Let us set the scene. It’s a bright, sunny morning. You’re standing in line for the bus to Magic Kingdom at your Disney World hotel. It’s time to rope-drop the park! Fiiiiinally, the bus arrives, but you’re pretty far back in line. Uh-oh.
Disney World
Well, it looks like it’s going to be standing-room-only on the bus. Time to grab a handrail and head to the Magic Kingdom. Now, for a lot of people, this is probably no big deal. But for some of us, standing on a jam-packed Disney World bus is a literal nightmare. Here’s why.
Unlike a regular public transportation bus in, say, New York City, Disney World buses aren’t confined to narrow city streets and endless traffic. Disney buses can travel pretty fast on highways and make wide turns, and they even have their own special bus lane in some parts of Disney World. Know what that means for us standing passengers? You need to know how to BALANCE.
Disney bus
We know we’re not alone when we say that we get a liiiitle nervous about falling over or losing our balance onboard a Disney bus. And when you’re standing on a bus full of people, it’s easy to start looking at your fellow passengers and thinking to yourself, “Do NOT fall on them!” Yep. We’re scared of falling on Disney buses — and we’re not afraid to admit it.
Learn how to BALANCE!
Luckily, we have a lot of practice bus surfing — we mean standing — so let us share some tips that have eased our travel anxiety. First, it’s all in the legs. Ground yourself so that your weight is evenly distributed and your legs are spread apart enough to catch yourself if the bus lurches forward, backward, or sideways. Don’t keep your feet too close together! Imagine you’re surfing and position your legs as if you’re standing on a surfboard. Got it?
Bus transportation at Disney World
You may also have to stand on a few other types of Disney transportation, like the monorail or boat. In our experience, you typically have a little more breathing room on these other kinds of transportation. Pro tip: make sure to check the transportation schedule on your My Disney Experience app so you know how late Disney transportation will be open.
Monorail
We’ll be honest — after a long day of walking through Disney World, the last thing we want to do is keep standing all the way back to our room, but sometimes you just don’t have a choice. The best solution? Wear comfortable shoes! The more bounce and cushion you have in your shoes, the less likely your feet are to feel sore at the end of the day.
Looking for some shoe recommendations? Click here!
If you have transportation anxiety like us, the good news is that you’ll (probably) NEVER see your fellow bus (or boat, monorail, or Skyliner) passengers again. So even if something embarrassing happens, no one will ever remember. Trust us — we’ve been in some awkward travel situations, and you know what? They end up making for a funny story later on.
Do you mind standing on a bus?
OK, maybe those buses aren’t so bad after all! In the meantime, we’re always on the lookout for the latest Disney news, so stay tuned for more.
41% of Fans Say This Is the BEST Disney World Transportation Method
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We got spoiled on having our own car at WDW years back, so we don’t ride the buses anymore (or it’s certainly very rare), but I can relate! We rode the buses for many years. When we did ride the buses, we would often be some of the only people willing to stand, and when we landed seats, we’d often give our seats to older people or kids etc. if they wanted them. And, on more than one wild standing bus ride, I actually said out loud to the people sitting near me that I was doing my best to make sure I didn’t fall on them! But we didn’t enjoy standing, and the ‘compromises’ involved with having a car are well worth it. I certainly wouldn’t want everyone to start driving, and I recognize that the buses and other Disney transpo options are a necessity for a lot of people (and I hope Disney doesn’t take them away, like the Magical Express). But with all the options available now, I’m a little surprised the buses are still so crowded.
I have been going to WDW since it opened. Now that I have bad knees I just tell the person(s) behind me to go ahead if they have the ability to stand. When there are long lines and jammed buses the next bus usually comes quicker than usual. Now I am first in line when the next bus comes.
My problem with standing is that I’m not very tall so can’t reach the overhead bars. I can reach the leather straps that hang down but they move & I move with them! The easiest option for me is to hold the vertical bars with 2 hands. This keeps me the most upright during the trip. Last year, however, a young man gave up his seat for me, so now I’m a bit peeved that I look older than I thought!