Saratoga Springs & WDW bus transportation

[annafab]

Ok, I hate starting new topics for stuff like this but I need help and I can't seem to find what I'm looking for on the rest of the Internet.

The fam and I are staying at Saratoga this fall and I'm hearing lots of doom and gloom information about terribleness of the bus transportation to the parks. I was just wondering if there were any SSR vets who had any good strategies on how to get to the parks, if the buses are indeed as bad as they say. I'm particularly wondering if there are any room requests we can make that will ease our bus woes. (we're in a 2 bdrm villa. Not sure what buildings those are in.)

Any help would be awesome. I trust you all more than most of my other Disney sources. lol

[leblanan]

Ok, I hate starting new topics for stuff like this but I need help and I can't seem to find what I'm looking for on the rest of the Internet.

The fam and I are staying at Saratoga this fall and I'm hearing lots of doom and gloom information about terribleness of the bus transportation to the parks. I was just wondering if there were any SSR vets who had any good strategies on how to get to the parks, if the buses are indeed as bad as they say. I'm particularly wondering if there are any room requests we can make that will ease our bus woes. (we're in a 2 bdrm villa. Not sure what buildings those are in.)

Any help would be awesome. I trust you all more than most of my other Disney sources. lol

The main problem with Saratoga springs is not that the buses are bad, its that the Resort is so large with not a ton of bus stops. My suggestion would be to check out the Resort map and request a building fairly close to one of the stops. Most if not all buildings have 2 bedrooms, so don't worry about that. Personally I would suggest the closest to the Carriage House the best, but others may disagree.

[cousininmiami]

Let me say first I think I am a "Disney expert, annual pass holder, never pay for parking, I think I know everything Disney kind of person". Well guys I am NOT! Our 10 day trip in July we stayed at the Buena Vista Palace Resort across the street from Downtown Disney and Saratoga Springs Resort. So, one day late in our trip we had gotten a parking place right in front of our Resort the night before.... so, we decided the next morning we would walk across the street to where the busses are at Downtown Disney and keep our awesome parking space. We were heading to Hollywood Studios then to EPCOT in the evening, makes sense right???

Ok, we walk across the street... 2 minutes, awesome! Then looking (kind of stupidly) at the schedule of busses hummmm, no busses to Hollywood Studios? This can't be! Come to find out you can't take Disney Transportation directly from Downtown Disney to a park! So we get on a bus to The Boardwalk, sounds good... NOT! First the bus goes to Typhoon Lagoon, then to The Boardwalk. This takes now 30 minutes before a bus even got there to pick us up, then another 30 minutes to get to the Boardwalk Resort! Sheeeesh! Now, it drops us off nowhere near anything! We have another 10 minute walk to get to the Hollywood Studios boat transportation. But we are on vacation, we both assure each other to not get mad or frustrated. We finally arrive at Hollywood Studios 1 1/2 hours later!

So, after the day at Hollywood Studios, we decide this bus thing is for the birds and we decide to go back to the hotel to get our car. By now around 5pm it's a lovely Florida downpour, a deluge to be exact. But nonetheless we live in Miami, we are used to the rain. So off we go to the bus stops at the Studios. We make the decision to go to SARATOGA SPRINGS resort bus as this is the closest to our hotel. (I bet you were wondering when I would finally get to the point, right?) It drops us off, still in a downpour mind you, at some random bus stop somewhere in Saratoga Springs. WOW, we are now really having a disaster. We were the only people on the bus, the only ones to get off the bus. We were the only people anywhere in sight at this resort that all looked the same. The map at the bus stop could have been in Japanese and be easier to read! So, in the rain we started walking, nothing but the same looking buildings everywhere.

We finally came to the golf course, yay! It was 6pm by this time and was closed, still pouring. We finally saw someone, yay! A maintenance worker in a golf cart said to follow a path and we would get to the boats that go across to Downtown Disney. So we followed the path and finally got to where the boats SHOULD be! But because of the extreme rain, the boats were not running... are you kidding me??? We sat there now pondering what to do, it's now been 1 1/2 hours since we were at Hollywood Studios and we are still not back to our resort! Then all of a sudden we saw a boat coming... yay we were saved!!!!!! The boat captain arrived and said he was finally able to cross the lake and as soon as he wiped the boat down he would get us across. Finally traveling across the lake to Downtown Disney he smiles and drops us off at the other side of Pleasure Island, good grief we still had a mile to walk. So we headed all the way through to Downtown Disney and finally across the street to our Resort. This trip back took 2 1/2 hours!!! We are soaked, cranky, tired and hungry. But as before we agreed we are on vacation in our happiest place on earth.... so we showered, got in our CAR and drove to the Wilderness Lodge for a fun and delicious dinner at the Whispering Canyon!

I will NEVER take busses again... ever.

[Amy]

Oh no, it sounds like you had an awful time on the buses cousininmiami I must admit, the only time we were stuck for an extended time waiting for buses was at Downtown Disney...we only went there 2 or 3 times this past trip and each time we waited a long time for transportation. Once they get you there, they want you to stay and shop At least you both had a good attitude about it and didn't let it ruin your vacation

[Wizzard419]

That's kind of the purpose of their routes for DTD, you can park there and go to the parks and bypass paying but they make it unpleasant enough that you won't do it again. Which is a lot easier than having to monitor every car to see if anyone has spent longer than expected.

[annafab]

Ok, so if I request a specific room block, would it be too high maintenence to put in view requests with that? Should I keep room requests short and simple?

[Amy]

Ok, so if I request a specific room block, would it be too high maintenence to put in view requests with that? Should I keep room requests short and simple?

You might as well go for the view request as well. Usually there is a slight upcharge for any type of room request, so if you are requesting a certain building, you might as well try for the view as well!

[annafab]

You might as well go for the view request as well. Usually there is a slight upcharge for any type of room request, so if you are requesting a certain building, you might as well try for the view as well!

How slight of an upcharge?

[Amy]

You might as well go for the view request as well. Usually there is a slight upcharge for any type of room request, so if you are requesting a certain building, you might as well try for the view as well!

How slight of an upcharge?

I'm not sure on the moderates. I think it was maybe $25 or so for the values. We have to make a special request because of Mom needing a zero entry shower and mini-fridge for her medicine. But they sometimes don't actually charge extra. You might want to call and ask to make sure...

[annafab]

You might as well go for the view request as well. Usually there is a slight upcharge for any type of room request, so if you are requesting a certain building, you might as well try for the view as well!

How slight of an upcharge?

I'm not sure on the moderates. I think it was maybe $25 or so for the values. We have to make a special request because of Mom needing a zero entry shower and mini-fridge for her medicine. But they sometimes don't actually charge extra. You might want to call and ask to make sure...

How can they charge if they can't guarantee the request? I understand guaranteeing a request for special necessary circumstances (like your mom) but my requests are just preferences and not necessities. I was under the impression that they just fulfilled those types of requests based on availability.

[Amy]

How can they charge if they can't guarantee the request? I understand guaranteeing a request for special necessary circumstances (like your mom) but my requests are just preferences and not necessities. I was under the impression that they just fulfilled those types of requests based on availability.

Well, that is a good question. I know we have been charged for requesting a room close to the bus stop/food court and they don't always guarantee the room request as you mentioned. I don't know if they remove the preferred charge if you don't get the room you request? We generally end up having to talk to a reservations agent because the online system will only let you do so much. I think you can take your chances and not request until you arrive. I'm guessing that if they have what you want available then it would be no extra charge, but I don't know.

[annafab]

Ok, thanks. That's good to know.

[Wizzard419]

Check the terms of the charge since it's one of those "we always try to accomodate guest request" type of things and just verify that if they can't honor it they will automatically remove the charge. Worst comes to worst you simply have to have them manually do it during your stay.

[Len90]

From what I have been seeing at the parks, Saratoga Springs has pretty good bus service. There has never been a long line for a bus and I have seen plenty of buses pull into their stop while I patiently wait for a bus to yacht/beach.

[annafab]

From what I have been seeing at the parks, Saratoga Springs has pretty good bus service. There has never been a long line for a bus and I have seen plenty of buses pull into their stop while I patiently wait for a bus to yacht/beach.

I've mostly just heard complaints about getting from SSR to the parks. But it's good to know that you've been seeing lots of buses from the parks!