Reviews of Disney Transportation Boat, Monorail, Bus, & Skyliner
Reviewed 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
Pros:
Not having to rent a carCons:
Busses!Reviewed 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 DisneyJunkie Review Date: 11/01/2013
Rating: (8) Recommended
On the whole Disney transportation is good. The monorail has the distinction of being both transportation and a ride in and of itself. The boats and ferries are also good means of getting around from place to place, in part because they run with some regularity. The problem area, however, is with the buses, in particular with how they run to/from the resorts. I stay at the Wilderness Lodge fairly often, and the bus transportation there is pretty bad....in terms of the timing of when the bus you need actually arrives. In most instances, you'll have to sit through multiple buses coming and going to other destinations before the one you want arrives. It's ridiculous.
Pros:
Monorail and boat/ferry info are good.Cons:
Bus transportation, having enough of them is a big issue.Reviewed by Mich97 Review Date: 08/29/2013
Rating: (0) Recommended
We always use the WDW transportation system. Love the convenience. But sometimes when leaving a park waits can be long waiting for the bus, and then you can end up standing.
Pros:
convenientCons:
—Reviewed by bellebookworm9 Review Date: 07/31/2013
Rating: (8) Recommended
I have been an advocate of Disney transportation for many years. This trip we rented a car, and it was the best decision I ever made. It was easy to find our way around the property, convenient to just leave when we wanted to, and so nice not to be stuffed in a bus with a crazy amount of other people at the end of the night.
However, we did use the transportation options a couple of times while staying at Art of Animation. On a Saturday night, a friend went to Downtown Disney (we dropped her off). She took the bus back around 12:30am and said she only waited about 10 minutes.
On Sunday, we took the monorail from the TTC to MK, as well as from MK to and from the Polynesian. Each time, there was less than a 1 minute wait and it wasn't too crowded, which was wonderful.
We also took the bus from and to MK that same day around 7:15pm and 9:15pm. The wait was 10 minutes or less.
At the end of the night, when Extra Magic Hours were over at 1am, we needed to get back to the TTC to pick up the car. The monorails had stopped running at midnight, and there was no bus; they were forcing everyone to take the ferry boat. While the wait wasn't long, they do make you sit for quite a while before departing, and the trip was filled with mosquitoes and other bugs. I was very disappointed that this was our only option.
Pros:
Easy to useCons:
No bus to TTC from MKReviewed 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 MM from Connecticut Review Date: 06/02/2013
Rating: (7) Recommended
In 4 years, this was the first time we saw Cast Members with clipboards keeping tracking of bus schedules at the hotel during peak times. We even got a free Fast Pass of choice to park we were visiting because we waited more than 20 minutes for a bus. In the evening, especially after fireworks at Epcot and Magic Kingdom, it would be great if extra buses from parks that are closed (Animal Kingdom, Water Parks) could be sent to help. Lines are extremely long and buses are not as frequent as they should be during peak times at night when park closes.
Pros:
Convenient, and Disney is continually improving systemCons:
long lines at closing time at parksReviewed by mamandragon Review Date: 05/27/2013
Rating: (1) Recommended
Can't give it a 0 or negative number - wish I could though!!! My adult daughter and I just finished our stay at Disney World (There from May 10 to 16) and were quite disappointed in the service that the shuttles to the parks provide. The Magic Kingdom buses were sometimes few and far between. We were staying at Port Orleans Riverside. On the one day we talked with a lady who was there for an hour and a half and who had counted 17 other park buses before a Magic Kingdom bus arrived. She was with her elderly parents who were in scooters so it was a long wait. The buses, when they arrived, were very overcrowded and we stood up on most of our bus trips. We are back and now planning our next adventure to Disney and we’re hoping that the bus problems will be resolved by the time we go back. The concept of the park shuttles is great but leave yourself lots of time getting to where you are going – especially if your have breakfast/lunch/dinner reservations.
Pros:
Absolutley NONECons:
Wait times, Hit and Miss Kingdom BusesReviewed by bellebookworm9 Review Date: 05/10/2013
Rating: (9) Recommended
This was the best transportation I've experienced to date.
5/7: I took a bus to Epcot around 12:30 and it pulled up just as I got to the stop. Returning to Pop at 2pm I waited maybe 5 minutes. Coming back to Epcot once again in the evening, a five minute wait.
5/8: Monorail from TTC to MK arrived almost immediately. Going from MK to Pop Century at 5:30, the bus was waiting at the stop.
5/9: I waited 10-15 minutes for a DHS bus around 12:30. Hopping from the Studios to Animal Kingdom around 2pm I waited another 10-15 minutes. Taking the bus back to Pop around 4pm there was a 10 minute wait. Going to Downtown Disney in the evening for an early dinner I just missed the bus but another one came within 10 minutes, and returning from the PI bus stop it came within 5 minutes. I waited very briefly for a bus to MK around 8:50pm. Just before the 11pm parade, I exited the park and there was a humongous line at the bus stop. 5 buses were dispatched within 25 minutes which greatly alleviated the queue.
5/10: One bus to MK filled up right around 9:30am, but another one arrived immediately after. Monorails to and from TTC ran continuously with almost no wait. Returning to Pop at 1pm the bus arrived at the same time I did.
