Advice on hopping & how long it takes.

[Mariposa]

It's okay, Robo, I've seen and ridden the between park busses, too--during the dead period in November (after Jersey week), Jersey week, early February (about as dead in the parks as it gets these days- 1st week), and early May (another dead-ish period).. and I'm sure they'll be running in September when I'm there.

Not saying that they were available when you asked about them BT, which sucks. I hope you'll have better luck next trip because they certainly are a time saver.

 

[BlindTyldak]

It's okay, Robo, I've seen and ridden the between park busses, too--during the dead period in November (after Jersey week), Jersey week, early February (about as dead in the parks as it gets these days- 1st week), and early May (another dead-ish period).. and I'm sure they'll be running in September when I'm there.

Not saying that they were available when you asked about them BT, which sucks. I hope you'll have better luck next trip because they certainly are a time saver.

They sure would be, and if I'm told again I'll have to resort hop to get to another park, I'll ask what their criteria is for running them. I'm in no way mad at Robo for saying they are always running, but I WOULD like to know why they haven't been on my trips when they most obviously do at times!

 

[Robo]

They sure would be, and if I'm told again I'll have to resort hop to get to another park, I'll ask what their criteria is for running them. I'm in no way mad at Robo for saying they are always running, but I WOULD like to know why they haven't been on my trips when they most obviously do at times!

The problem I have with that is that there has ALWAYS been transportation between the parks.

That's why there is a MONORAIL between TTC/MK and EPCOT.
That's why there is constant discussion as to "Why don't they build a MONORAIL between all the parks, because the buses use too much gas and pollute with exhaust?"

Many times BUS DRIVERS tell riders just before the guests exit upon arrival at a theme-park...
a) Where to come to find "this" bus back to the resort.
b) What time the park closes.
c) That guests can take another bus to another park if they'd like.

That's what is so ODD about saying the Park-to-Park buses don't run all the time and the bus drivers don't "know" about them.

Its like saying there is no Epcot because "we've never seen it when we're there" and no amount of links to references to it matter.

Nobody is infallible, but when the PROOF is so readily available to read from so many sources, its just WIERD to deny the facts.

 

[Mariposa]

They sure would be, and if I'm told again I'll have to resort hop to get to another park, I'll ask what their criteria is for running them. I'm in no way mad at Robo for saying they are always running, but I WOULD like to know why they haven't been on my trips when they most obviously do at times!

I was pondering this, too.. I think they're certainly less frequent during the slower periods and during parts of the day. That's all I can come up with. Hmm, now I'm going to really be watching for these in a few weeks.

 

[Robo]

I was pondering this, too.. I think they're certainly less frequent during the slower periods and during parts of the day. That's all I can come up with. Hmm, now I'm going to really be watching for these in a few weeks.

Its not a matter of having to stand there and "look" for the buses to see if they exist.

The queues are MARKED for these buses (just like for the resorts) at the bus loading areas at all parks (MK's is at TTC).

I've ridden them in Jan., Feb., May, June, Oct., Nov., and Dec.

 

[BlindTyldak]

The problem I have with that is that there has ALWAYS been transportation between the parks.

That's why there is a MONORAIL between TTC/MK and EPCOT.
That's why there is constant discussion as to "Why don't they build a MONORAIL between all the parks, because the buses use too much gas and pollute with exhaust?"

Many times BUS DRIVERS tell riders just before the guests exit upon arrival at a theme-park...
a) Where to come to find "this" bus back to the resort.
b) What time the park closes.
c) That guests can take another bus to another park if they'd like.

That's what is so ODD about saying the Park-to-Park buses don't run all the time and the bus drivers don't "know" about them.

Its like saying there is no Epcot because "we've never seen it when we're there" and no amount of links to references to it matter.

Nobody is infallible, but when the PROOF is so readily available to read from so many sources, its just WIERD to deny the facts.

Robo, I'm sorry to say this but I am done talking with you about this. There are the facts from my experience:

I never saw the busses your links refer to.
The bus drivers during my trips said that there were no busses running directly bewteen the parks and to get from park to park we had to go to another hotel or transfer at a junction point (the TTC or DTD).
I never asked if they NEVER run, as at the time I didn't care if they never ran, I wanted to know if they ran that day or during my trip time.
I have never stated that they never run.
I do not doubt that many people have seen and used them, including yourself.
I do, however, doubt that you have used them 365 days a year between every park and that you can personally verify that my memories are false, that the transportation employees lied on every occasion, and that there is no way that they would not have suspended transportation on the busses between parks on occasion when other transportation alternatives were available.

That being said, Robo, if you want to always feel you are right, go ahead. You really are not worth my time any more in this matter.

 

[Robo]

Robo, I'm sorry to say this but I am done talking with you about this. There are the facts from my experience:

I never saw the busses your links refer to.
The bus drivers during my trips said that there were no busses running directly bewteen the parks and to get from park to park we had to go to another hotel or transfer at a junction point (the TTC or DTD).
I never asked if they NEVER run, as at the time I didn't care if they never ran, I wanted to know if they ran that day or during my trip time.
I have never stated that they never run.
I do not doubt that many people have seen and used them, including yourself.
I do, however, doubt that you have used them 365 days a year between every park and that you can personally verify that my memories are false, that the transportation employees lied on every occasion, and that there is no way that they would not have suspended transportation on the busses between parks on occasion when other transportation alternatives were available.

That being said, Robo, if you want to always feel you are right, go ahead. You really are not worth my time any more in this matter.

Robo, I'm sorry to say this but I am done talking with you about this...
That being said, Robo, if you want to always feel you are right, go ahead. You really are not worth my time any more in this matter.

I am surprised at the hurtful nature and tone of your posts towards me in this thread.
You and I have offered hundreds of DISers good info in countless posts.
My feelings are bruised from someone I thought of as an on-line friend.
I hope you are feeling OK.

 

[BlindTyldak]

I am surprised at the hurtful nature and tone of your posts towards me in this thread.
You and I have offered hundreds of DISers good info in countless posts.
My feelings are bruised from someone I thought of as an on-line friend.
I hope you are feeling OK.

Well I'm hurt too that you can't take my word that at the time I was travelling that the busses were not running on those days, especially because I consider you a friend as well. maybe this is something that you didn't consider . . . this would be 9 days out of over 3,000 (my three trips over 9 years) that they would say that you would have to transfer elsewhere. Not nine days per trip, nine days total. Trip 1: 3 days I could have park hopped. Trip 2: 4 days. Trip 3: 2 days.

Would you think it too unusual if someone said (and I am completely making this up as an example) that "20 days a year on average Disney Transportation must readjust its travel route for some parks and resorts due to employee training, vehicle maintenance, road construction, and other situations beyond its control (let's say the flu hits the drivers or whatever)"? Personally I would think that would be a pretty believable statement and wouldn't doubt it at all if I heard it. I'm sure that there are definitely days that this happens, but I'd have no idea how often. I would not doubt, especially as I travel at very slow times, that I encountered something like this.

There's people here who have taken numerous trips to WDW and never been able to ride a certain ride because no matter what, it's broken down during their trip. I skipped going to BB my first trip in favor of TL, and have never been able to go since because it has been closed on my travel dates. It will be closed again this trip too. But if someone says "it never fails, every time I go to Epcot Test Track is broken down", you don't doubt them. Tell me . . . if in speaking of a few days I say that I never saw the busses and was directed to take a different route from park to park, and was surprised BUT NOT DOUBTING that the busses did exist at other times, why do you doubt me?

Edit: Or lets take another example. Someone goes to Animal Kingdom 5 times. They ask a CM what street entertainment is in the park that day each time. The CM tells them. The CM does NOT tell them that on other days there is a wandering tree but it is not there that day. The poster comes here and tells about the times they went to AK and saw these performers. Poster number two says "you don't have to see just those performers, there is a wandering tree." Poster one says "since when? I never saw a wandering tree and was never told about it. I was told this was it and this was where they were." I'm sure you see where I'm going and why being told I'm wrong in my experience simply being different is very aggrivating.

 

[Robo]

OK. I feel like I've been in the Twilight Zone.
Knowing something that is simply so BASIC to Disney Transportation, but not really having any way to PROVE it with facts so indisputable that others reading would not think I was simply trying to "always be right".

No, I'm trying to simply state FACTS that are not my "opinion" or even my "experience"... simply FACTS.

I was finally about to drop off to sleep when I jumped out of bed (to see what was the matter)... no, but I had remembered something that "EVERYONE" has heard at WDW for years that actually talks about the BUS SERVICE between MK/TTC and the other parks.

Its the MONORAIL SPIEL (don't know many WDW guests who have not heard THAT). It does change, but not seasonally (certainly not weekly or monthly)... usually not even "yearly" so it reflects something that is virtually a "constant" if there is such a thing at WDW.

Here's the link to hear it.

http://www.wdisneyw.co.uk/sounds/MonorailFull.mp3

You can drag the cursor to near the end (the last 15% or so of the timeline) to hear the part that "saved my brain" in this matter...

Our happy announcer says,
"Ladies and gentlemen, we are approaching the Transportation and Ticket Center. This includes all sections of the Magic Kingdom car and bus parking lot. If you are traveling to Epcot, please exit here and board the monorail at the connecting monorail station.
SEPARATE BUS TRANSPORTATION IS PROVIDED TO DISNEY'S ANIMAL KINGDOM, THE DISNEY-MGM STUDIOS, TYPHOON LAGOON, AND DOWNTOWN DISNEY..."

This is the spiel for the "Express Monorail" but a very similar script is played on the "Resort Monorail" for TTC.

I know the "horse" I'm whipping is near-to-dying here, but I had to post this to save the 3 hours of night that is left for me to sleep.

You can doubt ME, you can doubt other websites, but its hard to doubt "the MONORAIL GUY"... and I thank him!

 

[DisFam95]

Robo: I know there are ways to get to other parks and I'm sure Blind Tyldak knows there are ways too..as listed in the 2, 3, 4 step process listed in your links.

I asked previously about DIRECT busses and I feel that's what the others were refering too also. Direct means no stops, no transfers, etc. Straight from MK to AK, straight from MK to DS etc. I know it can be done w/ a transfer or 2 or 3. As far as I can tell there are no Direct busses.

Unless you have a calculator that can show me otherwise.

Thanks for all the advice everyone.

 

[KimDis]

I can't believe we're having this as a serious discussion. Its not an opinion.
These buses run the year-round.

I have posted a calculator that clearly backs up this info.
What's so hard to understand?

Robo, I realize with over 4000 posts you're probably an expert, but Blind's no slouch either. We all question information when we've held onto a beliefs for a long time or had it even confirmed by someone else. And how many times have you had a cast member tell you, mistakenly, something that wasn't quite true. All it takes is one time. If that was my experience, I'd question you, a stranger, too. I think Blind was expressing surprise based on the info they'd always had. Hey we're all human here, you might do the same in their shoes.

The good thing is, you can confirm this kind of info and yes, you can take the bus from park to park but not from hotel to hotel. Just double checked it. It's funny as I would have sworn you couldn't. Just goes to show you there's always more Disney to learn.

Moving on, here's the bigger concern with hopping between parks. You have to account for bus time AND the time it takes to actually get a bus or boat. I've waited as long as 15-20 minutes for busses. And if you drive instead, you face parking with the masses and having to spend time getting back to your car.

There are a few ways around this... especially from the Magic Kingdom. Send me a PM and I'll give you the details. Then you can decide if it's worth it.

 

[IMGONNABE40!]

If it was me, I would walk to the Contemporary and take the bus from there.

 

[Mariposa]

Robo: I know there are ways to get to other parks and I'm sure Blind Tyldak knows there are ways too..as listed in the 2, 3, 4 step process listed in your links.

I asked previously about DIRECT busses and I feel that's what the others were refering too also. Direct means no stops, no transfers, etc. Straight from MK to AK, straight from MK to DS etc. I know it can be done w/ a transfer or 2 or 3. As far as I can tell there are no Direct busses.

Unless you have a calculator that can show me otherwise.

Thanks for all the advice everyone.

Okay, yes, you have to go to the TTC to take a bus to another park, but that makes sense as the TTC is considered the transportation hub for the MK not the bus unloading area in front of the MK. Everything for the MK runs out of the TTC, that's just the way it works.

However, for every single other park, you can take a completely direct, no stops or transfers, bus between them.

 

[BlindTyldak]

Robo, I realize with over 4000 posts you're probably an expert, but Blind's no slouch either. We all question information when we've held onto a beliefs for a long time or had it even confirmed by someone else. And how many times have you had a cast member tell you, mistakenly, something that wasn't quite true. All it takes is one time. If that was my experience, I'd question you, a stranger, too. I think Blind was expressing surprise based on the info they'd always had. Hey we're all human here, you might do the same in their shoes.

I don't think they were telling me anything that was not true, I think they were probably telling me what was accurate for the time.

Let's take what a typical conversation would have been when I would have asked (not that I remember word for word something that was a long time ago, but it likely went like this):

Me, standing at MGM: "I have to get to Coral Reef for a reservation in an hour. What's the best way for me to get there?"

Bus Driver: "Hop on, I'm going to such and such and just grab the next bus from there to Epcot."

Did he give me any wrong information? Nope. Was it the best way for me to get there? Very well could have been, even if park to park busses were running. Mariposa said they didn't seem to run as often sometimes, and maybe the driver knew I just missed the only one in an hour. Was he obligated to say that normally there was a park to park bus? Nope.

I learned day one the best way to talk to Disney is to ask for the most specific info you can and clearly state what you want the end result to be. If I asked "what's the best way to get from MGM to Epcot" I probably would have gotten a number of different responses that were not necessarily helpful, when I needed to get there by X time. But, I probably would have found out about the bus as well. In this case I didn't, nor does it sound like I probably would have thinking over the past.

and Robo, I have honestly never listened to the monorail schpiel very carefully at all. The few times I've been on the monorail I've been riding up front and talking with the driver and not paying any attention to the canned conversation.

Edit: still waking up, I realized I just gave one example. *sips coffee*

My second trip I know I asked a much more general "What's going to be the best way for me to get to Animal Kingdom later?" and got the answer to transfer at the TTC or go to a hotel. That one I definitely SHOULD have gotten a "take the direct bus" if there was one running, right?

 

[MickeysBestPal]

My second trip I know I asked a much more general "What's going to be the best way for me to get to Animal Kingdom later?" and got the answer to transfer at the TTC or go to a hotel. That one I definitely SHOULD have gotten a "take the direct bus" if there was one running, right?

Are there buses that go between the parks?

 

[MouseFaninQueue]

My second trip I know I asked a much more general "What's going to be the best way for me to get to Animal Kingdom later?" and got the answer to transfer at the TTC or go to a hotel. That one I definitely SHOULD have gotten a "take the direct bus" if there was one running, right?

The answer from, my rough recollections of my trip in 1997 and what I see Robo having said (and others) AND all the literature I have collected from VARIOUS places (written, on the web and from my travel agent) state that the answer would depend on where you were when you asked that questions.

To go TO or FROM the MK you have to get a transfer somwhere, TTC or Hotel or whatever.

To go TO or FROM any of the OTHER Parks (not MK, so DAK, Epcot, MGM) to one of those same parks - there are buses that run between them.

So to go from DAK to MGM - hop on the MGM bus at DAK and get off at MGM.
To go from Epcot to DAK - hop on the DAK bus at Epcot and get off at DAK.
To go from DAK to MK - hop on a bus to a hotel or one to the TTC and then transfer to the bus to MK.