Busses

What is this van service you are talking about?

We used the Disney Express Park to Park service and loved it, but I have not heard of the vans. Is this a new Disney offering?

The more I hear about assortd construction projects and closings and unlimited bus issues the more I'm incline to just stay up north at Universal for my up coming Fall trip. Disney seems to be charging more and more and giving less and less for it.

Sorry to hear about the bus issues you experienced. I thought Disney buses had always been scheduled to arrive approximately every 20 minutes - don't ever recall hearing about a 15 minute schedule. On our last trip, we found a lot of variety in our bus wait times but don't recall any waits that were extremely excessive.

When we went last year we stayed at POR and it was the same. The night we saw the Star Wars fireworks show we must have cycled through 6 buses before we finally got on one, and even then the wait time in between was very long. I'm not one to complain about this type of thing because I understand that these people are doing their job and it's not like its entirely their fault, but I do remember the buses being a little more efficient back in the day. So you are not alone in your thinking!

#1donaldfan;2503790 wrote: I'm not sure where to post this .... move as necessary ....

I My thinking is they're reducing free bus availability so we will pay for the new service provided using vans directly to each destination. I did notice many of those over the course of the week.

What is this?

Being able to book your fastpasses in advance and your dining is what will keep you on property.

One of the reasons we bring a rental car. I give it a go on the buses, and if it seems to "situation normal, all messed up," then we go jump in the truck. The exception would be on EPCOT days as we tend to drink too much for that.

Personally (and I may be in the minority here), one of the things that makes me feel like I am at Disney is riding the buses. No matter how inefficient I may think it is, I will always be riding the buses and soaking in all the WDW atmosphere while I can. Not trying to say gripes aren't necessary or invalid, but personally I enjoy not having to drive (after a 14 hour drive to Florida I don't want to see/get in the car again until I have to leave) and being all-in with the atmosphere. And if I'm stuck an extra hour at the park waiting for the bus, then so be it - I'm in Disney! :wave:

I'd like to know about the van service too. I know there was some chatter about it awhile back but didn't hear anything about it coming to fruition other than the VIP Tours.

We had no problems with the busses in Oct/Nov. They came to both resorts we stayed at on schedule. Every 20 minutes. Only waited the 20 min. once. When we left Magic Kingdom one night we waited for a bus and nothing came. When I mentioned it to a CM because we had my 72 yr old dad and he needed to be sitting. They called a bus right over and sent us on our way.

We were there in November and had no problems with bus service. Busses ran pretty much on schedule and at times were even a little early. If all the times we have been there it has always been every 20 minutes.

I have some thoughts. 1) Keep in mind that the bus schedule can be effected by loading and unloading guest in wheel chairs and scooters. This is especially true if the guest is using a rental scooter that they are unfamiliar with, and are having trouble operating it. 2) The time of year that you go can effect the efficiency of the buses. Remember many of Disney's employees are seasonal, and are not necessarily as efficient as the full time employees.

I also have a tip. If you stay for Wishes, Illuminations, or Fantasmic don't go to the buses right away. Most of the shops near the exit will remain open, so check them out. In my experience if I spend 45 - 50 minutes in the stores after the night time entertainment ends, then I will have a very short wait for the bus when I get to the station.

Speedy1998;2503939 wrote: I have some thoughts. 1) Keep in mind that the bus schedule can be effected by loading and unloading guest in wheel chairs and scooters. This is especially true if the guest is using a rental scooter that they are unfamiliar with, and are having trouble operating it. 2) The time of year that you go can effect the efficiency of the buses. Remember many of Disney's employees are seasonal, and are not necessarily as efficient as the full time employees.

I also have a tip. If you stay for Wishes, Illuminations, or Fantasmic don't go to the buses right away. Most of the shops near the exit will remain open, so check them out. In my experience if I spend 45 - 50 minutes in the stores after the night time entertainment ends, then I will have a very short wait for the bus when I get to the station.

You're a genius!

To add to that, my mom and I go in the shops and end our day there while we wait for the bus traffic to chill out. Then we don't have that problem with waiting! Another way to do it is take another method of transportation and find your way to the resort through there - it makes for a fun adventure!

The vans I was referencing could have been VIP tours but we saw several of them during our trip as opposed to all our other trips. I'm sure it was the express service they now offer ...