Check Out These Disney Bus Pro Tips
Mark Twain argues that nothing in life is certain save for death and taxes.
Walt Disney World fans would add a third thing: riding the bus. It’s gonna happen at some point when you spend time at the parks.
So, here are a few Disney bus pro tips to help you with your time spent waiting on transportation.
Notice Your Surroundings
Okay, this tip takes two seconds and is pretty obvious once you’re used to the bus system.
Still, I should stress to novices the golden rule of Disney bus lines. If nobody else is standing in front of you when you arrive, that’s bad.
When you’re one of the first people in line, a Disney bus has recently arrived and picked up guests.
Another one won’t return for a while, even at the most crowded Disney resorts.
So, when you reach the bus depot pick-up for your resort or next destination, scan the area and do a quick headcount.
If you count less than 20 people, I’d strongly suggest that you do some quick shopping or plan a different route. We’ll discuss the latter in a bit.
Understand Park Behavior
When are you most likely to face hefty competition for a bus?
The answers are early in the morning before the parks open, after nighttime fireworks presentations, and at park closing.
In the morning, thousands of guests try to start their day immediately. It’s important that you account for this.
When you stay at an official Walt Disney World resort – and you should literally ALWAYS do that! – you gain an extra benefit.
Early Theme Park Entry allows you to enter the park half an hour early. You don’t want to waste that time waiting for a bus.
So, please arrive at the bus depot early. You want to be at the parks before you’re technically allowed to enter.
At night, many guests specifically wait until the fireworks show ends before they exit the parks. The rest of the crowd tends to stay until the park closes.
For these reasons, you shouldn’t plan to leave immediately after the fireworks. If you do, you’ll wait for a bus for a long time.
When you’re standing in line for something at Disney, it should be an attraction, not a bus. Please do that instead.
Then, remember to leave the park 30-45 minutes before it closes. That way, you’ll avoid the final rush when Disney shoos guests out of the parks.
Basically, you don’t want to try to catch a bus at times when a large group of guests are doing the same.
By doing so, you’re pointlessly extending your wait.
Monitor the Bus Schedule
On the My Disney Experience app, Disney displays the bus schedule for various resorts.
The Disney Parks Blog even posted a helpful video a few years ago:
You can track the bus schedule on the menu under “See Bus Times.”
I’ve found this schedule invaluable during my hotel stays, especially in the mornings.
I can track when the next bus is scheduled to arrive. This knowledge allows me to speed up or slow down, depending on how much time I have.
Also, I’ve found that the power of the bus schedule motivates my wife in a way that I never could.
If I ever dare to insinuate that she should hurry to get dressed, odds are good she’ll throw a shoe at me.
When I show her the arrival of a Disney bus is at hand, she throws on her Mouse Ears and is good to go.
Stay Fluid
Sometimes, we get so locked into the idea of traveling from Point A to Point B that we forget something important.
You can travel to Point B several different ways, and that idea translates at Disney.
For example, let’s say that you’re staying at a monorail resort. Should you struggle to catch a bus to your hotel, consider other options.
You can take a bus to one of the other monorail resorts. Then, you can take the monorail to your hotel.
In theory, you’ll probably add a few minutes to your trip since you’re not taking the direct path.
However, Disney’s bus behavior proves so mercurial that nothing is certain. You may find that you can do both and still save time.
Also, you may discover that a multi-leg transportation process works better for you.
For example, you could stop at the bus station, enter the hotel, and do some shopping/snacking/lounging. Then, you can board the monorail later.
Nobody said that you had to hurry to your next destination. Sometimes, that’s necessary when you’re late.
In other instances, I strongly encourage you to stop and smell the roses!
Plus, when you improvise like this, at least you’re doing something rather than stewing in line at the bus depot.
Stay Fluid Part Two
The Disney Skyliner has revolutionized travel around the EPCOT/Disney’s Hollywood Studios era.
So, much of what I just said in the last section applies here as well.
The gondolas are basically an improved version of the monorail system, and I say that as a monorail superfan.
You can use this fact to your advantage when you’re having bus difficulties at certain resorts.
Let’s say that you’re staying at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, but you’re first in line at the bus station.
You can compare the line at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort or Disney’s Riviera Resort instead.
If one of those lines is shorter, ride that bus instead. Then, ride the Disney Skyliner to your hotel.
This same logic applies to the theme parks as well. Let’s say that you can take a bus to Hollywood Studios rather quickly.
Choose that bus and then take the Disney Skyliner to your hotel.
One of the best Disney bus tips is to remember that the Walt Disney World transportation connection interconnects.
Buses Have Two Exits
Whenever I watch people sit down on a Disney bus, I’m often amazed at how singular they are in their thinking.
Everyone wants to sit at the front of the bus because that’s where the front door is.
Disney buses work differently, though. They have two exit areas. That’s because all Disney buses allow for ECVs and wheelchairs.
An ECV is a motorized scooter that takes up quite a bit of space. So, Disney reserves a section of the bus for guests to store such vehicles.
More importantly, a large double door allows guests to drive these vehicles onboard and later depart with them.
Importantly, not every ride will include someone using an ECV or wheelchair, though. In such instances, Disney still opens those doors.
So, you can often make a quicker exit by sitting in the back than in the front.
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Feature Photo: Military Disney Tips