Taking Flamingo transportation? I can help! Here are 6 tips.
If you plan on taking the Flamingo Crossings buses, it can be stressful not knowing what to expect. I wanted to share some of the knowledge and observations from my time utilizing the Academy Transportation.
TIP 1: Passio Go!
Passio Go! is the app you will want to download if you plan on using the buses. It will tell you the bus schedule as well as give updates on buses that are running late. You can also sometimes track where the bus is (for me, this feature does not always work accurately).
You can also always locate the schedule on DORMS, but Passio Go! is going to update much quicker.
TIP 2: The times tell you when the bus is leaving.
This was a lesson I learned the hard way. Once you have the app, you will see a list of the buses. Here, you can click the calender icon next to the name to see a list of all the stops and times for each stop. It looks like this:
The times listed here are for when the bus is LEAVING that location. L-E-A-V-I-N-G. I typically get to the bus stop about 10 minutes before this posted time. So if I was taking the 11:00 bus from Village (east), I would try to be at the stops by 10:50. (This is also because the buses will sometimes decide to leave early!)
The time in red shows the next bus available. The stops are in order, so bus route C will stop at East, the West, then EPCOT.
TIP 3: Ride your bus route during welcome week
Taking time during welcome week to test out your bus route can help you feel more confident on your first day of training!
Tip 4: Give yourself lots of time
You want to give yourself plenty of travel time because getting to work often includes more than just the one bus ride. Here is what I know about each park and the travel time for work:
EPCOT: Epcot is my home park and the one I am most familiar with. I usually take the Flamingo Crossings bus that leaves an hour before my start time. My bus ride is about 20 minutes long. Once you get to cast services, you have to take another bus to the front of the park or to world showcase (you can also choose to walk). Either way this is more travel time to take into consideration.
MAGIC KINGDOM: The flamingo crossings bus will drop you off at cast services. From there, you have to take another bus to get to the service tunnels. Take this into account when traveling.
HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS: From what I've heard, the flamingo crossings bus will drop you off at cast services. From there, you may have a really long walk yo get to your location.
ANIMAL KINGODOM: This bus is the longest route for sure. There are so many stops. While I have not taken this bus, I have heard that it can be around a 40 minute commute. AND THEN you still have a long walk to your location.
TIP 5: The bus terminals are alphabetical
This one took me forever to figure out. So when you approach the bus stop area at flamingo (east), there are 5 bus terminals. The buses will stop at them alphabetically meaning Route A stops at 1, Route B at 2, C at 3, D at 4, and E at 5. It then starts back over with F at 1. I find this to be true 90% of the time. This tip was helpful because the buses do not always have labels or clear markings telling you which route it is.
There is also someone to help at the podium in the middle of the terminals. They will be able to tell you which route will pick up where.
TIP 6: Taking the buses to the parks on your day off
You can also use the buses to go to the park on your day off. Here is how to get to each park. The important thing to note is that YOU MUST MUST MUST go through security and the front entrance to play in the parks on your day off. You must also exit through the main gate as well. You may be flagged if you do not check in with your main gate properly.
MAGIC KINGDOM: Take Route E to the TTC. Use the monorail or Ferryboat to get to MK! You can also take Route K to any Magic Kingdom Resort. I have never done this, however. I just use the TTC.
HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS: Take Route B to Studios cast services. Don't enter the cast services building. Instead, walk to the right and follow the path to the parking lot. From there, it will be easy to see the entrance. You can also utilize any of the resorts that have the Skyliner.
EPCOT: For epcot, you have a few options. You can enter through Route C and going through cast sevices. Take the East bus to the front, enter onstage, then check in through security. You can also take Route E to the TTC and use the monorail or utilize any of the resorts that have the Skyliner!
Animal Kingdom: This is the only bus I have not taken. From what I have heard, take Route D to Animal Kingdom. I believe it drops you off near the front, you just have to walk to find it. I will update this as needed.