How Large is Disney World's Bus Fleet?
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- čas přidán 30. 08. 2020
- If you’ve ever been to Walt Disney World you know that it's pretty big. Perhaps the most ubiquitous and far reaching transportation system there is to get around is their bus fleet. So how big is a bus system that has to serve what is practically a small city, every day of the year?
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Additional Sources
“Witness: Boy on Bike Fell Riding Besides Bus”, The Orlando Sentinel (Orlando, Florida), 02 Apr 2010, Page A1
Walt Disney World Fact Sheet - The Walt Disney Company
MTA Facts and Figures
Roman, Alex. “2018 Top 100 Transit Bus Fleets Survey.” @METROmagTweet, 25 Sept. 2018
American Public Transportation Association - Public Transportation Ridership Report (Q4 2019)
Bi-State Development - Operating and Capital Budget 2015
“Walt Disney World Bus Fleet Makes the Switch to Renewable Diesel.” About Walt Disney World, 2015
My brother is a diesel mechanic at WDW, he's been working there since 1972, started as a bus boy at the Liberty Tree Tavern and then transferred into the Transportation Dept.
When I was a kid I used to think Disney should replace all of their buses with monorails.
Then I grew up and realized how stupid of an idea that would be.
No no no. It is a wonderful idea. Its just a very impractical one.
@@rc100692 I'll postulate that one could design a reasonably efficient monorail system for the parks... someday I'll try and draw it out... but, indeed, thanks to those 400 buses, it'll never happen.
i always thought they should have built light rail lines to replace the buses. But now I think they should build more bus lanes around the resort.
I still think they could benefit from more monorails, or at least another eco-friendly form of transportation aside from monorails and the Skyliner. It's great that they're making their buses more green, but I have to wonder just how eco-friendly those old smog-spewing buses can really be.
That was Walt's vision for sure.
My favorite "public" transit system.
Well the Magic Express is also my fav
Disney actually has closer to 500 buses now that they have new 2019s and new 2020s
Great video but it would have been cool to see some more “behind the scenes” how many bus drivers are there? Where do the busses park? What’s the maintenance like and where is it done? Great video rob!
I vote for a part 2... :)
Disney doesn’t release that Info. The buses park at the Theme parks or at their fuel station. The maintenance is done at Recycle Way, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830
The maintenance garage is at recycle way, which is also where Walts plane sits patiently waiting.
There are some “hidden routes” as well. There’s 4 cast member routes and there’s some routes are activated if the monorail and boats are down for any reason (3 of them).
Yes, MK and Epcot each have 2 internal routes, I believe. While I think the following started after the video was uploaded they also have at least 3 or 4 bus routes for the bus drivers now to get which every route they are doing.
This is one of the most enjoyable channels on CZcams, just relaxing and enjoyable to listen to. Plus there's always something to be learned, even if you think you know everything about the subject because it's so well researched!
Thanks for all you do!
Another great video! It’s worth noting that this system is temporarily been adjusted for the pandemic. Because park-hopping isn’t allowed, there are no busses going from park to park. Also the monorail to Epcot isn’t operating right now, so resorts like the Polynesian and Grand Floridian ARE taking a bus to Epcot right now. I’m sure once the situation is resolved, Walt Disney World transportation will revert to what it was previously, and what Rob explains so well in this video 😊
Edit: Also I don’t think Disney runs the Caribbean to Hollywood Studios bus regularly anymore, unless the skyliner is down.
They are admiting that it will never be fixed.
Weird that they think buses are better than the monorail!
(I thought it would be larger and easier to access for cleaning, but maybe either the capacity wouldn't be used or there's park to park spillover as you mentioned)
My grandfather drove these buses during the 2000s and he loved it. He would tell us that every bus got an oil change and tire rotation every night. I wonder if they still do that.
yes they do
No. The buses get cleaned and refueled every night. The other maintenance is done on a mileage and/or time schedule. (I've been WDW bus driver for 4 years).
@@trudishort9140 Hi, Trudi!
Lol nope
The fleet of all buses , Vessels, Monorails is amazing and there cleanliness
It's a first class operation including the buses that transport people from Airports and to and from the cruise ships.
Great part of the parks.
Thanks to all involved with this fleet including the Mechanics that repair and service all.
Compare that to Disneyland!!!
As a side note, Mears also handles Disney buses as well as Universal busses. It's usually written on the side, but it's actually quite common to see all theme park busses at Mears locations (I wanna say for maintenance or repairs/upgrades) throughout Orlando.
Granted Disney has a couple bus facilities in the resort, but I believe they are there for gas, minor repairs and asthetic upgrades such as the seating and exterior wraps.
I don’t like the new wraps on the buses.
Growing up by descriptions and promos in the TV and VHS, I knew the parks were big, but I couldn't fathom how big they actually are. Like, there are vehicles inside the park to help you get around big.
Loved how you ended the video. Can’t wait to hear that announcement voice again.
Topic suggestion: the “Voices” of WDW. Like, who is the guy doing the safety protocol announcements now around WDW? Would love to know...thanks
You forgot to mention the Disney College Program’s bus fleet/routes. It is a separate company but they are Disney-only dedicated buses for their cast member interns servicing the 7,000+ interns living at the massive Flamingo Crossings complex next to Animal Kingdom.
Rob, where did you get your info on the Seattle bus system? Because I can tell you for a fact it's bigger than Disney's (I live outside Seattle).
Seattle itself does not have a specific bus system, but King County (where Seattle is) has the King County Metro. KC Metro has 1500+ busses serving 8500+ stops over 215+ routes, with daily ridership over half a million in 2017.
There are other transit systems that serve Seattle though. Your numbers about line up with Sound Transit, which runs the express busses, commuter rail, and light rail systems for King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties. Sound Transit is specifically an alliance between King County Metro, Pierce Transit, and Community Transit (Snohomish Counties system). Sound Transit also oversees the ORCA card system, a contactless payment system that's valid on all previously mentioned systems, as well as several smaller local agencies, WA State Ferries, and the Seattle Center Monorail.
I was wondering that myself, I don't get how he claims Disney World's bus system is larger then King County Metro.. the numbers just don't add up
@@pdxmark77 like I said, Sound Transit about lines up with the claim, but that's a bad claim to make since 9/10 busses serving Seattle are not ST
Bpendragon I came here to say the same thing.. King County Metro is a pretty large system.
Also, a correction about Sound Transit. It’s its own government agency covering much but not all of Pierce, Snohomish, and King Counties. They own the busses, trains, and light rail and contract for other agencies and corporations to operate most of them. (Tacoma Link is directly operated by Sound Transit.)
Yeah that threw me off as well. King County Metro is a *massive* system, physically and practically. It’s also the largest hybrid-bus fleet in the US - or at least was as of
2015 - with almost every coach being at least a hybrid if not fully electric.
Do the Minnie Vans next.
Oh I get it
Minnie. An isn’t running right now.
Mark Nauta - the Minnie Van (as in minivan) service is a joint venture with Lyft (on the sharing vehicle service, but driven by Disney cast members). Info courtesy of AJ Wolfe of Disney Food Blog...
syxepop hey it’s just a joke
It’s a happy ride on the Magical Express to WDW. But back to the airport, it’s the Tragical Express. Disney’s bus fleet is certainly impressive
Small city? the whole complex is bigger than Paris!
Should have included the cast member buses too. The shortest route I know of is the one from cast parking to the tunnel entrance at magic kingdom. I think it’s like a half mile each way.
I think same.
Cast member busses are contracted out; just like the bus route from the airports to the resorts.
Christopher Kelly wow
It was Disney bus and driver in 2006.
Christopher Kelly nonsense. The college program buses are, but the cast buses at Epcot and magic kingdom aren’t.
slipknottin The Pluto shuttle is shorter than the Westclock shuttle
Having started to visit WDW in the Mid-90s, I can still remember the old orange stripe logo they used to have. Used to keep track of the old vs new paint schemes as a kid!
While maybe not super important to your numbers, you forgot about 4 of the most vital routes: The two routes transporting Cast Members from their parking lots to the backstage of MK (both under 3/4 of a mile), and the two routes backstage at EPCOT and DAK to transport Cast Members around the perimeter of the parks. All 4 of these routes use the same buses that the guests use as well as the same bus drivers; they're just on a route that guests don't necessarily see.
You totally have to do fireworks. How many are used in a night, week, year. The costs, where they come from and so on!
Some interesting notes to add here:
Last I checked, the head of Disney Transportation in Florida used to run bus operations for SFMTA (aka Muni) in San Francisco.
While Disney does have routes, the scheduling is dynamic and based on headways - which is unique compared to most transit systems that use a fixed schedule. Agencies may change that schedule a few times a year at most, but there actually *is* a schedule. Disney, on the other hand, sets a service level (eg a bus every 20 minutes) and then moves busses around to meet that demand (plus any surges) as needed. That makes operations way more complex but ensures that demand and service are better matched on a day to day level.
The editing on this channel is perfect. 😊
A solid transportation system is like the monopoly board of life leading you from start to finish whether it be an urban area or Disney. The information you presented is simply fascinating and fun, thanks!
You do an incredible amount of research for these videos and I really enjoyed this particular one. Super work Rob!!
Great Work As Always Rob! :)
Wow...you REALLY went from one extreme to another! 30 minutes to 6!...love both of them, and you do both styles well!
awesome video....as I was watching I was just thinking about all the time you put in to research these things....Very cool! Really appreciate it!!
Disney also has internal bus routes for Cast Members at certain parks! The route at Magic Kingdom is only about a mile but runs pretty much constantly throughout the day. I've seen a couple other comments about the College Program busses but that's actually a different company that Disney uses for them.
Man, I was trying to get the numbers on this for a video I made a while back and couldn't find anything concrete. Thanks, Rob!
Another great video love it. Never knew it was such a big bus system wow.
Nice interesting video!! Thanks Rob.
Never realized how large the fleet was. Great as always, Rob!
Great information and well planned out. My favorite part was when you said it’s the cast members that make the magic. We couldn’t agree more! Thanks Rob!
Thanks for answering the question that I have always thought about!
Love these videos.. Thank you
I love these short little Disney tidbit videos! You always talk about things I never thought about with Disney World.
The Disney buses are quite nice, and I always enjoy riding them
My Wife has never been and I grew up in those parks.
I've told her about the energy on those buses post visit, how everyone is so stoked and buzzing from their day.
A great deal of people never realize that's part of going also.
Friend: "Do you wanna learn about bus fleets?"
Me: "No. Sounds boring."
Friend: "Rob is the one talking about it."
Me: "I'll watch it then!"
Love the video. Did not know Disney had made that fuel switch, but that is really cool.
Another great video Rob 👏🏻
Another great video, Rob!
Great video, Rob!
A cast member actually told me that Dis. paid the lowest amount 4 Diesel in the whole state. I was told that in the early 2000's. Which was why there was no monorail expansion to Animal Kingdom. He said a new monorail line would cost as much as a whole new themed park. I also know Dis. has that transportation network there to get you in the park quickly. as you are NOT spending $$$ in the parking lot. LOL!!! I haven't been on the buses, but have been on monorail, ferry & water taxi. All cool and efficient ways of getting around.
The Disney stock footage is pretty, I like this editing💕
Thanks for another interesting video. Keep them coming, it would be great to see more...🙂
Love the video but I work for metro transit in Seattle and our fleet is over 1500 buses and almost 3000 drivers with over 200 routes so not sure where you got the "bigger then cities like Seattle" info from. Again, liked the video but thought that required correcting. Cheers!
Kind of surprised Disney isn't or doesn't have plans to go full electric.
Also, insane that there's no feature in the app for bus times.
That would be so hard to have electric buses plus they usually don’t work that well.
Disney Fan In nyc, the MTA has added electric busses and plans on having around 500 by 2024. I realize you can’t flip a switch and go electric over night, but you should be able to phase it in. And if the MTA can do it, so can Disney.
Such a great ride around Disney!! Love the busses. Great video 👏
Hmmm
Hi Rob! I used to love the videos of you and your friends just visiting the parks. I enjoyed the casual banter and would listen to them while working to vicariously feel like I was at the parks too. Are those videos still up? I scrolled and looked and couldn't find them.
Saratoga Springs also has an internal bus loop. We have a room your posted and soon will have the treehouse villa loop posted which contains two of the internal bus stops.
St. Louis and public transportation... YIKES.
I didn't know about the fuel they use. Thank you for sharing it, it makes me love Disney even more. I hope to work there one day and be part of their journey into a more environmentally friendly company.
I LOVE Stuff like this! Thanks 🇬🇧❤️🇺🇸
Hey Rob - did you count the cast routes in the total number? Westclock, the backstage Epcot loop, etc?
The time when we were leaving MK and they were funneling people over to the charter buses because of the massive crowds. The bus is dark, you're not even in the seat and he's already putting his feet on the gas. You grab some child's head for support in the dark thinking it's a seat.
How Large is Disney World's Bus Fleet?
Not big enough. :p
That would explain why buses to Disney Springs are so infrequent and you frequently wait for 45mins from resorts like the boardwalk 😔
I was fortunate enough to work in buses as a greeter during my DCP - it's such a big system!
From 2011-2015 I piloted the ferries at Disney springs & magic kingdom. Interesting to see how busses work, but I’ll always choose the waterways whenever possible. Good video though.
I love the Disney world bus smells
Just FYI, Seattle has a fleet of about 1500 buses
What about the buses used for the cast members? They use buses too!
The cast members are also shuttled around using the same buses the guests ride on.
Shaun Puzon Yes or they use Mears
Perfect end credits!
I’m a Disney bus driver we actually have around 460 busses we just ordered 77 new buses and retired a few at the beginning of the year.
Cool! Where do the retired buses go? Are they sold somewhere specific?
Timothy Totten the retired ones are usually scrapped or most recently they were donated to a local college for diesel mechanics. They will never see service at another bus location again for liability reasons from what I gather *my opinions don’t represent the company
@@ryanlewis7679 Wow, thats great. Walt Disney World is like an whole city, I love it. Have you ever driven the monorail at WDW too?
OfficalMonte _ no that’s a whole other job classification with less licensing requirements but from what I gather they are mostly automated now but not sure of that.
@@ryanlewis7679 Oh, okay.
Bus B roll turned out great!!!
Great video. I would just add that there are also a number of internal cast member bus routes across WDW as well that doesn’t sound like they were taken into account. They connect various areas backstage including park to park for cast members.
Park to park for cast members? Not that I know of (WDW bus driver for 4 years).
my favorite detail about the buses is that the cast member bus to/from the TTC is marked "Heigh-Ho, Heigh-Ho"
because it's Off To Work They Go
Maybe “Why did it take until 2020 to start burying Song of the South for good?”
Do these numbers include any of the internal transportation like the Backstage Epcot Route for Cast Members or the College Program Residences to Parks routes?
I like this. Is there anything on the monorail and the service area
Old Key West also has an internal resort bus route
Wow thats a huge amount.
Does this include the cast bus routes? Disney also has buses that run across Avenue of the Stars in EPCOT for cast, as well as the Westclock line and Pluto line at MK for cast
I wonder if they will electrify their bus fleet once Tesla or Nikola start producing electric public transit busses. A large city sized system like WDW's could be a great Alpha /Beta test bed, and it would harken back to my childhood when American Industry was well represented at the parks Goodyear, GM, Kodak, et al. -Or even to the original dream of EPCOT to be a living test bed for future city technologies. Good show, Rob!
There is already Battery Electric Busses (BEB) so they could already.
Gosh I wonder how maintenance works for that fleet, certainly a 24hr shop
There are two bus routes that you did not include and those are the cast members only. You forgot the bus that goes from Cass parking to Magic Kingdom and the bus route for east and west side of Epcot for the cast members
pinksenshi there’s also a cast shuttle for Animal Kingdom.
Just passing through to thank you for thinking about your international audience and including conversions to metric measurements. Not enough American CZcamsrs do this and I’m grateful that you do think about your audience outside of your borders and that we do not use feet, miles, Fahrenheit, or pounds.
Mta buses are going to get this bus fleet F*cked up
This bus-faring video coincidentally arrives on August 31st, the day when New York City buses resume charging their $2.75 fare after an extended period of Corona virus-inspired precautions that isolated the driver in the front half of the bus, with passengers only permitted to use the rear doors for both exit and entry.
Dear Lord That's Huge!
💯✌💯
The disney buses make me sleepy
Now I understand why am I smart with buses sometimes.
In addition to Magical Express, there are the Disney Cruise Line busses.
Thanks.
400 buses? My town has zero buses......
I'd really be interested in what they pay thier drivers and if it's considered private property that you are driving on...are CDL's required?
That’s great. They should be moving towards CNG and electric.
you also forgot the saratoga springs internal bus system
So do taxes collected go to the cities of Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, the counties of Orange and Osceola, or just to the state of Florida?
I’ll agree the cast members do it for the people
Hi, Rob! Out of curiosity, how many Disney parks have you been to?
I have a video idea...... Can you do a video on the money saved or lost if you would have purchased a bunch of tickets in the 80s or 90s and used them through out the years? They were non expiring then. And you could use them now. I have heard if you had a multi day ticket now, they would only honor a single day. I just wonder about the "cost of money" vs interest earned vs today's prices, would it have been smart to buy alot of tickets back then to use now and in the future? I think that could be a 10 min video with all the ins and outs to break it down. You would have to factor in "post-ticketbooks" but before ticket passing restrictions of the 90s like your picture being put on the ticket or going to the scan type tickets. During the day of the stamps and punch tickets.
The Magical Express Bus drivers aren't cast members, but employees of MEARS, right? Different inside the resort?
"small city" . lol, that's more buses than where I"m from - Kansas City, servicing ~2,000,000 people.
With WDW having much higher ridership than anywhere else in the US
The bus is commuter friendly...
Small City? No, it’s a Small World! :)
Can you do a video about antz vs a bugs life.
My Uncle Drove a Disney Bus.
King of the Bus 🚎