Amazing transportaion suprizes...

[shawn mazzerle]

Interesting things happened on our last trip. We are passholders and live in Florida. Never had this happen before, but, after Magic Kingdom, just before closing, our bus back to the resort was not a Disney bus. It was a full size, TV in every seat, Rock band Tour bus. Driver and the 2 of us, period. Driver, not a Disney employee, was a trip!

Next day, Animal Kingdom early. We, surgically, hit our rides, finish and are back at transportation waiting for our bus. Nope! An unmarked van pulls up and I put my girlfriend behind me, thinking "What is this?" The nicest lady steps out and is our personal ride TO WHEREVER we want to go! Amazing. She said she was waiting in the parking lot for people like us, who may slip through the bus schedule.

 

[shawn mazzerle]

Sorry, she WAS a Disney employee. Story could have got weird, if not.

 

[mousehockey37]

Uh huh... sure.

 

[shawn mazzerle]

Hence the title of the post... Rock Bus driver said Disney does not have enough buses in their fleet anymore. They are hiring 3rd party companies to compensate. Van lady said it was cheaper to send a van than a bus ...whatever, win, win for us.

I do not post a lot, but why would ANY person make this up?

 

[saturn5]

Both are true statements! Disney has contracts with several charter companies, and need to use them a certain number of times throughout the year. Thats why you will see them or ride them! Certain times in the morning, there are what Disney calls "upstream" assignments, these bus cast members drive around in a van to take guests where they want to go, if its park to park, park to DS, park to hotel etc.

 

[SCSteve]

I am guessing contractors get paid maybe from a different bucket than cast members and although probably more expensive, its a fast easy way to fill and spot and the expense shows up differently in the spread sheets.

I get the sense that tourism to WDW is growing faster than WDW can handle. We all know the parks are always crowded all year round, and the tiered ticket price increases did not help to level the crowds and with Toy Story land now open and Star Wars land coming, its going to be crazy crowded!

 

[DLgal]

We're gotten the private van twice. Once while going from Epcot to the WL in the middle of the day (2013) and once going from AK to Contemporary (2016).

We saw several of the larger charter buses last week at the parks picking people up at the end of the night.

It's definitely a thing.

 

[buzznina]

Uh huh... sure.

Why bother posting to this thread at all We have not had the van stop for us but we had the charter bus take us back to our resort.