Osborne Lights transportation issue

[MakiraMarlena]

The boat travels between HS and Epcot with stops in this order: Swan/Dolphin, Yacht/Beach, Boardwalk. Reverse them on the way back. If you are going to HS, you're at the Swolphin and the boat is there, it'll take about as long to take the boat as to walk. If you have to wait at all for the boat, you might as well walk.

full trip between parks takes about 22-25 minutes. If you keep up a good pace you can walk from the Boardwalk or the Swolphin in 15.

 

[mickeyfanachey1999]

How long did this take? This my plan at the moment, thanks to all the posters that have prepared me for the reality of bus transportation to lights right now!

I would guess that the total trip took around an hour and a half including the two monorail waits and rides and bag check at Epcot and walking through Epcot. We also walked around the boardwalk which I don't think you have to do...it's shorted to stay on the beachclub/yachtclub side I believe.

 

[Robo]

I would guess that the total trip took around an hour and a half including the two monorail waits and rides and bag check at Epcot and walking through Epcot. We also walked around the boardwalk which I don't think you have to do...it's shorted to stay on the beachclub/yachtclub side I believe.

Boardwalk route is the shortest between Epcot and DHS.

 

[mickeyfanachey1999]

Thanks Robo...I'll keep that in mind for next time. We didn't cut through the boardwalk pool area. We walked around the lake until the blue and orange lines crossed and then to DHS. We could have saved some time (and some teenager complaining) by using the cut through.

 

[SassyCat]

Ugh, I'm feeling worried about this. We are going on a short trip at New Years. We are driving down on dec 30 and have a 4:20 res for Minnie's holiday dine and then the merry and bright dessert party at 6 (same day). I only got tickets to the dessert party because of reading how bad the crowds are at the lights. I have a 14 month old, so having a place to sit and see the lights out of the masses seemed good (although expensive). We won't be getting to disney till 2 or so, so I guess our best option will be parking at Epcot and walking over. This sounds horrible to me because lo still isn't sleeping through the night so I'm always dead tired and have no energy lol

 

[Magpie]

Ugh, I'm feeling worried about this. We are going on a short trip at New Years. We are driving down on dec 30 and have a 4:20 res for Minnie's holiday dine and then the merry and bright dessert party at 6 (same day). I only got tickets to the dessert party because of reading how bad the crowds are at the lights. I have a 14 month old, so having a place to sit and see the lights out of the masses seemed good (although expensive). We won't be getting to disney till 2 or so, so I guess our best option will be parking at Epcot and walking over. This sounds horrible to me because lo still isn't sleeping through the night so I'm always dead tired and have no energy lol

From what I've heard, when the parking lots are "full", there's still usually enough reserved spaces to accommodate people with reservations. Since you have a Dessert Party ressie, I'd try parking at HS first, before defaulting to EP. Just bring proof of some sort.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

biggest issue with parking at HS after 2 is going to be the traffic, not spaces being held for guests with reservations. They are having issues even getting the buses in and out.

 

[SassyCat]

I didn't know that about there possibly be spaces for guests for fining res - thank you, magpie! I see what you are saying about the traffic, makiramarlena. This sounds like a total cluster.

 

[epcotty]

So I'm still a bit confused on it all, does it save a lot of time to go to DTD/AK/MK & take a bus to an Epcot area resort and walk from there? Would it be necessary well within the first hour of HS being open? Would it go back to AK after HS closes? I don't think it'd save time @ MK with having to do the tram & ferry/monorail to get to the bus stop

 

[DisneyOma]

If the roads are blocked with traffic into the lots, you aren't going to be able to get to the parking tollbooth to even get access if you have a reservation, are you? that's the problem - there are so many people driving to the parks that the traffic is really, really bad.

 

[rsimon]

Well after reading this and other threads about the issues with parking and how crowded it was at HS for the lights, we were a bit worried as we had some friends in from Dallas and wanted to take them. We went to HS around 12:30 yesterday and the parking lot was virtually empty. They had the whole front end reserved for handicap and started parking in the next section so we were near the front of the park. I looked at the rest of the parking lots and they were empty still.

Walking around the park was less crowded than most of the other times we had been there so that was a good sign. By later in the day, the park had gotten busier, but not too bad by the time we went to see the lights at 6:30. It was really not bad at all to find a nice place to stand and take in all the lights and the music. In fact, I have been days in the past years where it has been much worse even on a rainy evening.

I am sure we got lucky last night, and next week will be worse I am sure, but there is hope at least. I would just make sure to plan for the worst and if the best happens, great!

 

[epcotty]

Thanks for the report. Maybe it was what some on here were thinking, that a lot of it was the seasonal annual passholders. We were going to go today but delayed it because of all the rain down there today according to the forecast. We'll probably be there on the 20th and will definitely arrive well within the first hour; hope that'll be good

 

[pachelbel9]

We are arriving mid-afternoon on Jan 3rd, the last day for the lights. We are staying at Poly and plan to head straight to DHS. I realize our first option should just be poly bus directly there. If lines for poly bus are nuts (based on previous post here), is the second best option to walk to BW, take bus to TTC, and then walk to Poly? Or is a bus from BW to TTC not an option? Or is there a better route?

 

[DebbieB]

We are arriving mid-afternoon on Jan 3rd, the last day for the lights. We are staying at Poly and plan to head straight to DHS. I realize our first option should just be poly bus directly there. If lines for poly bus are nuts (based on previous post here), is the second best option to walk to BW, take bus to TTC, and then walk to Poly? Or is a bus from BW to TTC not an option? Or is there a better route?

There are no busses from resorts to the TTC.

 

[freshstart19]

I'm sure glad I was curious enough about the thread title to read this. We arrive on 1/1 staying at Dolphin. Want to get to Epcot in time for a 4:30 TT FP. Have 8:30 ADR for Minnie's Party. Sounds like we'll be doing a lot of walking!! I was actually expecting to drive everywhere. Want to spend 2-3 hours at to see decorations and then head to HS. DD13 is going to whining about all of the walking! Hopefully, we can take the boat back to the Dolphin!

 

[pachelbel9]

There are no busses from resorts to the TTC.

Ah thanks.

 

['ohanaof5]

UPDATE: We parked at HS at 8:30am and took a bus to AK. Left AK at 2:30 via bus to head to HS, no problems. Had a great time, enjoyed the lights from 6-6:30 it was VERY crowded. When we left and walked back to the car I was shocked to see a long line at bag check coming from the small walk way near guest services. When we reached the parking lot I realized they were still parking cars. Not sure if they have changed the procedure since not allowing cars (full lot)was causing other traffic gridlock. So now they are parking in available spaces as people leave. There was lots of traffic, it took us about 10 minutes to exit the parking lot so not terrible leaving but not good entering.

 

[Disneylover99]

UPDATE: We parked at HS at 8:30am and took a bus to AK. Left AK at 2:30 via bus to head to HS, no problems. Had a great time, enjoyed the lights from 6-6:30 it was VERY crowded. When we left and walked back to the car I was shocked to see a long line at bag check coming from the small walk way near guest services. When we reached the parking lot I realized they were still parking cars. Not sure if they have changed the procedure since not allowing cars (full lot)was causing other traffic gridlock. So now they are parking in available spaces as people leave. There was lots of traffic, it took us about 10 minutes to exit the parking lot so not terrible leaving but not good entering.

We were also at Osborne tonight. We took the bus from Pop to HS at about 6pm today and thankfully we did not encounter any traffic. We stayed at Osborne from about 6:30pm-7:30pm. It was moderately crowded but we were able to easily move around and navigate the crowds. We went to Osborne lights on the Saturday before Christmas last year and it seemed much more crowded last year. So I was pleasantly surprised about this evening.

 

[Robo]

We were also at Osborne tonight. We took the bus from Pop to HS at about 6pm today and thankfully we did not encounter any traffic. We stayed at Osborne from about 6:30pm-7:30pm. It was moderately crowded but we were able to easily move around and navigate the crowds. We went to Osborne lights on the Saturday before Christmas last year and it seemed much more crowded last year. So I was pleasantly surprised about this evening.

Sounds great!
Glad things worked as they SHOULD for you!

 

[epcotty]

We were at HS yesterday, everything went really well. We parked close to the front of the parking lot with getting there about 9:20 am, went to Osborne Lights right after the first Fantasmic and were able to walk around in moderate crowds (not that bad at all). Eventually they opened part of the road up to walk either way. Definitely not as bad as I was expecting from reading stuff on here, maybe seasonal pass blockout dates played a role. Park as a whole also didn't seem as crowded as I was expecting either