Bus transportation observation

[sam_gordon]

Thats the point, I could care less how wasteful it is. Disney isn't paying me to stay there, I'm paying Disney lots of money. Even if you stay at a value resort at Disney you are paying Disney tons of money. Disney's business issues are not my issues as a guest. Two distinctly different things. If I can hop on a bus from Animal kingdom and go to Pop Century in one stop, I shouldn't have to hop on a shared bus to go to a deluxe resort and waste precious time going between resorts. As I said, if they swapped up the order at least that would make it a little better so you weren't always just wasting time.

Buses also come more frequently for the value resorts. Yes of course I get that those resorts have more people, but that goes back to my original point that the value resorts and potentially moderate resorts are getting better bus service.

So, if Disney says "dedicated bus service from all parks to all resorts", you're happy, right? No more waiting 10 minutes for an added stop, right? What if they use the same bus though? So, pick up at AKL, drop off at Poly. The same bus picks up at Poly and drops at AKL. The same bus then picks up AKL and drops at GF. So the GF folks need to wait for the bus to finish the Poly route before they even get on. Yes, I'm simplifying.

I've stayed at every level of resort. Bus service has NEVER been a factor of where I stay. Deluxe gives me interior hallways (I much prefer), closer to parks (better views), possible larger rooms, more choices for food and usually at least some other transportation option than bus all come to mind.

 

[robl45]

Another thing the deluxe resorts have over the values and moderates is the location of the bus stops at the parks. The values are always the ones the farthest from the park gates. I know from experience Pop is quite a hike at all of the parks, it is almost always the stop the farthest away. So you may want to consider that before you think the values have it better as far as the buses go.

For the first point, yes some of the deluxe resorts are walking distance to a park, but wilderness lodge, animal kingdom, the DVC resorts are deluxe resorts as well, OKW, Saratoga , polynesian etc are not walking distance. I don't consider the monorail as while it was fun for me as a kid and is fun for my kids, its just as much of a hassle as the buses if not more so especially trying to get home at park closing. So really you have Contemporary/bay lake, yacht and beach and boardwalk, the rest need buses.

As for the comment here, I don't find that too be true at all. I've stayed in most of the deluxe resorts and I walk quite a distance to the bus stops.

 

[robl45]

So, if Disney says "dedicated bus service from all parks to all resorts", you're happy, right? No more waiting 10 minutes for an added stop, right? What if they use the same bus though? So, pick up at AKL, drop off at Poly. The same bus picks up at Poly and drops at AKL. The same bus then picks up AKL and drops at GF. So the GF folks need to wait for the bus to finish the Poly route before they even get on. Yes, I'm simplifying.

I've stayed at every level of resort. Bus service has NEVER been a factor of where I stay. Deluxe gives me interior hallways (I much prefer), closer to parks (better views), possible larger rooms, more choices for food and usually at least some other transportation option than bus all come to mind.

The bus transportation is the major transportation pretty much to at least 3 out of 4 parks no matter where you stay. I"m just saying that deluxe resorts should at least have transportation on par with values.

 

[maxiesmom]

I acknowledged in my first post that not all deluxe resorts have bus access by stating not all, but for the most part Disney deluxe resorts have at least one park where a bus isn't necessary. You are not factoring in some resorts have boats and the monorail to use.

 

[goofy4tink]

Thats the point, I could care less how wasteful it is. Disney isn't paying me to stay there, I'm paying Disney lots of money. Even if you stay at a value resort at Disney you are paying Disney tons of money. Disney's business issues are not my issues as a guest. Two distinctly different things. If I can hop on a bus from Animal kingdom and go to Pop Century in one stop, I shouldn't have to hop on a shared bus to go to a deluxe resort and waste precious time going between resorts. As I said, if they swapped up the order at least that would make it a little better so you weren't always just wasting time.

Buses also come more frequently for the value resorts. Yes of course I get that those resorts have more people, but that goes back to my original point that the value resorts and potentially moderate resorts are getting better bus service.

Possibly. I do know that there have been many times that I've stayed at Pop and counted more buses going to YC/BC!

How wasteful? Did you really just type that? Everything beyond the most simplest need is wasteful in that regard. It's a vacation where you are paying a lot of money for service not an exercise is consevation of resources. Good grief.

So....put more buses in service, put in more roundabout routes...higher room rates.

Without getting into the "wasteful" argument, lets talk instead about how much we are paying for this service. Obviously (to Disney) not enough to compensate them to dedicate a bus to just BC (or YC). So, how much more would we have to pay if there was a dedicated bus?

Thanks Jeff. That's the bottom line.

If you don't care for the bus service, rent a car. I'm sorry but the entitled attitudes of those staying at deluxe resorts is always the same...I'm paying more why aren't I getting better transportation. Sorry if you don't care for the monorail...but it's been a 'perk' (and I get why many don't consider it a perk) of staying at a MK resort. And they still do, believe it or not. You can take the boat or monorail, whether you care for it or not, to MK from CR, Polynesian, GF. A boat from WL or a bus. And by the way? WL and AKL have always been considered deluxe junior resorts simply because they don't have the same park access the true deluxe resorts have. And OKW? Costs less to stay at than the other DVC resorts simply because of park access, or lack thereof.

I've been listening, for years, to guests complain that they're spending $400 a night, why should their bus stop be so far away from the park entrance, or why don't the buses come more often. Complain to the resort, write a letter, stop staying there. That's the only way anything is going to change. But, realize that the money you spend for a deluxe resort gets you nicer theming, better pool areas, more varied dining options, a much nicer hotel experience. It's up to each resort to decide on its transportation budget.

Don't get me wrong...I would love to see more buses, or at least quicker buses. I own DVC at BWV and BLT. I stay onsite at WDW at least 4 times a year since my dd started working in Orlando. I understand why people feel the way they do. But, I also understand the way Disney works, especially lately. If the rooms are still fairly full, Disney won't feel the need to do anything. No need to entice people to stay at a particular resort. As soon as rooms start showing empty? You'll see changes. But, it's more likely that a discounted room rate would be offered over improved transportation. It is what it is...public transit. And the vast majority of guests have no huge issue with it, so it will remain the same.

 

[Kaytie]

I don't consider

The transportation provider does, though. Fun or not, the monorail is transportation. Transportation option the Moderate and Value resorts don't offer.

As for the comment here, I don't find that too be true at all. I've stayed in most of the deluxe resorts and I walk quite a distance to the bus stops

"Quite a distance" is relative. You walk a shorter distance to and from a Deluxe bus stop at the parks than a Value resort's.

The bus transportation is the major transportation pretty much to at least 3 out of 4 parks no matter where you stay. I"m just saying that deluxe resorts should at least have transportation on par with values.

Deluxe resorts have transportation on par with what is needed and reasonable, based on number of rooms. The resorts are each, for the most part, smaller than the Values and the Moderates. Contemporary+BLT = 950 rooms.
BC+BCV+YC = 1,495 rooms.
Pop: 2,880 rooms.
POR: 2,048 rooms.
Poly: 1,227 rooms+villas.
https://touringplans.com/walt-disney-world/hotels/number-rooms
Public transit doesn't base availability or routing on housing costs or taxes. It's based on usage. Ditto for Disney. With the exception of any BWI/BWV/Swan/Dolphin combined buses (3,000+ total rooms), Disney bus routes seem to generally be determined by a combination of number of rooms, and need.

 

[loves to dive]

The bus transportation is the major transportation pretty much to at least 3 out of 4 parks no matter where you stay. I"m just saying that deluxe resorts should at least have transportation on par with values.

I think one of the transportation perks of staying in the deluxes is you have a number of options for transportation, whereas the values and moderates for the most part the bus is it (you can take a boat to DS at POR and POFQ).

At BW, YC/BC, Swan/Dolphin you can walk to two parks, you can boat to two parks or you can bus to two parks. 3 options. You can take the monorail or bus to MK - 2 options. No matter where you stay, you are going to bus to AK.

At GF, CR, Poly you can take the monorail to 2 parks, you can boat to MK and at the CR you can walk to MK.

At WL you can boat to MK, you can boat to CR and hop the monorail to Epcot.

SSR and OKW, yep you are going to bus everywhere.

I stay at the Epcot resorts every single trip at least part of the trip (I tend to do split stays). I have never taken a bus to Epcot or HS. It's half and half as to whether I bus to MK. I tend to do AK the first park of my split stay, which is normally a moderate. Before the Epcot resorts opened I stayed at the monorail resorts (back then they were the only resorts on property). Having to rely on the bus is actually one of the reasons I don't stay in the moderate resorts for my entire trip. I like having options.

 

[joelkfla]

I stay at the Epcot resorts every single trip at least part of the trip (I tend to do split stays). I have never taken a bus to Epcot or HS.

There is no bus, unless the boats have stopped due to weather.

 

[robl45]

I acknowledged in my first post that not all deluxe resorts have bus access by stating not all, but for the most part Disney deluxe resorts have at least one park where a bus isn't necessary. You are not factoring in some resorts have boats and the monorail to use.

I am, beach club and yacht, board walk and swan and dolphin have efficient bus service if you don't want to walk. I think I said before the monorail tends to be slightly less than efficient IMHO. The other resorts with boats, you could wait forever. That still doesn't fix the problem when you need to go to a park that isn't served by more efficient transportation options.

 

[robl45]

The transportation provider does, though. Fun or not, the monorail is transportation. Transportation option the Moderate and Value resorts don't offer.

"Quite a distance" is relative. You walk a shorter distance to and from a Deluxe bus stop at the parks than a Value resort's.

Deluxe resorts have transportation on par with what is needed and reasonable, based on number of rooms. The resorts are each, for the most part, smaller than the Values and the Moderates. Contemporary+BLT = 950 rooms.
BC+BCV+YC = 1,495 rooms.
Pop: 2,880 rooms.
POR: 2,048 rooms.
Poly: 1,227 rooms+villas.
https://touringplans.com/walt-disney-world/hotels/number-rooms
Public transit doesn't base availability or routing on housing costs or taxes. It's based on usage. Ditto for Disney. With the exception of any BWI/BWV/Swan/Dolphin combined buses (3,000+ total rooms), Disney bus routes seem to generally be determined by a combination of number of rooms, and need.

Yes and this isn't public transit, its disney transit which should have buses equal across the resorts. At any rate, its probably not going to matter soon as its quite clear Disney intention is to get everyone to use the minnie van service and/or express transportation where they can charge some more money.

 

[OKW Lover]

At any rate, its probably not going to matter soon as its quite clear Disney intention is to get everyone to use the minnie van service and/or express transportation where they can charge some more money.

And yet they just eliminated the express transportation.

 

[robl45]

And yet they just eliminated the express transportation.

Interesting, I guess they really are going full tilt towards the minnie van service.

 

[maxiesmom]

Interesting, I guess they really are going full tilt towards the minnie van service.

They might as well compete with cabs/Uber/Lyft. They would still rather have people on their buses though. That way you are still a captive.

 

[robl45]

They might as well compete with cabs/Uber/Lyft. They would still rather have people on their buses though. That way you are still a captive.

I'd argue you are captive regardless. They just get 20 bucks a pop now. I don't know too many people coming to Disney world that you can't possibly fit in everything in 1 week or even two weeks that are going to be leaving. They just be paying 20 bucks a pop for rides now.

 

[maxiesmom]

I'd argue you are captive regardless. They just get 20 bucks a pop now. I don't know too many people coming to Disney world that you can't possibly fit in everything in 1 week or even two weeks that are going to be leaving. They just be paying 20 bucks a pop for rides now.

No if you grab a regular taxi our Uber it is easy enough to head off site.

 

[gillep]

No if you grab a regular taxi our Uber it is easy enough to head off site.

Definitely! DH and I never ventured offsite on any of our trips to WDW until we started using Uber, now it is becoming a pretty regular occurrence for us (I never liked regular taxis so I didn't take them too often prior to Uber/Lyft). I also agree with those saying that the Minnie Vans are to compete with Uber/Lyft/Taxi and not a bus replacement per-se, there is no way that Disney wants all of those people who were riding together on a bus, to now be in separate Minnie Vans, some sure, but the roads around WDW do not have the capacity for everyone to be driving around in individual vehicles.

 

[sam_gordon]

its disney transit which should have buses equal across the resorts.

You keep saying "equal", but what isn't equal? There are busses that take you from the resort to the park. Can't get much more equal than that. You want a bus route with no stops? That's what's "unequal"? Wouldn't Disney need to add busses/drivers in order to accomplish that? Where do you think money for that will come from? SOMEONE will be paying for it. Should they up park ticket prices? That doesn't make sense to me... not everyone going to the parks rides the bus. Should they up resort costs across the board? That doesn't make sense to me either... it's only the deluxes that would benefit. So, they should up the resort charge for the deluxes? Sorry, I'll take an extra 10 minutes on the bus in order to keep the rates low.

ETA: It's been a while, but from what I remember, the value resorts are generally the ones with the longest lines waiting for busses outside the parks. Makes sense since more people stay value/moderate vs. deluxe. If more people stay there shouldn't there be more infrastructure supporting them? How about using logic for your argument instead of emotion?

 

[Kaytie]

SSR and OKW, yep you are going to bus everywhere.

Boat, also, To Disney Springs.

The other resorts with boats, you could wait forever.

All boat transportation runs continuously all day. Frequently more than one boat at a time operates on each route.
Even if each route had a single boat, nobody would wait "forever."

Yes and this isn't public transit, its disney transit which should have buses equal across the resorts

It's private public transportation operating in an area larger than many cities, transporting more passengers daily than some public buses.