Just HOW bad are the buses at Saratoga Springs Resort?

Sparkle81

Sparkle81

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
In less than 6 weeks (eeeeek!), my DH & I will be taking our 2 year old son to WDW. We're staying at SSR, and won't have a car so are solely reliant on Disney transportation to get us to all the parks.

I usually take Trip Advisor reviews with a massive pinch of salt but lately, the reviews seem to all have a common theme- the buses are awful. Unpredictable, long wait times & full to bursting are some of the words & phrases used to describe them. We had been planning to come back to the resort for naps etc but it sounds like it might be a real struggle to do so.

Is it really as bad as everyone says? I'm starting to get really concerned.
 
gwhb75

gwhb75

Well-Known Member
It can be busy. There is something like 5 stops in the resort (I don't remember exactly - we stayed there 4 years ago), and they are all common bus stops (i.e. all busses for all parks stop at each stop), so if you are at the last stop there is a very good chance the bus will be full by the time it gets to you.

We never found the busses that bad there, just know that there may be times when the busses are packed.
 
Rob562

Rob562

Well-Known Member
We stayed there for a week last November. Apart from the resort being spread out making the complete loop on the bus being a bit long, it's not really that bad, especially if you're used to staying at places with long loops like Riverside or CBR.
We were right by the second stop in the loop (Carousel), but often got on buses at the Springs stop (the final stop in the loop) after having breakfast or lunch at the Artist's Palette. Didn't really notice any overly-long waits.

-Rob
 
lostpro9het

lostpro9het

Well-Known Member
Anyone know bus stop order? Staying in December and if would be nice to request a room close to the stop.
 
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Rob562

Rob562

Well-Known Member
lostpro9het said:
Anyone know bus stop order? Staying in December and if would be nice to request a room close to the stop.
Click to expand...

Theme park buses run in this order:
-Grandstand
-Carousel
-Paddock
-Congress Park
-The Springs

Downtown Disney buses I *think* run in this order:
-Congress Park
-Springs
-Grandstand
-Carousel
-Paddock

Having one route run differently than the others allows guests to always take a bus from where they are to any other stop in the resort.

We were in Paddock building 45 which was actually right next to the Carousel bus stop, so it was extremely convenient. (We were actually closer to the Carousel bus stop than probably about 75% of the rooms in the Carousel buildings) We typically walked to the Carriage House/Artist's Palette rather than take the bus. It was a nice stroll and under the best conditions it probably equaled the time to take the bus there.

I'd say there aren't any *bad* locations, since just about any building appears to be no more than two building-lengths from its closest bus stop. A few buildings in Grandstand are a little more than that (91 and 95) but they get to be the first stop on the bus routes, so it balances out. I'd say the *least* convenient building is probably Paddock 61 which has a bit of a walk to a bus, a pool and the restaurants.

-Rob
 
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jlsHouston

jlsHouston

Well-Known Member
Rarely have I been at WDW where I had to rely solely on disney transportation. I don't know anything about SSR but over Easter 2012, we had no car and we stayed at CSR, and everything was basically by bus or call a cab and spend the dollars...which we did once because we were running so late for ADR's at the backyard bbq we had no choice. And only once did we stand around for a long period at MK waiting forever for a bus while resorts around us had sometimes 2 buses stop...I think we waited 28 minutes...it was our check out day and they ended up letting us hang til 4 finishing our packing without a word at the resort. All in all I have to say the bus system is pretty good. Sometimes they are crowded and sometimes they are a bit slow moving from stop to stop...there is a reason why you should allow an hour to an hour in a half to go from point A to point B using the bus. It doesn't usually take that long but it could...
We just roll with it..otherwise we either drive so we have a car or a pay for a rental...
 
GeoDonJac34

GeoDonJac34

Well-Known Member
It really isn't that bad. It is definitely not the best service, but it isn't horrible. You shouldn't have any issues going back for a nap considering it wont be a busy time of the day. We stayed in Congress Park. Short walk to DTD, which was really nice.
 
Sparkle81

Sparkle81

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Thank you everyone for your responses!

I knew I'd be able to get a realistic overview of things from you guys, and you've helped to put my mind at rest. I'm not too bothered about the long loop around the resort- more about how to keep an overexcited 2 year old entertained in an hour long line for a bus! A 30 minute wait would be fine- I understand that they're not going to be coming by every 5 minutes or anything. As others have said, it's about making sure we give ourselves enough time to get to where we're going, and factoring in a wait time, just in case.
We've requested to stay in Grandstand, so hopefully if they fulfill our request, we'll be well positioned in the route to the parks.

Thanks again to everyone who has responded. I feel so much happier now. Damn you Trip Advisor, and your negative ways!
 
luv

luv

Well-Known Member
I always had a car, so I have very little experience with the Disney busses, but I've been reading these forums for a while now and have read complaints about bus service everywhere. I've also read how great the busses are everywhere, lol.

I think that WDW, like most bus routes, has good and bad timing. They also have busier and less busy periods.

Most of the complaints are from people who had to wait a while for a bus. If you allow 60-90 minutes, like Disney tells you, you should be able to get wherever you're going on time. :)
 

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