"I LOATHE the BUS..."

[Poohlovr]

We always have a rental car that we use for trips off property.

As far as on property, we always drive to DTD and the water parks.
Epcot, DHS, and AK, I don't have a preference if we drive or use Disney transportation (altho, honestly, we usually use Disney transportation because we stay at the Dolphin and its a lot easier to walk out the door and hop onto a nice, cool Friendship than it is to traverse the parking lot, get into a hot car and deal with the traffic).

But, MK?? We never will drive again. We made that mistake once. We left at closing, and after we finally made it to our car, it took an hour to get out of the parking lot.

 

[POOHsie]

Originally Posted by Alabama Minnie
I agree with the PP about the Scooter/Wheelchair policy on the buses. It needs to be done more fairly. I think it is being abused often.

Disney policy for loading ecvs/wcs on resort buses is fair and follows written law. There is no sense to making an ecv/wc wait at the end of a long line when there is room to load them on the first bus that arrives. Remember, there are only 2 spots available for ecv/wc loading, not 60 spots. Disney policy is to load ecv/wc plus maximum of 5 others. Complain to the bus driver if this is abused. That is the person enforcing the rules.

And remember, the ecv/wc that loads first, UNLOADS LAST. So there is your final fairness talking point.

My personal observation: As a full-time ecv user, it goes without saying that able-bodied people will attempt to get in front of me where ever I go, because my ecv is an small hindrance to the natural ebb and flow of foot traffic. It is especially noticeable at park close when people are going to the buses. The able-bodied seem to be in a special rush to get in line for the bus back to the hotel. Swarms of people in a big hurry will pass me along the pathway. I can't compete with that, and it is reckless to try. What bothers me is that, when I finally do get to the bus line, after all the able-bodied have overrun me to get there first, now I have to listen to unkind comments about cutting the line. SHOW ME A MORSEL OF EMPATHY, PLEASE!!!

 

[galnar]

I enjoy the bus to get to and from the parks but despise the bus to DTD. It takes forever!

 

[PghLybrt]

I will take the bus but never at park closing! I am not a fan of having my own car either. To solve all of this I just call for a cab!

 

[Donut23]

Molly Ringwald in 16 Candles had it right.

We usually drive to WDW so our car is on property. If we stay at a value we drive to the parks. It is FREE to park for resort guests.

During the day we sometimes leave our car in the resort lot and use bus service to get around the World but in the morning and at closing time I refuse to subject myself to the torture of the bus. The bus to DTD is the biggest mistake of all-you might as well fly home for the time it takes to get across the property.

So many threads about the bus ruining people's experiences.

If you have a car on property and think that not drivingmakes it more of a vacation for you, think again.

What? You don't like to stand in long lines at the end of the night....squeeze into overstuffed busses with hot-sticky bodies and MOOOOO?

Well, dropped out of the slow bus system years ago. We go everywhere, in complete comfort and much faster...in our rental car! There is no comparison between the two. No stress.....only smiles in our car!

...and for those who prefer communial travel.....we have left you two seats available!

 

[DisneyCruiser2008]

We've been here 9 days and have used the bus system every day without an issue. I personally would HATE to have to drive here.... One more thing to have to think about. We've been very pleased with the buses at both CBR and AKL (we did a split stay).

 

[Don Disney]

We fly down,use ME,and the rest of the Disney Transportation system each time we stay on property-If we're off-property we drive;That being said,we have had good,and bad experiences with both! We do,however,prefer parking our car at Louis Armstrong International,and leaving the flying,and driving to someone else;I guess commuting to work 40 minutes each way makes us that way!!! We don't want to do any driving,parking,or even cooking(thanks to FD) on vacation IF we can afford not to!!!

 

[steph73]

Monorail - awesome
Buses - not so much.

On our last trip, we stayed at the CR and walked to the MK and either walked or took the monorail back (depending on the time of day). We had dinner at the Poly and the GF, also a cinch on the monorail. The Epcot monorail was great, even though we had to switch at the TTC. We spent most of our time at the MK and Epcot, so we got spoiled by the ease.

Well, when we went to DHS we decided to drive because we had an 8am ADR. No problem, and parked so close we didn't need a tram. When we went to DTD, we also drove because I had heard the horror stories about buses there.

On our AK day, we decided to take the bus. Ugh. They pack them in like sardines, and they took FOREVER to come. To complicate matters, we have a baby and a stroller, which made it more difficult. We always have a car, either because we drove to WDW or we rented one, and I think we will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

That said, I can't say enough good things about the monorail system.

 

[goofy4tink]

The buses are a great option, but there are some problems too. Plus, I think the kids enjoy the tram ride far more than the bus ride - although we like the bus at off peak times. I am concerned though about the buses, and have actually written an old-fashioned letter after returning from our most recent trip in May, the first with our 2 children boys aged 8 and 6.

Who counts the people getting on the bus? There has to be a safe capacity and I am certain that most nights, the buses are leaving too packed. My boys are more than capable of standing, however they cannot reach the overhead bars and for the most part were holding onto me. This was fine except...

The drivers - I am not conviced I could or would want their job, but seriously to go from 40 miles an hour to a DEAD STOP is going to jostle EVERYONE on a bus and it seems that is the way that most drive. On our 2nd night, this happened and several people on the bus fell to the floor like dominoes. The person on the bottom of the pile hit their shoulder and their head on the way down.

Scooters/wheelchairs - I am probably going to get jumped for this but here goes. After EMH at MK, we found our way to our bus line, and waited our turn. 2 buses came and went, and we were the third family in line to get on the next one. There was no one in the wheelchair line until about 2 minutes before the bus arrived. Once it did, the driver and CM member loaded not only the people in the scooters, but ALL the family members that were with them, which took up more than half the seats on the bus.

I think Disney needs to ask the family members to stand in line with all the other patrons, and when the family arrives at the door to the bus, then the person in the wheel chair can get loaded. Another option is allow one person to board the bus with the person in the scooter/wheelchair. I am not sure I understand why being in a scooter jumps you to the front of the line.

We even started taking the bus from our resort to another park and then catching the bus to the park we wanted. At night, we did the reverse (ie travelled to HS from MK and then caught our resort bus there) and this seemed to get us back to our resort quickly and with fewer people.

We have however, decided that we will be renting a car for next time.

I would heartily recommend that when something like a bus stopping that quickly happens again, you take note of the time, the route, the bus number (easily found) and the drivers name, and then report it. That is not a common occurance. It happens mostly because of tourist drivers that cut in front of the buses....I've seen it happen too many times to count.
ECVs? Please. Those 'scooter's are not jumping in front of you. Let's imagine if it worked the way you think it should. There are 50 guests, waiting in ine at POP, for the MK bus. As the bus pulls up, an ECV bound guest drives up, with his family. So, by your system, those 50 people get on board, then the ECV family. Only issue is that now, about 5 people are going to have to get up, everyone in that area is going to have to move, and the driver can now load the ECV, and that family. OR....perhaps you think the ECV people should just wait for the next bus. But, I'm sure that the people that are going to be waiting to get on that bus aren't going to be too happy to have to wait either.
Disney loads the buses the best way they can, according to the law.

I agree with the PP about the Scooter/Wheelchair policy on the buses. It needs to be done more fairly. I think it is being abused often.

It is done fairly. Is there abuse? Sure there is. But, it is against the law to ask for proof of a disability in order to rent an ECV. So what would you have Disney do?? Some have suggested buses for the sole use of ECVs. Can you imagine the expense to that??

Believe me....for those who are entitled to the use of an ECV, it isn't a picnic at WDW. They get stared at, yelled at, shoved past. It's not all about cutting the line. They would give up the need for an ECV in a heart beat if they could.

I have sometimes had a car at WDW, but that's usually at the end of my stay there, before heading over to Tampa or to a cruise. I seldom drive to a park. I have driven to DTD though. I have no issue with the buses. They do a fantastic job of moving thousands of people around the parks. Very efficient to say the least. Crowded? Sure they are. But these buses are designed to carry standing people. It is usually the guest that never uses mass transit that has an issue the whole 'safey' thing on bus standing. It is safe..period.

 

[gillep]

I guess the PP and I are opposites I loved the busses and hated the monorail. I commute to and from work each day via a bus and the Washington D.C. Metrorail system so I am used to communal commuting as another poster phrased it. I think that for the number of people the system moves and the number locations that the system draws people from and takes them to that the bus system is really great!!! I love that DH and I can both have a glass of wine or two with dinner and not have to worry about getting back, and that we don't have to fight with our GPS to get us around. I think that perspective does have a lot to do with it though if you are only used to getting in your car when you want and going to your destination bussing may be a little more difficult to get used to, but for those of us that do it every day it is nice to use a system that is as good as Disney's system is. The monorail on the other hand I just hated I couldn't not believe how slow it was from the horrendous amount of time it took the doors to close (most times on D.C.'s system you have a few seconds to get in/out or you will be squished) to how slowly it seemed to go on the track but again it was because I am used to a different system.

 

[PatrickandLukesmom]

I would heartily recommend that when something like a bus stopping that quickly happens again, you take note of the time, the route, the bus number (easily found) and the drivers name, and then report it. That is not a common occurance. It happens mostly because of tourist drivers that cut in front of the buses....I've seen it happen too many times to count.
ECVs? Please. Those 'scooter's are not jumping in front of you. Let's imagine if it worked the way you think it should. There are 50 guests, waiting in ine at POP, for the MK bus. As the bus pulls up, an ECV bound guest drives up, with his family. So, by your system, those 50 people get on board, then the ECV family. Only issue is that now, about 5 people are going to have to get up, everyone in that area is going to have to move, and the driver can now load the ECV, and that family. OR....perhaps you think the ECV people should just wait for the next bus. But, I'm sure that the people that are going to be waiting to get on that bus aren't going to be too happy to have to wait either.
Disney loads the buses the best way they can, according to the law.


It is done fairly. Is there abuse? Sure there is. But, it is against the law to ask for proof of a disability in order to rent an ECV. So what would you have Disney do?? Some have suggested buses for the sole use of ECVs. Can you imagine the expense to that??

Believe me....for those who are entitled to the use of an ECV, it isn't a picnic at WDW. They get stared at, yelled at, shoved past. It's not all about cutting the line. They would give up the need for an ECV in a heart beat if they could.

I have sometimes had a car at WDW, but that's usually at the end of my stay there, before heading over to Tampa or to a cruise. I seldom drive to a park. I have driven to DTD though. I have no issue with the buses. They do a fantastic job of moving thousands of people around the parks. Very efficient to say the least. Crowded? Sure they are. But these buses are designed to carry standing people. It is usually the guest that never uses mass transit that has an issue the whole 'safey' thing on bus standing. It is safe..period.

I hate to break it to you, but I do use Mass Transit to get to and from work each day - I live just outside Toronto and use Vaughn Buses to get to TTC Subway, and then finally a bus to get to my office. I reverse the ritual at the end of everyday.

What I am objecting to here is not that people with scooters use the buses, and I am glad we can all acknowledge that there are some who abuse the system. What I am objecting to is having to stand in line for more than 1 hour for a bus but then when it is my turn to get on the bus having a scooter with a large family contingent show up and be put on the bus and I am left standing there for another 20 mins with my children. It happened twice this most recent trip.

There is no earthly reason that all patrons cannot wait in the line. They can still wait in the designated waiting area so they are not expected to make the turns around the gates etc. Once the line moves enough that their family gets to the front of the line they can be boarded on the next bus - no one has to move to have their scooter loaded, and those who have been waiting are on their way in the order that they arrived in line.

 

[maxiesmom]

There is no earthly reason that all patrons cannot wait in the line. They can still wait in the designated waiting area so they are not expected to make the turns around the gates etc. Once the line moves enough that their family gets to the front of the line they can be boarded on the next bus - no one has to move to have their scooter loaded, and those who have been waiting are on their way in the order that they arrived in line.

So are you saying that even if there is room for a ECV on the bus, they should wait for the next one, as to not inconvenince anyone already on the bus? I really hope that is not what you mean.


Please keep in mind too that there are only 2 or 3 places on a bus for someone with a scooter. So it is not uncommon for someone with a scooter to have to wait multiple busses to find one that has an open spot for them. Or a bus that has a lift that works. Or even a bus that has a lift at all! When the parks are busy Disney does run the old school busses that do not have a place for scooters, or even larger tour busses with no handicapped axcess.

It would be beyond stupid to deny someone in a scooter a ride on a bus that has a spot available to them, because of some misguided notion that making them wait somehow equals out everything between people in scooters and able bodied people. There are many times where people in ECVs have to wait longer, what should Disney do to make waiting more fair for them?

There is not perfect system, but I think Disney does the best they can. The only flaw I can see is when the CMs let more than 5 people board with someone in an ECV, and that is a mistake. But as often as that is reported happening, in my 12+ trips to the World I have yet to see it. So I doubt it really happens all that often.

 

[loriandmatt]

Molly Ringwald in 16 Candles had it right.

We usually drive to WDW so our car is on property. If we stay at a value we drive to the parks. It is FREE to park for resort guests.

During the day we sometimes leave our car in the resort lot and use bus service to get around the World but in the morning and at closing time I refuse to subject myself to the torture of the bus. The bus to DTD is the biggest mistake of all-you might as well fly home for the time it takes to get across the property.

So many threads about the bus ruining people's experiences.

If you have a car on property and think that not drivingmakes it more of a vacation for you, think again.

AGREED!!!! I couldn't possibly make that text large, bold or colorful enough to express how much i agree with you. if we can't get there via the monorail or a boat...we are driving. we tried the busses for a few trips, hated it and thought it took away from the vacation. rented a car or had our own with us for many trips. then once again (year or so ago) tried to save a few bucks and bus it rather than rent a car. by the end of the first day DH was calling AVIS from the room phone and getting a rental.

to each their own, for us, the bus takes away from our fun.

 

[livie1205]

we always drive when we are at wdw....no way am I dealing with the buses! When its the end of the night and I have 3 tired kids and all I want to do is be back at the room I can just jump in the car and go...it takes only a few minutes anywhere around wdw IF you know where you are going so we drive to all the parks and to dtd..we get free parking so why crowd onto a bus and stand?

 

[Mom2Elliot]

It is posts like this that make me start clicking on Auto Rental websites. Then I see the price and decide, once again, the bus isn't bad at all!

 

[DebbieB]

I agree, I hate the busses. Always so jammed. One time a kid threw up on my shoes on the way to MVMCP. Last time it took over an hour to get from BWV to MNSSHP. The bus stop was jammed, didn't get on the first bus, second bus had an ECV getting off and on, we were in the front of the line but people piled on the back when the driver left it open after he loaded the ECV. No thanks.

 

[famsen]

I agree with OP in the fact that the bus to and from DTD is horrendous. It was an hour and a half round trip from WL to DTD and back when we visited in April and that wasn't including the time waiting for the buses to arrive.

 

[PoohsFan1]

We love using Disney transportation because it is convenient and my DH just loves the fact that someone else is driving and worrying about gas other than him . What is so funny is that my DH has such a 6th sense about the buses it is like he and the buses become one , but unfortunately that 6th sense comes with one day of pain. It never fails, on our arrival day it is like we forget how the bus system works and end up cursing at them, but by the time the second day rolls around we are right back in our routine.

 

[adamandkate]

grief. your starting to worry me. am hoping to use just the busses for my honeymoon from buena vista palace and taxis offsite. Your givin me 2nd thoughts now.

Im just hopin that as im goin 31st aug to 14th sep it should be quiet due to being off peak which means less queues for busses.

 

[tndisneyfan]

On our last trip we drove almost everywhere. Not because I loathe the bus, but I like being in control of what time we get to the parks. Especially if we have an ADR.