Resort buses

[Weather_Lady]

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.

I agree with you, having spent a fair amount of time on public buses in Stockholm, which in comparison with Disney's buses would be something like comparing a Cadillac with a Yugo. I do think, however, that with the exception of stroller/scooter/wheelchair accommodations (something Disney needs desperately to improve on its transportation -- it should take a fraction of the time it does to load and unload those things), the Disney buses are, in my view, more than adequate for their purpose.

 

[flynnibus]

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

Yet other transit systems have figured it out. Even the subway car I was on today actually had padded vinyal seats. It's not impossible.. just easier for Disney.

Video screen windows would be cool, until the people standing up blocked a child's view and they started to cry

So be a better parent - or consider show elements that used the ad area of the bus or the ceiling. Instead of focusing on what you CAN'T do... focus on what you CAN do.

Or until you had to explain it isn't safe to have them playing at night

Newsflash people... in the world today, millions of buses drive around at night where people on the outside can be 'distracted' by all those people doing stuff INSIDE THE BUS! zOMG how do we all survive???

Or a parent had to drag their unhappy child off of the bus because they wanted to see the rest of the show.

What you can't think of a show that actually knows too STOP when the bus stops? Really people.. are we that short sighted?

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 voice of mediocrity.

 

[SeanWM48]

What you can't think of a show that actually knows too STOP when the bus stops? Really people.. are we that short sighted?

The voice of mediocrity.

relax bud. not everyone is going to jump on the bandwagon to re-do the buses. don't let it bother you.

 

[flynnibus]

relax bud. not everyone is going to jump on the bandwagon to re-do the buses. don't let it bother you.

I'm not saying they need to do this now.. the topic was 'how could they be better'. Its reasonable to say and accept that Disney may not chose to do something... but when you say "that can't be done!" or "there is no reason.." - then clearly you've capped your imagination and lack the desire to excel.. and are completely disconnected from the mindset that created the very product so many here worship. If you sit back and say "the buses are as good as they can be" -- clearly you are simply falling in line behind the company with the faith that "if it could have been better, they already would have done it". That's simply following.. instead of actually being creative or bold.

It's brand loyalty instead of admiring great product. The issue with that is, when the brand starts to fail, the blind loyalty makes you blind to the change and you start justifying the changes based on that loyalty alone.

When Disney started consolidating bus routes... and then the later customers think thats the best the world can be... that's just dumb brand loyalty.

 

[daisyduckie]

That the buses are mediocre is only your opinion. You keep saying it like it is a fact. People who don't agree with your viewpoint are not somehow mediocre, or somehow blinded by Disney. I think decking out the buses with video screens would cause more problems than it would be worth. And be a giant waste of money.

As for the video screens not being distracting at night, do you not think they shut off the lights for a reason? You are not talking about a couple of screens, like a DME bus, in your example. Screens placed for every guest around the inside of the bus would have enough light to be distracting and bothersome to the driver.

The buses don't need to be dressed up or decked out. At least, that is my opinion. They are fine the way they are. And if I am bored, I am able to entertain myself for 15 minutes. No big deal.

And you have yet to answer the question, are you really willing to pay $$$ more than you are now in order to finance all of your ideas? I'm not. If Disney was in a mood to spend that much money, I'd rather they add more buses to their routes. I'd rather more buses than fancier buses.

 

[daisyduckie]

You know what this reminds me of? The grocery store I frequent had the bright idea to put video screens up in each check out lane. They showed little clips of this and that, and ran ads. I guess they figured people were bored when waiting in line?? They lasted maybe a couple of months, at most. I was glad, as I found them highly annoying. I didn't need to hear the endless chatter while I was waiting for my groceries to be rang up, and apparently most people agreed with me.

 

[flynnibus]

That the buses are mediocre is only your opinion. You keep saying it like it is a fact

Because it is a fact I can back up with comparisons to other bus systems in the real world. What adjective of 'less' you want to use is up to you, but to think 'this is as good as it can get' is being blinded by Disney or simple ignorance of what is already being done elsewhere.

People who don't agree with your viewpoint are not somehow mediocre, or somehow blinded by Disney. I think decking out the buses with video screens would cause more problems than it would be worth. And be a giant waste of money.

A giant waste of money.. You mean like building a monorail system years after continued failed attempts to get them adopted as the transportation of the future? Why did they do that? Or why did they insist on building STEAM powered boats a hundred years after petro based engines displaced them?

What about piping music around the grounds where you walk... can't we be entertained by ourselves for a few minutes while we walk? Isn't that a 'giant waste of money' too to build out?

Was it necessary to actually decorate, enclose, and add entertainment to the part where you just waited to enter an attraction? Remember... Disneyland was built with simple chain queues... but Disney improved and added the idea of themed queues... that eventually they added things like custom produced safety spiels to.. and many other things because the whole thing is supposed to be a PRODUCT. Not just generic 'well we had to meet the requirements'.

Much of what disney does could be described as 'a giant waste of money' - and why most people thought he would fail.. over and over and over. Because a lot of people didn't have the vision he had to see beyond what the status quo was.. and create things people didn't even know yet they would enjoy.

Listen to your justifications.. and recognize that line of thinking would be opposed to the majority of what people consider to be 'the disney difference'.

As for the video screens not being distracting at night, do you not think they shut off the lights for a reason? You are not talking about a couple of screens, like a DME bus, in your example. Screens placed for every guest around the inside of the bus would have enough light to be distracting and bothersome to the driver.

You know those little lights they put above every seat on coach buses that.. GASP.. people can turn on? And not all buses turn their lights off... most DON'T. Ever rode a city bus in the DARK? They keep them lit for SAFETY of the passengers. And who said anything about 'screens placed for every guest'? Stop thinking what your imagination can come up with is the only way to do things because clearly you only want to think about why it can't be done. You're limiting yourself to what you've seen before and nothing more.

You don't like the window idea because of blocked views.. well there is an entire ceiling and area above the windows that could be a palette for things to be done that everyone could see..

And you have yet to answer the question, are you really willing to pay $$$ more than you are now in order to finance all of your ideas?

I'm supposed to answer a question that yet to be asked? Or do you mean your '$200' comment? Here's a thought.. did Disney ask you to pay more for those crowd control people on the more busy days? Did they give you a discount when there were less people in the park that day? Or how about those days they ran LESS buses.. did you pay more or less on those days?

Obviously everything has a cost... but it is trite to try to argue why the business should be ran a certain way because 'thats what it is now, and anything else would cost more' because it's not just what things cost, but how you chose to operate as a whole.

Did you sign up for the 'yes Disney, I'll pay a $100/person more' survey when Disney decided to roll out Magical Express? Or did you sign the paper that said "Yes Disney, I will pay more for EPCOT" that enabled them to add the new M&G locations to the park? Who is going to pay for all these expenses?!? How dare Disney think that spending money can make them money elsewhere!

But I bet if you offered an 'express bus' for $7/head at the MK depot at closing you'd find hundreds if not thousands that would pay for it. Not that I want that.. but it's reality.

 

[daisyduckie]

Calm down. I'm not sure why you have such an investment in seeing the buses dressed up, but apparently it is really important to you. Fine. But realize it is not important to many other people, and to me certainly not worth paying more money over. And I don't think making the buses fancier will gain them any more revenue. Do you really think people would make a trip to WDW just to ride the new, dressed up buses? Or stay longer because of fancier buses? I don't.

I do believe if Disney agreed with you it is something they would have done by now. Disney looooves making money. If they believed (and I'm sure they have better access to stats than you do) dressing up the buses would gain them more money, they would have done so by now. Disney is not stupid, they are great at separating guests from their hard earned dough.

Whatever. I'm done arguing with you. Continue to believe anyone who doesn't agree with you is short-sighted or lacks vision, if it makes you happy. I'll continue to believe dressed up buses are pointless. Have a nice day.

 

[Matt_Black]

Of all the things TDO needs to spend money on, the buses are a very low priority, in my opinion.

 

[Robbiemoo]

The original wdw plans were pretty much car free so it's shame to have so many Buses now around the resort. As for their design Tokyo Disney has lovely retro mickey themed buses which beat WDWs hands down.

Personally I'd love to see some form of personal rapid transit. There is a system at London's Heathrow airport called ultra which uses little pod cars to move people around. Something like that would be perfect for Disney - non polluting at use, people have their own pod, no fixed guideway issues and could run on existing roads with minor mods - would be just the thing the Epcot codes were designed for!

 

[flynnibus]

Calm down. I'm not sure why you have such an investment in seeing the buses dressed up, but apparently it is really important to you. Fine

That hasn't been my message at all through any of this.. but clearly you just hear what you want to hear. Pointless.

 

[surfsupdon]

The busses are fine, usually great. I just wish they had more seats to actually sit, instead of stand.

We always bus to the park (when we cannot walk/boat).
But we always cab to a dinner ressie at a Resort.

 

[Innkeeper's Club]

With some WDW Resorts having already adding a monitor at the bus stations saying what time the next bus for each destination is to arrive, I found it to be very accurate this past August when I stayed at the Boardwalk Inn. The only time I took the buses was to the Magic Kingdom and Disney Springs. Each time the buses either arrived at the exact same as said on the monitor or right before that specific time.

 

[DarthVader]

With some WDW Resorts having already adding a monitor at the bus stations saying what time the next bus for each destination is to arrive, I found it to be very accurate this past August when I stayed at the Boardwalk Inn. The only time I took the buses was to the Magic Kingdom and Disney Springs. Each time the buses either arrived at the exact same as said on the monitor or right before that specific time.

Yes, that was helpful indeed. I liked seeing the time estimates as well.

 

[Josh Qualls]

I would like to see more smaller busses than the large ones. I am disabled and can walk sort distant so i don't need a scooter on the buss but the large busses are very jerky and increase pain in my back. I sit in the back row facing forword so I'm not thrown around.

 

[flynnibus]

I would like to see more smaller busses than the large ones. I am disabled and can walk sort distant so i don't need a scooter on the buss but the large busses are very jerky and increase pain in my back. I sit in the back row facing forword so I'm not thrown around.

Sit in the front row... Not the back

 

[lebeau]

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.

You have had better luck with buses than we have had.

In our experience during a typical week-long trip a wait of less than 10 minutes is rare. It is something to be celebrated with high fives and possibly dancing. We try to get out of the park before close, but even a half hour before close can mean 30-40 minute waits. If you get on the second bus at park close, I am amazed by your good fortune. We haven't had that happen in years.

The 20-40 minute breakdown you described is more in the 40-60 minute range. No communication whatsoever as you watch bus after bus arrive and depart for every park except the one you have reservations/FastPasses for. When a bus finally does show up for that park, it quickly fills up and pulls away. If you're lucky, the next bus isn't far behind.

About half the buses are standing-room only. This means that at best, I will get to sit down about half the time because I will give up my seat on any standing room only bus. This same courtesy will not always be extended to my wife or young children under the same circumstances. Less of an issue now that the kids are older, but I once held a 2-year-old on a crowded bus and fell over onto a young, seemingly healthy person who had decided he'd rather not give up his seat to someone with a toddler.

Then there are all the delays for the scooters. I won't even go into those because I have no idea what the solution is for that whole mess.

I'm glad so many people have had better bus experiences than we have. Honestly, if I even bring up going to Disney World, the first thing my wife will do is complain about the buses. It's a major obstacle to us ever staying at WDW again.

 

[Weather_Lady]

You have had better luck with buses than we have had.
.

Perhaps there's a difference depending on what time of the year one visits. Admittedly, we strategize and choose weeks of the year with lower crowd levels. All of our more recent visits have been during weeks that were rated in the top 10 on the "Your First Visit" site (e.g., early October, early May).

 

[MickeyMomV]

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.

I few into Denver over the weekend and needed to rent a car. All of the car rental places have their own bus that go to their facility. The buses themselves are identical to Disney buses except for a few removed seats for luggage racks and all of the seats are padded. At first I thought it was cool they were padded then I started to look around and 90% of the seats were ripped or torn and most of them were all stained. Knowing that Disney buses see a lot more traffic I completely understand why they are basic plastic.

 

[Schneewittchen]

I always say "let the mouse drive". Once we arrive at Fort Wilderness, we park the RV and don't move it until it's time to leave.