New Express Transportation: $19/day or $29/week-SERVICE ENDING AUGUST 23RD 2017

[sharonabe]

So wasn't there a time when there wasn't free park to park bus service? Seems like I remember in the past you had to take a bus to a resort and then get on the park bus you want from there. I take it there are direct buses now? I'm not talking the Express service, the normal bus service. How often do these buses arrive and leave each park?

There has ALWAYS been park-to-park buses with no need to change buses at a resort. It's Disney Springs that has gone back and forth with direct buses to/from parks. Currently, you can get a direct bus from a park to DS after 4pm, but I don't think there are any buses directly from DS to the parks.

 

[Somnia]

I don't find this price increase a problem. It was in a pilot program so I always expected prices to change if it was a popular add-on. There is and continues to be free park to park bus service that you don't have to pay for.

 

[rteetz]

Just popping in to say as someone who has used this service I would still pay this price increase. I am thinking my cut off would be around $40 for 7 days.

 

[baloo's girl]

I only need one day of this service. I'd prefer to buy at the hotel. Do I have to buy the one day ticket on the day I plan to use it? Or can I buy it the day before, with the intent to use the following day?

 

[gshumaker]

I only need one day of this service. I'd prefer to buy at the hotel. Do I have to buy the one day ticket on the day I plan to use it? Or can I buy it the day before, with the intent to use the following day?

day of

 

[j2thomason]

I was actually shocked at how low the starting prices were when the test first opened.

 

[Day-Day]

I was actually shocked at how low the starting prices were when the test first opened.

I was a little surprised. It made me think there are other costs to Disney that are offset by guests using this service. I can't think of many though and it seems like the savings to Disney would not be significant. There has to be a little savings with fewer people going through security and the front gates and fewer people riding regular park-to-park transportation but I don't really see Disney reducing manpower due to this.

My take it that the operation must be close to 100% funded by the guests using the service so $24 for 7 days seemed like a good price for the guests. I figured it would need to get a good amount of usage at that rate.

 

[Mousetopia]

For me the increase was expected after the pilot. I too will pay with no problem. If you divide what you pay in total for the trip by waking hours spent enjoying an hour saved is quite a premium $$ amount for most of us. However, we dont have a need to hop every day. Being able to just part of the 7 days at current price..YES. More expensive? I would reevaluate. For one thing to make it a true value to me now they need to take into account the EMH./ If MK closes at 9, Epcot closes at 9 but has EMH to 11. I want to leave MK at 9 and head to epcot for late hours. If I understand correctly you currently cannot.

 

[hiroMYhero]

For me the increase was expected after the pilot. I too will pay with no problem. If you divide what you pay in total for the trip by waking hours spent enjoying an hour saved is quite a premium $$ amount for most of us. However, we dont have a need to hop every day. Being able to just part of the 7 days at current price..YES. More expensive? I would reevaluate. For one thing to make it a true value to me now they need to take into account the EMH./ If MK closes at 9, Epcot closes at 9 but has EMH to 11. I want to leave MK at 9 and head to epcot for late hours. If I understand correctly you currently cannot.

If you get to the ExpressBus by 9:10, you can go from MK to Epcot. The "last" Bus out is clarified here:

I received clarification this weekend, regarding last bus out. The last departure will occur at park closing, if that particular route is scheduled on the hour and half-hour. If the normal departure on a route is scheduled at any other times, then the last bus on a route will be the first departure after park closing.

So, if a park closes at 8:00 p.m., and the route is scheduled at 7:50 p.m. and at 8:20 p.m., the 8:20 will be the last bus out from the park on that route.

 

[Mousetopia]

Thank you, I saw that post. The above was just an example..and apparently a bad one. It is luck of the draw if u get to head fron where you are at park close to EMH park. Would be nice for tranport to be planned to enable this hop.

We will be watching the 745 Star Wars show at the studio ..park close at 8. I believe that leaves no way to catch express to epcot for emh.

 

[AngiTN]

Thank you, I saw that post. The above was just an example..and apparently a bad one. It is luck of the draw if u get to head fron where you are at park close to EMH park. Would be nice for tranport to be planned to enable this hop.

We will be watching the 745 Star Wars show at the studio ..park close at 8. I believe that leaves no way to catch express to epcot for emh.

It would be nice if they'd run at least 1 more round of buses for a park with EMH. I guess for now they just don't want to deal with policing for on site vs off site guests so it's easier to just stay out of the EMH equation all the way around.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

I only need one day of this service. I'd prefer to buy at the hotel. Do I have to buy the one day ticket on the day I plan to use it? Or can I buy it the day before, with the intent to use the following day?

I can understand the weekly price much more than the daily.
I'm not sure if you're solo or a family of six, but for a family of four $76 seems too much just to avoid a security line. I'm guessing most families don't hop to three or more parks a day.

MG

 

[tlmadden73]

I think they'd make a lot more money if they made it an add-on option to the tickets right off the bat (as opposed to buying it there in person), but I understand why they probably can't offer that while this is still in the testing phase.

Ya, but I think the usage would skyrocket if they just added it on and they may not be prepared for that ... yet.

Maybe they will just raise the price of Park Hoppers and just bundle it in it with your hopper service (but they would have to severely increase the buses I would guess).

I just feel that eventually they will just offer a "premium" ticket service ("Park Hoppers & a lot more"). Pay $X more (on top of the base ticket price and get):
1 - Park Hoppers
2 - Park Hopping express bus service
3 - One extra fast pass per day.
4 - Special Entrance (to avoid the normal security lines)

 

[erc]

There has ALWAYS been park-to-park buses with no need to change buses at a resort. It's Disney Springs that has gone back and forth with direct buses to/from parks. Currently, you can get a direct bus from a park to DS after 4pm, but I don't think there are any buses directly from DS to the parks.

So what does everyone think the average trip time is to get to the same point in the parks using the free buses versus the express buses? Average 35 minutes versus 12 minutes? Is that a good estimate or is it even longer?

 

[marciemi]

So what does everyone think the average trip time is to get to the same point in the parks using the free buses versus the express buses? Average 35 minutes versus 12 minutes? Is that a good estimate or is it even longer?

I think one of the biggest factors in convenience/time-saving that hasn't been played up as much is the dependability of the timing. The big problem with going park to park normally on buses is that you might get there as one pulls up and have a 30 second wait, or right as one just departed and have a 20 minute wait. Of course add in the extra walking and security and tapstiles to that and it's longer. With the express buses you know to be there at 10:15 for your 10:20 bus and can plan around that (and if you're running early grab a snack or a quick restroom break or some shopping). With regular buses I always feel like if I wait at all I'll "just" miss the next bus (and of course when I rush there that's what happened anyway and I end up sitting there for 20 minutes).

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

I think one of the biggest factors in convenience/time-saving that hasn't been played up as much is the dependability of the timing.

Funny -- this is what DH said. He said that this is where he would really see the value. For those who have used this, do they really run like clockwork? Do they give you any sort of schedule to hang onto?

 

[yulilin3]

Funny -- this is what DH said. He said that this is where he would really see the value. For those who have used this, do they really run like clockwork? Do they give you any sort of schedule to hang onto?

Other than a very few occasions, it runs like clockwork. If they say they leave at 9:50, they will leave at 9:50. They do not hand you a paper with the schedule but it's pretty easy to ask the times for whatever park you are hopping to, you just ask the CM when they scan your MB. Also it looks like the schedule hasn't changed from the one posted here on page 57.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

Other than a very few occasions, it runs like clockwork. If they say they leave at 9:50, they will leave at 9:50. They do not hand you a paper with the schedule but it's pretty easy to ask the times for whatever park you are hopping to, you just ask the CM when they scan your MB. Also it looks like the schedule hasn't changed from the one posted here on page 57.

Awesome -- thanks!

 

[Eighty8Keys]

Funny -- this is what DH said. He said that this is where he would really see the value. For those who have used this, do they really run like clockwork? Do they give you any sort of schedule to hang onto?

We used it three times at the end of January and they stuck to the schedule exactly. I took a screen shot of the schedule from post 57 which made it easy to refer to.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

I'm not sure how anyone could plan around that??

- Bus leaves at 1020
- Get there by 1010
- 7 minute walk from Space Mountain, so exit SM at 1003
- SM ride 4 minutes long
- Get on SM rocket at 0959

Get my point?? If you plan too much buffer you're right back where you started... waiting 20 minutes for a bus.

MG