We are staying in the Alligator Bayou section of Port Orleans Riverside from April 28-May 4. Which building should I request in order to have the best chance of getting seats on the buses to the parks? I heard buses can be filled or standing room only by the time they reach certain stops on the route. Thanks in advance!
If you’re biggest concern is getting a seat every time, then I’d suggest staying near the west stop. However, you may be in for longer bus rides that way.
The portorleans.org website has some useful information about this.
See the site for more info, including info on the order the bus picks up from the stops.
Actually the bus wait time are all posted on a display where the bus stops. The problem is not so much getting a bus that is not fully at the resort bus stop but rather the return bus from any one of the parks. We just got back from staying at PoR and never had to wait more than 15 minutes. Buses were only full one time and their is no way of knowing at which stop they will fill up. If you don’t want to stand then may I suggest you leave the parks before the main crowd and even then there is no guarantee.
I’m assuming you either booked a preferred room or have 5 people in your room? Because otherwise as I understand it AB is only a request also…
It’s a good point that there may be full buses on the way back to POR, and that is something that the OP may want to consider as well. I’m glad that you never had any problems using the POR buses and getting to the parks quickly. However, I do think that the buses at the resort bus stop do sometimes fill up based on what I’ve read elsewhere. Admittedly I’ve never been to POR myself, but I don’t think that the portorleans.org website would say it happens if it never did. My impression is that site is rather reliable. Though if I’m wrong someone please correct me!
If staying in the Alligator Bayou section then request Building 25 and use the NORTH bus stop.
PROS: It is the fist stop at POR in the morning and 2nd stop coming home.
Bus stop is very close to building 25, less than 1 minute walk.
Building 25 is very quiet
Right next to a quiet pool
CONS: It takes a few minutes to walk to the main registration.
We’ve stayed in building 25 three different times. Love the quiet.
Yes it does happen but it is generally rare. Sometimes two buses will show up right behind one another. That said the park bus route as we had it was West Depot, North Depot, East Depot, and South Depot. South Depot is the lobby stop out front. West Depot is Alligator Alley and North Depot is also part Alligator Alley and Magnolia Bend, East Depot is the Magnolia bend area stop. Depending on where you are going to stay you can judge who will be picked up before and after you. Much of the bus crowding depends on just when you wish to go to the parks. If you are talking early morning they will be crowed as people are going for rope drop. If you wait until 10 or later as we did, we only had one time where we were required to stand in our two week stay. We stayed in Magnolia Bend. Hope this helps.