BLT to Epcot via Monarail - Easy/Hard? Ride Length?

[disneyfan1992]

We are hoping to book Bay Lake Tower for a trip in early November 2013 (before Thanksgiving).

With 2.5 year old twins, we will be spending most of our time at MK and will enjoy the convenience of being close enough to walk to MK.

We thought it would also be convenient to get to EPCOT via the monorail from BLT as we are planning on 3 table service dinners over there.

However, I have read some posts that the monorail is NOT easy to access, but I am not understanding why exactly. The monorail is the Contemporary, so don't we just walk over from BLT and hop on the monorail within the Contemporary hotel and go straight to Epcot?

Or do we have to switch monorail trains at some point? If we have to switch, how do we do that? Is it manageable with a double stroller and 2 grandparents with electric scooters?

How long should the monorail ride take from BLT to Epcot during a slow time of year?

We are planning dinner reservations around 5pm each day. What time should we plan on leaving BLT by to make it on time to EPCOT dinner reservations? Planning on Beirgarten, Akershus, and Garden Grill.

Thank you in advance for your help!

 

[PrincessShanShan]

You have to switch at the TTC. Disney says to give yourself an hour if using their transportation. It could be alot shorter or longer depending on how long you have to wait for a monorail. I think the actually ride from TTC to Epcot is somewhere around 15min., but I could be a little off. Also, if the grandparents are on a scooter, they will have to be loaded into the handicapped car of the monorail. If there are others in that car, you may have to wait for another monorail.

 

[lanejudy]

You have to switch at the TTC. Disney says to give yourself an hour if using their transportation. It could be alot shorter or longer depending on how long you have to wait for a monorail. I think the actually ride from TTC to Epcot is somewhere around 15min., but I could be a little off. Also, if the grandparents are on a scooter, they will have to be loaded into the handicapped car of the monorail. If there are others in that car, you may have to wait for another monorail.

A little off...there is no "handicapped car" on the monorail. All monorail cars can handle scooters, wheelchairs and strollers. But a CM will need to put down a ramp to "bridge" the gap between the platform and the monorail car (a stroller may not need the ramp). Sounds like your party has 2 scooters, if you are willing to fold the stroller it may reduce the likelihood of needing to split into separate monorail cars, but all depends on how crowded it is anyway.

Enjoy your vacation!

 

[goofy4tink]

With a double stroller and two using ECVs you are going to find it time consuming. The monorail platform at the CR is on the top floor. It is accessed by an escalator...which you can't use with ECVs or strollers!! There is an elevator but it won't hold the whole group!! Once everyone gets up to the platform, they can board almost any car. Yes, there are handicap cars..but they are socalled only because they have ramps they can put down to load ECVs. It's not like the buses where they can only take 2 or 3.
You will get off at the TTC and transfer to the Epcot line. Then, it will take about 15 mins once you are on the way.
In order to be there for 5pm ADRs, I would plan on heading out of the villa by 3:30.

 

[OKW Lover]

From BLT you'll take the skybridge over to the Contemporary 4th floor. From there you'll look for the elevator up to the monorail platform (its on the end nearest the MK) since otherwise there is only an escalator to get there. Ride the Monorail one stop to the TTC. From there you'll need to get off, go down the ramp to ground level and then up the further ramp to get to the Epcot monorail loading platform. A CM will direct you where to wait.

Expect this trip to take the better part of an hour even though the actual monorail ride part is fairly short. Most of your time will be spent waiting at the Contemporary and TTC.

 

[Hopefully]

Disney recommends 90 minutes transit time using their transportation, and you will likely need most of that.
As others have said, you have to exit the monorail at the Transportaion and Ticket Center, go down a ramp across a walkway and up a fairly steep ramp to the platform for the Epcot monorail. You could wait 15 or 20 minutes for each leg.
The ride to Epcot is about 15 minutes, but once you arrive you need to enter, go through security and walk fairly far into WS for your reservations. It is not as easy as it might seem
Good Luck

 

[disneyfan1992]

Thank you every for quick responses.

We might rethink our dinner choices then.

Maybe we should do O'Hanas at Poly, 1900 Park Fare at GF, and Whispering Canyon at Wilderness Lodge instead? Would those be easier to get to from BLT and shorter commute times? We could get to each one of those hotels by boat from MK? We could walk from BLT to boat docks and take a boat to Poly, WL, and GF, correct?

 

[amos07]

Thank you every for quick responses.

We might rethink our dinner choices then.

Maybe we should do O'Hanas at Poly, 1900 Park Fare at GF, and Whispering Canyon at Wilderness Lodge instead? Would those be easier to get to from BLT and shorter commute times? We could get to each one of those hotels by boat from Contemporary, right? or would it by boat from MK?

I would do the monorail for both 1900 and O'Hanas. I wouldn't assume that it would be more than 30-45 mins for those because you don't have to get off the monorail until the actual hotels come up. For Wilderness lodge, I think there is a boat that goes there from the Contemporary. Not sure how long that would take you.

 

[tobikaye]

Maybe we should do O'Hanas at Poly, 1900 Park Fare at GF, and Whispering Canyon at Wilderness Lodge instead? Would those be easier to get to from BLT and shorter commute times? We could get to each one of those hotels by boat from Contemporary, right? or would it by boat from MK?

Poly & GF would be either by Resort monorail from CR or boat from MK. WL would be by boat from CR. The only issue here would be if the boats will be accessible for the EVCs. Note though, that WL does have a bus to/from MK, or at least it did last year.

 

[goofy4tink]

'Ohana and 1900 Park Fare are both accessible via the Resort Monorail. Once you get on, at CR, you stay on until you get to the Polynesian and then to the GF.
If you take the boat, you will have to take the boat to the MK and then transfer to the GF/Polynesian boat.
You can take the boat directly from CR to WL.

But be aware..if you are taking the boats, they are usually on the smaller size. So, you may have longer wait times if you want both ECVs on the same boat. And for the smaller boats, they usually will ask you to fold up double strollers.

I'm really not trying to be negative here...just want you to have all the info you need. It might actually be easier to just walk over to the MK, go up the slight hill to the monorail platform there...and then board the ECVs and stroller there. No need to use the elevator and such. Or, you could walk over to the MK and board the boat over to the TTC (huge ferry with plenty of room) and then walk over to the Polynesian.

Just a few options.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Thank you every for quick responses.

We might rethink our dinner choices then.

Maybe we should do O'Hanas at Poly, 1900 Park Fare at GF, and Whispering Canyon at Wilderness Lodge instead? Would those be easier to get to from BLT and shorter commute times? We could get to each one of those hotels by boat from MK? We could walk from BLT to boat docks and take a boat to Poly, WL, and GF, correct?

The launch that goes from the Magic Kingdom to the Grand Floridian and the Polynesian ansolutely will not accept any ECV. The boats are too small and the ECVs are too heavy. Just use the monorail.

You'll be fine on the boat that runs between the Contemporary and Wilderness Lodge.

 

[OKW Lover]

The launch that goes from the Magic Kingdom to the Grand Floridian and the Polynesian ansolutely will not accept any ECV. The boats are too small and the ECVs are too heavy. Just use the monorail.

You'll be fine on the boat that runs between the Contemporary and Wilderness Lodge.

I agree about the boats between the MK and Poly/GF. But isn't it the same kind of boat that goes between the Contemporary/WL/FW? I thought the bigger ones from FW/WL (which would accept ECV's) only go to the MK.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Plus, if you board the monorail at the Contemporary, you may be asked to remove your children from the stroller and fold it up. We stayed at BLT in October and just about every time we got the monorail to go to Epcot, guests were instructed by the CMs boarding guests to fold up the strollers because the monorail was crowded. That could make it difficult to get on the monorail with two ECVs, too.

I thought the boat between WL and CR was the smaller one that did not accept ECVs and required strollers to be folded. If that is the case, you would have to get to the MK and take the larger boat that accepted ECVs from the MK to WL.

 

[marybogue]

I think I forgot how involved it is to get from the MK/CR to Epcot. I know OP had the scooters/double stroller, but if you don't have that, would it be quicker to drive from CR to Epcot? Or quicker to take the bus? We have some ADR's in Epcot at 7pm, and it sounds like the monorail may be the slowest option to getting there?

 

[bethclayton]

my mom uses an evc so i can relate a bit.

i honestly think the easiest thing would be to stick with monorail resort restaurants at the CR, Poly, and GF. transportation will be an absolute breeze this way. one thing you should tell your parents in advance- you MAY have to be separated on the monorail (in different cars but the same trip) because of the 2 ecv's and double stroller. my parents get VERY anxious about separating from us in disney because they are really afraid they will become totally lost. in reality it is no big deal at all but i was not prepared for how nervous they would be when they realized we could not all ride together. if your parents are used to wdw they may not feel this way but i thought i'd mention it. i have had to reassure my parents that it is FINE of we have to be on different monorail cars, i make sure i repeat to them exactly what stop we are getting off, and remind my mom that she has a phone to call me if she gets confused.

there are so many great restaurants right on the loop. CR has the wave, cali grill (may be closed for refurbishment), chef mickey's, poly has kona, the luau, and ohana, and GF has GF cafe, narcoossee's, 1900, and citricos. i think there may be even some i am forgetting.