Walt Disney World receives upwards of 100,000 visitors on every single day – Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Years, all of ’em. And, nearly all of those visitors will use some form of Disney transportation during their day.
Some will arrive via parking lot tram, some via bus, monorail, or boat. But, nearly all of them will use the transportation services that the Walt Disney World resort provides for free – and that doesn’t include the guests visiting Downtown Disney, the water parks, the resort restaurants, etc.
When you really stop and think about it, Disney’s transportation is downright amazing. Yes, we love to complain about it, but on the whole, it’s actually pretty efficient and pretty great.
I live in New York City, and let me tell you: No matter how crowded and delayed Disney’s transportation can be, it’s nothing compared to trying to cram onto the F train at rush hour on a Friday. In fact, it was on one of those overcrowded subways that a question popped into my mind:
Why is Disney’s transportation so much better than the mess I deal with every day on the way home from work?
Sure, the fact that the NYC Subway has to serve 50-times more people makes things difficult, but it’s more than that. There are a handful of things that Disney does that simply makes everything flow much smoother.
I’ve been to many big cities, but here are the things that Disney does with their transportation that outclasses all of them:
1. Utilizing proper queueing practices
In most cities, when commuters prepare to board subway and train cars, they simply stand along a platform, waiting for the train to arrive so they can pile in. Ideally, commuters will spread equally out along the length of the platform, evenly distributing the crowds – however, this rarely happens.
Disney, on the other hand, has guests wait in a queue when they’re getting ready to board their buses and boats and even monorails. This has the effect of allowing cast members to point out where the empty cars are, as well as instruct guests on how to board quickly and efficiently. Because guests are in a line, the pushing and shoving that is commonplace in a metropolitan commute isn’t warranted or allowed. In fact, pushing another guest would likely get you a stern talking to from a cast member, if not outright expulsion from the resort.
Ultimately, through the use of proper queues and a clear boarding strategy, Disney is able to control the mob-mentality that often forms when commuters board public transportation. And, effectively, this makes the whole experience more pleasant and less prone to delays.
2. Maintaining fully-staffed loading areas
Other than at its bus stops, Disney’s boarding areas for its transportation options are fully-staffed by cast members waiting and ready to assist guests in getting to their destination. For the monorail, they make sure guests are properly distributed along the length of the monorail and operate the safety gates. For the boats, they help the boats dock and provide helpful information to guests waiting for the next launch.
None of this happens in a city.
For the most part, you’re left to fend for yourself in a city, which leads to a few issues. First of all, as mentioned in the previous section, this disorganization can lead to crowding, which can lead to delays. Second of all, the lack of a well-staffed platform or boarding area can be a safety concern – in New York alone, over 100 travelers are struck by a subway train each year. It’s impossible to know how many accidents could have been avoided with a well-trained, vocal staffer there to keep people orderly, but that number likely is greater than zero.
Thirdly, proper staffing allows travelers who are unsure of where they are going to have someone official to consult. At Disney, if you’re trying to get from the Magic Kingdom to Epcot, there are plenty of cast members to ask who can help you. In the real world, these people are few and far between – and not always friendly.
3. Cleanliness and friendliness
Despite the fact that cities charge to use their metropolitan transportation systems, the free Walt Disney World transit options are far cleaner than their municipal counterparts.
It’s important to remember that Disney only offers its transportation for free because it keeps guests on their property longer and enables them to spend more of their money more easily on Disney’s products. So, in theory, Disney makes money on their transportation system in ways that aren’t clearly visible.
However, much of Disney’s transportation budget goes toward keeping the trains, boats, and buses clean – they understand that a clean bus can set the tone for a day at the parks.
This is different from a public transportation system, in that cleanliness is not a primary concern for those in charge. And, just as importantly, friendliness of the transit staff is not nearly as important to a city as it is to Disney – they don’t care about setting a tone, they care about getting you to work.
Ultimately, I think people would be a bit more comfortable commuting on public transportation if it were all just a bit cleaner – something Disney truly excels at. All it takes is commiting to that goal, and it makes public transportation a whole lot more palatable.
4. A wide variety of transit options
In most cities, if you want to get from point A to point B, your options are subway/train, bus, or taxi. At Disney, the options are far more creative. The vast majority of transportation takes place on a bus, however, if you’re so inclined, you can also take a boat or monorail to your destination.
Why does this matter? Well, a few reasons.
The first is that it eases the burden on the other options if you have choices and redundancies. Guests staying at the Contemporary Resort, for example, can choose to take a monorail or boat back to their resort, or, if they’d like to, they could even walk. For most commuters in a city, you likely only have two options – bus or subway – and, even then, those options might not drop you anywhere near your actual destination.
The second reason having a variety of transit options is a good thing is that it allows guests to tailor their journey to the parks to their own interests. If the guest is a nautical fan, they can take a boat. If they’re interested in the monorail, they’re welcome to do that as well. Having a choice like that empowers guests and makes the trip to the parks feel more like an adventure and less like a commute.
In the city, however, it’s unlikely that your commute to work will feel like an adventure. Usually, there’s one path that works best, and it becomes a rote journey sooner or later. It’s all about efficiency and getting to your destination quickly, rather than enjoying the experience. More transit variety would build in redundancies, which would help with overcrowding, and it would simply make it more fun. Which brings us to the last way Disney’s transportation system is better…
5. Creating an entertaining transit experience
On city buses and subways, commuters usually read, listen to music, or get lost in their thoughts. There’s no entertainment on board, and if you want any, you have to bring it yourself.
Disney, on the other hand, makes sure that guests are always being informed and entertained – even as they’re in transit from one place to another. Special audio tracks follow guests’ paths from each resort to the parks. Billboards and artwork showcase the upcoming attractions and get you in the spirit of the journey. And, when you get close to a theme park, the view inside is exciting enough to make you forget about the upcoming walk from the bus stop to the front entrance.
Now, I’m not saying that city transportation systems should go to those lengths to entertain their riders, but even small additions can go a long way.
In New York City, some subway cars are outfitted with paintings commissioned by the MTA that are meant to inspire and connect with commuters. Others have poems that are thought-provoking and reflective. And, while these are nice steps in the right direction, more cities should outfit their transit systems with things like artwork that can help entertain commuters as they go to their destinations.
Essentially, the main reason Disney’s transportation works better is that they seem to care far more about their guests’ comfort than the municipal transit systems do. That, more than anything, is the lesson they could learn from Walt Disney World – they know how to keep riders comfortable, engaged and entertained, which leads to a happier ride and a more positive experience. Because Disney isn’t soley focused on the bottom line for their transit program, they’re able to focus more on making sure guests reach their destination happy as well as on time.
But yeah, having the Magic Kingdom at the end of the ride probably helps keep people happy too.
