Reviews of Disney Transportation Boat, Monorail, Bus, & Skyliner
Reviewed by mawdryn Review Date: 06/29/2015
Rating: (4) Recommended
I have taken Disney transportation too many times to count. Unfortunately, I have never found it to be very reliable. My most recent stay in Disney was June 6th to 12th. We stayed at POR and POFQ. The monorails were fine, no issues. However, the buses had very long wait times and were extremely crowded. I don't understand how it can be safe to horde guests into these buses like sardines. Twice, while waiting for buses to Epcot and AK, we left the bus stop (after waits close to a half hour) to take our car instead. DTD waits to and from were over 40 minutes. It is very difficult to make dining reservations when the buses are so unpredictable...
Pros:
Crowded Buses and Long WaitsCons:
NoneReviewed by DeanMoriarity Review Date: 09/08/2013
Rating: (4) Not Recommended
This review is painful; but it needs to be done. First the good news. The monorail is still quick, efficient and a lot of fun to ride. I enjoy the monorail just as much as I did when I was a kid in the early 80's. As a resort guest, the lines are never long and you get from here to there quickly with little to no wait. I wish the monorail could be expanded to include more than just the MK, Epcot, and a couple of hotels. The monorail gets three out of the 4 points I give WDW transportation.
Bus Transportation. What happened Disney? It used to be a great choice. Back in the 80's, I never had an issue. But as time went on, I saw the bus service deteriorate with each succeeding trip to WDW. I stayed at the Port Orleans Riverside the last week of August in 2013. That said, bus transportation was my only choice. More often than not, there was an issue. Disney has the POR bus service paired with the POR French Quarter. Why? Being these are two very popular hotels, it is understandable that the lines for the buses would be the longest. Time and time again, no matter what park I was at, the lines for POR and PORFQ were the longest. I'd say the solution would be to separate the routes and give each hotel their own bus. Sounds like an easy solution. However, i noticed that this problem is not unique to the POR. At one point, I took a bus from the Contemporary only to find that it was paired with the Polynesian. I've seen that the value resorts pair up too. So it looks like the high end hotels also have to deal with this issue along with the low end and moderate resorts.
The bus service to and from Downtown Disney is horrendous. They really need to add buses to this route. On the afternoon of 8/27, it actually took me 1 hour and 15 minutes to get from Downtown Disney back to the POR. 75 minutes for a ride that's a little over a mile. You'd think they'd make transportation to and from the largest shopping district WDW has a bit easier.
Another problem that I encountered daily was watching multiple buses for another park come and go before the one I was waiting for would arrive. It was common to see two buses for another park go by. One day I actually saw three Epcot buses come back to back to back. That's three buses, all going to Epcot come in less than a minute. At what point does the third bus in line call dispatch for reassignment? Is bad management the reason?
What does this add up to? Overcrowded buses, that's what. More often than not, I didn't get a seat. We were just packed on like a bunch of cattle. My heart goes out to those traveling with young children. They had it twice as bad as I did. And leads me to my next point;safety. Just how safe is it for a bus to be overloaded like that on a daily basis. Is this just an accident waiting to happen? I think it's kind of ironic to think the most dangerous ride in all of WDW is the bus ride back to the hotel.
My last point for the WDW transportation system is how they handle handicapped passengers. My concern is that putting a handicapped person on an overcrowded bus with too many tired and irritable passengers is a dangerous situation. In a real emergency with passengers in a panic, a handicapped passenger would be in great peril. The solution here would be for WDW to have their own para-transit service. This is done in cities all across the USA. I like the fact that WDW has always been accessible to the handicapped and the elderly but i think it would behoove them to improve upon this service.
None of this is a matter of money. Disney has already put a lot of money behind the bus service. Read other reviews. Often we here of empty buses going to places no one wants to go to. This issue is a matter of poor management. Disney needs to reorganize and hire the right people to make the bus service world class. It can be done.
Pros:
monorail is goodCons:
bus transportationReviewed by Anonymous Review Date: 08/19/2021
Rating: (5) Not Recommended
Not magical any more
Pros:
It's DisneyCons:
Transportation ride and don't know their jobs. Rude cast members and bus drivers High cost.Reviewed by Anonymous Review Date: 06/07/2021
Rating: (5) Not Recommended
Stayed at Riviera and was disappointed our only options to get to Hollywood and Epcot were via Skyliner. During the morning rush we had a 40 minute wait at the Transfer Center. Having the choice of a bus would have been helpful to avoid congestion.
Pros:
Skyliner is a quick rideCons:
The Skyliner can’t currently handle the load being placed on it.Reviewed by Anonymous Review Date: 12/21/2020
Rating: (5) Not Recommended
What's wrong with bus? Skyliner is great but, long lines! Need to offer bus transportation to HS and Epcot as well!
Pros:
Not manyCons:
Long lines if you don't have a lot of money and can stay at top resorts!Reviewed by mamandragon Review Date: 03/03/2019
Rating: (5) Not Recommended
Buses to and from the parks are still very crowded. Some of the drivers like hitting the brake pedal a little too much and it makes for a very choppy ride. If you suffer from motion sickness then taking the buses might not be a good idea. On our recent visit in February we started using the Lyft service for this very reason as my daughter suffers from sever motion sickness. At Hollywood Studios the bus area is a nightmare. It is under construction and the area where you get the bus gets EXTREMLY Congested and there is no where to move. Whoever came up with this plan while the construction is on should be fired. Plain and simple. This area is an accident waiting to happen.
Pros:
FreeCons:
Crowded buses, long wait times, Hollywood Studios ConstructionReviewed by DeanMoriarity Review Date: 02/26/2018
Rating: (5) Recommended
Disney is trying, and I have seen improvements. Monitors are now installed to let you know when to expect the next bus, and resorts don’t double up they way they used to. This is all good and I have had less time waiting for a bus, and quicker transit times. But Disney construction is never ending and there are always more people trying to get to more places. The roads are very congested and what should be a 5-10 minute ride can take 30-45 minutes. The whole resorts is getting a very urban feel to it and the #1 complaint from most guests is transportation. So what should be done?
Not adding more busses. Disney should try to encourage guest to not use a motor vehicle if at all possible. The monorail is a good idea that should be expanded. Having a southern monorail that goes from animal kingdom to Disney springs would do a lot to alleviate the traffic problem. Disney has already cried about the cost of a monorail, but seeing all the construction going on and seeing how many guests stay at their resorts I find it hard to believe money is short. Make a new transportation center where the southern and northern monorails meet to make it possible for most resort guests to be able to choose bus or monorail to any park. The solution should be to reduce the amount of vehicles on the roads. Not build more roads, not add lanes, and not make more parking garages. Here “if you build it they will come†is as true a statement as could be.
Pros:
No need to rent a carCons:
Whole system needs to be oerhauledReviewed by Irishrabbit Review Date: 01/04/2014
Rating: (5) Recommended
First of all, we've stayed at moderates and deluxe resorts at WDW. This past Dec we stayed at the Wilderness Lodge. We especially liked the boat service to the MK and Contemporary resort. As usual, the bus service to get everywhere else was difficult most times.
There were many occasions while waiting for a bus to Downtown Disney, 2 or 3 buses from Epcot or Animal Kingdom would come, and have only a handful of people on them. Even though 20 minutes is the average waiting time, we found 30-35 minutes was the average waiting time at WL. Overcrowded buses are still an issue. I can't believe there hasn't been anybody hurt, especially at night when the buses are packed in so tightly, and buses stopping short because of traffic issues or being cut off. I still believe that each resort should have a direct bus to the Boardwalk after 6 pm to help with people going there for dining reservations. Getting a bus from Boardwalk back to DD to connect back to your resort is now taking up to 2 hours. Come to Disney, enjoy waiting for and riding our buses 3-4 hours a day is what it has turned into. I also believe there should be a para-transit bus with the increased amount of guests using scooters. I am glad that the parks and DD have made lining up for buses more organized than in the past, and it is no longer a free-for-all getting on buses from those locations. Especially for people patiently waiting, then groups cut in and jump on the buses first. WL shared a few lines with the Grand Floridian, which seemed silly to me. Why not share with the Poly or Contemporary which are much closer and have much less traffic. Getting from your resort to a dinner reservation at another resort, or theme park is becoming a major hassle, not to mention time consuming. Having to allow 2 hours now to get to your desired dining location in time is totally ridiculous!
I know there are many resorts now, but there has to be a better way to better organize the buses to get people to and from their desired destinations quicker than they are now.
Pros:
Boats from WL to MK and Contempory are great!Cons:
Long waits and overcrowded busesReviewed by Elaine Hammond Review Date: 12/15/2013
Rating: (5) Recommended
With all the capabilities of Disney, I would think they could improve a lot on the bus service. To see, time and time again buses stop at locations where there was NO ONE waiting and others that had lines 4 & 5 rows deep waiting and no bus arriving is unacceptable. And I believe Disney is courting disaster with the way they overcrowd the buses. Better scheduling and communication is needed here.
While I was there December 6-13 I see that they have added Cast Members at the bus stops in what I assume is an attempt to better coordinate services. While waiting at the Springs stop at Saratoga the Cast Member announced that the Epcot bus would be arriving in 7 minutes. The bus was literally coming up behind him when he said that.
I have been coming to Disneyworld over 20 years and the bus service used to be much better. Add more buses - coordinate with your dispatches better and STOP the severe overcrowding. It is dangerous.
Pros:
Able to get to almost everywhereCons:
Wait times, overcrowded busesReviewed by tinyallison Review Date: 12/12/2013
Rating: (5) Recommended
The Monorail and Boats are the best way to get around. But the busses are always over packed! they really need to get that under control
