Linda Mac's Orlando Adventures

If you've recently visited Walt Disney World you may have noticed an interesting change while riding the buses -- they are now programmed to talk. Well, actually it's a pre-recorded announcement that lets you know where the bus is going and some general information about your destination. The announcer’s voice sounds just like the monorail’s pre-recorded information. I started noticing digital display boards were being installed on the buses back in January. When first installed, they showed the date and time only.

The new system is called IVN-Intelligent Vehicle Network, which was recently introduced and originally tested on only the Downtown Disney buses. It will be introduced in 3 phases but you'll only notice phase 1 as the others involve maintenance and labor modules. IVN works on a GPS system that triggers the audio messages through out Walt Disney World. The messages can also be seen on the clock/date screens, which are located behind the driver on some buses and over the front entrance on other models. After the departure and safety spiel is given, themed music is played though out the rest of your trip till you reach your destination.

Upon pulling into your location, the announcer goes into a more detailed description of your park, resort, etc. If you are traveling to EPCOT, for example, the music from Journey Into Imagination with Figment is heard upon arrival. And when arriving at the Disney-MGM Studios, the song is Hurrah for Hollywood. Blizzard Beach songs include Having a Heat Wave and some Bavarian sounding music. And Animal Kingdom Lodge was very tranquil music much like you hear in The Oasis at the park.

If you are returning to your resort, the music is themed to match the resort theming. When traveling to the Pop Century Resort, you may hear the theme song from the TV show Laverne and Shirley or a song from Star Wars, Saratoga Springs has a jazz theme and Port Orleans was banjos. All resorts are now referred to as home, a term that until recently, was used exclusively for the DVC properties.

The new system is still in a test phase as the bus drivers learn the to use it. At this point, drivers are receiving their next route via the radio and have to input the info manually. In the future, the routes will automatically appear in the small monitor that is mounded to the dashboard. I talked to several drivers and received mixed reviews. The most common thing I heard was how much they would miss interacting with the guests.

By the way, the buses are now referred to as Motor Coaches. Fancy!