Morning buses

Captain Barbossa

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
So I know that they like to advertise that the buses start running 45 mins prior to park opening, but since when a lot of guest have to be in the parks earlier than 45 mins before opening for breakfast ADRs and morning tours, I was wondering if the buses start running much earlier. I might have to be at MK at 7:15 am and MK doesn't officially open until 9am and I really don't want to have to pay for an uber or a Minnie van. Maybe @Driver can give his professional input?
 

Master Yoda

Pro Star Wars geek.
Premium Member
I know they start running much earlier than the reported 45 minutes, but I am not sure they run quite that early. If arriving at 7:15 is critical, an Uber would be your best bet regardless. The cost is typically less than $15 from anywhere on property.
 

dreamfinder

Well-Known Member
Buses are running by about 6:30 for all parks. However, at that time they are a bit more sporadic than the "every 20 mins" spiel they give you. If you have a hard window, then as @Master Yoda said, spending the money on an Uber or taxi will be your best bet. Otherwise I'd plan on being at the bus stop about 6:20, just to make sure you get on that first bus, and if you aren't on a bus by about 6:45-6:50, I'd be pulling up the Uber/Lyft app to get that ordered so you can make it.
 

Driver

Well-Known Member
Buses are running by about 6:30 for all parks. However, at that time they are a bit more sporadic than the "every 20 mins" spiel they give you. If you have a hard window, then as @Master Yoda said, spending the money on an Uber or taxi will be your best bet. Otherwise I'd plan on being at the bus stop about 6:20, just to make sure you get on that first bus, and if you aren't on a bus by about 6:45-6:50, I'd be pulling up the Uber/Lyft app to get that ordered so you can make it.
^^^^^^ This.... good post! We do start earlier than advertised and that can vary. But as Dreamfinder said 6:20 is a good idea. Not many people up at that time, and there are more busses running empty because of that. Have fun, be safe!
 

Driver

Well-Known Member
Approximately “every 20 minutes”
I know people moan and groan about the busses being on time. But the issue is typically traffic. When it's busy the busses have following distances among many other concerns. When a gap is left in front per DOT the cars think it's for them to jump into. This slows progress as the bus needs to regain the gap only to have more cars zip in. That's only one issue, another thing that happens is at resorts ( All Stars for example) cars can use the bus gate via their magic bands. The bus has to stay back a considerable distance so it doesn't open the gate ( unauthorized entry) with the transponder. Cars see this as an opportunity to jump in front, leaving the bus to wait. I once had ten cars do this, my passengers asked why I was letting all the cars go, I had to explain the transponder. The list goes on but it all adds up to slowing bus progress. The temporary intersection at Osceola and Victory in front of ESPN is a source of long traffic lines and collisions. I know please get irritated but it's the way it is. These are not excuses it's what we deal with, one guest said to me " I would be glued to that guys bumper if I were you" Sir I would be fired, I replied there are four cameras on this bus and one faces forward . [ big brother is watching] We are expected to behave behind the wheel, what others do to us ..........meh!
 

Tuvalu

Premium Member
@Driver on an unrelated note.....

We rode in a Disney bus yesterday with these seats:
FBBDF4BF-53DF-427A-BB10-DAE2FC89759D.jpeg

Why are the seats carpeted? Was this a “test” bus?
The seats were not comfortable at all and I can’t imagine what they would be like after getting wet....by water or any other liquid. :hungover:
 

MinnieM123

Premium Member
@Driver on an unrelated note.....

We rode in a Disney bus yesterday with these seats:
View attachment 282808
Why are the seats carpeted? Was this a “test” bus?
The seats were not comfortable at all and I can’t imagine what they would be like after getting wet....by water or any other liquid. :hungover:

Not a fan of carpeted seats either--reminds me of one of our city subway lines, that put those on the seats. My guess is that they must be more durable (and thereby more cost effective) than other options.
 

winstongator

Well-Known Member
I know people moan and groan about the busses being on time. But the issue is typically traffic. When it's busy the busses have following distances among many other concerns. When a gap is left in front per DOT the cars think it's for them to jump into. This slows progress as the bus needs to regain the gap only to have more cars zip in. That's only one issue, another thing that happens is at resorts ( All Stars for example) cars can use the bus gate via their magic bands. The bus has to stay back a considerable distance so it doesn't open the gate ( unauthorized entry) with the transponder. Cars see this as an opportunity to jump in front, leaving the bus to wait. I once had ten cars do this, my passengers asked why I was letting all the cars go, I had to explain the transponder. The list goes on but it all adds up to slowing bus progress. The temporary intersection at Osceola and Victory in front of ESPN is a source of long traffic lines and collisions. I know please get irritated but it's the way it is. These are not excuses it's what we deal with, one guest said to me " I would be glued to that guys bumper if I were you" Sir I would be fired, I replied there are four cameras on this bus and one faces forward . [ big brother is watching] We are expected to behave behind the wheel, what others do to us ..........meh!
Would adding more buses help? It wouldn't necessarily help this particular problem, but Port Orleans, the resort I most use the buses at, has a dedicated bus entrance, right?

From when I started college at UF to today, their bus system has improved immensely. Where they ran every 30 or 60 minutes, they added buses to make it more like 10. 20 min can turn into 30, so if you just miss it, you've got a long wait. 10 turns into 15, which is half as bad, right?

I really enjoy the non-car transportation at WDW (and everywhere), and have thought that if they had more buses, they'd be used more - because of the decreased delays. WDW has experts looking at it though, so maybe it doesn't justify the cost.
 

Zipadeelady

Well-Known Member
I know people moan and groan about the busses being on time. But the issue is typically traffic. When it's busy the busses have following distances among many other concerns. When a gap is left in front per DOT the cars think it's for them to jump into. This slows progress as the bus needs to regain the gap only to have more cars zip in. That's only one issue, another thing that happens is at resorts ( All Stars for example) cars can use the bus gate via their magic bands. The bus has to stay back a considerable distance so it doesn't open the gate ( unauthorized entry) with the transponder. Cars see this as an opportunity to jump in front, leaving the bus to wait. I once had ten cars do this, my passengers asked why I was letting all the cars go, I had to explain the transponder. The list goes on but it all adds up to slowing bus progress. The temporary intersection at Osceola and Victory in front of ESPN is a source of long traffic lines and collisions. I know please get irritated but it's the way it is. These are not excuses it's what we deal with, one guest said to me " I would be glued to that guys bumper if I were you" Sir I would be fired, I replied there are four cameras on this bus and one faces forward . [ big brother is watching] We are expected to behave behind the wheel, what others do to us ..........meh!
If you are a driver, I just want to say Thank You for all that you do. I'm sure you deal with worst parts of people's emotions. I can't imagine all the things you see and hear.
 
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Driver

Well-Known Member
Would adding more buses help? It wouldn't necessarily help this particular problem, but Port Orleans, the resort I most use the buses at, has a dedicated bus entrance, right?

From when I started college at UF to today, their bus system has improved immensely. Where they ran every 30 or 60 minutes, they added buses to make it more like 10. 20 min can turn into 30, so if you just miss it, you've got a long wait. 10 turns into 15, which is half as bad, right?

I really enjoy the non-car transportation at WDW (and everywhere), and have thought that if they had more buses, they'd be used more - because of the decreased delays. WDW has experts looking at it though, so maybe it doesn't justify the cost.
Port Orleans does have a dedicated bus entrance and so do a few others. But to be clear the busses are not dedicated to a resort, quite the contrary they are dispatched from a "hub" which is a park or Disney Springs. And it is a random dispatch, so a bus that just left Port Orleans will return to MK and the next dispatch will be another resort. During the day dispatch is computer controlled ( not very busy) mornings and evenings it is human controlled based on need. What we call "visual " it's not an issue of adding more busses, as I said earlier it's traffic that gums up the works. On average each hub has 50 +/- on the road that's 250 busses total and borrowing between hubs happens all the time. Slow response always comes down to traffic , accidents etc. Many people want instant service so they call Uber this adds ..... more traffic!!
 

Driver

Well-Known Member
@Driver on an unrelated note.....

We rode in a Disney bus yesterday with these seats:
View attachment 282808
Why are the seats carpeted? Was this a “test” bus?
The seats were not comfortable at all and I can’t imagine what they would be like after getting wet....by water or any other liquid. :hungover:
That is one of our newest busses not sure why they ordered it that way. The Lynx busses have those ( same brand of bus) but as you said " getting wet". Our busses are cleaned inside and out every day the plastic seats clean easy spills are not a problem, the fabric seats not so much. They look nice but I don't think they are practical with wet bathing suits or worse.... bodily fluids ( very common)
 

Captain Barbossa

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
If you are a driver, I just want to say Thank You for all that you do. I'm sure you deal with worst parts of people's emotions. I can't imagine all the things you see and hear.
WDW bus drivers are the most underrated and under appreciated employees of the entire WDW resort. Whenever I hear someone constantly bad mouth them, I usually ask the person, “If they’re doing such a horrible job, and you can obviously do much better, then why don’t we switch it up and let you drive so then the bus driver can kick back, relax, and start bad mouthing you for a change?" Usually that will shut them up.
 
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Driver

Well-Known Member
If you are a driver, I just want to say Thank You for all that you do. I'm sure you deal with worst parts of people's emotions. I can't imagine all the things you see and hear.
Thank you for the kind words, let me just say it can test your patience. But in the big picture I love what I do. I choose to be there I truly enjoy my interaction with the guest. Most guest appreciate what we do, it's the few that take out there frustrations on us that make it challenging to stay in character.
 

Driver

Well-Known Member
WDW bus drivers are the most underrated and under appreciated employees of the entire WDW resort. Whenever I hear someone constantly bad mouth them, I usually ask the person, “If they’re doing such a horrible job, and you can obviously do much better, then why don’t we switch it up and let you drive so then the bus driver can kick back, relax, and start bad mouthing you for a change”? Usually that will shut them up.
Some people just like to complain.... I don't know. We have dedicated routes for CM's at some of the parks they know what we go through. Sometimes they ask " how do you do it" or " why do you do it" LOL . My answer is the good outweighs the bad, as long as you enjoy what you're doing it's not work! One CM told me " you do the Lords work!" LOL
 

ninjaprincesst

Well-Known Member
Not a fan of carpeted seats either--reminds me of one of our city subway lines, that put those on the seats. My guess is that they must be more durable (and thereby more cost effective) than other options.
Although not that great to look at, I will look forward to my legs not hitting the cold plastic as those buses are always freezing.
 

ninjaprincesst

Well-Known Member
You should have no problems, MK buses tend to run pretty close togther in the mornings due to all the people with breakfast ADR at the MK and MK resorts, and last year when the monorail got stuck on our way to the Poly for our 7:15 ADR one phone call and the held our ADR for us with no problem.
 

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