Parking at MK?

[mshanson3121]

If you were staying on property all parking is free.

Yes, but I'm not

 

[SunTravels]

If we do park at TTC, what time will the monorail and ferry start running? I had read it was 45 minutes before park opening...so for anyone getting there in the 7 o'clock hour (for a 9am ppo) are you waiting awhile for those things to start running?

 

[mshanson3121]

unless you really know where you are going resort bus is going to be faster

Having your own vehicle is typically faster than their bus system and the area is very easy to get around.

 

[sweetmama17]

We always, always drive to the parks. We are either going for the day or a 1 night stay so we are coming in or directly leaving from a park. This past weekend was the first time I was over driving to Magic Kingdom. Saturday, we through the parking gates at 845 we weren't at our first ride until 10 (we did have to activate our passes that day). Sunday, we around 915 and it was still 10am before we hit our first ride. I will say that we avoid the trams and buses because we use a big double stroller so we walk from the parking lot but I am considering parking at the hotel next time and taking the bus or just splurging on a monorail resort.

 

[rg35]

Disney bus service is convenient and a nice perk for guests, but it is slow.
It's a "convenience" to go directly to the Magic Kindom gates, but having done both car and bus, bus to gate doesn't necessarily save you time. Total average time (including waiting for the bus) is always longer than the average time spent getting to TTC and driving back to resort.

 

[Robo]

If we do park at TTC, what time will the monorail and ferry start running? I had read it was 45 minutes before park opening...so for anyone getting there in the 7 o'clock hour (for a 9am ppo) are you waiting awhile for those things to start running?

The monorails (there are 3 separate routes) start-times vary nearly daily.
Do not expect an early start on many days.
(Sometimes not even before MK opens.)

When the monorails are not running, they will add special bus service to cover the routes.

 

[eeyoreandtink]

We typically drive to other parks, but take the resort bus to MK when staying on property. I HATE the parking lot, TTC,wait, take a ferry process. It takes too much time.

 

[TAK]

Yes, I am aware of that. Some of you look at that as a problem. To me it has always been part of the experience. I love the ferry ride and it is no more crowded then the bus and I am there faster then the bus will get you from your resort to the entrance of the park. Coming or going!

I love the ferry. It's part of my ritual of going to MK -- getting on that boat (and it's so huge, there's always enough room for everyone) and then floating past the Poly, the long-closed Discovery Island, watching the castle come into view.

I will say, though, I'm almost never rushing to get to MK. I did rope drop and loved it, but once was special and enough for me. We don't do early breakfasts and I think I'm the only person in WDW who doesn't worry about 7DMT. So if I get there at a leisurely pace, it's fine with me. I don't know what's faster, just what I like.

 

[higdonk]

This is a good thread of info. We are staying at WBC this summer and have never driven to the parks before, only used the buses. Has anyone tried taking Uber from WBC to the Contemporary and walking across? MK is so close from there, and for the $20 you spend on parking anyway it might be worth it, especially in the morning.

 

[MalkaR]

We were there the last week of Jan-Feb. Stayed offsite, a few blocks off 192, for MK days, we left at 7:15. I wanted to arrive there with enough time to walk around the gift shops on Main Street and still get a good place for the welcome show. We used the ferries one day and the monorail the other day (only the resort monorail was running, I think the 3rd stop in was MK, we saw the ferry arriving as we got there) and it definitely took longer than parking for the other parks. We left at 7:45 for the other parks. Of course, that's easy for me to say as my kids are up before 6:30am and so we might as well get ready and go to a park! There are signs all over property and I also followed my phones GPS. The only time I got off course was accidentally following a car into a cast member parking lot instead of the regular one and I had to turn around and go back around.

Edited to add that we never needed a tram in the parking lot, we were usually the second row of cars.

 

[Ariel on Land]

We typically hate the bus, but since the monorail has been on the fritz so much lately, that's the one park we bus to. 2 trips ago we got stuck- monorail AND the ferry both went down and we missed rope drop!

 

[Betty Rohrer]

This is a good thread of info. We are staying at WBC this summer and have never driven to the parks before, only used the buses. Has anyone tried taking Uber from WBC to the Contemporary and walking across? MK is so close from there, and for the $20 you spend on parking anyway it might be worth it, especially in the morning.

that could work if you don't have a carseat, not sure where you could store one while at the park

 

[Robo]

2 trips ago we got stuck- monorail AND the ferry both went down and we missed rope drop!

When discussing problems with the ferry,
I'm thinking "went down" may not be the best choice of words.

 

[HopperFan]

When discussing problems with the ferry,
I'm thinking "went down" may not be the best choice of words.

 

[Bullseye]

Disney bus service is convenient and a nice perk for guests, but it is slow.
It's a "convenience" to go directly to the Magic Kindom gates, but having done both car and bus, bus to gate doesn't necessarily save you time. Total average time (including waiting for the bus) is always longer than the average time spent getting to TTC and driving back to resort.

This Drive everywhere including MK.

 

[dreiwhit]

The ferry is not "fast."

A huge +1 on that.

When the monorail isn't running, the ferry will be very crowded and you may have to wait for the next ferry (or the one after) to show up. We missed RD by 45 minutes on on trip because the monorail wasn't running and everyone was directed to take the ferry.

 

[SunTravels]

The monorails (there are 3 separate routes) start-times vary nearly daily.
Do not expect an early start on many days.
(Sometimes not even before MK opens.)

When the monorails are not running, they will add special bus service to cover the routes.

Ok thank you. Is that the same for the ferry also? I don't mind if they have buses instead, but I don't want my kids to miss the welcome show...

We are off site...maybe we should uber to the contemporary if we want to make ripe drop?

 

[Robo]

Ok thank you. Is that the same for the ferry also? I don't mind if they have buses instead, but I don't want my kids to miss the welcome show...

We are off site...maybe we should uber to the contemporary if we want to make ripe drop?

Arrive early and check.
If you just miss a ferry, or they are running behind (lots of guests waiting,) then head for the bus loading area.

 

[ThistleMae]

I've never stayed offsite, so this is first time driving. So...do you pay the one fee for the day and can drive to all the parks? They don't charge you again for changing parks do they? Also, there is a courtesy shuttle at the place we are staying but it leaves at weird times, never before 10:30 a.m. and you have to coordinate where you are and where you have to be to get back, it doesn't go to every park. I'm thinking it may be really challenging to figure it all out and not compromise your day. So, if we have to drive, what should our strategy be?

 

[Robo]

I've never stayed offsite, so this is first time driving. So...

1. do you pay the one fee for the day and can drive to all the parks?
2. They don't charge you again for changing parks do they?
3. Also, there is a courtesy shuttle at the place we are staying but it leaves at weird times, never before 10:30 a.m. and you have to coordinate where you are and where you have to be to get back, it doesn't go to every park. I'm thinking it may be really challenging to figure it all out and not compromise your day.
4. So, if we have to drive, what should our strategy be?

1. Yes.
2. Nope.
3. Sounds "normal" for off-site shuttles (which is to say, really BAD!)
4. Leave the hotel early enough to get to MK's lot by an hour before the MK opens.
(If you are not SURE how long the drive will take, leave early. Err on the side of caution.)
And, don't go to MK in the morning on an MK AM EMH day.