Pop Bus #

[oliver&bianca]

Don't get me wrong, we love POP. Very few things to complain about, except.....the number of buses. Has anyone else ever noticed that when you are leaving the parks the POP bus is filled to the gills and other resort buses have empty seats. When we left AK in the middle of the day, the POP bus line was full with people (wrapped around as far as it could go). Everyone in that line was in dismay as buses would pull up to other resort bus stops that had very few people. When a POP bus finally came, everyone was cheering very loudly. This happened more than once. I don't think my husband EVER sat on the bus on his way home from the parks in the evening. He always gave his seat up to someone else. It seems like the other resorts' bus occupants didn't have to worry about giving up their seats. Are we just crazy or is this true?:confused:

[tadshome]

We noticed this last year, especially at MK

[Eeyore's Pal]

It seems like the other resorts' bus occupants didn't have to worry about giving up their seats. Are we just crazy or is this true?:confused:

I have stayed at Port Orleans Riverside and at Wilderness Lodge and had to stand on buses to both resorts.

[CleveRocks]

The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.

[brad0057]

We were just there a week ago and had the same thing happen. We even made a song for the ride back every night standing. "10,000 rooms - 2 buses".

Lines were out of the cue for anywhere we went. They would even combine bus stops together like 11 and 12 I think at epcot and stretch the line through both. I also noticed that those stops were the farthest walks from the gates too. Guess you get what you pay for.

[CleveRocks]

When I stayed at Caribbean Beach Resort in 2005, the bus queues at park closings were huge. We routinely waited nearly an hour and had to wait for 4 or 5 or 6 or more buses to clear us all out. It was frustrating. CBR has 2,112 rooms.

When I stayed at Port Orleans French Quarter in 2006, the bus queues at park closings were huge. We routinely waited nearly an hour and had to wait for 4 or 5 or 6 or more buses to clear us all out. It was frustrating. Except at Magic Kingdom in the evenings, POFQ shares buses with POR. Combined, the 2 Port Orleans resorts have 3,056 rooms.

Pop Century has 2,880 rooms. I'm sure the bus waits at park closings are a bear for Pop guests, also.

Like I said, the grass is always greener on the other side. When we are hot and tired and have kids hanging on us, our own wait seems the longest and everyone else seems to have an easier time of it.

But that's just not accurate.

[disneymom15]

I know what you mean. More times than not we end up waiting for the bus. However, there has been times when we hit it just right and have little to no wait.

[Crow]

Ive had to stand sometimes.
MK is the worst, in morning & at closing.
when staying at POP, i go out w my refillable mug of terrible coffee (or dump it & get soda) & look to see which bus wait has a line. usually MK so i go to Epcot. I can always get the monorail over then.
but other resorts Ive been at have been that way sometimes.
or wait awhile after closing & stroll the park and shops.
its the tradeoff to me;not renting a car saving that $$ but mayb having to wait some.
Its also why i like POP though, as its closer to Epcot than some others & thats where i spend the most time

[Young@Heart]

Back in 2001, we spent a lot of time standing on the POFQ bus. :( Definitely put us off regarding WDW transportation.

[henry.james.s]

This is exactly why I rent a car!! :thumbsup:

[TheMartellFamily]

I have stayed there on many occasions and I think at opening and at closing of the parks it is a bear to get anywhere. Yes it is a large resort and the line arevery long but we just tell ourselves that we will get back to the room sooner or later. When we have this montra it does not seem to be as bad. We have made comments that why is that bus stopping at an empty resort stop? Then there is the question why does that resort have three busses stop when we have not had one? But you know what, with all this running though our minds and fustration we have always gotten back to our room, and not left behind.:D

[BigRedDad]

You need to understand that you are getting what you pay for. The buses are definitely going to be an issue with the largest resort on property and also the least expensive. The bus stops are the furthest out because that is what people pay for, convenience. WDW would not want people staying at GF, CR, and Poly to walk those extra 1000 feet for the bus stops while paying $300+ per night. There would also not want them waiting around more than they need to because they most likely have more disposable income to spend.

We were at PO back in April. The LONGEST line we waited in was DHS at closing after Fantasmic. There were about 75 people in line. One bus pulled in, filled. Then a second bus pulled right in and left. It was less than 10 minutes waiting total.

If people do not like the delay, then upgrade to the more expensive resorts, leave when the parks are not emptying, or bring a car or take a cab.

[CleveRocks]

You need to understand that you are getting what you pay for. The buses are definitely going to be an issue with the largest resort on property and also the least expensive. The bus stops are the furthest out because that is what people pay for, convenience. WDW would not want people staying at GF, CR, and Poly to walk those extra 1000 feet for the bus stops while paying $300+ per night. There would also not want them waiting around more than they need to because they most likely have more disposable income to spend.

We were at PO back in April. The LONGEST line we waited in was DHS at closing after Fantasmic. There were about 75 people in line. One bus pulled in, filled. Then a second bus pulled right in and left. It was less than 10 minutes waiting total.

If people do not like the delay, then upgrade to the more expensive resorts, leave when the parks are not emptying, or bring a car or take a cab.It is simply inaccurate that bus slots at the parks are placed by level of resort. Since bus slots change two or three times a year, I guess it's possible that it may happen that way by sheer coincidence now and then, but it is simply not that way by design, and not that way almost all of the time.

This misperception is just another example of the "grass is always greener on the other side" phenomenon.

I know that what I wrote is fact (from Disney Transport CMs themselves), but I'll also give a couple of eyewitness example. The last time I stayed at WDW, I stayed at POFQ, a Moderate resort. We were the very farthest away bus slot at MGM. The slot right next to us, the slot that was the second farthest from the entrance, was the slot for the combined Grand Floridian/Polynesian/Contemporary bus.

IMAGINE THAT! The marquee Deluxe resorts had the second farthest bus slot from the entrance/exit. This means, of course, that the Value resorts and other Moderate resorts had bus slots closer to the gate than the marquee Deluxe resorts.

During that same trip, the POFQ slot at Magic KIngdom was one of the 3 closest to the gate. AT MK, there are 3 lines of bus slots/ The first slot the front of each of the 3 lines comprise "the closest" slots to the gate. Well, POFQ was one of those 3. I didn;t check what the other 2 were, but there are more than 2 Deluxe resorts that have MK buses, such as WL, AKL, SSR, and the BoardWalk area resorts (The "marquee 3" don't send buses to MK due to the monorail). SO once again, here is an example when at least 2 Deluxe resorts had bus slots farther away from the gate than at least one Moderate resort.

So there goes that theory .... :cool:

[BigRedDad]

Not sure what you are talking about, but our bus stops were always the furthest with the exception of DHS.

MK - Take the right hand walk all the way to the very last stop closest to the Contemporary

Epcot - Walk to the last section and make a right at the little building. Last bus stop. Arguably the furthest, because the AS stops were straight and leading up to POP at the end

AK - Take the exit to the left and then all the way to the end. Passing by a few moderates and the AS's

DHS - walk to the building outside the turn-styles and POP was one of the fisrt stops just to the right.

[Sean Riley Taylor's Mom]

The buses were one of the big factors that finally convinced my husband to buy into DVC.
The Value lines can be absolutely ridiculous.
The DVC buses, for the most part, are much better.

But, the OKW buses were terrible earlier this month. So, it can happen at any of the resorts. We always expected long waits for buses when we stayed at Values. That was usually the outcome. I know it is frustrating but, I never let it bother me too much. My husband is another story!;)

[CleveRocks]

Not sure what you are talking about, but our bus stops were always the furthest with the exception of DHS.

I have no doubt that the bus slots were the way you say they were the week you were there.

But what you're not getting from what I said is that it's not purposely set up that way, with Value resorts having the farthest bus slots. It might coincidentally work out that way every now and then when they rejigger the bus slot assignments, but it is simply not designed such that Deluxe guests are supposed to have shorter walks to buses.

I get this perspective not only from numerous trips (and seeing the changes), but actually asking wearers of the Purple Pants (Disney Transport bus drivers wear purple pants).

You took your one experience and are making a general statement about how you think the buses always are. But what you saw was a snapshot in time ... the bus slot assignments change a few times a year. If you go back again, the bus slots for your resort will NOT be in the exact same places as the last time you stayed.

Been there, done that ....

I find it very telling that I gave you a "map" of where my bus stops were at 2 parks, and you say you don't know what I'm talking about ... yet you did the same thing, giving me a "map" of where your bus stops were. What exactly did you fail to understand???

[ASweetLov]

I have stayed at Pop twice and yes the buses do get very full but that is something that just doesn't bother me at all. On the way back to Pop from a park I never sat, I always gave up my seat to a small child who was standing. I didnt have to do it but I did and it didnt bother me at all. Your at WDW and you arent in the buses for that long:mickey:

[mel]

That is why we are bringing a car .. it just doesnt make sense to wait in those lines.. except if you are going to epcot.. we drive to epcot and take a monorail to mk...less crowded...

[pink]

We were just there a week ago and had the same thing happen. We even made a song for the ride back every night standing. "10,000 rooms - 2 buses".

Very funny. :D

I've never stayed at POP before but I've stayed at the All-stars multiple times and I feel like we were always in this same situation with them. 3hotels worth of people trying to fit into 2 or 3 buses, not happening. Last time we were there we were leaving AK at around 1 in the afternoon and for no reason at all there was a BIG line. :confused:


:mickey:

[Crow]

Ill try to remember to report how they are in Sept for my 4 nights there.
remind me if i forget to say

[Tink#64]

I think Pop's popularity has caused the really long bus lines! But sometimes we've hit it just right and have been almost alone on the bus!

I still think that the bus situation at Pop is better then the AS's shared busses! I know when we stayed at ASMo's during our first trip, I think that every single bus was always full by the time we got on! Mo's is the last in the AS line up!

All of this said, this year we had to stay off property for our first couple of days & had to drive ourselves around. To me, it didn't seem like our vacation began until we got to check in at Pop & park the van & ride the buses! Go figure! :blush:

I still think Disney does a fantastic job accommodating the amazing number of guests they have 365 days a year! :thumbsup:

[wendy*darling]

:drive: One note- Disney is in dire need of bus drivers right now. So, the staff shortage will play into our experiences on vacation.

We stay at all levels, but primarily at Deluxe since we are DVC.
We have waited in huge lines for non-existent buses at all levels as well. And when one comes- there are usually more people than can fit.
It is not at all rare that we stand on our rides "home." Remember- the Deluxe buses are shared.
At least with Pop, you are all going to the same destination. Not stopping at multiple resorts and waiting for people to get off.

As a matter of fact, the most impressive service I have had was while staying at Pop. After MNSSHP one evening the line for Pop was gi-normous! But the buses kept coming and coming. I think I wait until the 5th bus before it was my turn to get on- but they were plentiful and frequent. :thumbsup:

All that said- we never rent a car. We use Disney transportation exclusively.

When the parks close and thousands upon thousands of people all exit at the same time- the buses will be crowded!

But I'd much rather be standing on a crowded Disney bus than sitting in traffic on the Schuylkill Expressway! :mickey: