Allure going, going, gone...

[yitbos96bb]

I'll concede the carousel is a long walk to the front or DTD. The walk to DTD from anywhere else is 5-10 minutes... About the same as walking to MGM or Epcot from Boardwalk. I guess that could be hard for some people... but I'm pretty overweight and have never had a problem with it. Or one could take the boat.

As for the buses to other parts, I find it convenient. Usually, I'll walk but if I see a bus coming and I am near a stop, I'll hop on.

And as far as crowed buses, we stayed at SSR for New Years... the buses there were crowded, but not as packed as some of the others. Sometimes, you have to stand... it sucks, but you do it. Beats driving the traffic yourself after parks close.

I wouldn't want to be stuck out in the Carousel and need to take a bus or that walk for the theme pool. Same with OKW - the farthest units are too far to walk to the theme pool and, as much as I don't mind buses, I'm not waiting for one for the pool or to go get a snack.

I find the walk to DTD to be too far to be convenient from SSR as well.

I base this on walking around both resorts this June.

We also supplement our bus riding with cab rides and there aren't convenient cab stands at those two resorts if your room is in the boonies.

 

[yitbos96bb]

I like that idea... maybe make the Carousel less points like BW Std View, or make CP more points.

I agree on the DTD views... So beautiful, easy walk. It rocks.

I get what the OP is saying- although they do seem to be trying to with their negative comments about ssr.
One thing that I believe with help the situation is allowing SSR owners to book their location preferences. I can tell you that SSR with a DTD view will always be my 1st or second choice of all the rooms in the DVC system. However a room in the Carousel is probably my second to last choice of all possible DVC rooms. So everytime I book my home resort, I will be very likely to switch at 7 months because I do not want to risk getting a room at the Carousel. If MS would institute a guarantee for locations at SSR (guarantee section and also a DTD view category) many more SSR owners would be staying at their home resort. It is this game of room assignment roulette that prompts me to get on the phone day by day at 7 months to switch out of SSR.
Click on my 'booking categories' signature picture to see how to support booking categories at SSR.

 

[yitbos96bb]

We stay at SSR and do just fine without a car. Plus I don't find the walk to DTD very strenuous or too far(now I find the bus from DTD back to SSR about as slow as BroganMc finds the boat ride over at Epcot/MGM). We're a family of walkers(even the boys) so it doesn't bother us.

I agree. The DTD bus is like pulling teeth. If they didn't have to keep going out and back....

I'm curious, of the people who hate busses... Have you ever lived or worked in a big city? I got used to busses on my College Program, but got comfortable with them working in Chicago.

 

[Mississippian]

I'm curious, of the people who hate busses... Have you ever lived or worked in a big city? I got used to busses on my College Program, but got comfortable with them working in Chicago.

I don't hate busses, especially when my wife gives me one!

I lived in Chicago for about six months and preferred a long walk to work to taking the bus, providing the weather was decent. I lived in Sandberg Village and walked to the Merc when I could.

 

[castleri]

Don't forget the faces of small children when they don't manage to get on the bus because there is not enough room. Of the faces of everyone while they wait and wait and wait for the bus, which then takes forever to take them to the park. Or the faces of everyone who has to stand up on the bus because there aren't enough seats.

Now compare and contrast to the faces of guests who merely take a few steps and insert their passes into the turnstiles and viola! they are in EPCOT. From there a few more steps take them to the monorail where they can go to the Magic Kingdom. If you ask, they will let your children ride up front and "pilot" the monorail. Talk about seeing some happy children's faces!

The only resorts I had a problem with this was BCV and BWV returning from and going to MK - both the bus and monorail lines were horrendous when leaving the park and then you had the numerous stops before getting to either of those resorts or the walk from the front of EPCOT to the IG going against the ones leaving and it is a hike with a child in tow. These are the only DVC resorts where I have not been able to get on the first bus that arrived after getting to the bus stop for the park we were going to that day. Sometime buses pulled in and were so crowded that no one could get on in the morning. There was also the Swan where it took three MK buses before we could get on one morning but that is not a DVC resort just one of the ones that is on the same bus schedule. As many have said the diversity of DVC is what makes it so great so what you don't like many others do-why is that wrong? Yes there are many times that you see children whose faces are not exactly happy and I have seen them in the parks, at the resorts, and as parents dragged them up the hill between BCV and the IG. My comment was only meant to say that since we no longer feel the need to run everywhere and do everything each trip the time it takes to get to a park is not that big a deal for us and probably for a lot of others. We really enjoy people watching and sometimes sharing a little conversation with our fellow bus riders. - none of us know what the majority wants or thinks only what we personally feel.

Just curious - from your comment about maybe buying some points can we assume that you are not an owner currently or that you are an EPCOT resort owner?

 

[Mississippian]

Just curious - from your comment about maybe buying some points can we assume that you are not an owner currently or that you are an EPCOT resort owner?

I'm a BWV owner. But I think AKL is a good addition, and I think it will be important to have point to get concierge rooms and Jambo rooms. I wouldn't want to stay there for an extended period, but it would be great for three or four days.

By the way, here's a recent thread from another happy bus rider:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1508526

 

[crisi]

I'll concede the carousel is a long walk to the front or DTD. The walk to DTD from anywhere else is 5-10 minutes... About the same as walking to MGM or Epcot from Boardwalk. I guess that could be hard for some people... but I'm pretty overweight and have never had a problem with it. Or one could take the boat.

Started the walk from the Carriage House to DTD - the Marketplace path - turned back after five minutes having only made it halfway into Congress Park and still needing to go around the Lake. Its a long walk - more, in my experience, like the walk from the Village Green to MGM than the walk from the Village Green to Epcot. And we almost always boat to MGM. However, being familiar with the walk, I think, can make it seem a lot shorter - I'm very familiar with the walk from BWV to Epcot, so it doesn't seem long.

I find DTD itself to be large - not as large as Epcot but since there is little appealing to me there (I'm not a shopper) it isn't as appealing a walk. I'm sure the people who find the World Showcase boring find the walks inside Epcot just as tedious.

I'm a good walker - so are my son and husband, but my daughter isn't. She's almost eight and a stroller is still tempting me for the next trip because she is slow and whines.

 

[loribell]

I'm a good walker - so are my son and husband, but my daughter isn't. She's almost eight and a stroller is still tempting me for the next trip because she is slow and whines.

My DD is 8 and last year was the first year we didn't get a stroller. She has always tired out to fast for us. She did great at Christmas though.

 

[DVC Grammy]

I agree. The DTD bus is like pulling teeth. If they didn't have to keep going out and back....

I'm curious, of the people who hate busses... Have you ever lived or worked in a big city? I got used to busses on my College Program, but got comfortable with them working in Chicago.

You may have hit on a contributing factor re: big city folks. I spent much of my growing up years in NYC and every school I went to after elementary school required some form of public transportation. JrHS was reached by bus; getting to HS meant either bus or subway; college meant subway only. The commutes were during various hours, sometimes rush hours, sometimes off-hours, depending on my schedules. I never thought twice about whether I liked it or not; just that that's the way things were, and I was fine with it. And maybe that's why I'm also fine with WDW transportation.

(Heck, I didn't even get my driver's license until I was 30..........didn't need one )

 

[drakethib]

So I guess AKL will be the root of all evil once it is done.

 

[BroganMc]

Now compare and contrast to the faces of guests who merely take a few steps

Which at BWV translates to "half a mile" unless one wants to wait for the ferry and get stuck in that line.

and insert their passes into the turnstiles and viola! they are in EPCOT.

Assuming the gate is working. My last trip I popped out of IG for a quick look around. Not 5 minutes later I headed backinto EPCOT and found the gates had inexplicably gone down. The crowd gathered and gathered. About 45 minutes later they let us all in. You should have seen the faces of those little kids during the wait. Very pleasant.

From there a few more steps take them to the monorail where they can go to the Magic Kingdom.

Again a "few" is "half a mile" and then a 10-20 minute wait for the monorail. Which of course takes you to the TTC where you must walk down a ramp, up another and wait for another monorail to Magic Kingdom. Or you can just take the ferry.

If you ask, they will let your children ride up front and "pilot" the monorail. Talk about seeing some happy children's faces!

Ah yes, if you happen to be the first ones at the boarding platform or are willing to wait for the next monorail.

So to sum it all up, you can take your kids half a mile to EPCOT, or a mile to the monorail station and take 2 monorails to get to Magic Kingdom. Total trip time should be about an hour, assuming you're fast walkers and don't have to wait for anything. Or you can walk outside your SSR room, walk at most .25 mile, wait 5 minutes for a bus, and take about 12 minutes (27 if you are the first stop in SSR) to get to the gates of Magic Kingdom.

All data based on my experiences park hopping in May. Believe me the longest haul was the EPCOT resort area.

 

[BroganMc]

1. The animals are really neat to see, and you can see then from right there in your resort, which is important. Most people enjoy seeing this more than once. I do think split stays will be popular.

Undoubtedly, waking up with giraffes has that cool factor. A lot of folks will enjoy just sitting on their balconies and watching the animals. But inevitably, that thrill of watching will wear off. And then where do you go?

2. Visitors to AKV will have on-site fine dining options, which is important.

AKV will give you Boma's, Jiko's, and the new restaurant in Kidani. All three are African-themed cuisine. I guess if you want variety you can go to Mara and the poolside bar for more American-style foods.

The only onsite DVC with fewer choices is VWL. SSR has the most choices in nearby dining with access to DTD. BWV/BCV too if you want to pay park admission for EPCOT.

3. Visitors to AKV are going to be able to walk down in the morning and get a newspaper with relative ease. It ruins a vacation not to be able to do this.

And SSR owners cannot? Keep in mind Kidani Village is .25 mile away from AKL. So you'll have to walk about the same distance as most of SSR to get the same newspaper.

I do agree the AKV location is the pits, but the animal angle is likely to keep people coming back more than once. This resort will sell quickly and have far fewer complaints from the EPCOT/MK members than SSR has had.

I agree the novelty of the animals will temper the complaints to start, but the remoteness of the resort will grate more over time. So I expect we'll see a reverse as what we saw with SSR. And overall, the addition of a resort with "split stay/short term" vacations but with a raised minimum point entry of 160 will mean more AKV owners calling on other resorts at 7 months. And as the system grows, the resorts least able to handle increased demand will be the smallest.

Make no mistake, MOST people hate, despise and loathe buses; so any DVC which doesn't include the option of either walking to the parks or a super-quick bus, boat or monorail ride is going to be greeted with a certain amount of dread by those of us who have a walking-distance home resort.

You know I keep hearing these allergic reactions to the bus service primarily from BWV and BCV owners. What have they done to your system to make it so crappy?

Honestly, being a wheelchair user I should hate the busses. And yet I found myself leaving my fully-adapted van in the parking lot my entire 8 days at SSR in May. I took for granted that the busses would be there within 5 minutes and always have room for me. The only disappointment I faced was the day we stopped at BB before AK and that long ferry ride from MGM. Well ok, there was the night the elevator stopped working at CR. I hope if they build CRV the come up with a non-elevator platform.

 

[DVCPAT]

I agree the novelty of the animals will temper the complaints to start, but the remoteness of the resort will grate more over time. So I expect we'll see a reverse as what we saw with SSR. And overall, the addition of a resort with "split stay/short term" vacations but with a raised minimum point entry of 160 will mean more AKV owners calling on other resorts at 7 months. And as the system grows, the resorts least able to handle increased demand will be the smallest.

You do have a valid point. The reason AKL is converting rooms over to DVC is because of low occupancy rates. Everyone favors a particular resort due to its theme and location. I gauge the popularity of a resort by the rack rates and how many discounts are offered. I find it interesting Disney is heavily discounting OKW and SSR. The remote location of these resorts may be the first effected by lower vacation travel to WDW.

 

[Snookies]

...I find it interesting Disney is heavily discounting OKW and SSR. The remote location of these resorts...

OT, but I've been reading about the remote location of OKW and SSR for a number of years now. The "remote" Miller's Road in OKW is about 3600 feet from the center of World Showcase Lagoon as the crow flies.

 

[castleri]

OT, but I've been reading about the remote location of OKW and SSR for a number of years now. The "remote" Miller's Road in OKW is about 3600 feet from the center of World Showcase Lagoon as the crow flies.

Just got up and before I saw your post was trying to think how to post the fact that EPCOT is in fact not that far from OKW and SSR. You said it perfectly. I have often wondered just how far it is from IG to monorail at EPCOT. I don't think there are any walks to the bus stops at OKW or SSR that are any further but would be interested to know for sure. Would you have those figures?

Sorry didn't see BroganMc's post above so have decided to remove a few of my duplicate thougths - they have all been well covered by you two.

 

[Mississippian]

OT, but I've been reading about the remote location of OKW and SSR for a number of years now. The "remote" Miller's Road in OKW is about 3600 feet from the center of World Showcase Lagoon as the crow flies.

This is changing the subject, but why doesn't Disney understand that a very substantial percentage of its guest want to WALK! They built AKL right next to a theme park, but made it impossible to walk from one to the other. They were going to build a walking path around Bay Lake but never did.

How far would OKW be from MGM if there were a walking path? How far from the Boardwalk? I realize this would require crossing some streets, but every city in the world is able to build overpasses.

This deserves a new thread, and perhaps it's been answered before, but the ability to walk to EPCOT would sure make OKW one of the most desired resorts.

 

[Chuck S]

This is changing the subject, but why doesn't Disney understand that a very substantial percentage of its guest want to WALK! They built AKL right next to a theme park, but made it impossible to walk from one to the other. They were going to build a walking path around Bay Lake but never did.

How far would OKW be from MGM if there were a walking path? How far from the Boardwalk? I realize this would require crossing some streets, but every city in the world is able to build overpasses.

This deserves a new thread, and perhaps it's been answered before, but the ability to walk to EPCOT would sure make OKW one of the most desired resorts.

Perhaps, but I don't see Disney building any sort of a walkway to EPCOT from OKW or SSR. There are just too many major roadways to cross, tunnels and overpasses aren't economically feasible, and are a security nightmare.

 

[crisi]

Perhaps, but I don't see Disney building any sort of a walkway to EPCOT from OKW or SSR. There are just too many major roadways to cross, tunnels and overpasses aren't economically feasible, and are a security nightmare.

Also, as the crow flies, any overpass would expose backstage areas. Disney generally does a good job keeping backstage areas from the public.

 

[NMW]

And don't forget that SSR also works to the advantage of those who over-book the Values during free dining.

Hah! Good one.

Let's not forget all the people on the resort board getting bumped from AKL due to construction and FREAKING OUT that their only choice is SSR. Only to be told by many posters, "if it was me, I'd call back and say No way is SSR acceptable." Then, the follow up posts, "It's okay now, They gave me the POLY or BC instead of SSR (great sigh or relief).

 

[UConnJack]

Hah! Good one.

Let's not forget all the people on the resort board getting bumped from AKL due to construction and FREAKING OUT that their only choice is SSR. Only to be told by many posters, "if it was me, I'd call back and say No way is SSR acceptable." Then, the follow up posts, "It's okay now, They gave me the POLY or BC instead of SSR (great sigh or relief).

That's because, (here's another one teed up for you pilferk....) to the masses, SSR is just not as desirable of a resort, particularly if they had their heart set on AKL.