The buses need some love....

[sixshot19]

It always comes up in the Podcasts of the hatred of the buses.

What do you think?

Me and the family love the buses, some may call us crazy, but we enjoy it. We wait at the stops and talk about what we are going to do or have done. We check out the "treasures" we bought. And we Talk....and are together on vacation in Disney. We get to talk to other people with like interests (Disney), the kids get to talk to other kids and the bus driver. And I don't have to drive.

I vote "like" :thumbsup:

[Wrigley]

We also love the busses. It's so nice to not have to drive ourselves around. It's nice at the end of the day to get onto that air conditioned bus to take us back to the resort. We like the music that plays as we pull up to the park-puts us even more in the Disney spirit-if that's even possible! We like talking about what we are going to all do that day. Our DD loved the busses on our last trip (her first trip), I'm pretty sure it was one of her highlights!:mickey:

[Belle--86]

We agree --WE LOVE THE BUSSES, we get to plan our days while we wait in thAM . We get to meet other disney people like us and chating with bus drivers is great, the usually know cool trivia about Disney. The end of day we reflect on what we have done and the best thing is i don't have to DRIVE!!! And the sometime time long waits are just part of a Great Disney vacation.:number1:

[TinkRocks]

I don't mind the busses at all, but don't like having to wait more than ½ hour.

The fun bus drivers make the trips more interesting, and I also enjoy the music that is related to the parks / resort you are travelling to.

I can remember a couple of bus trips to / from the parks when someone would start singing a song and everyone would join in!

[BluewaterBrad]

:thumbsup:

[DVC2004]

Sorry, no love for the busses here! We rent a car. Just don't like to wait and an hour and a half once to get to a dinner reservation. :thedolls:

[SBETigg]

We do a lot of whining about the buses, true. I do love not driving when at WDW, and we do take the buses. I don't like waiting a long time for a bus, and I'm not happy if a bus comes and it is so full that I have to wait for a second bus. But I don't mind standing. It's always a short ride. And it's still not me driving at Disney, so the buses should get more love.

But... I do prefer other forms of Disney transportation and I do stay at places where I've had better bus service and have to rely on buses less, the deluxes. I have stayed at POR and the bus experience was less than magical, though it was still just fine. We did a lot of waiting for buses, and had to wait for a second bus if the first bus was too full, and it did eventually seem like we were scheduling our trip around when buses would be less crowded. We found that to be a bit less than ideal and choose to stay at deluxes where two of four parks can be reached by means other than bus.

[DizneyRox]

I'm a fan on the on-site transportation. The last time I did a rental car it was in excess of $700 for the trip and having to deal with the tourists driving all over not knowing where they were going drove me mental.

Now, I pocket that money and let Disney do it. Haven't had a real need for a car, while at times having one would have been nice, we have always made it to where we wanted to go. Sometimes late, but never been denied entry to whatever the event.

Could they be better? Absolutely! The current system isn't as guest friendly as it was in the past, but there's still ways to work the system once you figure out how.

[Mousemates]

when the bus traportation is running on schedule it is AOK (I find it hard to say I love any bus, even one at WDW), but when they are having issues they can drain a lot of the magic right out of the day. We never had a "super bad" wait until a couple of trips ago when leaving the MK at EMH closing.

[Gator]

Whenever I think of what makes WDW good, I always think of the bus system. If there's anything I hate, it's going somewhere I'm unfamiliar with and then trying to get somewhere. So I love that I can get on a bus and get to the parks just by going to the bus stop.

HOWEVER, when I think of what makes WDW bad, I also recall the bus system. I wish there was a way they could utilize the resort/ticket card to swipe a machine at the bus stop and punch in your park of choice. Then they could send a bus that you actually need instead of sitting for a half hour watching 3 Downtown Disney buses go by. It's especially infuriating when your significant other has delayed you getting to the bus stop and the only way to get to the park at a decent time is a bus pulling up right when you get there - which seldom happens.

I suppose you get what you pay for, which is nothing (unless you want to get real technical). So I like them, but it can be a Love/Hate relationship.:D:mad:

[wickedgin]

I only rode the bus one time. I like them. I didn't like waiting in DTD, not really knowing when the bus would arrive, but I like not having to drive (and I like driving!). It's just so easy to get on the bus and have them take you where you want to go. I can talk to my children, or look out the window, or just sort of zone out. :cloud9:
That said, My husband HATES the busses. My daughter was chosen to be in the window of the BBB, so I called him to come down from POR. He waited and waited and the bus didn't arrive in time. I called him when we were almost finished and he was still at the stop. :crying: Granted, be's already biased against public transportation. He likes to be in control of his own vehicle.

[HoosierDisneyFan]

WDW Transportation :thumbsup:

[CanadianWDWFan]

Using WDW transportation is just fine as long as you are not in a hurry. When we need to be somewhere "right now", we will take a cab.

[ibelieveindisneymagic]

We find that we take the busses less and less each Disney trip.

We love the idea of not having to drive, but except for the MK, it is just so much easier to take our own car.

There isn't anything wrong with the busses, they work fine, but you can't beat your own car.

[Carol]

As one of the guilty parties of bus bashing on the podcasts - I can tell you I did not feel that way when we first starting going to Walt Disney World in the early 90s.

My husband prefers not to have to drive while on vacation - so utilizing their transportation was his perk. However, over the years I have had more and more bad experiences with buses and my opinion has changed drastically - more so when not staying at a monorail resort.

Plus going to Disneyland where everything is within walking distance has also spoiled me. (That and traveling with Mel at WDW and having her vehicle.)

I despise having to add hours to schedule simply for transportation. Not to mention some destinations are a nightmare to get to.

On a recent trip we were staying at the Wilderness Lodge and wanted to go to the Beach Club for dinner. Let me just say; Oy Vey!!!!!

:twocents:

[JPL]

I have a love/hate relationship with the buses! On one hand I like the fact that I can take a trip and not worry about a car and having a little extra money to spend. But I also have times when I wish I had the car especially to head off-site after the parks for something to eat when everything is closed and Whaffle House or Denny's would hit the spot. Or maybe take a day and go to Sea World or Unviversal to change things up a bit. It really also annoys me when the buses take forever or I can't get from point A to point B without jumping through hoops.

[Daisy'sMom]

Big fan here! It's part of the Disney experience.:mickey:

[LudwigVonDrake]

The only thing I don't like about the buses is the occasional loooooooong wait for one :D

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

Don't particularly like having to stand on one of them or wait more than 20 minutes for one but other than that, yeah we love them too:thumbsup:

[grumpyguy]

I love the Disney buses,oddly enough,everytime I smell diesel fumes at home it reminds me of
waiting for our Disney bus.C'mon,how great of a feeling is it when you've been waiting at a stop,a few buses have come and gone and then
tah dah....a bus for your destination pulls up !!
Then,after a long day at the park,I love watching the little ones all decked out in mickey gear just totally wiped out,sunburnt and the parents rubbing their own throbbing feet and merchandise bags falling all over the place..
Two thumbs up for drivers who still believe in the magic and the WDW buses.:thumbsup::thumbsup:

[jonahbear2006]

I hate the buses but that is because I have 5 children under 12 and strollers. I much prefer to drive my van and get in and out with ample time to empty the stroller and not feel like im holding people up or im gonna miss the bus. buses at wdw make me feel frazzled and out of control.

[A Big Kid]

They are a necessary evil. I'd much rather have tele-transporters a la Star Trek and I'd even settle for a horizontal hydrolator.

[BWayGrl]

We agree --WE LOVE THE BUSSES, we get to plan our days while we wait in thAM . We get to meet other disney people like us and chating with bus drivers is great, the usually know cool trivia about Disney. The end of day we reflect on what we have done and the best thing is i don't have to DRIVE!!! And the sometime time long waits are just part of a Great Disney vacation.:number1:

I agree completely! I actually like when the bus is a little rowdy and everyone's chatting. I like to hear other people's conversations about how their trip is going, or what they have planned for the day (not that I'm eavesdropping or anything :blush:) I love when the driver does trivia, or has a sing along or something like that. So much fun!

[EJS-Houston]

While I'm not crazy about sometimes having to stand on the bus after a long day on my feet...overall I think the bus system does a remarkable job ferrying people among the various theme parks...and I do very much enjoy not having to do any driving at all on my Disney vacations. It adds significantly to my feeling that I can just leave all cares and worries at home and just be treated like royalty for the entirety of my WDW stay. I'm a fan!

[TiggerFan13]

Personally, my family and I love the buses. We use the time to recharge and plan. It is one of the many reasons we love staying on WDW property.

[goofy-4-disney]

I also really like the bus system at WDW. I've never had any issues with waiting or anything like that. I know I'm probably very lucky and luck always changes but I honestly can't remember ever waiting more than 15-20 minutes for a bus. However, at park closing there may have been only 1 or 2 times where the wait has been longer than that, which can be expected. As far as being late for ADR's or that I think most of the time it just comes down to poor planning on the people trying to make those ADR's.

[BrerGnat]

Driving on vacation = :thedolls:

I like the buses. I like all WDW transportation.

I am not particularly fond of some of the bus ROUTES, like the one to Downtown Disney and the Waterparks, which are always so long. However, we don't spend that much time at either, so it's a one time aggravation per trip, usually.

My kids love the buses! I think they'd be upset if we went to WDW and didn't get to ride the bus.

[BigRedDad]

Its natural for people to focus on the negatives. Many people talk about the crowding. However, that is easily avoidable by leaving earlier in the day. If you leave at the cattle call, you will be waiting.

I love the buses because I do not have to drive. If I have a time I have to be somewhere, I make sure I am at the bus stop early enough. If I cannot get a bus, I get a cab.

[TheVBs]

We love the busses too! :mickey: After driving down and knowing we've got the trip back, DH loves putting the car keys in the safe and not worrying about transportation. There was only one late night after the luau at the Poly that we decided to take a cab back.

[texas211]

I hate the buses but that is because I have 5 children under 12 and strollers. I much prefer to drive my van and get in and out with ample time to empty the stroller and not feel like im holding people up or im gonna miss the bus. buses at wdw make me feel frazzled and out of control.

5 kids and strollers! WOW, do you bring pack mules when you come. I can see why you dont like the buses, you can't bring mules onto them. Wow. I'm only kidding. Disney should give your own bus, or a medal if your survive.

[Cinderelley]

I love the buses. Half the reason I go to WDW on vacation is to not have a care in the world - including driving. It also enables me to have a glass of wine with my dinner if I so choose. Sometimes there's a long wait, but it usually isn't too bad. If we're really stressed or running out of time for an ADR, it is easy to get a cab.

[Tinkerbella16]

We also LOVE the WDW busses! Its a part of the magic to us.. the "cold purple seats" we always say!! haha! Using WDW Transportation has always been our thing since I was a kid. Talking with other people, the fun bus drivers that like to do trivia with the guests to make the ride more fun! Love it!! :mickey:

[Cdn Disney Dad]

I've never understood why so many people complain about the buses. In the eight years that we have been going, I can only think of a few times where we had to wait an extended time for a bus. I think some people are just too impatient. Your on vacation, relax. With all the people Disney needs to move around their parks, I think they do a great job. I've got no issue with packing the buses to full capacity. Your only on it for a short period of time and if you are really that tired that you can't stand, then maybe you should have left earlier in the day. I think its a great service and adds to my vacation experience.

[texas211]

I agree, why the system isn't perfect, I do enjoy the transportation system. I really like the good drivers who speak clearly and have either helpful information, else you have interesting trivia.

Sing alongs though, would put me on edge.

[ryca1dreams]

I like the busses for what they are - complimentary transportation. Yes, they do add to the experience, but only because of their association with the destinations.

I will say though that I love the Poly/GF resort launch. Not a bus, I know, but much more of an experience in itself.

I've only had a few minor bad experiences with Disney Transportation as a whole. Nothing that's ever upset me. Then again, we normally go in the off season and it has never been real crowded.

[Stu29573]

I have never had any issue with the busses. I enjoy the ride ans appreciate the service. Even on the couple of occasions where I drove to WDW, I parked the car for the entire trip. Thumbs up!

[LVT]

I agree with LudwigVanDrake"The only thing I don't like about the buses is the occasional loooooooong wait for one :D.
I only prefer driving to the water parks. The A/c on a bus in a wet suit is chilling.

[Arielfan98]

Well for my first few trips to Disney once the Dining plan had first come out, it was easy access to get on the buses to and fro. But then a year later after everyone figured it out (how to get free dining and transportation), the buses became fuller and the lines to get on them were tremendous (and a ridiculous wait)...we literally had to wait over 30 minutes for a bus.

[seanyred]

I sometimes wonder if peoples POV about the buses has anything to do with where they live. I'm just guessing here by I suspect people who live in major metropolitan area and use public transportation on a regular basis don't mind the Disney buses as much. Mainly because they are used to accounting for travel times.

Just a theory

[Kathy Jetson]

We drive down to disney so we have a car and I love to be able to get in the car anytime I want and just go to or from the parks and to the other resorts with no wait at all. Last year we decided to try the bus one night to MK from Pop when the 2nd bus to MK got there it didn't look like we were going to get on that one either and then all at once they started unloading that full bus because someone got on and promptly threw up:sick: So we got on the Epcot bus to get to MK by way of monorail. I think I'll just drive from now on.

[LVT]

I agree with Seanyred. I am in a college town and expect to be in a tightly packed sardine-can. I rejoice if I sit.