New Express Transportation: $19/day or $29/week-SERVICE ENDING AUGUST 23RD 2017

[FastPasser.]

What happens to the Express drivers, who are Disney employees?

All drivers who drive the Disney resort/park buses are Disney employees. The Express Transportation drivers are based out of one of the 5 bus hubs and will do other routes.

 

[shoreward]

All drivers who drive the Disney resort/park buses are Disney employees. The Express Transportation drivers are based out of one of the 5 bus hubs and will do other routes.

I'm glad to hear that they will still be employed by Disney.

 

[AngiTN]

What happens to the Express drivers, who are Disney employees?

They are bus drivers. They'll still be driving buses.

 

[bluezy]

I think that is a great way to look at it!

Actually, I should say that the service cost us $132 to ride once... we had to take a cab to make it to Frozen dessert party in time when the bus wasn't running due to the 3min of drizzle. :-/

As FastPasser and others have pointed out, the buses didn't stop running because of any amount of rain. The *service* was temporarily suspended (numerous times, no doubt) due to *lightning* in the area (just because you don't hear thunder or see lightning doesn't mean it isn't close by) for the safety of the CMs. And if there was lightning near one of the parks, the service was suspended at all parks. So in reality, it could have been perfectly sunny at one park when the service was shut down due to lightning near a different park. Not that it matters anymore, but no one is going to help this service if it ever comes back if they're constantly saying it shuts down every time it rains. It doesn't. It shut down when there was lightning in the area of one of the parks. Personally, I think that's one of the things that needs to be "fixed" if this is ever brought back -- there will need to be a safe building for CMs (and guests) to wait for buses. I'm not sure if it's even logistically possible to do that in the pick-up areas that the service is currently using.

It doesn't have to be raining at all, and it has nothing to do with the buses, it's all about the CM's safety. When the alert is issued CMs are required to seek cover from lightening if it's within a certain distance.

 

[gillep]

Same response here too about forwarding to another department. Waiting to get an actual response now.

I got the same email, that 'they believe another department within our company can best assist you...' ok then.

 

[Nathan Banks]

Sorry to be dumb; but is express transportation different to the complimentary transportation you get when stay at a Disney resort?

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

As FastPasser and others have pointed out, the buses didn't stop running because of any amount of rain. The *service* was temporarily suspended (numerous times, no doubt) due to *lightning* in the area (just because you don't hear thunder or see lightning doesn't mean it isn't close by) for the safety of the CMs. And if there was lightning near one of the parks, the service was suspended at all parks. So in reality, it could have been perfectly sunny at one park when the service was shut down due to lightning near a different park. Not that it matters anymore, but no one is going to help this service if it ever comes back if they're constantly saying it shuts down every time it rains. It doesn't. It shut down when there was lightning in the area of one of the parks. Personally, I think that's one of the things that needs to be "fixed" if this is ever brought back -- there will need to be a safe building for CMs (and guests) to wait for buses. I'm not sure if it's even logistically possible to do that in the pick-up areas that the service is currently using.

As I've said: I get it. For 5min of *lightning in the area* it was shut down. For a long time.

I promise you -- I watched the lightning warnings on multiple weather apps. Lasted a matter of minutes. Service was down much longer. Still just as useless to us whether for drizzle or lightning. That's the point. Unreliable in the summer at the very least.

 

[AngiTN]

Sorry to be dumb; but is express transportation different to the complimentary transportation you get when stay at a Disney resort?

Yes

 

[mesaboy2]

Sorry to be dumb; but is express transportation different to the complimentary transportation you get when stay at a Disney resort?

Yes.

 

[AngiTN]

As I've said: I get it. For 5min of *lightning in the area* it was shut down. For a long time.

I promise you -- I watched the lightning warnings on multiple weather apps. Lasted a matter of minutes. Service was down much longer. Still just as useless to us whether for drizzle or lightning. That's the point. Unreliable in the summer at the very least.

Believe the rules regarding lightening are something along the lines of must be 15 min after the last strike before you can get an all clear, or something along those lines. So yeah, there may be a time you don't see anything. And you may not even see what set their alert off in the first place.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

Believe the rules regarding lightening are something along the lines of must be 15 min after the last strike before you can get an all clear, or something along those lines. So yeah, there may be a time you don't see anything. And you may not even see what set their alert off in the first place.

Weather apps will show lightning warnings in the area even if not visible.

Service was definitely down longer than the warnings were in place. Didn't time it to see if it was 15min, but seems plausible.

Again, bottom line to me is what the CMs themselves told us: "down for 2-4 hours every day these days".

How can that type of "service" stick around at $120 for a family of 4 for a week? It could be unavailable every day you try to use it, but you've paid up front.

Seems fatally flawed to me.

 

[AngiTN]

Well, it didn't stick around so you are sort of complaining about something that is gone now.

And we all know the CM are always right.

As for apps, well, they can even be wrong. Just saw a comparison on The Today Show about several of them.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

Well, it didn't stick around so you are sort of complaining about something that is gone now.

And we all know the CM are always right.

As for apps, well, they can even be wrong. Just saw a comparison on The Today Show about several of them.

I'm sure the 3 apps I checked could all have been wrong. True.

I'm not complaining about it -- I'm adding personal experience about a solid reason why they may have discontinued it.

I'm done!

 

[Roxyfire]

Weather apps will show lightning warnings in the area even if not visible.

Service was definitely down longer than the warnings were in place. Didn't time it to see if it was 15min, but seems plausible.

Again, bottom line to me is what the CMs themselves told us: "down for 2-4 hours every day these days".

How can that type of "service" stick around at $120 for a family of 4 for a week? It could be unavailable every day you try to use it, but you've paid up front.

Seems fatally flawed to me.

Maybe we were lucky around Memorial Day/First week in June, but it was never down in the 7 days we used it. I understand your point of view as well, but they have to think of the safety of their employees too. No one wants to be struck by lightning and safety is paramount.

If the bolded happened to someone, I would completely understand their position if they asked for a refund. I do think they need actual infrastructure in place if they want to offer this during the middle of the summer again. However, I do not think they'll invest in it. I feel if you were unsatisfied for what you paid for, did you ask for a refund? Did they give you anything/do anything to make it right? I'm curious, just personally.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

Maybe we were lucky around Memorial Day/First week in June, but it was never down in the 7 days we used it. I understand your point of view as well, but they have to think of the safety of their employees too. No one wants to be struck by lightning and safety is paramount.

If the bolded happened to someone, I would completely understand their position if they asked for a refund. I do think they need actual infrastructure in place if they want to offer this during the middle of the summer again. However, I do not think they'll invest in it. I feel if you were unsatisfied for what you paid for, did you ask for a refund? Did they give you anything/do anything to make it right? I'm curious, just personally.

Naw -- we won't ask for a refund. We knew it was a risk ahead of time -- we weren't deceived. Disappointed, not deceived.

Agree 100% about safety coming first! But if this is how unreliable a service has to be to operate safely, I'm not surprised it's going away. It's just fundamentally flawed in my mind.

Glad that you and others have had good experiences... guess we had bad ET karma...

 

[Nathan Banks]

Yes.

So the complimentary one is still available?

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

So the complimentary one is still available?

Yes!!

 

[AngiTN]

I'm sure the 3 apps I checked could all have been wrong. True.

I'm not complaining about it -- I'm adding personal experience about a solid reason why they may have discontinued it.

I'm done!

LOL.. funnily enough, yeah. All 3 of the apps they compared to real life, standing in the rain, were wrong. Or at least off just enough to get you wet. It was very comical.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

LOL.. funnily enough, yeah. All 3 of the apps they compared to real life, standing in the rain, were wrong. Or at least off just enough to get you wet. It was very comical.

Like I said -- could be!!

 

[momma2ethan]

I get what you were saying. A 60 day notice would be nice for all of their announcements. No, it wouldn't be 60 days before ALL trips but they know people plan FP (at a minimum) at 60 days (dining even more) so if they could at least lock down hours and events/extras and not change them within 60 days it would be a nice bonus. It won't please everyone but it would go a long way

If they had come out 2 months ago and announced that 8/16 was going to be the final day to buy the Express Bus service I think the response may not have been quite so shocked.

This. 100% this. The service is ending 3 days before my trip. The trip that I booked a year ago and have been planning DAILY during that time. I was planning on utilizing the service but as we are only doing one TS meal, our touring plans are not heavily dependent on the service. It's still quite disappointing that it is ending so abruptly. I'm disappointed and can only imagine that I'd be at the minimum highly irritated had my touring plans been more dependent on the availability of using ET.

So the complimentary one is still available?

Yes. They complimentary busses were not part of the Express Transportation program and are still available. No changes have been made to that service.