Disney on a Budget

Target Audience: Getting to Disneyland needed to get a lot easier for area residents and park employees. Until now, there was no real reliable public transportation option that didn't include several transfers from buses or trains. Not anymore. Thanks to this new direct, express route, getting to the park has never been easier. With free Wi-Fi, charging ports, luggage racks, bike racks, overhead lights, and comfy seating, the service was an instant hit among park visitors and as well as employees needing a lift to work. The target audience included: Members of the public, including Disney employees and families going to the Disney resort area; Area university and college students, staff and faculty; Orange County employees living near the Route 200 stop; Media outlet and Board members and stakeholders.

Strategy Objective:Before producing the promotional materials and events, RTA developed a campaign that borrowed the iconic message "I'm Going to Disneyland!" and replaced it with "We're Going to Disneyland!" to reflect our message to bus riders travelling as a group to the park. We also included the slogan "Fast Track Your Commute" to indicate the fact that the bus would be using express lanes, which are part of the California FasTrack toll road express lane system. Much of the marketing copy included a large "$3 or less" to promote the affordable price. Other aspects of the campaign included promotions for free student rides, free Wi-Fi and free tolls. The message was used on a spectrum of marketing collateral, bus wraps, billboards fliers, social media, etc.

Situation Challenge: Part of the challenge of having a successful campaign was convincing customers that Route 200 was an option for getting to Disneyland. We figured we could promote the speed of the route, which used express lanes, as well as the fact that it cost $3 to ride with discounts for disabled and seniors. Perhaps the biggest challenge was earning customers trust to believe the route was a benefit to them. The challenge was that people were accustomed to driving themselves to Disneyland in their own vehicles. Or boarding several different bus routes and perhaps trains to get to their destination. This was a project that needed the public's understanding and buy-in to make it a success. This was accomplished by a marketing strategy that took ridership to unexpected levels.

Results Impact: During the first six months, RTA buses handled more than 82,000 boardings. During its first month, ridership was at approximately 2,500 boardings per week. In the months following, ridership grew by 40 percent to 3,500 boardings per week. Summer ridership, when we typically see less congestion on the freeways, grew even higher to 3,900 boardings per week. The demand for Route 200 has led to RTA adding more frequent trips in both directions. The positive impact Route 200 has had on Riverside and Orange counties and the environment can't be overstated. For $3, customers are cruising through express lanes and the full bus is freeing up valuable space on the freeway. Every full bus can take 40 cars and their harmful emissions off the road, which is propelling our efforts to lead green.

Why Submit: The new route represents a comeback of sorts. RTA operated a similar route from San Bernardino to Disneyland from 1989 to 1994 that was paid for by several agencies. But when that funding was reduced, the route went away. The route's return was influenced by a couple of factors. One, there is now Metrolink service to the San Bernardino Transit Center, the first stop where parkgoers can combine bus and train travel to Disneyland. Second, the opening of carpool lanes on the 215 and 91 freeways, and the extension of the toll lanes to Corona, made true express bus service possible. Customers are applauding the fact that they are saving $20 on Disney parking, getting dropped off at the park entrance and the recent addition of later service so customers can catch the evening fireworks.