Reviews of Disney Transportation Boat, Monorail, Bus, & Skyliner
Reviewed by Anonymous Review Date: 02/12/2020
Rating: (6) Not Recommended
Disney has been using a bus system for quite some time now yet I don’t know if it’s truly an efficient system. We’ve just returned from our honeymoon and we tried to pack as much into our vacation as possible but we missed out on quite a bit due to waiting for buses. We were late to a few reservations due to buses taking too long between stops. Sometimes it would take over an hour to get into the park with wait time and drive time combined. I understand 10-15 minutes to circle back but when you have to wait half an hour or more for a bus, you’re not even sure will come, it’s ridiculous. I can’t tell you how many times we had to use the Minnie Van service, which is excellent, to salvage an evening but it’s an unnecessary expense that we shouldn’t have to use with access to the buses. At one point a bus ignored us and drove away with us standing next to their door; the bus wasn’t even full he just decided he wanted to leave after watching us run after him. A separate time we planned to use a Minnie Van to go to Disney Springs because the buses there seemed unpredictable but a bus happened to show up for Disney Springs so we cancelled the ride when we got up to the bus we were informed after waiting for several minutes that the bus was for Blizzard Beach and not Disney Springs despite the sign saying Disney Springs; apparently it was broken and couldn’t be altered at the moment. We called another Minnie Van and another bus did show up for Disney Springs but we didn’t even bother running after it because there was no use canceling another ride that would guarantee we’d get there. Ultimately, we will return as we always do and I appreciate the new avenues of transportation that are becoming available for the parks but I wish Disney World would consider that you can easily walk 10 miles a day or more at a park so to have consistent transportation is a must especially when your feet can barely hold you up anymore after a long day.
Pros:
Air Conditioning, easy to get from hotel to parks compared to driving insteadCons:
Long lines, inconsistent wait times, broken destination signsReviewed by SharW Review Date: 11/14/2013
Rating: (6) Recommended
While easy to use, you can wait a long time and buses can be very overcrowded. Needs to be better coordination of buses going to early opening parks. Waiting for bus at the Beach Club to go to Animal Kingdom on early opening day. Saw 4 Magic Kingdom buses (for a park that wasn't even open yet) come and go. Waited for over 30 minutes for bus. Employee at bus stop logging arriving and leaving times said that if the bus leaving the Yacht Club was full, they would have to bypass the Beach Club and the people at the Beach Club would just have to wait and hope the next bus wasn't full. When the bus finally arrives, they tried to pile everyone on that have been waiting (by the time the bus arrived, there must have been 25-30 people waiting) - bus was packed. Husband, grandson and I had to stand (which I don't mind). Bus driver was going extremely fast and had to slam on brakes for a stop light. Needless to say, everyone was sent flying. Luckily the couple sitting in front of my grandson caught him and kept him from falling. Everyone that was standing was pushed forward creating a very dangerous situation.
Pros:
Easy to useCons:
can wait a long time and can be overcrowdedReviewed by Aquila163 Review Date: 07/31/2013
Rating: (6) Recommended
I get what 20 minute average wait means. Sometimes 10 minutes, sometime 30 minutes. I have arthritis and walk with a cane so I also get and appreciate handicap access. I think it's time Disney consider dedicated ECV transportation vehicles. I waited with my wife with my cane 1 1/2 hours while 4, yes FOUR, consecutive buses loaded 2 ECV's each with their families and the buses were then full. One family loaded an ECV and 12 family members. It seems the only qualification to get these things is enough money as it was obvious many users had no experience with them. One woman with about an 8 year old girl sitting on here lap driving the ECV crashed into my wife. When you wait a long time at a big resort like Riverside or Caribbean there may have been several buses filled by EVC's that simply never came around the resort. I understand and appreciate Disney's requirement to provide handicap access for those of us that need it. The explosion of ECV use is costing people a lot of park time and I'm sure that translates into less money spent in parks and I know it makes some people who need handicap access choose not to go again and endure the looks from people waiting for buses.
Pros:
Bus stop are closer than parking lotsCons:
Electric convenience vehiclesReviewed by tga1828 Review Date: 11/30/2020
Rating: (7) Recommended
Overall= Good
Pros:
LotsCons:
SomeReviewed by Boblyn Review Date: 10/27/2019
Rating: (7) Recommended
I was at WDW 10/6-10/22. During that time I rode Disney’s Skyliner once, right after it re-opened after the big breakdown. I took it round trip from the EPCOT station. As soon as we took off it stopped for about 10 minutes. We were on a full car of 8 adults. It got very warm very quickly. We soon started up again and the rest of the ride was uneventful. My take aways from my single round trip ride (does that count as two rides?) are;
*It’s a quick way to get from the parks to the Resorts serviced.
*The ride is not as smooth as I’d expected. There are many bumpy, jostling points.
*The view is spectacular. We rode it just as theEPCOT Fireworks were starting and the view was outstanding.
*Disney should consider piping in the music from the fireworks.
*I don’t believe the Skyliner will comfortably hold 10 people as they state. Our car had 8 adults. Anything more would have been too much and a stroller or wheelchair would never have fit in with us.
*Temperature wise we were comfortable though it was at night without the relentless Florida sun. For the short time our gondola was stopped it got very warm very quickly. I would hate to think about how hot it would be in the middle of the afternoon.
Pros:
Quick ride to the resorts. Amazing views, especially of the EPCOT fireworksCons:
Worry about loading more than 8 adults in one gondola The gondola gets hot very quickly when it stops.Reviewed by Anonymous Review Date: 10/22/2019
Rating: (7) Recommended
The boats are the most dependable mode of transportation. The monorail is typically not running smoothly when we are visiting WDW. There is nothing worse than being in one of those cars stuck on the rail waiting for it to move! The busses are always crowded for the all-stars resorts. The moderate resorts are better but they too can be overcrowded. I would like to see the handicap accessible people and their parties be queued with others. I hate to see a scooter wheel up to the front of the line as the bus is arriving and get loaded while my family has been standing in line for 30 minutes and do not get on the bus.
Pros:
boats on time and a nice ride monorail is another attraction bus gets you closer to the entranceCons:
boats don't service all locations monorail is down more than it is operational buses are crowdedReviewed by Hayls Review Date: 09/26/2018
Rating: (7) Recommended
quick and easy.
Pros:
typically not too crowded are quick.Cons:
I wish they went to more resorts!Reviewed by debg32 Review Date: 06/23/2017
Rating: (7) Recommended
The system is good but could use some adjustments. We vacationed here in May, staying at the Boardwalk Villas. We were thrilled to hear before we left that they now have buses strictly for the Boardwalk and you no longer have to share with the Swan and Dolphin resorts. That is not completely true. Depending on where you are going or coming from, you still have to share with the Swan and Dolphin. So it can take up to 2 hours to get back to the resort. The other complaint is with the water parks. 2 years ago when we were there, Animal Kingdom shared a bus with Blizzard Beach and Downtown Disney shared with Typhoon Lagoon. Now, for Blizzard Beach you have to take a bus to Animal Kingdom and switch buses and then do the same on the return. It makes no sense since they have to pass Blizzard Beach to get to and from Animal Kingdom. The same for Typhoon Lagoon. You have to take a bus to Disney Springs and switch. Why don't they just have buses that run between the 2 water parks??? I know a lot of people leaving AK or DS don't want to sit on wet seats.
Pros:
Not needing a carCons:
Not consistantReviewed by featheredbuddy Review Date: 09/29/2016
Rating: (7) Recommended
Wait times getting to the parks were ok. Wait times coming back from parks were horrible.
Pros:
—Cons:
—Reviewed by Warner Review Date: 05/19/2016
Rating: (7) Recommended
Disney Transportation can be very good, or VERY bad. At times it's fabulous, like when you walk up and your bus pulls straight up. Or it can be a miserable 30 minute line. Those are not fun, especially after a long day at the park. However, after being at the park all day, it's nice to, "Sit back, relax and let us [The Disney transport] do the driving!"
