Port Orleans Riverside South Bus Stop Wait Screens

[lebeau]

We stayed at POR in 2010 and although we liked the resort a lot, we had some bad bus experiences. Bad enough that we are leery about staying there again. Now, four years later, we're booked for a stay in the royal guest rooms which are closer to the main building than we were last time.

Still, my wife is gun shy about the buses. So I was reading up on them to see if they have improved at all or if there were any tips I should follow. Apparently, they installed a screen at the south bus stop last fall that displays wait times.

So my questions are:

1. Does anyone know if the screen is still active?
2. If anyone has used it, was it helpful?

If nothing else, I think it would be nice to have the reassurance that a bus is actually coming. Sometimes in 2010, we weren't too sure.

Thanks!

 

[PoppinsFan]

We stayed at POR last Fall, and never had an issue with the buses. I don't think we ever waited over five minutes for a bus. If I remember correctly there was a screen that informed us of upcoming buses, gave approximate wait time.

 

[Sweet Melissa]

Lots of resort bus depots are installing these screens, and they're somewhat useful for estimating wait times. However, we've sat and watch the estimated wait time for the bus we wanted slowly get pushed back later and later for about 20 minutes. An unusually long wait can happen at any resort. I would not say that bus issues are a normal occurrence for Riverside, though.

 

[jlsHouston]

Honestly, I understand completely about balking about waiting for buses, which is why I almost always have a car at disney. I can be running late and still get somewhere for an ADR almost on time....hmmm does that even make sense?
For the most part I have to commend WDW on their mass transportation program. Sure it could be better and yes I have waited 20 minutes for the bus and been extremely annoyed, on the other hand they are moving massive numbers of people across how many square miles and waiting on buses is usually less than a 10 minute wait. In fact I have found it's the boats that I end up having the longest waits for. And those boat captains for the EPCOT resorts....they are always telling you to walk, get off here and walk to BW, or you can walk through the IG faster...I mean if I lined up for the boat, I don't care about the walk times, I want to ride the boat. Sometimes riding the boat is part of the experience for me and sometimes it is because I need an air conditioned break...

 

[cfry06]

We were just there in Feb and the bus screens were still there. In the mornings there was also a cast member stationed at those bus stops to monitor bus activity, call for addt'l buses, etc. Overall we had great bus experiences. As a previous response stated, we did also experience 1 or 2 times where we watched an arrival time back up...and then back up again ultimately 15 mins or so, but that could be expected with lights, traffic, etc.

The buses were crowded at times - but I've experienced that with many resorts. I've stayed at POR two times now, and I can definitely say it felt this time there was more of an awareness of how many people stay at POR and how often the buses should run. This was especially evident at night as parks were closing - buses for POR seemed to come very quickly to control the crowds.

 

[Kuzcotopia]

Lots of resort bus depots are installing these screens, and they're somewhat useful for estimating wait times. However, we've sat and watch the estimated wait time for the bus we wanted slowly get pushed back later and later for about 20 minutes. An unusually long wait can happen at any resort. I would not say that bus issues are a normal occurrence for Riverside, though.

Do you know which resorts have put them in, or plan to? I've only heard of POR doing it so far.

 

[Sweet Melissa]

Do you know which resorts have put them in, or plan to? I've only heard of POR doing it so far.

There was one at Kidani when we were on our honeymoon in November. I can't remember offhand if we noticed others.

 

[habuma]

1. Does anyone know if the screen is still active?
2. If anyone has used it, was it helpful?

Except for one trip where we stayed at CBR, we've always stayed at POR...it's hard to drag us away to another resort.

As for the buses, the last time we were there our room was very close to the West Depot and it didn't have the screens. But I think the main depot does. I know we've used the screens at the Grand Floridian, after an evening ADR and found them useful. Of course, they don't make the buses come any faster, but at least you know what to expect while you wait.

Overall, our only complaint (if that) about the bus service to/from POR is that they can get *REALLY* crowded at night after the parks close. But I suppose that's to be expected and probably consistent with busses to other resorts. As for wait-time for the busses, the only time we ever had to wait a really long time was our own fault...we got up freaky early to wait for the very first bus of the day to get to our ADR at the Chef Mickeys for breakfast. Aside from that, the wait times are reasonable.

The key thing, no matter what resort you're at and no matter how long the busses are taking...enjoy the fact that you're waiting for a Disney bus. I've found that even at the bus stops there's plenty of Disney to take in. Enjoy it while you wait. Of course, if you're anxious about a bus to get you there in time for a reservation, then be sure to show up to the bus stop a little extra early to be sure.

 

[lebeau]

Thanks for all the responses.

So many people seem to have had better bus experiences than what we had in 2010. That stay, 20 minute waits weren't the worst case scenario. They were closer to the best case scenario. And when the bus finally did show up, it was jam packed. One morning when we had early ressies at Cinderella castle, we waited for over an hour while at least nine buses for other parks drove by. Had I known in advance their wouldn't be an MK bus for over an hour, I would have called a cab. Instead, we sat there waiting and hoping that the next bus would be for the MK. After the third bus for each of the other parks passed, we wondered if the MK had closed or something. When an MK bus did finally show up, the driver explained he had been rerouted from DTD. Fortunately, we had allowed an hour for travel. So we were only mildly late for our reservations and were seated right away. But still, total nightmare. I don't think we ever got on a bus in less than 10 minutes that entire trip. The average wait time was probably a 1/2 hour and the buses were always standing room only.

Sounds like our experience that year was a bit of an anomaly. Hopefully this year will be different.

 

[Sweet Melissa]

I do think that the experience you described can happen more frequently if you wait for the bus at the last depot stop. I have definitely been on buses that have passed the last stop or two, especially during peak times, and even more so when Riverside and French Quarter share bus service.

 

[jlsHouston]

That is a nightmare bus story. I do not remember ever waiting more than 20 minutes at a resort for a bus. And maybe 25 minutes once at MK for the CSR bus and boy did I let them have it from my cell phone while I was in that line waiting and bus after bus kept showing up for other resorts but not ours.

 

[Gabe1]

The first screen I saw for bus wait times was at the main bus stop up front at the GF in April of 2012. Love the idea. POR is my choice for a resort and we have had about a dozen times where buses were an issue, usually AK and DTD but we started staying at Dixie in 1992 so for the most part the experiences have been great.



my question: http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/port-orleans-fq-por-shuttle.881922/

 

[acishere]

Lots of resort bus depots are installing these screens, and they're somewhat useful for estimating wait times. However, we've sat and watch the estimated wait time for the bus we wanted slowly get pushed back later and later for about 20 minutes. An unusually long wait can happen at any resort. I would not say that bus issues are a normal occurrence for Riverside, though.

This is true of any kind of public transportation. Normally the signs are very helpful, but there is always that busy or construction period where the arrival time just keeps getting longer and longer.

Waiting for a 6 train in Manhattan has taught me that. For being on a fixed track it always seems to get lost when heading northbound.

 

[sissa216]

I didn't know the screens were at POR, good info. I had only seen them at GF and Kidani. Does anyone know where all they have been installed so far?

 

[Tinkerbella16]

We stayed at POR in November 2013 and we said it all week how great the bus service actually was. The screen at South Depot was always accurate and on time. Everytime we got to the bus stop at South and in the parks a bus was either always there or coming within minutes. It was really great.

 

[travellerman]

It's been a couple years or so since I stayed at Port Orleans and was at FQ not been to Riverside, so I'm going to ask a question, do the two share buses to the parks? Or do they have their own? Does the bus stop first at FQ and then go to Riverside (or vice versa), or each has its own?

 

[Sweet Melissa]

It's been a couple years or so since I stayed at Port Orleans and was at FQ not been to Riverside, so I'm going to ask a question, do the two share buses to the parks? Or do they have their own? Does the bus stop first at FQ and then go to Riverside (or vice versa), or each has its own?

It depends on how busy the resort is during your stay. During peak season, each resort has its own bus. At slower times, they share for all parks with the exception of the Magic Kingdom. French Quarter is the first stop for Epcot, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom, but it's the opposite for Downtown Disney.

 

[Tinkerbella16]

It's been a couple years or so since I stayed at Port Orleans and was at FQ not been to Riverside, so I'm going to ask a question, do the two share buses to the parks? Or do they have their own? Does the bus stop first at FQ and then go to Riverside (or vice versa), or each has its own?

They share sometimes... It is really a hit or miss with this. We go during a slower time in the fall and each time we have stayed at FQ or POR, we have shared with the other maybe once or twice the whole trip. I do know that IF they share, FQ is usually picked up and dropped off first. Also i noticed that when FQ was picked up first and went to Riverside, the bus only went to the South Depot (1st bus stop) and was on its way to where ever we were going. It never stopped at the other depots around the resort. Other than that, they run on their own.

 

[travellerman]

Thanks. The trip in question isn't until next spring, I'm thinking the Flower & Garden festival time, but after March break is over, later on in April. I enjoyed staying at FQ and probably would try for there again, BUT, I have never stayed at Riverside. If the bus situation was not too bad, I may consider there.

 

[jpittore1]

Maybe they can install Magic Band readers to tell who's waiting at the bus stops and where they need to go based off their MDE itinerary. That should help the transportation department