have to be anything over-the-top or expensive, just something simple. Not a huge paint overlay on the exterior, but rather simple banner graphics above (in the slots normally reserved for ads for the next Beverly Hills Chihuahua movie, etc.). If they want to spend slightly more money, they could pipe in the soundtrack from the film or ride while you're traveling from place to place. Each bus would have its own unique identity, rather than its current theme of "generic infrastructure."
Each bus you get on the trip would have a different theme, and you could look forward to guessing what you might get next. One could be a Haunted Mansion bus, another could be a Winnie the Pooh bus, and so on and so forth. Imagine riding on the Space Mountain bus, with a star field overhead and the music from the Star Tunnel playing quietly in the background.
Think how much fun it is to guess what monorail color you're going to get next. Or what animal you'll get on the tail of your Frontier Airlines plane. I think it would be kinda fun.
eilie
Member
Hear hear! Love those purple pants!
brandon8419
Member
I'm just happy they have working air conditioning and they're clean 
brandon8419
Member
I didn't even realize they didn't have them anymore. How long ago did they change uniforms?
erasure fan1
Well-Known Member
What they need to do is create synergy between the buses and the parks. Just use the same type of strategy that they use for the rides. All bus rides exit through a gift shop. :lookaroun
I would really 2nd the idea of some sort of ETAs for the buses. Knowing if you just missed one or how long you have, to go to the bathroom or get something to drink, would be awesome.
I would really 2nd the idea of some sort of ETAs for the buses. Knowing if you just missed one or how long you have, to go to the bathroom or get something to drink, would be awesome.
crazgurl
Active Member
:ROFLOL: you beat me to that one!
I kinda of like the idea of each bus having a theme of its own. The fact that each ride would be a little different would make it less boring for sure. On one trip when I was a kid, the bus driver also did a bit of a comedy routine on the mic during a late-night crowded ride - had the whole bus in stitches and the ride didn't seem quite so long while standing....
My idea would be screens on the buses that could alternate between fast facts, park hours, weather forecast, trivia games.... even promos for park upcoming events could be interesting....
jato4x4
Well-Known Member
You can drive back to where they house the monorails, and train. Even further behind there is the cast connection, Disney University, and alot more misc facilities that house different operations. Also, north east of Port Orleans Riverside, there is the huge receiving facility, which is crazy just to see the size of it. There is an office building that has a statue of Mickey that's about 6' tall, which is pretty cool, I'll post a pic if I can find them. Another cool thing is there was this rack that was probably 10' x 10' that had alot of different colored tiles and designs, that I am assuming were being tested to see how they held up to fading. Theres actually quite a bit of stuff like this to see, which isn't entirely interesting but it does make for nice relaxing rides while traveling around the world to take a break between parks. Best of all though is all the deer and turkeys that we have seen behind the MK on Floridian way. Theres even a little trailer park on property, which is really funny to see, just because your not far from the MK.
Nothing against the OP, but would you really rather them spend alot of money plussing the buses, when they could spend it in the parks? I mean even instead of plussing them wouldn't it be more worth while to just add some more buses?
DABIGCHEEZ
Well-Known Member
Stopped taking the buses years ago... do they really suck???
gnuts0306
Member
Agree with both of you! The bus rides were the best when everything WASNT automated and the bus drivers did talk and tell jokes....my dad always wanted to retire down to Disney and be a bus driver....dont think he would like how automated things have become...but he sure woulda looked good in the purple pants! :ROFLOL:
I WOULD agree usually but we are aware of other things in need of funding, correct?
::EDIT:: I couldn't tell if you were being smart or not. Working all day will do that
Did you not read the post above mine or just merely being a troll?
CaptainJackNO
Well-Known Member
Churro dispenser.......:lookaroun
Seriously, some how increasing the seating capacity of the buses. That appears to be the biggest problem, to me.
A running narration, like on the monorail would be cool, too.
Seriously, some how increasing the seating capacity of the buses. That appears to be the biggest problem, to me.
A running narration, like on the monorail would be cool, too.
mickey2008.1
Well-Known Member
Adding a bus just for the wheel chairs, scooters, and families in tow would help out a lot. A dedicated line just for those in need would relieve a lot of pressure. And there is no preferential treatment at deluxe resorts, as i have called more cabs there than anywhere.
aka_emilicious
Well-Known Member
I think some sort of card swipe system could work well here. For example, you head to the bus stop, swipe your key to the world and indicate where you are going. Disney could then track how many people are going where, and how long they have been waiting.
For resort guests you could make it easier by having one person swipe and have the system confirm the total number of guests waiting based on your hotel reservation. Realizing that off site guests also use the bus system, I would allow tickets to be swiped as well.
The only issue I would can think of is having guests swipe more than once. With resort guests and tickets, you could ask if they wish to change their destination, but how would you lock out on site guests with tickets not tied to resort keys? They would be able to swipe twice. The system would reset after a bus to their destination arrived.
This would be in supplement to the existing bus system of course. And wouldn't be efficient at park close. It might help though.
Just an idea I had. :shrug:
For resort guests you could make it easier by having one person swipe and have the system confirm the total number of guests waiting based on your hotel reservation. Realizing that off site guests also use the bus system, I would allow tickets to be swiped as well.
The only issue I would can think of is having guests swipe more than once. With resort guests and tickets, you could ask if they wish to change their destination, but how would you lock out on site guests with tickets not tied to resort keys? They would be able to swipe twice. The system would reset after a bus to their destination arrived.
This would be in supplement to the existing bus system of course. And wouldn't be efficient at park close. It might help though.
Just an idea I had. :shrug:
That was a fairly sizable discussion a month or so back. This would bottleneck the system more than it already is. The last thing that needs to happen is dealing with people hunting and digging for their room cards.
aurorawest
Member
To be honest what irritates me most is sitting BEHIND the buses in my car as I'm coming in. There are so many of them that turn on to Bonnet Creek Parkway, which is always where I'm trying to go! Someday I'll learn not to sit behind them in the left lane for so long.
Seriously though, I must be strange because the bus rides don't really bother me. With a four hour drive bookending my Disney weekends, I'm happy to just sit and let someone else take the wheel.
Seriously though, I must be strange because the bus rides don't really bother me. With a four hour drive bookending my Disney weekends, I'm happy to just sit and let someone else take the wheel.
They could hire a CM for each bus (positive job growth, right there!) to lead the interactivity.
All sound like great ideas to me. Also, how did the trivia work out? Were people interested in playing along, or was it just to keep the driver entertained?