Kicked off the bus!

[niteobsrvr]

Originally posted by shari71
We have stayed at POR many times without much problem with the busing system. This year we stayed at the GF and it was horrible. It was nothing to wait an hour or more for a bus and then to be crammed on because they service three hotels and only have one bus for the round. Almost afraid to go back to POR if this is the new system. Bus drivers were always friendly in the past but the ones this trip were downright rude. Try getting off a bus that is packed with two sleeping kids and a stroller and the driver will not open the back door....basically we had to unload the bus because he was being a crab about opening the doors.

The Grand Floridian is definitely served by more than one bus. In fact, busses are dispatched about every 15 minutes or so. The problem is we can not yet predict when everyone is going to leave their rooms at the resort and converge on a bus stop and all want to go to the same place. When this happens, especially at night, there is no way to respond immediately with another bus. Depending on where it comes from it will take at least 10 to 15 minutes for it to arrive and by that time the next regular bus would be there. Often times these crowded situations occur for one moment in time and then it is over.

As far as waiting an hour goes, it is virtualy impossbile for that to happen. The bus drivers hear this all the time but in oder for it to be possible every bus sent to a resort would need to breakdown because the time between any two regularly dispatched busses is not greater than 20 minutes. If there is an extremely busy time busses will be dispatched more often than that.

Other reasons for delay would not be avaioded regardless of how many busses we sent to a resort. For example, a traffic accident or other situation that ties up one of the major arteries. Sometimes the delay is the guests at another resort not entering the bus efficiently, haveing one person get on the bus and as the driver to wait while the other three in the family are a block away. Maybe there is a mobility impaired guest boarding that requires extra time to strap down the wheelchair etc.

The reason the Grand FLoridian is tied to the COntemporary and Polynesian is that any one of those resorts by itself does not usually generate enough traffic to warrant their own bus. Resorts like Port Orleans can often fill a bus on their own becasue there are 4 stops and 2000 rooms (3000 when french quarter is open). The combined total rooms between the Contemporary, Poly, and Grand FLO is 2805.

A great rule of thumb is that if you have some place to be at Disney by a certain time is....Allow at least one hour for transportation. THis means if you have a priority seating at 6:30 pm at France in Epcot be at your bus stop by 5:30. This way if something does go wrong with the system (you dealing with mechanical systems and people, so it happens) you have plenty of time to get there.

 

[Kellylynn322]

While there last November with my mom the bus back to the parking lot from Hoop-De-Do hit the fencing and the lady kept going. I made me laugh (then again I had a seat) but a few people ended up on other people.

 

[Invero]

Originally posted by Kellylynn322
While there last November with my mom the bus back to the parking lot from Hoop-De-Do hit the fencing and the lady kept going. I made me laugh (then again I had a seat) but a few people ended up on other people.

Happens all the time in the Woods. Especially at night. VERY hard to see, sometimes. (Although the driver should have stopped)

 

[BG Rugger]

Ouch! That sounds crazy. I've never heard of something like that happening. In all of my experience the bus drivers have been very polite and friendly. In fact, I make a point to sit up front to talk to them. They have always been happy to talk about different "behind the scene rumors" going on arounf the World. Despite some exceptions, I think the bus drivers deserve big props on how accomodating they are.

Cheers

 

[ISTCrew20]

Originally posted by niteobsrvr

5. Do not talk to the driver or expect him to sing or tell jokes while the bus is in motion. This is also a federal law. If something were to happen like an accident and the investigators were to find out the driver was talking, he or she could end up losing their job and license and possibly end up in a lengthy and expensive court situation.

Wow...most of the time when Im coming back from a park, the bus drivers always talk, and try to get everyone to laugh on the bus over the intercom thingy, and its pretty funny too....


But, the very worst experience I have ever had, is, whenever Im on a nova bus (the new ones that smell good in the morning)...My friend and I always sit in the back, and wave to the people out the back window...and someone did some not so nice stuff, but we we just laughed about it. Oh yea...its also not nice, when I walk into a bus all bright and cheery, and say "hello mam/sir, how ya doing today"...and they just grunt at me

 

[tiggerlover1971]

We had only one bus driver this last trip who we thought was a looney tunes He made a women with a stroller put the stroller up on to the seat next to her instead of her keeping it in front of her folded because he said it was a federal law not to have it on the ground and he was kind of rude and drove way too fast !!!

 

[Invero]

Originally posted by tiggerlover1971
We had only one bus driver this last trip who we thought was a looney tunes He made a women with a stroller put the stroller up on to the seat next to her instead of her keeping it in front of her folded because he said it was a federal law not to have it on the ground and he was kind of rude and drove way too fast !!!

Technically, that's the way it's supposed to be. Although, as long as the stroller is folded, and remains in the control of the passenger, 95% of the drivers will over look this rule.

 

[tiggerlover1971]

oops tyler I hope it wasnt you hahahahahaha sorry if it was

 

[Invero]

Originally posted by tiggerlover1971
oops tyler I hope it wasnt you hahahahahaha sorry if it was

It wasn't... hehe... As long as the stroller is folded, and not on the low-floor wheel well, it's all good.

 

[niteobsrvr]

Originally posted by ISTCrew20
Wow...most of the time when Im coming back from a park, the bus drivers always talk, and try to get everyone to laugh on the bus over the intercom thingy, and its pretty funny too....

Yep, I know. They choose to ignore the law but its a precarious position they are putting themselves in each time.

The unfortunate sitution in this country is that even though Disney would like the bus rides to be just as magical as everything else, they will not back up a bus driver in a situation where the bus hits someone and causes injury. This is even more true if it comes into play that the driver was talking to the passengers while driving. It then becomes the bus drivers responsibility to defend himself in whatever lawsuits are filed against him as Disney can not knowingly tell someone to break the law or admit that they encourage it.

More importantly, if this situation were to occur and the accident resulted in a death, it is very likely that the driver would be brought up on criminal charges of involuntary vehicular homicide as well. This has happened in other places in the country and the drivers of the commercial vehicles are now convicted felons doing their time in the big house.

 

[shari71]

Let me clarify my earlier statements and say that I really have not had a problem with the bus system until GF. Yes, one morning we had to wait an hour to get a bus to the Animal Kingdom. Why? Because it was constantly full each time it reached GF. The person who monitors the station finally left because there were so many angry people. But we were more fustrated because if they were filling up at the stops before and we were crowded then why not send a bus to the GF by itself to relieve the pressure? We had enough to fill it.

I know it is hard to plan out situations and I was calm during most of this. As I stated in my last note, I really respect how Disney moves people around not knowing day to day where people will want to go and when, but there seems to be a lot of problems at GF and the buses. So much so that we ended up ditching the bus system and spending most of our trip in MK and EP because of the monorail being so regular.

Also, we did have the stroller folded and my husband on a different side of the bus. I carried two sleeping children off and had to listen to the grumbles of everyone as we bumped them. We were right next to the back exit and it could have been an easy process to unload us, but instead we had to move everyone out of the aisle to get off and then reload....didn't stick around for that. One nice gentleman helped me off the bus and I thank him for that since no one else really gave a hoot.

Since this was a once in a lifetime trip to a Deluxe hotel, we were disappointed. We will be going back to POR next year and we will once again enjoy the bus system.

 

[niteobsrvr]

Originally posted by shari71

Since this was a once in a lifetime trip to a Deluxe hotel, we were disappointed. We will be going back to POR next year and we will once again enjoy the bus system.

Shari please dont take offense, I am just using your post to make a point.

I believe you have every right to expect something amazing when paying for a luxury hotel room. However, sometimes, you have to be careful about your expectations when paying for something "upscale". It doesnt always mean you get the best service, friendliest people, etc. Options like the Grand Floridian exist because people will pay for them in order to feel special when relaying their vacation stories to their freinds or because their status amongst their peers is such that only the best named resort will do. The Resorts also exist because companies like Disney know that if they don't offer them people will go off property in order to attain this "level" of luxury.

I have never felt welcome in the GF quite the way I do in all of the other resorts at Disney. Of course, glitz and oppulence aren't exactly my bag of tea. I do have to wonder if some of the cast members there don't size you up as you come through the door trying to decide who is likel to be the best tipper.

 

[Timekeeper]

Get On The Bus - a Spike Lee joint

I heard that 70% of WDW bus drivers are ex postal service employees who lost their jobs against their will. :lookaroun

Okay, seriously though, I've seen problems with the mechanical lifts used to raise wheelchairs and mobility units up onto the bus (at the rear door.) Apparently they don't keep all of these things in working condition. I remember having to wait for quite some time at Animal Kingdom while one bus couldn't operate their lift, and after another bus arrived (two busses running the same circuit shouldn't really be at one station at the same time) their lift didn't work until a guest jumped up and down on it a few times to get it working. I think the bus was to go to EPCOT.

I'd still like to see some sort of automated transportation service like a smaller monorail or even a enclosed peoplemover to transport guests between the parks. They have park hopper tickets, so guests are obviously park-hopping - I just hate having to use the busses, which are subject to long waits, crowded environments, and weather and traffic conditions. I understand that this is the most "cost efficient" thing for WDW to do, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. The shortest distance between two points is a straight line, so build us a people mover or something like it. Sheesh.

Timekeeper

 

[bamboo7]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Kicked off the bus!

Originally posted by Invero
Usually when my Nova takes a dump, I tell my guests that it's running Windows 95.

ROFL!!!:lol::sohappy: :lol: :sohappy:

 

[Invero]

Re: Get On The Bus - a Spike Lee joint

Originally posted by Timekeeper
Okay, seriously though, I've seen problems with the mechanical lifts used to raise wheelchairs and mobility units up onto the bus (at the rear door.) Apparently they don't keep all of these things in working condition.

Hydraulic lifts are highly tempermental devices. 95% of the time, they work fine. Every so often, there's a glitch, as with all mechanical things.

Disney is actually replacing a lot of the older original 20 year old lifts with brand new 'retro-lifts' that work much simpler, and easier, and are less prone to failure.

 

[General Grizz]

I'd like to report something I saw a few weeks ago. . .

A WDW bus (Disney Transportation on the side) with all logos covered with a white sheet. . . but at points, it was transparent (sunlight or cheap sheet). This was. . . halfway from Orlando to Georgia, around the St. Augustine area.


Any ideas?

 

[mkt]

Originally posted by grizzlyhall
Any ideas?

probably an ex-disney bus that hasn't been repainted yet

 

[mkepcotmgmak]

Originally posted by Invero
Was it Bonnie?

OMG YES! - it was SO BONNIE!

do you know if she still works there?

 

[Chris]

This is exactly why we NEVER take the busses. I would rather drive any day than waste valuable park time waiting on a bus to take me to a park or waiting in line with two tired kids trying to get back to our hotel. In the 25+ trips we have made to WDW we have only taken a bus once. Parking is free for hotel guests and AAA members get "up front" parking. I know that some people hate to drive and park at WDW but I cannot imagine depending on WDW transportation for every move I made.

 

[Marijil]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Kicked off the bus!

Originally posted by Invero
That is odd that there was no explanation given. Usually when my Nova takes a dump, I tell my guests that it's running Windows 95. They all get a kick out of that.

Wouldnt that be a violation of the no jokes rule as set forth above...after all the bus ride is not the "entertainment" portion of the trip