Disney Transport?

[Burgmeister]

Currently weighing up our options for next July.

Normally, no matter what, we would hire a car at the airport and use it when staying onsite to travel to the parks and DS. On very rare occasions we will use the Disney bus but its probably once per holiday. We have normally travelled Jan/Feb during the "quiet" periods.

I am considering not using a car until we go onsite but I'm worried that, in July, the buses will be unpleasant and inconvenient to use. Are there enough of them to cope with demand or are you hanging around for 30-40 minutes (or even longer) when trying to get to and from the parks? Do buses run early enough to get you to "rope drop"? Am I better off swallowing the extra cost of car hire for the convenience and flexibility it offers? Will the introduction of resort parking fees for US customers make the situation on Disney transport even worse?

Thanks

[duchy]

We aren't having a car whilst staying on site this year as we are now at the Boardwalk so only need the car for two out of the four parks, originally we were at AKL and had a car booked originally so my feeling is it depends which resort you are staying at to some extent.
It does seem to me the people who struggle with the buses are those who'd never dream of using buses at home and drive everywhere.

[Burgmeister]

Originally Posted by duchy

It does seem to me the people who struggle with the buses are those who'd never dream of using buses at home and drive everywhere.

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Ah. That would be me then! Buses, where we live, are fairly rare beasts so relying on them is not a particularly appealing option. I wouldn't mind using them at Disney if they are reliable and plentiful. I would hate it if you are left standing around for long periods and can't get on them when they arrive as they are full.

We are staying at Coronado Springs

[Tinkerbell]

Never used a car onsite never felt the need. There’s always Uber for the odd journey.

I’m not sure what people expect from Disney transport. It’s more reliable than the train service in the UK although that’s a low benchmark.


As the poster above said if you’re not used to public transport, feel waiting ( how long are you willing to wait, are you expecting a five ten or twenty minute service ) is an issue then car it.

Personally I’d find it more frustrating going in and out of a car park etc much rather let someone else take the strain. Horses for courses

[Burgmeister]

I don't mind waiting a bit, my query is more along teh lines of "how long do you have to wait?" Time in Florida is a very expensive commodity and spending a lot of it in queues for buses (On top of the ridiculous queues for rides) is something I need to weigh up.

So, is the average wait 5 minutes? 10? 20? 40? longer?

Thanks

[Tinkerbell]

Originally Posted by Burgmeister

I don't mind waiting a bit, my query is more along teh lines of "how long do you have to wait?" Time in Florida is a very expensive commodity and spending a lot of it in queues for buses (On top of the ridiculous queues for rides) is something I need to weigh up.

So, is the average wait 5 minutes? 10? 20? 40? longer?

Thanks

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How long is a piece of string!

If you have just missed one you might wait 20/30 minutes you may wait five. There is now a Disney bus app which gives wait times etc.
Park closing times will always call for a wait for a bus.

If time is such an issue for you then maybe taxi or car hire would be better.

Personally we just go with the flow. On two occasions, from other resort hotels, the wait was long so we ordered a taxi

[chippyminton]

We use the transportation and find it fine. We will hire a car for 48 hours for a side trip and outlet shopping but that’s it. Uber or Lyft is an option, and we have booked private transfers for moving between resorts and to the airport.

The bus times app has been useful and pretty accurate. Leaving the parks, let the crowds die down immediately after the evening show - get a photo, browse the shops etc.

[Burgmeister]

Originally Posted by Tinkerbell

How long is a piece of string!

If you have just missed one you might wait 20/30 minutes you may wait five. There is now a Disney bus app which gives wait times etc.
Park closing times will always call for a wait for a bus.

If time is such an issue for you then maybe taxi or car hire would be better.

Personally we just go with the flow. On two occasions, from other resort hotels, the wait was long so we ordered a taxi

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OK thanks. I appreciate that if you have just missed one then you are likely to wait longer than if you get to the stop just as one is arriving. The fact that you then may have to wait 20/30 minutes or only 5 obviously shows that they aren't regular. That's useful information.

It also gives me the indication that waiting 30 minutes is not abnormal -so that is also useful to know (and kind of what I was asking).

Other than park closing time, is it common to not be able to get on a bus i.e. are the queues often longer than the bus' capacity?

Finally, thank you for taking the time to respond. It is most useful information so that I can, hopefully, make an informed decision on whether to spend the extra on car hire or not

[Burgmeister]

Originally Posted by chippyminton

We use the transportation and find it fine. We will hire a car for 48 hours for a side trip and outlet shopping but that’s it. Uber or Lyft is an option, and we have booked private transfers for moving between resorts and to the airport.

The bus times app has been useful and pretty accurate. Leaving the parks, let the crowds die down immediately after the evening show - get a photo, browse the shops etc.

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Thanks for your response. Any particular reason you don't wish to use the Magical Express?

[Tinkerbell]

Originally Posted by Burgmeister

OK thanks. I appreciate that if you have just missed one then you are likely to wait longer than if you get to the stop just as one is arriving. The fact that you then may have to wait 20/30 minutes or only 5 obviously shows that they aren't regular. That's useful information.

It also gives me the indication that waiting 30 minutes is not abnormal -so that is also useful to know (and kind of what I was asking).

Other than park closing time, is it common to not be able to get on a bus i.e. are the queues often longer than the bus' capacity?

Finally, thank you for taking the time to respond. It is most useful information so that I can, hopefully, make an informed decision on whether to spend the extra on car hire or not

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Based on my own experiences no.