3. Cleanliness and friendliness
Despite the fact that cities charge to use their metropolitan transportation systems, the free Walt Disney World transit options are far cleaner than their municipal counterparts.
It's important to remember that Disney only offers its transportation for free because it keeps guests on their property longer and enables them to spend more of their money more easily on Disney's products. So, in theory, Disney makes money on their transportation system in ways that aren't clearly visible.
However, much of Disney's transportation budget goes toward keeping the trains, boats, and buses clean – they understand that a clean bus can set the tone for a day at the parks.
This is different from a public transportation system, in that cleanliness is not a primary concern for those in charge. And, just as importantly, friendliness of the transit staff is not nearly as important to a city as it is to Disney – they don't care about setting a tone, they care about getting you to work.
Ultimately, I think people would be a bit more comfortable commuting on public transportation if it were all just a bit cleaner – something Disney truly excels at. All it takes is commiting to that goal, and it makes public transportation a whole lot more palatable.
4. A wide variety of transit options
In most cities, if you want to get from point A to point B, your options are subway/train, bus, or taxi. At Disney, the options are far more creative. The vast majority of transportation takes place on a bus, however, if you're so inclined, you can also take a boat or monorail to your destination.
Why does this matter? Well, a few reasons.
The first is that it eases the burden on the other options if you have choices and redundancies. Guests staying at the Contemporary Resort, for example, can choose to take a monorail or boat back to their resort, or, if they'd like to, they could even walk. For most commuters in a city, you likely only have two options – bus or subway – and, even then, those options might not drop you anywhere near your actual destination.
The second reason having a variety of transit options is a good thing is that it allows guests to tailor their journey to the parks to their own interests. If the guest is a nautical fan, they can take a boat. If they're interested in the monorail, they're welcome to do that as well. Having a choice like that empowers guests and makes the trip to the parks feel more like an adventure and less like a commute.
In the city, however, it's unlikely that your commute to work will feel like an adventure. Usually, there's one path that works best, and it becomes a rote journey sooner or later. It's all about efficiency and getting to your destination quickly, rather than enjoying the experience. More transit variety would build in redundancies, which would help with overcrowding, and it would simply make it more fun. Which brings us to the last way Disney's transportation system is better...
5. Creating an entertaining transit experience
On city buses and subways, commuters usually read, listen to music, or get lost in their thoughts. There's no entertainment on board, and if you want any, you have to bring it yourself.
Disney, on the other hand, makes sure that guests are always being informed and entertained – even as they're in transit from one place to another. Special audio tracks follow guests' paths from each resort to the parks. Billboards and artwork showcase the upcoming attractions and get you in the spirit of the journey. And, when you get close to a theme park, the view inside is exciting enough to make you forget about the upcoming walk from the bus stop to the front entrance.
Now, I'm not saying that city transportation systems should go to those lengths to entertain their riders, but even small additions can go a long way.
In New York City, some subway cars are outfitted with paintings commissioned by the MTA that are meant to inspire and connect with commuters. Others have poems that are thought-provoking and reflective. And, while these are nice steps in the right direction, more cities should outfit their transit systems with things like artwork that can help entertain commuters as they go to their destinations.
Essentially, the main reason Disney's transportation works better is that they seem to care far more about their guests' comfort than the municipal transit systems do. That, more than anything, is the lesson they could learn from Walt Disney World – they know how to keep riders comfortable, engaged and entertained, which leads to a happier ride and a more positive experience. Because Disney isn't soley focused on the bottom line for their transit program, they're able to focus more on making sure guests reach their destination happy as well as on time.
But yeah, having the Magic Kingdom at the end of the ride probably helps keep people happy too.
Comments
As someone who works in city planning, I can promise you that the main reason that various elements of Disney's transportation system is so much nicer than than of a normal city is because Disney's transportation planners don't have to convince voters to go along with their plans. Also, the people who Disney will be able to tax are pretty economically homogenous. Disney doesn't have to worry about the poor, who can't afford to be a part of their world. No major city in America has that kind of concentration of wealth. Disney is also able to decide what is appropriate behavior on their property and can decide to remove anyone who isn't complying with their standards. Because of that, commuters on the monorail aren't subjected to the proselytizing of random preachers. This also allows them to have nice carpeting and cushioned seats, because there's no fear that a crazy bag lady will urinate or defecate on them after she decides that the monorail car is her new home.