Yacht/Beach Club/ Disney Bus System almost caused a brawl

[michelleiada]

We are here now. The bus system is failing miserably. Waited an hour for a bus to Disney Springs tonight, had dinner reservations that we almost missed. When the bus finally pulled up, it came from Yacht Club and was almost full. The large crowd that had been waiting an hour plus for the bus was mostly turned away. After dining at a very very crowded Disney Springs, we waited more than an hour for a bus back to Beach Club. There was almost a brawl ahead of us between two families who were arguing about who was first in line...a very uncomfortable and tense situation. But it was tense because they had been waiting so long, with tired children. Unacceptable. We finally got on the bus which dropped off at Yacht Club first. When we pulled up to yacht club bus stop, there was a crowd waiting to get on. The driver could only take a small few and left multiple groups of people waiting. He promised them he would drop at Beach Club and swing back to get some of them. When he pulled up to Beach Club to drop us off, the Beach Club Bus stop was FULL of people with sleeping children in their arms. The bus driver had a bit of a melt down when he saw them all. He asked us to remain on the bus while he broke the news to them that he couldn’t take them. As you can imagine, they were not happy. Several yelled out that they had been waiting over an hour. I complained to the front desk but there was one person manning the front desk and basically just listened to me and told me that she hears it every single night. This can’t continue. We are paying the same amount of money to be here and getting far less for our money. The least they can do is get people to and from their destinations in a timely manner. We have had some other issues that have been less than magical too. It is not ok that we are paying the same for a FAR LESS experience.

 

[Heather07438]

Yikes!
Is it mostly the line to DS or have you found similar issue with resort to park buses as well?

Hope they are training more drivers. More guests coming next month. If anybody ever wanted to move to Orlando and work for WDW this might be your best shot.

 

[ScubaCat]

I've always had the worst experience with that bus from BC to Disney Springs. For the theme parks it's been fine, but never again to Disney Springs. Either I drive over, uber, or don't go.

That said, they're going to have to do something about the current covid-era capacity problems with the busing. With increased park and resort capacity, they're simply going to have to start packing the buses again or this is going to continue. I'm not sure how people will feel about that (for obvious reasons) but they're going to have to figure out something or this is going to be unsustainable (which it barely seems to be currently).

 

[Dug720]

When he pulled up to Beach Club to drop us off, the Beach Club Bus stop was FULL of people with sleeping children in their arms.

Sounds like they could also benefit from eliminating the park for free at Springs and take a bus to a resort thing to avoid parking fees at the parks as well if people with sleeping children were heading there.

I'm not saying they don't need more busses/drivers, but allowing people to park for free at Disney Springs and take a bus to a resort to avoid the parking fee is a huge loophole that adds to an already existing problem.

 

[Pens Fan]

Sounds like they could also benefit from eliminating the park for free at Springs and take a bus to a resort thing to avoid parking fees at the parks as well if people with sleeping children were heading there.

I'm not saying they don't need more busses/drivers, but allowing people to park for free at Disney Springs and take a bus to a resort to avoid the parking fee is a huge loophole that adds to an already existing problem.

Interesting. When I read the original post I was wondering why people would be taking sleeping children to Disney Springs at night. Your explanation makes sense, and is yet another reason why we can't have nice things.

 

[emmymac17]

Sounds like a lot of issues converging to make a BIG issue. We ended up renting a car on our trip a few weeks ago specifically to avoid the buses. We used to always Uber/Lyft but now that we're traveling with a little one a car just made sense. I'd happily use the buses if it wasn't such a hassle - but after experiencing the ease of a smooth 10-15 minute drive pretty much from any point to another on property its hard to go back to waiting around in the heat for buses

 

[Dug720]

Interesting. When I read the original post I was wondering why people would be taking sleeping children to Disney Springs at night. Your explanation makes sense, and is yet another reason why we can't have nice things.

It's the only reason I could think of where sleeping children would be involved. And I've seen people suggest the free parking at Disney Springs and going to a resort to get to the parks (one of the MK area resorts for MK and one of the Epcot area resorts for Epcot and Studios - for AK it would just be to avoid the parking fee) and avoid the parking fee. Disney tried to prevent people parking there to get to the parks by not having busses go to the parks from Springs - but people always figure out loopholes.

 

[CraigInPA]

It's the only reason I could think of where sleeping children would be involved. And I've seen people suggest the free parking at Disney Springs and going to a resort to get to the parks (one of the MK area resorts for MK and one of the Epcot area resorts for Epcot and Studios - for AK it would just be to avoid the parking fee) and avoid the parking fee. Disney tried to prevent people parking there to get to the parks by not having busses go to the parks from Springs - but people always figure out loopholes.

Many years ago, Disney provided a physical card to people who were staying at their hotels. In order to get on the resort monorail, you needed to show the card.

While it might cost something to install magic band readers at Disney Springs, the experience of the guests would be greatly enhanced by not having to deal with people parking at DS for free and filling the resort transport buses.

 

[MomOTwins]

It's the only reason I could think of where sleeping children would be involved. And I've seen people suggest the free parking at Disney Springs and going to a resort to get to the parks (one of the MK area resorts for MK and one of the Epcot area resorts for Epcot and Studios - for AK it would just be to avoid the parking fee) and avoid the parking fee. Disney tried to prevent people parking there to get to the parks by not having busses go to the parks from Springs - but people always figure out loopholes.

That would also explain why those folks are not just uber-ing to DS after waiting an hour, if they had used that workaround to avoid the Epcot parking fee.

It strikes me this situation is also compounded by the reduced dining availability at the parks and resorts. We have been going to Disney World for years and the 2020 was the FIRST time we ever made it to Disney Springs. And we ended up getting an uber there after waiting ages with no bus and coming close to missing our reservation. In the past, we avoided Disney Springs it just never seemed worth it before to sink travel time there and back when we could just eat in the parks or at the resort we were staying at. Now, seems like every resort you go to is running with half its restaurants closed, and such limited menus that you wouldn't want to repeat the same restaurant twice.

 

[loves to dive]

One of the reasons I don't go to DS is back when it was DD every single time I went there was a long wait for the bus to go back to the resort. I always caught the bus going to DS at the parks and that didn't seem to be a problem. Didn't matter where I was staying, I would sit and watch multiple buses come for other resorts and not mine, I waited 2 hours once. I was there in April and had no problems with any of the resort to the parks or parks to the resort buses. The longest wait it had was going from MK to BW and that was probably around 15 min. and probably because it was just one family in front of me and myself waiting. I've found, pre and post covid if there aren't a lot of people waiting, the tend to not send the buses very fast. There were a couple of times that there were a lot of people at the bus stop and they couldn't load everyone on the bus but another one was usually right behind it.

 

[Brett Wyman]

Theres not much they can do about that with the exception of increasing bus capacity. Which will hopefully come soon.

Im VERY glad we drive down though. Usually, even though we drive, we use the buses as its part of the leaving the world behind bubble for us. But currently a car is necessary to fully enjoy your trip.

 

[Heather07438]

I've always had the worst experience with that bus from BC to Disney Springs. For the theme parks it's been fine, but never again to Disney Springs. Either I drive over, uber, or don't go.

That said, they're going to have to do something about the current covid-era capacity problems with the busing. With increased park and resort capacity, they're simply going to have to start packing the buses again or this is going to continue. I'm not sure how people will feel about that (for obvious reasons) but they're going to have to figure out something or this is going to be unsustainable (which it barely seems to be currently).

Yes. In 2 weeks the hotel sides of BC and BW* are opening. It’s a challenge all right. Honestly if staying there I’d only bus to MK. Walk to EP/HS and Uber AK/DS.

*eta- BW is opening early July (not June)

 

[FastPasser.]

Speaking as a long time former WDW bus driver, isn't it amazing that the turnover rate isn't even higher than it is considering that situations like these are not rare, even before Covid? If you find yourselves in a similar situation please keep your cool and don't blame the driver.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Many years ago, Disney provided a physical card to people who were staying at their hotels. In order to get on the resort monorail, you needed to show the card.

I remember those cards-I still have mine! And I remember being denied boarding once because I'd forgotten my card. But you know-I didn't blame Disney, I blamed myself. I wonder how people would react today?

 

[MomOTwins]

Im VERY glad we drive down though. Usually, even though we drive, we use the buses as its part of the leaving the world behind bubble for us. But currently a car is necessary to fully enjoy your trip.

Generally, yes, but that has its own stresses too. AJ at Disney Food Blog posted about a 1.5 wait in her car to get into a parking lot at DS on a Saturday night. And lots of complaints that without the parking lot trams, the long walk back to the car from the parks can be awful. And if you are planning to rent, the lines for the car rentals at MCO were downright jawdropping in March--no exaggeration, several hundred people deep.

Basically, transportation at WDW right now is a hot mess. If you don't have your own car I would say budget for backup ubers/lyfts.

 

[michelleiada]

Parks are very crowded too and lines are long. at 9:45 am this morning, the TOT had an 80 minute wait. Rockn’Roller Coaster was 60 minutes. Social distancing markers are still on the ground but nobody is social distancing at all.

 

[ckb_nc]

I also think the reduced park times are increasing DS crowds. But yikes...

 

[HashberryOTG]

Wait, so the thing to do is park at Disney Springs and bus from springs to a resort then the resort to to a park? Free parking is SO not worth that!

 

[2xcited2sleep]

Wow. This sounds terrible. Disney Springs has always been "the worst" bus to have to catch (both to/from) but not like that. I'll also add that I've seen as a "tip" on the Swan and Dolphin thread here on the DIS to walk over and take bus from Boardwalk or Yacht & Beach now that S&D don't have official Disney bus service (general tip, not specific to Disney Springs). That, of course, wouldn't explain the families with sleeping kids at the BC stop wanting to go to Springs. That many steps (go to Springs, take bus to EPCOT area resort, walk to park & reverse) all to avoid a $25 parking charge seems incredibly dumb but...

Resorts used to have some cast member monitors at the bus stops... do they not have that any more? Or maybe it's daytime only.

 

[FastPasser.]

Wait, so the thing to do is park at Disney Springs and bus from springs to a resort then the resort to to a park? Free parking is SO not worth that!

Unless it's changed dramatically, not that many people do it. When I was based out of what was then called Downtown Disney, the number of people I picked up in the morning that were going to a resort in order to get to a park so they could avoid the parking fee was small. I won't get into how I knew but I knew about how many there were on any given run. I never understood why they had buses going to a resort from DTD/DS when the parks weren't open yet. As you said it's "so not worth it".