Matt_Black
Well-Known Member
Regarding fancier, more entertaining buses, remember- safety should always come before show.
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Resort buses
- Thread starter Phroobar
- Start date
Matt_Black
Well-Known Member
Even if it's not a perfect comparison, it's a good starting point. WDW is roughly the size of San Francisco, a major metropolitan city. Between the scope and the number of guests, it's a credit to management and operations that things run as smoothly as they do.
flynnibus
Premium Member
Buses can be plain... Disney's are not
The stops are integrated with all resorts for instance. A 'it's just a bus' system would not have that... Stops could be away from entrances, along roads, etc. the transportation is integrated with the property design... A random public system would not be
flynnibus
Premium Member
Are people really this lacking in imagination? Who says the buses would be distracting to drivers outside the bus? Why do people on the outside need to see Through the windows? That is easily solved with one way viewing materials.
And besides... Buses have been grabbing drivers attention for ages... Those ads and wraps all over the buses???
No wonder Disney doesn't try harder these days... The legions will line up to defend not even trying as the more desirable outcome
The Empress Lilly
Well-Known Member
Nah, not really. A chimpanzee can operate a functioning bus system in such a nearly completely controlled environment as WDW.
The Empress Lilly
Well-Known Member
Everything you've said in this thread is spot on. I would like each individual post, but I'm lazy and can't be bothered to exceed the strictly necessary - taking my cue from WDW management here!
And to think buses are a complete disgrace to WDW to begin with. This beautiful experiment that sought to present an alternative to the mundane, inefficient, mind-numbing daily traffic of mid-century America, that erased the smaller scale, warm, community-driven America of old.
The futurist monorail is just as much as the nostalgic Main Street an accusation to the same inhumanities of Walt's era. Their difference is that once Walt discovered he could actually build and control a real, functioning environment, his imagination moved on from presenting a mere escape - the simplified, smaller scale nostalgic town of MS, to presenting an actual alternative - the bold, real scale, real-life town.
But don't let any of that distract from being bussed to your character meet followed by a plopped-in-the-middle-of-nowhere giant bowl where you learn all about the triumph of imagination.
JonFromPhilly
Member
Can I just say I find it very odd that people are this passionate about buses. They're just buses, take a deep breath.
To answer the original question, I think the buses are just fine for their intention, however, we used a rental car on our last trip and saved a lot of time driving directly to our destinations versus waiting for a bus that makes multiple stops. Plus we went to universal
To answer the original question, I think the buses are just fine for their intention, however, we used a rental car on our last trip and saved a lot of time driving directly to our destinations versus waiting for a bus that makes multiple stops. Plus we went to universal
The bus system itself is ok. It is what it is.
The people on the buses, that's another matter entirely. People letting their kids run wild, people talking extremely loud, people talking on their cell phones, people taking up half of my seat or my wife's or kid's seats, people pushing and shoving to get on the bus. It's like people can't just get on the bus, sit down and shut up until they reach their destination. I shouldn't have to hear about your life or your family or your work conversation. I shouldn't have to get kicked by your kid the whole ride. I shouldn't have to feel your thigh and butt on my seat the whole time. I shouldn't smell you the whole time.
So it's really people that are the problem, not buses.
The people on the buses, that's another matter entirely. People letting their kids run wild, people talking extremely loud, people talking on their cell phones, people taking up half of my seat or my wife's or kid's seats, people pushing and shoving to get on the bus. It's like people can't just get on the bus, sit down and shut up until they reach their destination. I shouldn't have to hear about your life or your family or your work conversation. I shouldn't have to get kicked by your kid the whole ride. I shouldn't have to feel your thigh and butt on my seat the whole time. I shouldn't smell you the whole time.
So it's really people that are the problem, not buses.
daisyduckie
Well-Known Member
I would like you to explain how Disney can do the things you suggest they should do. How should they handle wheelchairs and scooters more efficiently, and in a fair manner? As far as the bus stations go, some people like the ones with seating areas, some prefer ones with actual queues. So should Disney just follow your preference, is that the "right' way?
People think there is too much aggression when getting on the buses now. Let's add fancy video screens where you have to sit or stand in a certain spot so you can be entertained for your 15 minute ride. Yeah, that will help things.
Can people not deal with 15 minutes of chatting with their family, or reading their phone, or listening to their I-Pods, they now need the bus to entertain them? Goodness.I think it is easy to point at the buses and say they should be better. There is always room for improvement with wait times, that is for sure. And as you have pointed out, Disney is already working on having screens with bus arrival times. But I don't think they need to be dressed up and made to be anything more than a bus that we are all on for not that much time.
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flynnibus
Premium Member
The beauty of this problem is it's largely isolated to peak exit times at the parks - which makes it easier to address as the problem 'area' is consolidated. Disney could have buses with interior build outs for greater scooter/WC capacity, or buses that had different load/unload systems to reduce cycle time. These specialized buses could be loaded from different bus queues that would allow handicapped riders to reduce their wait for buses while also eliminating the impact on the other buses. Bus routes could be consolidated by areas and rider distribution. By using magic bands a dispatcher could optimize who gets on what bus to optimize efficiency.
Even with the standard buses - Disney could invest in load/unload changes and do simple things like increase staffing at these peak times to reduce load/unload times - improving everyone's experience.
"I prefer standing in a chain queue, with no shade, in the middle of a FL summer" - Said no one ever. The only time people want to be in a queue is because they want to secure their spot on the bus. Queuing up is only one way to achieve that - not the only way.
This is not paradise...
People think there is too much aggression when getting on the buses now. Let's add fancy video screens where you have to sit or stand in a certain spot so you can be entertained for your 15 minute ride. Yeah, that will help things.
So your recommendation is that you strip things down as much as possible to ensure people are focused purely on being stuck on a bus? That's 'vacation' eh? And like everything... you can scale things based on necessity. Maybe people should start considering the topic is 'HOW TO MAKE THINGS MORE ENJOYABLE' instead of 'how can I get from point A to B as quickly as possible'.
Have you all never taken the boat launch instead of the bus simply for the desire to enjoy a boat ride?
You're on vacation people.. no need to treat it like a military operation.
flynnibus
Premium Member
They are just uniforms..
They are just trashcans..
They are just lightposts...
They are just yards...
They are just chairs...
They are just turnstiles...
They are just safety videos...
They are just places to line up...
Disney didn't have to spruce up any of those things... but because the company thought more of your experience than apparently you do.. they didn't just settle for your local city equivalent.
daisyduckie
Well-Known Member
So Disney should spend more money on even new buses, thus increasing the cost of going to the parks even more? In effect, segregate the people who have to use scooters to get around. And hire CMs to do what exactly to help with unloading/loading the buses? Hand people off? Who here volunteers to pay $200 a day for a ticket in order to fund all of this????
Btw, I have seen plenty of posts from people who prefer standing in the queue lines vs bus tops with seating areas. Plenty. To misquote you, your way is not the only way. And not necessarily the way that is right for everybody. And the beauty of it is now, you can pick which way you like and choose your resort accordingly.
I kind of have to laugh at the idea that the majority of guests would go for a longer, more enjoyable bus ride to the parks over an efficient ride to the parks. Nothing has to be stripped from the current buses. However, nothing needs to be added to try and entertain guests while on board either. It is ridiculous that people can't handle 15 minutes on a bus without being entertained by Disney, because they can't entertain themselves for that long. Plenty of people enjoy looking out the windows at the palm trees and all of the scenery. And there is always the option of using a phone/Ipad/Ipod for those who need something else.
Btw, I have seen plenty of posts from people who prefer standing in the queue lines vs bus tops with seating areas. Plenty. To misquote you, your way is not the only way. And not necessarily the way that is right for everybody. And the beauty of it is now, you can pick which way you like and choose your resort accordingly.
I kind of have to laugh at the idea that the majority of guests would go for a longer, more enjoyable bus ride to the parks over an efficient ride to the parks. Nothing has to be stripped from the current buses. However, nothing needs to be added to try and entertain guests while on board either. It is ridiculous that people can't handle 15 minutes on a bus without being entertained by Disney, because they can't entertain themselves for that long. Plenty of people enjoy looking out the windows at the palm trees and all of the scenery. And there is always the option of using a phone/Ipad/Ipod for those who need something else.
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Weather_Lady
Well-Known Member
In our experience, assuming a whole week at WDW, using Disney transportation exclusively:
- the vast majority of the time, we will have to wait less than 10 minutes for a bus, the only exception being if we are leaving a park at closing time, when we might have to wait twice as long, because the first bus may fill up
- once per trip, at some random point, there will be a lengthy wait for a bus -- say, 20-40+ minutes -- due to a bus breaking down, or some other apparent problem with the system -- these do happen, but they are an aberration that for some reason works out to about 1 trip out of the 24+ bus trips we take to/from resorts and parks in a 6 or 7-day visit (we go back to our resort for a mid-day nap/swim break, so we're taking a minimum of 4 bus rides per day on Disney transportation)
- the buses themselves are very clean, nicely air-conditioned, and comfortable, with soft, upbeat music themed to your destination or departure point, and a digital display that tells you where you are going and what time it is. They are nicer than any public transit bus I've ever seen in the U.S. in any city. They're not "luxury" transportation, nor are they meant to be, but they are by no means shabby or distasteful, and we are happy to rely on them exclusively during our Disney vacations.
Will there be loud people, pushy people, cranky children, stroller people, scooter people, etc. riding the bus as well and making your journey more lengthy or less pleasant? Perhaps, although there will also be friendly people, quiet people, polite people, interesting people, parents of young children whose day could be made by a look of sympathy instead of an eye roll, and sometimes you'll practically have the bus to yourself. You can allow yourself to be annoyed, or you can sit back, enjoy the ride and do a little people-watching. Like to many other aspects of a Disney visit, it is what you make of it.
- the vast majority of the time, we will have to wait less than 10 minutes for a bus, the only exception being if we are leaving a park at closing time, when we might have to wait twice as long, because the first bus may fill up
- once per trip, at some random point, there will be a lengthy wait for a bus -- say, 20-40+ minutes -- due to a bus breaking down, or some other apparent problem with the system -- these do happen, but they are an aberration that for some reason works out to about 1 trip out of the 24+ bus trips we take to/from resorts and parks in a 6 or 7-day visit (we go back to our resort for a mid-day nap/swim break, so we're taking a minimum of 4 bus rides per day on Disney transportation)
- the buses themselves are very clean, nicely air-conditioned, and comfortable, with soft, upbeat music themed to your destination or departure point, and a digital display that tells you where you are going and what time it is. They are nicer than any public transit bus I've ever seen in the U.S. in any city. They're not "luxury" transportation, nor are they meant to be, but they are by no means shabby or distasteful, and we are happy to rely on them exclusively during our Disney vacations.
Will there be loud people, pushy people, cranky children, stroller people, scooter people, etc. riding the bus as well and making your journey more lengthy or less pleasant? Perhaps, although there will also be friendly people, quiet people, polite people, interesting people, parents of young children whose day could be made by a look of sympathy instead of an eye roll, and sometimes you'll practically have the bus to yourself. You can allow yourself to be annoyed, or you can sit back, enjoy the ride and do a little people-watching. Like to many other aspects of a Disney visit, it is what you make of it.
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JonFromPhilly
Member
You need to find something better to do with your time because it's not that deep. Might I suggest a hobby?!
DisneyOutsider
Well-Known Member
I always use the buses for the following reasons:
Recently, I'm supplementing the bus transportation with Uber. Useful if you need to catch an ADR or go from resort to resort.
An earlier poster referred to the bus system as "ghetto", which is a mindset that is borne out of a lack of familiarity with urban living/transit-oriented communities (such as WDW).
Also, I really admire @flynnibus call for bigger and better things in this thread. While the buses "work" from a Utilitarian perspective, they certainly could (and certainly should) be better than your typical 'Point A to Point B' bus transit system. My hope is that when the buses need to be replaced, they will undergo an overhaul of the resort-to-park transit system worthy of Walt Disney's name.
- They're dependable and clean
- More cost-efficient than renting a car (you're essentially paying for the buses whether you use them or not)
- More energy-efficient (speaking as a transit nerd, 1 bus transporting 30 people > 15 cars transporting 30 people) than driving myself
Recently, I'm supplementing the bus transportation with Uber. Useful if you need to catch an ADR or go from resort to resort.
An earlier poster referred to the bus system as "ghetto", which is a mindset that is borne out of a lack of familiarity with urban living/transit-oriented communities (such as WDW).
Also, I really admire @flynnibus call for bigger and better things in this thread. While the buses "work" from a Utilitarian perspective, they certainly could (and certainly should) be better than your typical 'Point A to Point B' bus transit system. My hope is that when the buses need to be replaced, they will undergo an overhaul of the resort-to-park transit system worthy of Walt Disney's name.
flynnibus
Premium Member
Thanks for contributing!
flynnibus
Premium Member
I think this is part of the problem.. most readers have experiences only with crappy regional or city buses in the US... which are WAY behind the curve of other metro transit systems around the world.. because in some areas they actually LIKE public transit and invest in it.
Disney is way better than DC Metro Buses... But Oslo City Route Buses >> Disney for instance..
But in the context of a Disney discussion... I don't want Disney to just be 'as good as' the stuff we find back at home in a regular life.
It's as if people have totally forgotten the vision behind the EPCOT building codes and initiatives when Disney developed WDW.
DisneyJunkie
Well-Known Member
I think there's a couple of ways to discuss Disney buses. One of them would be the vehicles themselves. They provide adequate "point A to point B" transportation even if they aren't the fastest moving and the seats aren't the most comfortable. (Come on Disney, at least pad the seats!) Another way of discussion would be in the actual ride itself, which can be fun if you have a particularly good driver, or they can be miserable depending on overcrowding and the behavior of other guests riding with you, or they can just be forgettable ways of getting around. And then there's a third way which would be how they may or may not convenience resort guests. They can be convenient if you manage to get down to the bus stop when your particular bus is there for you or there with minimal wait or if they don't have fifteen stops to make before you get to your destination. They can be quite inconvenient if you're watching bus after bus come and go without being the bus you're waiting on (a particular issue at Wilderness Lodge for some reason), and they can also be inconvenient if you're staying in a resort that has its own internal bus system - which makes you wait while it hits 10 different bus stops before leaving the resort to head to the final destination.
I stay at YM so I limit my bus usage Walk to two of them...... This is more me than them...I'm just not patient... I take cabs to dinners at other hotels which makes me happy.... Is the system perfect? No, I have had some long waits from Animal kingdom park to other parks.... But it isn't bad by any stretch....
daisyduckie
Well-Known Member
I think the buses are not any fancier on purpose. Padded seats would be nice--until a guest spilled on them, or a child had an accident on them. Video screen windows would be cool, until the people standing up blocked a child's view and they started to cry. Or until you had to explain it isn't safe to have them playing at night. Or a parent had to drag their unhappy child off of the bus because they wanted to see the rest of the show.
The buses are mass transit. They are clean and well kept. I'm not sure why they need to be fancy, or how dressing them up would help in any way and not cause more problems. They are not meant to be a destination in and of themselves.
The buses are mass transit. They are clean and well kept. I'm not sure why they need to be fancy, or how dressing them up would help in any way and not cause more problems. They are not meant to be a destination in and of themselves.