PHOTO - Disney testing bus wait time system for My Disney Experience app

Nov 11, 2014 in "MyMagic+"

Gallery / 1 Photo
My Disney Experience bus wait times testing

Posted: Tuesday November 11, 2014 9:25am EST by WDWMAGIC Staff

Disney is currently testing a new feature of My Disney Experience that should make waiting for busses at the Walt Disney World Resort a lot less frustrating.

Currently in very early stages of in-house testing and not available for guests, the app gives an indication of when the next bus will be arriving at the current location. You can see in this screen shot below the app in action at Port Orleans Resort (Thanks LucyBC for the pic).

My Disney Experience bus wait times testing

No word yet on when or if the feature may be released for guest use.

Disney has been experimenting with wait times for transportation over the past few years, most recently with screens installed at a few of the bus stops. Providing the data to the app would appear to be a much more realistic solution, saving the need to install hundreds of screens around property at each stop.

Discuss on the Forums

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GhostHost1000Apr 20, 2018

I can understand that. I have a family member that has traveled with us in that situation in the past and even they didn’t feel right at times jumping in front of others and then holding others up while they stare at them driving into the bus to load (their words not mine). If there were separate bus stops that can request transportation in a more comfortable and easier to load and unload vehicle for them AND their family members I could see that as a win win IF it were done correctly. Touchy subject though I understand

tissandtullyApr 19, 2018

Yeah, that's kind of an unpopular opinion, but I agree with you. There's gotta be a better way!

DriverApr 19, 2018

Sir you are dead on accurate! I couldn't have said it better myself. And I might add ( not that it affects the schedule, bus dispatch is at random. So what I mean is no bus is on a dedicated run. This believe it or not adds to efficiency, because busses can be dispatched as DisneyJoe said " on demand". The only exception to " no dedicated run" is during the day when most people are in the park some of the larger resorts ( All Stars, Caribbean Beach, etc.) do have a bus on dedicated run. Not a guarantee but not unusual either.

DisneyJoeApr 18, 2018

Never happen, you'd need to double the number of transport vehicles and drivers in order to provide equivalent service which would be required.

GhostHost1000Apr 18, 2018

Which is why they need separate busses for those that use ECVs or wheelchairs that can be requested at the bus stop areas. This could also be designed to make the entry and exit more comfortable for those using ECVs as well.

DisneyJoeApr 18, 2018

They've cut the time in half that it used to take to get on a bus, with the flip down ramp vs the lift and now a driver usually helps steer the ECV onto the bus and into the securement position. The SkyLiner should make many locations even faster once implemented. For some reason I am on their list to be constantly surveyed on this topic, so they are aware and are always considering ways to optimize the flow of people, no matter what their handicap.

tissandtullyApr 18, 2018

I’m very patient, it’s not your fault, I’m just saying there needs to be a plan for what’s coming in the future, even more ECVs.

DisneyJoeApr 18, 2018

Patience, please, we move as fast as we can with what we have.

tissandtullyApr 18, 2018

I also want to add that the wait times are messed up A LOT by the whole ECV loading process, which happens to be on every other bus I've been on. There needs to be a better solution for handling ECVs and wheelchairs getting around on bus transport at WDW.

DisneyJoeApr 18, 2018

I see no reason that they couldn't do that - thanks for clarifying - although a resort with multiple bus stops would present a slight challenge.

trainplane3Apr 18, 2018

I still wish for a feature like most cities have. Since the buses are already GPS'd and estimates are already active at bus stops, part of the work is done. First you would be able to choose your route or in WDW, current location and destination, like below: And then you'd be able to see the related buses for your route. Tapping on a bus would give you an approximate time of arrival to a stop: Now Disney would have to have another option of where you are currently at and where you are trying to go instead of choosing a bus route number.

deeevoApr 18, 2018

Yes, I know there is no schedule.. its a GPS system so it is fluid. Let me re-phrase... show the same thing in my room on the TV as they show on the TV's at the station...

DisneyJoeApr 18, 2018

There is no published schedule - they adapt it based on demand. It should run every 20 minutes, but no bus is on a dedicated schedule. I used to commute on a bus to work and back every day - and these were on a schedule. If a bus ever got ahead of schedule, it would pull over and wait until it was time to move again to be back on schedule. Could you imagine the reaction of guests if a bus sat on the side of a road saying that it had to wait a few minutes because it was ahead of schedule?

es135Apr 18, 2018

If implemented properly, this could be a very welcome addition to the app. During my last trip, I was really disappointed with that there was no way to predict when a bus would arrive at the parks. If this does show accurate arrival times, it will make park hopping much easier to plan.