Walt Disney World has introduced an enlargement of its bus fleet together with new character and film wraps that’ll roll out all through 2024. This put up shares pictures & particulars of the braking bus information, together with a short on-the-ground replace about my good & dangerous WDW transportation experiences this 12 months.
In accordance with Walt Disney World, the buses are coming en route from California to Florida after being manufactured by Gillig. Walt Disney World started modernizing its fleet of again in Summer time 2019 with the debut of “Sensational Six” buses, with the addition of roughly 75 new buses. These had been additionally Gillig buses, and changed the oldest Nova buses (slightly below 50), bringing the entire fleet measurement to over 400.
Whereas new character wraps have rolled out often since then, that is the primary mass substitute and fleet enlargement since 2019. This time, Walt Disney World is including 90 new buses to the fleet. It’s not recognized what number of of these will substitute older fashions that’ll be retired, so the variety of web additions isn’t clear.
Among the new fleet has already rolled out at Walt Disney World within the final month or so. Together with these 90 new buses may even come a bunch of latest wraps, beginning right this moment (March 28, 2024). These new wraps will characteristic fan-favorite characters from Ratatouille and Zootopia.
Over the following few months, you’ll additionally see new wraps that includes 101 Dalmatians, Chip ‘n’ Dale, Orange Chicken, Figment, and extra. The designs of the wraps are being chosen primarily based on visitor response to the prevailing wraps and well-liked characters, in accordance with Disney.
It’s good to see each Figment and Orange Chicken on a listing of ‘well-liked characters amongst Walt Disney World visitors.’ Personally, I hope that there are a half-dozen totally different Figment designs, all that includes scenes with Dreamfinder from the unique Journey into Creativeness. In the event that they’re not going to reimagine the journey, it’s the least they’ll do. I’d additionally like for that Chip ‘n’ Dale bus to be Rescue Rangers. It’s time for a Disney Afternoon Renaissance!
The corporate additionally notes that that is half of a bigger funding that Walt Disney World is making in its complimentary transportation choices to additional improve the visitor expertise. You might have already seen a few of these buses whereas out and about. They’re Gillig Low Flooring fashions which were outfitted with up to date accessibility options for visitors utilizing mobility gadgets, making the boarding course of even smoother.
Walt Disney World appears to be like ahead to seeing visitors sit again, loosen up and spend high quality time with family and friends whereas being whisked away by considered one of over 3,000 Disney Transportation Forged Members within the brand-new buses and different thrilling modes of Disney Transportation. Maintain your eyes open for the brand new wraps and others debuting over the approaching months!
Turning to fast commentary, I’ll begin by addressing the dragon within the room. No, not Figment. Though he’s right here too. The marginally comical means that, on the day that Common shares a primary have a look at the unimaginable Methods to Practice Your Dragon – Isle of Berk Land at Epic Universe, Disney’s “reply” is new buses.
I’ll admit, the juxtaposition of reports did give me a slight chuckle. However this isn’t really a solution; it’s not meant to steal the thunder from Common. That ought to be fairly apparent…it’s buses. For just like the dozenth time, Walt Disney World isn’t going to have a direct “response” to Epic Universe. They’re perspective is kind of clearly {that a} rising tide lifts all boats and that there’s nothing that would steal the thunder of a brand-new theme park in addition to a model new theme park, so why even play that sport?
Anyway. Walt Disney World increasing and modernizing the bus fleet is sweet information from a visitor expertise and effectivity perspective, even when it’s not in the identical ballpark/league/sport as dragonland information. Getting the basics proper additionally issues. Anybody who has ever waited 45 minutes for a Magic Kingdom bus, whereas watching a half-dozen move by for Animal Kingdom is aware of this. There was a time when Disney buses had been coasting, and it was dangerous. Fortunately, that has not been the case for a few years–even earlier than 2019.
Whereas it’s most likely wishful considering, I hope this alerts that Walt Disney World plans to speculate extra in transportation and infrastructure. The plain and overdue factor is a brand new monorail fleet, and that ought to completely occur. I’d additionally like to see extra walkways, and though it’s a longshot, Skyliner enlargement. Decreasing pressure on infrastructure is de facto essential, particularly in the event that they’re constructing extra rides and resorts!
My private experiences with the Walt Disney World bus fleet since final 12 months’s vacation season have all been constructive throughout my stays at All Star Sports activities, Coronado Springs (x2), and Modern. I’ve seen fewer and fewer third social gathering Academy buses over the course of the final year-plus, to the purpose the place I’m not even certain if Disney is contracting out further assist for the buses.
Bus service for the All Stars, specifically, has been very environment friendly–even when there are lengthy traces (which is commonly)–and that’s a giant a part of the explanation why I don’t thoughts staying there. Certainly one of my greater transportation complaints of the final couple years has been overcrowding on buses to Coronado Springs, however that was not my expertise the final two stays. Buses had been busy throughout peak hours, however by no means unbearably so.
My common perspective on Walt Disney World buses is that the service is much better than it was a decade in the past, and lots of longtime followers have now-outdated perceptions primarily based on horror tales from again within the day. This isn’t to say bus service is ideal now and nobody ever waits over 20 minutes–that does occur–nevertheless it’s sort of the character of the beast. Buses won’t ever be as environment friendly and predictable because the Skyliner, strolling, boats, or the monorail (assuming no breakdowns–not all the time a protected assumption).
I did encounter the occasional lengthy traces for the monorail from the resorts, however this was additionally through the coronary heart of the vacation season when a lot of followers are resort-hopping to take a look at all the edible shows. From pictures I noticed on social media, this obtained even worse nearer to Christmas.
I haven’t encountered any such points because the begin of 2024, which is probably going as a result of decrease occupancy and fewer guests to the monorail loop resorts. With the Poly tower debuting in late 2024, I actually wonder if there’s a plan for this vacation season. The gingerbread home on the Grand Floridian is large enterprise, however including additional pressure on the monorail is probably not one of the best concept ever.
I ponder if it’s sensible to limit the monorail to resort visitors and encourage everybody else to stroll to the Grand Floridian. Or simply encourage extra use of that strolling path, on the whole, and hope demand types itself out. I really imagine extra folks would use the strolling path in the event that they knew about it, particularly in November and December when the climate is normally nicer. (I lately noticed a raccoon close to the trail–you don’t see that on the monorail…hopefully.)
No points to report by any means with watercraft or Skyliner gondolas, each of that are glorious as ever. (However remember that all of those stays occurred exterior storm season, which is when Skyliner downtime is an actual problem.)
Lastly, an replace on Orlando Worldwide Airport stats as reported by the airport itself. For the month of February, Orlando Worldwide Airport (MCO) noticed total passenger visitors improve by 8.5% for the month, with home passenger visitors up 7.3% and worldwide visitors up 17.4%.
The rise in passenger visitors in February elevated the rolling 12-month complete to 58.4 million annual passengers. The continued sturdy progress in worldwide visitors elevated the rolling 12-month worldwide visitors complete to 7,199,261 which is simply 35,423 beneath MCO’s all-time file.
These numbers are solely going to proceed growing for March and April 2024 because of Spring Break season. Already, Orlando Worldwide Airport hit a brand new passenger file on March 16, 2024 with 102,064 departing passengers. That doesn’t embody arrivals, which might logically double that quantity to 204,128 complete passengers – essentially the most the airport has ever seen in a single day.
Spring Break 2024 was projected to put up an 11% improve in passengers over final 12 months. The prior MCO every day passenger file was set final 12 months on December 30, with 98,521 going via safety at Florida’s busiest airport. That quantity was surpassed on Friday, March 15, 2024 – sooner or later earlier than the brand new file was set.
Really, it’s doable the brand new file set on March 16 has already been damaged. That was #3 on MCO’s listing of projected 10 busiest dates throughout Spring Break, behind March 23 at #1. Each single day on the listing is a weekend–Friday via Sunday–and 5 of the times happen through the week-plus round Easter.
It’s additionally price noting that MCO set new information final 12 months over Spring Break, so 11% larger than meaning it’ll be insanely busy. A part of that is undoubtedly the brand new terminal growing the general capability of the airport. However that’s not all of it. Nearly each time I’ve departed MCO within the final 12 months, it’s felt busier than I’ve ever seen it. There’s an increasing number of seating in what was empty walkways, and the road/wait time for TSA will get longer/larger.
A variety of frequent vacationers suppose arriving 2 hours earlier than a flight is overkill. Not at MCO. Even with TSA Precheck, that’s (a minimum of) how early I goal to reach. With out it, I’d advocate displaying up 3 hours earlier than your flight. I like Orlando Worldwide Airport and suppose they’re doing one of the best they’ll below the high-demand circumstances, however I’d truthfully quite fly out of LAX than MCO at this level…and that’s saying one thing!
Talking of the airport and buses, I’ve additionally used Mears Join Pushed by Sunshine a number of occasions because it debuted–together with each single time going to and from MCO in 2024. I’ve already lined the great and dangerous of this within the latest Mears Join Pushed by Sunshine Overview: Is Walt Disney World’s Airport Shuttle Nonetheless Good?
All in all, my private experiences with Mears Join have been principally constructive, however I additionally know what to anticipate and don’t thoughts a “leisurely” drive to my ultimate vacation spot. On the contrary, I choose it to Uber or Lyft lots of the time–and definitely choose the value as a solo traveler. It’s price maintaining in thoughts that Mears Join goes to be hit and miss: some okay-to-good experiences, and a few horror tales.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
Ideas on WDW including 90 new buses to the fleet? Any character wraps you’d wish to see? Have you ever used transportation at Walt Disney World lately? What has been the great, dangerous, or ugly for you? Traveled via MCO in any respect in 2024? Have you ever used Walt Disney World buses between the parks and resorts the final a number of months? Any experiences of your individual to share with regard to Walt Disney World transportation? Do you agree or disagree with our evaluation? Different ideas or considerations? Any questions we can assist you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even once you disagree with us–is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!
