Upcharge Express Transportation

[rteetz]

 

[Moliphino]

I will have to see how this one works - is this really going to be that much faster than walking out of the park to the bus stop? You still have to walk from wherever you are in the park to wherever the backstage access point is. I actually could see it being really popular....$24 for the length of stay? Potentially a big money maker.

Yeah, if the pick up spots are actually convenient, the waits for a bus are short, and you can bypass going through security at the second park I could see this being worth $24 on a longer trip (our next one is 9 days, so it'd be less than $3/day/person). Still not sure I'd go for it, but I can see the appeal if it is actually significantly easier.

 

[Madonna3]

*IF* I needed this, I would pay for it. However, I disagree that the $15/day option is all that bad for passholders. I know that on my trip last year, there were only 2 days out of 5 when I really had a tight schedule that involved park hopping. So, that would have cost me a total of $30 per person for those 2 days x4 = $120 vs the $24/per person muti day option because as I read it, you have to purchase the amount of days equal to your ticket. I mean, to get between HS and Epcot isn't too bad. I can see this being extremely useful if I need to get between AK and MK, however. I'd also use this on days when my plans are tight and I need to park hop and for it to all go well. This is something I'd use to jump between MK and AK, EP, OR HS, and vice versa, but like I said, the hop between EP and HS is pretty easy as it is.

Edit to add:
I thought the $24 was a per day charge. I don't know why I thought that, I guess I read it too fast. So I change my position, having to pay $15 per day every time I want to use this service kind of sucks when people with multi day tickets can pay $24. I think it would be more fair to limit the amount of times passholders can use the service before they have to pony up more money.

 

[Madonna3]

View attachment 208634

I wish I could like this again

 

[Madonna3]

Yeah, if the pick up spots are actually convenient, the waits for a bus are short, and you can bypass going through security at the second park I could see this being worth $24 on a longer trip (our next one is 9 days, so it'd be less than $3/day/person). Still not sure I'd go for it, but I can see the appeal if it is actually significantly easier.

NM, I misunderstood.

 

[OhioStateBuckeye]

I don't know how this can possibly be cost effective for Disney at those prices. You're going to need a few buses for each park... Will there be one bus that does Epcot to mk? How can one bus possibly do mk to ak and back in half an hour? I'm just trying to figure out how many buses will be needed. Sounds like a lot.

Then you'll need drivers for each bus.

Then you'll need cast members to escort guests backstage to wait for the bus.

Also cast members to wait at the new exits of each park to make guests wait for the escorts (hah).

Then cast members to patrol the line up of guests waiting for the buses so they don't wander off backstage.

I can see a lot of people doing this at the relatively low cost for a long trip. What happens when a bus fills and oops, gotta wait another half hour? Not so express then.

I can really see Disney pulling buses from regular hotel service for this. Like bus service isn't atrocious already. And yes, I know buses can be excellent but you have to be lucky. I've had those trips where it seems a bus is always waiting or just pulls up. I've also had the trips where I wait at my hotel 45+ minutes for a bus and wait at mk closing for about 4 buses until I can fit on the bus.

 

[skier_pete]

As someone who travels often and has an AP, my first thought was that this option would be great for $24 for multiple days! I then read that AP holders can only purchase the one day use at $15 a day. That won't make it worth it for me. They should apply the multiple day use to AP holders if they are staying on property for the amount of consecutive days that they are on property. Just a thought.

I just read this too....at $24 across multiple days it seem useful. At $15 a day, it seems a needless waste. At most I am likely to hop once per day - we have never done 3 parks in one day, though there was one day where I did this alone. I just am not a big believer in hopping. To pay $45 for my family to get a faster bus from MK to Epcot for example, I just don't see it. A taxi would be cheaper. I suppose if we ever decided to do a "4 parks in ONE day" day, then maybe I would pay for that honor.

 

[peteykirch]

I'm sure they'll announce if you have an AP but a current hotel reservation you'll be looked at as a regular hotel guest.

 

[skier_pete]

I'm sure they'll announce if you have an AP but a current hotel reservation you'll be looked at as a regular hotel guest.

They will also need to explain how it will apply to DVC members.

 

[sachilles]

The way the bus dispatch system works, I don't see it being a huge problem getting the busses in. I think the better bet would be to have defined schedule. So lets say Bus 1 to AK, always leaves on 15 and 45 minutes, bus to DHS leaves on the 00 and 30. Bus to MK leaves on the 10 and 40 and so on. If they wait based on demand and park type, that could be a pain in the..neck.

 

[Irish_Mike]

I don't know how this can possibly be cost effective for Disney at those prices. You're going to need a few buses for each park... Will there be one bus that does Epcot to mk? How can one bus possibly do mk to ak and back in half an hour? I'm just trying to figure out how many buses will be needed. Sounds like a lot.

Then you'll need drivers for each bus.

I can really see Disney pulling buses from regular hotel service for this. Like bus service isn't atrocious already. And yes, I know buses can be excellent but you have to be lucky. I've had those trips where it seems a bus is always waiting or just pulls up. I've also had the trips where I wait at my hotel 45+ minutes for a bus and wait at mk closing for about 4 buses until I can fit on the bus.

I can't speak for Studios, but I know that DAK/MK/Epcot already have a number of busses dedicated to the backstage areas for cast members - primarily to bring them from the parking areas to their work venues. It varies by park, but I'd say there's at least 2 in each (MK obviously has more). Same busses as the hotels have, same drivers. They just work backstage.

I wouldn't be surprised if some of those resources are diverted to cover this.

 

[Madonna3]

I can't speak for Studios, but I know that DAK/MK/Epcot already have a number of busses dedicated to the backstage areas for cast members - primarily to bring them from the parking areas to their work venues. It varies by park, but I'd say there's at least 2 in each (MK obviously has more). Same busses as the hotels have, same drivers. They just work backstage.

I wouldn't be surprised if some of those resources are diverted to cover this.

Yes, that's what I was thinking as well that instead of it just taking CM's, it will now also service guests and follow the same routes.

 

[OhioStateBuckeye]

I can't speak for Studios, but I know that DAK/MK/Epcot already have a number of busses dedicated to the backstage areas for cast members - primarily to bring them from the parking areas to their work venues. It varies by park, but I'd say there's at least 2 in each (MK obviously has more). Same busses as the hotels have, same drivers. They just work backstage.

I wouldn't be surprised if some of those resources are diverted to cover this.

But then how would the cast members get to work?

 

[Irish_Mike]

But then how would the cast members get to work?

They obviously aren't going to divert every cast member bus to cover this, that would just cause staffing issues.

DAK would be the most likely to lose it if at all. Cast members can easily get into the backstage areas by walking (or running, if you're late to work like me). Still, I see Disney keeping at least one bus running

MK and EC need bus access because of the way the staging and roads are set up. Assuming they do go through with utilizing former cast buses for this, I could see Disney having trams (like parking trams) take cast members around.

Of course this is all speculative.

 

[rteetz]

But then how would the cast members get to work?

My guess is they'll use separate buses to differentiate between the two. Disney buses for the guests and the one star or whatever they are called buses for the CMs but they'll use the same route.

 

[OhioStateBuckeye]

My guess is they'll use separate buses to differentiate between the two. Disney buses for the guests and the one star or whatever they are called buses for the CMs but they'll use the same route.

Ah I thought the other poster was talking about taking some of the cast member buses for use for the new service, not just using the same route. I misunderstood.

 

[Irish_Mike]

My guess is they'll use separate buses to differentiate between the two. Disney buses for the guests and the one star or whatever they are called buses for the CMs but they'll use the same route.

I really don't see Disney using Transstar busses backstage.

 

[Redcon1]

View attachment 208634

At this point, Disney just might as well start up a GoFundMe page.

 

[Madonna3]

At this point, Disney just might as well start up a GoFundMe page.

 

[tup1830]

Pardon my confusion, but i was reading the specifics and it doesn't clearly say that there won't be a need for additional security screening.

Being that the lines for security can be long, wouldn't this specifically be listed as a benefit?

If so, the lack of it, would that mean additional security?