How to get to Trail's End?

[mickey916]

We have a 7:30 ADR at Trail's End for dinner. I know we can take the boat from Magic Kingdom but won't be in that park. We will be spending the day at the Studios, which close at 6:00. We will have a rental car. What's the quickest way to get to the restaurant? Drive to Ft. Wilderness and take an internal bus? Drive to Wilderness Lodge and take a boat over? Drive to TTC and take the boat from there? Is that even possible? We went to HDDR from MK last time on the boat and coming back we got stuck in all the people leaving MK. The whole commute from the restaurant back to our hotel by boat and bus, if I remember correctly took an hour and half. Would like to be more efficient this time!

 

[ElementCamper]

We have a 7:30 ADR at Trail's End for dinner. I know we can take the boat from Magic Kingdom but won't be in that park. We will be spending the day at the Studios, which close at 6:00. We will have a rental car. What's the quickest way to get to the restaurant? Drive to Ft. Wilderness and take an internal bus? Drive to Wilderness Lodge and take a boat over? Drive to TTC and take the boat from there? Is that even possible? We went to HDDR from MK last time on the boat and coming back we got stuck in all the people leaving MK. The whole commute from the restaurant back to our hotel by boat and bus, if I remember correctly took an hour and half. Would like to be more efficient this time!

Are you staying onsite and leaving from the Studios at closing?
Take the Fort Wilderness bus directly from the Studios which lets out at the Settlement/Trails End. If the HDDR lets out around the time you are finished eating, there will be a dedicated bus to your resort, but you have to kind of time this.

If going back to hotel first, I'd drive and then take the internal bus from the front of FW back to the Settlement.

If MK is open that evening, you could bus to MK and then boat to FW. Getting back might be a bit trickier if HDDR is not letting out, then you'd probably have to DTD and then change buses to your resort.

Lots of ways to move around, you work the system. Part of WDW to me is the adventure of getting there!

and...my 200th post!

 

[HappyDznyCamper]

Are you staying onsite and leaving from the Studios at closing?
Take the Fort Wilderness bus directly from the Studios which lets out at the Settlement/Trails End. If the HDDR lets out around the time you are finished eating, there will be a dedicated bus to your resort, but you have to kind of time this.

If going back to hotel first, I'd drive and then take the internal bus from the front of FW back to the Settlement.

If MK is open that evening, you could bus to MK and then boat to FW. Getting back might be a bit trickier if HDDR is not letting out, then you'd probably have to DTD and then change buses to your resort.

Lots of ways to move around, you work the system. Part of WDW to me is the adventure of getting there!

and...my 200th post!

Unless it has changed in the last year, all park buses go to Outpost at FW, from there you would need to ride any(orange, yellow or purple) internal FW bus to Settlement.
Disney does like to tweek the FW bus routes, so it would be advisable to ask a bus driver if you are unsure.

 

[photofreak]

Are you staying onsite and leaving from the Studios at closing?
Take the Fort Wilderness bus directly from the Studios which lets out at the Settlement/Trails End.

I agree, take a direct bus from the Studios over to FW, but it takes you to the Reception Outpost and from there you'll need to take an internal FW bus to the Settlement/Pioneer Hall/Trails End.
Goinig home, I'd suggest taking the boat to either MK and transfer to your hotel (of which you do not tell us where?) OR if extremely busy take the boat launch to the Contemporary and take the monorail or bus to your hotel??

 

[a1tinkfans]

I agree, take a direct bus from the Studios over to FW, but it takes you to the Reception Outpost and from there you'll need to take an internal FW bus to the Settlement/Pioneer Hall/Trails End.
Goinig home, I'd suggest taking the boat to either MK and transfer to your hotel (of which you do not tell us where?) OR if extremely busy take the boat launch to the Contemporary and take the monorail or bus to your hotel??

As an aside, a Family member of mine INSISTED the bus was faster...we took the boat at MK...we arrived about 15- 20 FASTER then the "all bus route"

 

[mickey916]

Thanks for all the feedback. Since we tend to be the types to go from ropedrop to closing, we most likely will be staying at the Studios until it closes, which is 6 p.m. We are staying at CSR. I was planning on driving to the Studios with our rental, but if it's more efficient to take the bus from there to Ft. Wilderness, we could leave the car behind on that day. I do kinda like the idea of the boat though, it sounds more fun than a bus! If we took the boat, would we go to the TTC and catch the boat there?

 

[sharadoc]

Thanks for all the feedback. Since we tend to be the types to go from ropedrop to closing, we most likely will be staying at the Studios until it closes, which is 6 p.m. We are staying at CSR. I was planning on driving to the Studios with our rental, but if it's more efficient to take the bus from there to Ft. Wilderness, we could leave the car behind on that day. I do kinda like the idea of the boat though, it sounds more fun than a bus! If we took the boat, would we go to the TTC and catch the boat there?

No - the boat only goes between Fort Wilderness and MK. There's another boat that goes from FW to the Contemporary but that's it.

I think you may be able to time the HDDR resort buses after your dinner.

My suggestion for a fun evening is to drive to FW, park out in the visitor lot then take an internal bus to the Settlement. Even if you're early, you can shop at the trading post, and look around at the other little kiosks, etc. Keep an eye out for a Photopass Photographer there too.

Then have dinner at your leisure, and walk over to the beach. The Water Electrical Pageant will come by which is a cute and fun thing to watch, then you can sit and watch Wishes over the MK with the music piped onto the beach.

Then take a bus back to your car and back to your hotel. I think it's a great way to spend an evening.

You don't have a ticker so I don't know when you're going, so I don't know if the EWP/Wishes schedule would run like I said above.

 

[mickey916]

Thank you so much for all the help. That sounds like a great plan. I am planning on buying the Photopass CD so we'll be on the lookout for the photographers. I was hoping on catching the EWP from the Poly. I didn't realize it went by there too. I don't have a ticker 'cuz I don't know how to do it! I'm new to all this forum stuff, but don't know what I'd do without it! I've had so many questions resolved already. It's like having my own personal travel consultant. We are going Apr. 16-25.

 

[cranbiz]

Studios bus only goes to the Outpost. This changed about a year ago. It goes to WL first and then to the outpost. You can also get off at WL and wait for the FW bus which does go to the Settlement.

 

[cranbiz]

As an aside, a Family member of mine INSISTED the bus was faster...we took the boat at MK...we arrived about 15- 20 FASTER then the "all bus route"

If you were already at MK, absolutely, I disagree on this if departing from Studios.

The bus to MK goes directly to the TTC, you then have to boat or monorail to MK and then boat to FW. Only if all the stars and planets align right will you beat the direct bus to WL/FW

Bus to WL/FW and transfer to internal shuttle (which runs on an every 10 minute schedule)

 

[sharadoc]

Thank you so much for all the help. That sounds like a great plan. I am planning on buying the Photopass CD so we'll be on the lookout for the photographers. I was hoping on catching the EWP from the Poly. I didn't realize it went by there too. I don't have a ticker 'cuz I don't know how to do it! I'm new to all this forum stuff, but don't know what I'd do without it! I've had so many questions resolved already. It's like having my own personal travel consultant. We are going Apr. 16-25.

There's a sticky about adding a ticker. It's actually really simple.

Or you can just do a signature with your dates. Click on the left on UserCP and you can create your signature. We all need to know if/when you're going when you ask a question - it helps us to give advice.

Yes, the EWP is very cool from the FW beach and much less crowded. It is further away from the MK, though. I'm sure it's great at the Poly.