New bus enhancements up and runing

[Fantasia freak]

Well, the system is up and running now at DTD. we've discovered a few bugs in the system and thus have pushed back its rollout for EPCOT which was supposed to be last week. Here is what is working. themed music for each hotel from DTD. if there is more than one hotel such as the contemporary/poly run, you get contemps music all the way to the resort then it switches to poly's music. however, if the bus goes into Typhoon, you get its music back to contemp then polys. now some problems we have run into are computer glitches in the system which are being fixed, but will take a while. such as the marquees are supposed to automatically change when we come to the load zones. we have found that it takes 15-20 secs for them to change once we get to the resorts or to MP or PI. the other is that our dispatchers now have to call out a 5 digit code that we must enter into the system, and that slows the non-computer guys down a lot (have the guys are in the 50s/60s and cant work a comp) in order to do anything with the system, the bus has to be going 2 mph or slower, or the buttons dont function. eventually this will be all computerized, with a central computer tracking and dispatching each bus, so that all i have to do is look at the screen and it will tell me my next destination, which hub i will p/u for and i only have to press the acknowledge button. and thats it, one button. all computerized. Supposedly, in the load zones there will be new machines put in. You swipe your room key, punch in how many people in your party and which hub you want to go to, and it sends that message to central so it will know who is waiting, where they're waiting, and what bus they're waiting for.
Dont expect that till Oct. though if we're lucky.

i can tell you some of the music though.
MK will have its a small world and pirates.
DTD has everything from country, to c&c music factory.
POP has 5 songs ( Grease, Hound dog, all in the family theme song,Austin Powers theme song, and chipmunks " ching chang walla walla bing bang")
on a loop.
typhoon laggon plays the beach boys
Blizzard beach has christmas music. (santa moved to florida theme)

 

[Scar Junior]

Well, the system is up and running now at DTD. we've discovered a few bugs in the system and thus have pushed back its rollout for EPCOT which was supposed to be last week. Here is what is working. themed music for each hotel from DTD. if there is more than one hotel such as the contemporary/poly run, you get contemps music all the way to the resort then it switches to poly's music. however, if the bus goes into Typhoon, you get its music back to contemp then polys. now some problems we have run into are computer glitches in the system which are being fixed, but will take a while. such as the marquees are supposed to automatically change when we come to the load zones. we have found that it takes 15-20 secs for them to change once we get to the resorts or to MP or PI. the other is that our dispatchers now have to call out a 5 digit code that we must enter into the system, and that slows the non-computer guys down a lot (have the guys are in the 50s/60s and cant work a comp) in order to do anything with the system, the bus has to be going 2 mph or slower, or the buttons dont function. eventually this will be all computerized, with a central computer tracking and dispatching each bus, so that all i have to do is look at the screen and it will tell me my next destination, which hub i will p/u for and i only have to press the acknowledge button. and thats it, one button. all computerized. Supposedly, in the load zones there will be new machines put in. You swipe your room key, punch in how many people in your party and which hub you want to go to, and it sends that message to central so it will know who is waiting, where they're waiting, and what bus they're waiting for.
Dont expect that till Oct. though if we're lucky.

i can tell you some of the music though.
MK will have its a small world and pirates.
DTD has everything from country, to c&c music factory.
POP has 5 songs ( Grease, Hound dog, all in the family theme song,Austin Powers theme song, and chipmunks " ching chang walla walla bing bang")
on a loop.
typhoon laggon plays the beach boys
Blizzard beach has christmas music. (santa moved to florida theme)

1. That's just plain awesome.

2. And my dad argues with me when I tell him the economy will be more efficient when his generation retires...

3. How will "tourists" know they aren't just listening to a local radio station?

4. That's enough for me to never stay at POP ever again.

 

[Fantasia freak]

i forgot to add that the spiels are done by the same guy that does the ones for the monorail and the ferryboats, but there are going to be some (MK mostly) that are done by mickey and minnie. (i have personally heard one by minnie). and the busses will use the external speakers as well, to tell guests to stay clear of the bus while guests unload, fold up the strollers before boarding and other stuff. no word if this will include saying the busses destination for the visually impaired who cant see the marquee. I'll get back to you on that one.

 

[Rammstein]

You swipe your room key, punch in how many people in your party and which hub you want to go to, and it sends that message to central so it will know who is waiting, where they're waiting, and what bus they're waiting for.
Dont expect that till Oct. though if we're lucky.

What if there are guests that aren't staying on Disney property but wish to visit resorts and possible resort hopping?

NOTE: This is an example. There are more out there, but this is the first one that came to mind.

 

[PhilharMagician]

What if there are guests that aren't staying on Disney property but wish to visit resorts and possible resort hopping?

NOTE: This is an example. There are more out there, but this is the first one that came to mind.

Disney transportation is for Disney resort guests. There has always been a problem with people not wanting to pay for parking at the parks and they would go to DTD for free parking and take a bus to the parks for the day. This may help to eliminate that. But it sounds like the card readers will be there to get input by understanding guest waiting times and amount of guests for now, not keep people from getting on the busses. It would become an issue for non resort guests when access to the bus itself requires a valid room ID prior to boarding.

 

[Dayma]

This sounds awesome and I like the idea of having to be a guest to ride!

 

[Nemo14]

Disney transportation is for Disney resort guests.

Actually your park ticket is supposed to include use of Disney transportation, regardless of where you are staying.

 

[SallyfromDE]

I usually stay in the parks. But I would imagine that you use your park ticket for the transportation. The TTC may be handled different?

 

[brkgnews]

I *really* don't see them making every blasted person swipe their room card to get on the bus. Moreover, I don't see every person actually doing it when they get in line for the bus.

If they do go through with it, maybe you can swipe your park ticket instead of your room card.

As for the free parking ripoff via Downtwon Disney, that's why you cannot (easily) get from the parks to DTD and vice versa. You've got to go to a nearby resort and transfer/walk.

 

[darthjohnny]

Cool. I can't wait to check it out in a couple of weeks.

 

[sillykid]

Fantasia Freak....Thanks for the new info and update. Sounds like once they get the system to stage 2 with the computers it will be great.

 

[svickersart]

Thanks for the update, I'm looking forward to seeing this all work when I'm there in November. Can you tell me what kind of computer they put in the busses? I am a dispatcher for a towing company that runs AAA and we also have computers in our trucks and they are great. We are about to get upgraded computers with more functions on Verizons network that will also give us better coverage and mapping abilities. I'm curious if you are using a simular system.
Thanks
Steve

 

[EchoOfOphelia]

OMG, the same music over and over and over again??? :veryconfu

I have a feeling the turn-over rate for the bus driver job position is going to dramatically increase...

 

[ilovepluto23]

Thanks for the info! It sounds awesome!

My only complaint is WHY did they have to put "It's a Small World" on the MK music spiel!? I hope it isn't final, b/c that will be SO annoying!:brick:

 

[PhilharMagician]

I *really* don't see them making every blasted person swipe their room card to get on the bus. Moreover, I don't see every person actually doing it when they get in line for the bus.

If they do go through with it, maybe you can swipe your park ticket instead of your room card.

As for the free parking ripoff via Downtwon Disney, that's why you cannot (easily) get from the parks to DTD and vice versa. You've got to go to a nearby resort and transfer/walk.

Yeah, parking at DTD to avoid paying for parking has dropped when they eliminated the direct busses to the parks, but after SSR was up and running it has started to rise. I was suprised to see a few times people walking over from DTD first thing in the morning and boarding busses at Congress Park in SSR. I would say that close to 50% of my trips back to SSR now there is a group taken the bus back to go to DTD.

 

[Capt. Jack]

So cool, can't wait to check it out when I go

 

[WhyteAL]

I guess if this is true, then the busses are goin tobe the long term solution for wdw transportation. So much for monorail expansion? I was hoping against all odds.:shrug:

Oh well....

 

[CTXRover]

I experienced the new bus system from DTD back to the Yacht club this past Saturday. I think when it rolls out completely, it will be very nice. We were picked up from PI and taken to Typhoon and then to the resorts. The automated spiels on the buses from the monorail guy (the newer one) helps to tie all of the Disney transporation together. He basically goes over the safety information and, as on the monorails, talks about the upcoming destination (Typhoon in this case) and highlights some of the must-sees, as well as some suggestions such as wearing sunscreen. Thankfully, the talking was kept to a relative minimum and we were treated to Beach Boys music for most of the trip. After we picked up guests at Typhoon, we headed to the Swan and Dolphin, which had classic piano music with sounds of seagulls/beach sounds woven into the arrangement. My only complaint is that the music was too loud at times, particularly during the swells in the music, to the point it was difficult to talk to the person next to you. Hopefully the volume will be better controlled, as I thought it was a real Disney touch to have themed music. After the Swan and Dolphin, the music changed for the Yacht club. Again classic style music, but notably different than the Swan and Dolphin. I thought it was pretty neat that the bus system knew exactly where we were and what announcements to play, specially since all of this is being retrofitted into the exisiting bus system. Overall, it was a very nice way to make the buses more Disney-esque. I rode the bus to multiple desitnations this past weekend, and only my trip from PI to the Yacht club had any music/pre-recorded announcements.

 

[Fantasia freak]

Actually your park ticket is supposed to include use of Disney transportation, regardless of where you are staying.

remember, i am used to the fact that for most people the room key is also their tickets as well, which is why i said room key.. but disney transprtation is for all theme park guests, so your park ticket should work as well, if you're not staying on property.

 

[k.hunter30]

I noticed this on the way back to our room at POFQ. DH thought the jazz was a nice touch!