The new articulated bendy Bus

[real mad hatter]

Just seen photos of the new transportation Bendy bus,seats 112 people.This could be the best thing in Disney transport in years.Hopefully it will get the go ahead by the summer.What does everybody else think?:wave:

http://www.wdwmagic.com/transportat...os---articulated-'bendy'-nova-bus-testing.htm

 

[RunnerEd]

My biggest question about this bus is its practicality. I've been on a bus or waiting at a park's terminal at closing time. The loading slots at the terminals are so close together that I don't know how these significantly longer buses will be able to fit without blocking the one behind them. Otherwise, it looks like a bigger sardine can.

 

[Tigger1988]

Didn't they try these out at the value resorts years ago?

 

[wm49rs]

Didn't they try these out at the value resorts years ago?

I think so, although I don't recall if they were limited to those resorts. Either way, it's a test run for this new line, nothing has been officially announced as to their joining the bus fleet.

 

[wdwmagic]

Here are some recent pics
http://www.wdwmagic.com/Transportat...OS---Articulated-'bendy'-Nova-Bus-testing.htm

 

[invader]

"Let's spend money on buses instead of monorails! yay!"

...

 

[Tigger1988]

These busses will never work at a resort like Old Key West. The current ones have a difficult time getting through the cramped spaces.

 

[wm49rs]

These busses will never work at a resort like Old Key West. The current ones have a difficult time getting through the cramped spaces.

There's a couple of Deluxe resorts they'd have a hard time at as well.....

 

[GrumpyFan]

According to the link:

Disney Transport will be testing the bus throughout March and into mid-April of this year, with a view to using this type of bus on high volume routes between the parks and value/moderate resorts.

I'm guessing Nova (the bus company) is providing these at little or no cost to Disney for testing purposes. Which means Disney must be looking at buying some new buses...

 

[Polydweller]

These busses will never work at a resort like Old Key West. The current ones have a difficult time getting through the cramped spaces.

The articulated buses have almost the same turning ratio as the single bus. The back part is like a trailer, it just follows where the front goes. So if a regular bus can make it so can the articulated.

 

[Howdy]

The articulated buses have almost the same turning ratio as the single bus. The back part is like a trailer, it just follows where the front goes. So if a regular bus can make it so can the articulated.

have you ever tried to tow a trailer through a fast food drive-through? While it does follow the tow-vehicle, the turn radius is quite a bit tighter

 

[sshindel]

"Let's spend money on buses instead of monorails! yay!"

...

Since most resort guests travel to the various parks via bus, not Monorail, I'd say it's a good investment.

I think as long as they think about the positioning of the bus stop areas at the main transportation hubs (not situate them next to other spots that will have double busses), it most likely will work out well.

 

[real mad hatter]

Yep.

These busses will never work at a resort like Old Key West. The current ones have a difficult time getting through the cramped spaces.

That's why it's mods and values these new busses are on trial.no deluxe.

 

[real mad hatter]

Yep.

There's a couple of Deluxe resorts they'd have a hard time at as well.....

Mods and values,no deluxe for the trial busses.

 

[olinecoach61]

Well they are ugly, hopefully they are efficient.

 

[Zummi Gummi]

They used these buses at my undergraduate college, Rutgers University (a school that, incidentally, had a transportation system modeled after Disney's). They were quite efficient and practical for transporting large groups of people between locations. I always wondered why Disney didn't start using them sooner. If Rutgers was using them back in 2002 when I first arrived there, there's no reason Disney couldn't have been using them then.

ETA...at Rutgers, we called them "accordian buses" not bendy buses.

 

[Sans Souci]

They used these buses at my undergraduate college, Rutgers University (a school that, incidentally, had a transportation system modeled after Disney's). They were quite efficient and practical for transporting large groups of people between locations. I always wondered why Disney didn't start using them sooner. If Rutgers was using them back in 2002 when I first arrived there, there's no reason Disney couldn't have been using them then.

ETA...at Rutgers, we called them "accordian buses" not bendy buses.

In Chicago, the CTA has been using them for a couple of decades. When I was a kid, I liked to sit in the part that rotated when the bus turned.

We call them accordion buses, too.

 

[TP2000]

ETA...at Rutgers, we called them "accordian buses" not bendy buses.

In cities on the West Coast they are called "Articulated Buses".

Not sure what the proper term in the transit industry is, but these buses are in use in Seattle, Portland, Los Angeles, etc. as "Articulated Buses".

Whatever you call them, and however you paint them or use them, they aren't very attractive.

 

[Gregoryp73]

Just seen photos of the new transportation Bendy bus,seats 112 people.This could be the best thing in Disney transport in years.Hopefully it will get the go ahead by the summer.What does everybody else think?:wave:

I wonder how these will affect the size of the drop-offs at the parks...most of them are just big enough for one bus length...Hopefully they can time it to where these buses don't block others from coming in to pick people up.

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

In Chicago, the CTA has been using them for a couple of decades. When I was a kid, I liked to sit in the part that rotated when the bus turned.

We call them accordion buses, too.

Ah yes Chicago's Articulated Busses..Much Fun

However..The Las Vegas Express Buses on the Strip have more of a Monorail-ish look...It would awesome to see these throughout WDW..