Question for Tyler

[PKS44]

This was posted in a thread about a trip from 12/1 to 12/8 so I guess this was on 12/5:

"The bus to MK on early entry day (or whatever we're calling it these days) was VERY late...it finally arrived AT 8:00 AM...we had been waiting since 7:20, and there were already others there when we arrived. Meanwhile, between 7:20 and before 8 AM, THREE Animal Kingdom busses arrived, and one for MGM, and they didn't open until 9 AM that day. Very frustrating. Then TWO MK busses came at the same time. That was the only time we took a bus TO a park; we drove to Animal Kingdom and to Blizzard Beach."


With the new system you have described on another thread I am worried and wondering---How does this happen???


Also, with regard to this issue--are you finding that the new EMH is popular with guests...are a lot of people taking WDW transportation those mornings to the EMH park? Or is it only a few hearty souls while the majority of guests patiently wait for the return of Character Caravan?

Paul

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

Originally posted by PKS44
With the new system you have described on another thread I am worried and wondering---How does this happen???

Those busses are pre-scripted routes. When the drivers all come in for thier shift, they're given thier Daily Briefing sheet. On that sheet, it lists park hours, important information, as well as thier first run for the day.

On thier sheet, it lists thier bus number. They go out, find thier bus, and then they have to Pre-Trip the bus. This is an extensive checklist of things the driver needs to verify before the bus is legally allowed to be driven and accept passengers. If anything on that checklist does not pass, the bus is not allowed to be placed into service, and must be taken to a Bus Maintenance area (called FIW) to be corrected or swapped out.

An example... pre-tripping the bus, and one of the turn signal bulbs is burnt out... that bus must be taken to FIW to get that repaired. Sometimes this takes enough time to cause a driver to miss thier pre-scripted run. Usually a coordinator will try and get another bus in there, but sometimes its just not possible.


The reason you (or whoever) saw other park busses prior to 8am... those were Character Breakfast busses. They run starting at 7:00am.

Seeing as how you said there were 3 AK busses... I'm wondering if perhaps a driver read thier sheet wrong, and put up the wrong sign? *shrug* I have no clue.

Originally posted by PKS44
Also, with regard to this issue--are you finding that the new EMH is popular with guests...are a lot of people taking WDW transportation those mornings to the EMH park?

To be honest, I can't really comment on how popular it is... the only mornings I worked early enough for that run, I was assigned a Character Breakfast run. However, bus stops were always empty... so, *shrug*....

 

[PKS44]

Tyler-

Thanks for the info---you are really a tremendous resource---BTW-it was not me who had the experience, I should have posted who said it in theor trip report, but I forget who it wa and can't find that thread now.

Paul