Five people sent to hospital in bus crash on Disney's Magical Express

As much as this will continue the poor reflection on the recent string of what seems to be bad luck, the positive silver lining for Disney is that this is really on MEARS' head. They're MEARS people, driving MEARS busses that have just had a Disney paint job.

Still, definitely a shame to hear. Also makes me wonder if we could eventually see an end to the outside contracting of the remaining Disney transportation (DME, Cruise Line, and even the College Program busses) somewhere soon down the line?

Its nice how MEARS keeps being mentioned, but I have taken them 3 times, and all pleasant journeys. Orlando is not an easy area to navigate. I-4 has way to many ramps, coming and going, and roads are just plain laid out anywhere, no rhyme or reason. Congestion is the only constant.

That being said, add to all the first time visitors 'oohhing and ahhing' at billboards, crazy looking buildings, towering rides and slides, flashing lights, and you get sudden stops anywhere, anytime. And the foreign driver factor: no one gives them a drivers test before turning them loose from the airport. Its not an easy place to drive in. I wasn't there to see what caused it, but it won't be the last.

I would have to agree that traffic down here isn't great. I moved here about 5 months ago and am still getting used to the traffic. If you have ever driven down here you will know. Take the 528. Its basically will take you towards any attraction down here. I try to keep from that road. Its basically Tourist Highway. I feel I'm a good driver and can be aggressive when needed but a couple of times on the 528 I felt like a 15yo trying to drive for the first time. People all over the place. Im surprised there are not more Disney Magical Express accidents.

Queue the Monorail expansion thread... ;)

I didn't realize that ALL of the Magical Express busses were MEARS. I thought just the ones that didn't have the Disney paintjob were outside-contracted (the bus I took back to the airport was one of these). Regardless, that fact isn't going to protect Disney from public scrutiny. It's a Disney service. That's all that matters.

Agent Johnson said:
Orlando is not an easy area to navigate. I-4 has way to many ramps, coming and going, and roads are just plain laid out anywhere, no rhyme or reason.

Seriously? And you live in New Jersey?

Orlando is hard to navigate? Really? I don't think it is that complicated at all.

The tourists are problematic, though---I don't think a day goes buy when I don't see someone suddenly deciding to cut across four lanes of traffic because THAT IS THE EXIT THEY NEED, RIGHT THERE!

Would it kill them to go one more exit and double back? No, but that doesn't stop them.

The streets are easy enough to get around (airport area excepted, they want to push you onto the tolls) in Orlando, but the tourists are so infuriating. The internationals really are the worst, which would explain why I would always have a close encounter anytime I went to the outlets around there.

One of my favorite idiotic driving habits I noticed was that people would drive at or below the speed limit on I-4/536/535, but as soon as they were on Disney property, they were off like a rocket, only to slow down and often be pulled over by the OC sheriff sitting there on the other side of the sign/archway.

I never had any trouble driving in Orlando. I-4 was a little curvy in some spots in Northern Orlando, but nothing compared to the twists and turns of Southeastern WV. ...Imho

LostKause said:
but nothing compared to the twists and turns of Southeastern WV. ...Imho

..or Santa Claus, Indiana :)

Santa Claus, IN doesn't have the mountain roads Southern WV has...

Tekwardo said:
Santa Claus, IN doesn't have the mountain roads Southern WV has...

I wasn't talkin' ROADS.....different kind of twists and turns.

Many WV roads are like roller coasters. ;)