Music on Disney Buses ?

[Rob1648]

Just got back from a week in Disney

- does anybody remember when you rode the bus to the Magic Kingdom - you got to the left turn into the bus dropoff
and there would a recorded announcement with music that you were entering into the Magic Kingdom !

no matter how many times you heard it - it always got you excited for your day

Does anybody know when this ended and why?

Seems to me, a simple (and inexpensive) way to really hype the magic?

Come on Disney....

 

[NYCgrrl]

Didn’t know music on the buses had ended and thought it played for all the parks .
Still my traveling kiddos were old enough that I doubt they even knew what was playing what with plotting their park strategies, lol.

 

[Smugpugmug]

Wait, this ended? I heard this on the busses a few months ago.

 

[DL1WDW2]

I assumed it ended with Covid… the music is still there probably but driver doesn’t want to hear it.
I loved the themed holiday music for POPCentury …every visit.
Maybe ask driver next time to play themusic to match theme for the Grand Floridian or the Poly , etc .

 

[brockash]

Just got back from a week in Disney

- does anybody remember when you rode the bus to the Magic Kingdom - you got to the left turn into the bus dropoff
and there would a recorded announcement with music that you were entering into the Magic Kingdom !

no matter how many times you heard it - it always got you excited for your day

Does anybody know when this ended and why?

Seems to me, a simple (and inexpensive) way to really hype the magic?

Come on Disney....

I think it just depends on the driver...which really irks me. It's an experience; it shouldn't be based on the drivers preference.

 

[vadersprincess12]

Just got back from a week in Disney

- does anybody remember when you rode the bus to the Magic Kingdom - you got to the left turn into the bus dropoff
and there would a recorded announcement with music that you were entering into the Magic Kingdom !

no matter how many times you heard it - it always got you excited for your day

Does anybody know when this ended and why?

Seems to me, a simple (and inexpensive) way to really hype the magic?

Come on Disney....

I remember the fanfare when turning into the Magic Kingdom and really miss it. I have to say that I don't recall music on the busses for many years now, not just after Covid. Sad

 

[Shughart]

I know on the tram they would make an announcement about the park when you turned in.

 

[Frank4202]

This was one of my favorite parts of going to Disney as a kid. First time I ever heard the word "disembark". So nostalgic.

"Hello everyone and welcome aboard the Walt Disney World transportation system. Were on our way to Disney's Magic Kingdom! For your safety and the safety of others, please remain seated while the motorcoach is in motion. If you're standing, we encourage you to use the handrails above or to the side and remain clear of the doors and stairwell. We also ask that you refrain from eating, drinking, and smoking while onboard the motorcoach. And now, we invite you to relax and enjoy the ride. Thank you"

"Welcome to Disney's Magic Kingdom. Return service to your resort hotel is available at this station. Be sure to ask your driver about the exact location. Motor coaches depart approximately every twenty minutes.

Ladies and gentlemen, please collect your belongings, watch your head and step as you disembark, take small children by the hand and follow the walkway to the main entrance. As you approach the entrance, please keep your party together and have your tickets ready. Thanks for riding us and have a picture perfect day here at Disney's Magic Kingdom!"

 

[ttintagel]

Just in the past few months they've gotten some new buses. I wonder if that has anything to do with it.

 

[FastPasser.]

Just in the past few months they've gotten some new buses. I wonder if that has anything to do with it.

Possible, but management is hesitant about putting new buses into service without the automated dispatch and destination music system being installed.

I can recall when the automated system was first introduced and they held back the oldest buses because they weren’t going to bother installing it in those buses. Made sense if they were going to retire them anyway. They used them only when they had to.

 

[Stacybaeasm]

I just got back from a week long trip. I only took the buses to the Magic Kingdom but I heard the announcements every time.

 

[Gillig von Driver]

This was one of my favorite parts of going to Disney as a kid. First time I ever heard the word "disembark". So nostalgic.

"Hello everyone and welcome aboard the Walt Disney World transportation system. Were on our way to Disney's Magic Kingdom! For your safety and the safety of others, please remain seated while the motorcoach is in motion. If you're standing, we encourage you to use the handrails above or to the side and remain clear of the doors and stairwell. We also ask that you refrain from eating, drinking, and smoking while onboard the motorcoach. And now, we invite you to relax and enjoy the ride. Thank you"

"Welcome to Disney's Magic Kingdom. Return service to your resort hotel is available at this station. Be sure to ask your driver about the exact location. Motor coaches depart approximately every twenty minutes.

Ladies and gentlemen, please collect your belongings, watch your head and step as you disembark, take small children by the hand and follow the walkway to the main entrance. As you approach the entrance, please keep your party together and have your tickets ready. Thanks for riding us and have a picture perfect day here at Disney's Magic Kingdom!"

If you don't watch your head and step as you disembark,please watch your language around the small children. Thank you!

 

[Gillig von Driver]

I assumed it ended with Covid… the music is still there probably but driver doesn’t want to hear it.
I loved the themed holiday music for POPCentury …every visit.
Maybe ask driver next time to play themusic to match theme for the Grand Floridian or the Poly , etc .

If the driver is logged onto the automated dispatch system the music and spiels will play. The driver has no control over it as well as the volume level, too. Occasionally, the automated system "drops" the audio.

 

[Minsc]

I just got back from a week long trip. I only took the buses to the Magic Kingdom but I heard the announcements every time.

We were there from May 5th through the 10th and rode the buses to MK twice and heard it both times. The volume level was certainly lower than I remember in the past, but we could hear it.

Semi-related, there used to be a bus driver that would lead the mostly enthusiastic passengers in singing Disney songs on the ride. His wife worked at the Christmas Shoppe in Liberty Square. We know this because he once told us if we happen to visit the shop, we should seek out the most beautiful woman at the shop and tell her that her husband was having a great day.

 

[beccasmom]

We were there 5/6 through 5/10 and stayed at OKW. On almost all the buses we heard the regular announcements and on some the music was the “playlist” heard around OKW. Watercraft were not running from our resort due to the (very obvious) low water levels in the canal, so we used the buses more than usual.

 

[FastPasser.]

Semi-related, there used to be a bus driver that would lead the mostly enthusiastic passengers in singing Disney songs on the ride.

That must have been before they put in the computerized dispatch system.

Not long after that, they adopted a no distracted bus driving policy where drivers could only use the PA microphone when the bus wasn’t moving.

I’m sure I knew him.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Just got back from a week in Disney

- does anybody remember when you rode the bus to the Magic Kingdom - you got to the left turn into the bus dropoff
and there would a recorded announcement with music that you were entering into the Magic Kingdom !

no matter how many times you heard it - it always got you excited for your day

Does anybody know when this ended and why?

Seems to me, a simple (and inexpensive) way to really hype the magic?

Come on Disney....

I'm old enough to remember a time when WDW bus drivers told jokes on the way to MK. I liked that better than the pre-recorded songs. Some of the boat captains still make an effort to entertain guests with stories and jokes the way bus drivers used to do. I don't mind the recordings on the monorail as much because they are much older. The songs on the buses sound garbled and are too repetitive.

When WDW swapped to the recordings, a large number of WDW bus drivers quit. I don't blame them. Coming up with fresh jokes was part of what made their job special and unique.

Then again, I'm old enough to remember when WDW had their own radio station. When you got to WDW, you turned the radio to the WDW station. It was mostly advice about parking.

Too bad WDW didn't come up with a centralized option that allowed off-duty bus drivers to double as joke-telling DJ's.

 

[Jsharp13]

One night getting back to ASMu, we heard marching band style music. My son is in marching band so we got a kick out of it, lol. But to top it off, they played the best song, Hail to the Victors, and we Michigan fans were cheering.