Airport to Animal Kingdom Lodge

[mvbuch]

How long from when your plane lands will you be at the animal kingdonm lodge.

Rental car vs ME?

The plane arrives at 5:30 on Wednesday if that makes a difference.

 

[bytheblood]

Using ME, in January, we were the last ones dropped off on the route. It took a total of 2 hours from the time we got in line at the airport until we were dropped off at Kidani Village.

 

[Jestocost]

Using ME, in January, we were the last ones dropped off on the route. It took a total of 2 hours from the time we got in line at the airport until we were dropped off at Kidani Village.

Two hours certainly does happen, but it's outside the norm. If you use the DME luggage transfer service or have only carry-on bags, you should expect that DME will get you to your resort 60-90 minutes after you get off of the plane. AKL tends to be the last stop on its route, so maybe estimate at the long end of that range. If you collect your own bags add at least another 20 minutes.

If you get a rental car, assume that you will get to your resort about 60-90 minutes after you get off of the plane (including collecting luggage).

 

[goofy4tink]

My longest experience on DME was when headed to Pop. Usually, Pop is the first stop. This time, it was the third. We went to AKL first, then to CSR then to Pop. At each of the first two stops, we spent abripout 8-10 mins..had to off load a ton of checked baggage. Seems that at least 5 families going to each of those first two resorts felt the need to have all their luggage with them. That one trip, it took me 85 mins from gate to Pop. Usually, it takes about 65-70 mins..average.

If you use a car service it will take you about an hour....you have to add in baggage claim. If you use a car service without checked bags, it will take about 45 mins...gate to resort.
So...DME will take, on average, about 30 mins longer than a car service with carryon only.

 

[Jeff_G]

It took us about an hour, AKL was the third stop with only about a 5 minute wait at the other two stops...

 

[tkldisney]

With rental car it really depends on when airline gets your luggage to you. If you just have carry ons, less than hour to AKL. It's about 30 minute drive from airport once your in rental car if that's the way you go. Have never used DME.

 

[ToddyLu]

We have never used DME and only a towncar service. That has always taken us under an hour unless we do a grocery stop which is under 30 minutes, but adds to travel time. DH would freak if it took him 2 hours to get to Kidani on a DME bus, and he knows this, so we always use a car service and he feels more in control. Happy husband, happy wife.

 

[Jestocost]

We have never used DME and only a towncar service. That has always taken us under an hour unless we do a grocery stop which is under 30 minutes, but adds to travel time. DH would freak if it took him 2 hours to get to Kidani on a DME bus, and he knows this, so we always use a car service and he feels more in control. Happy husband, happy wife.

And yet I have waited two hours for my luggage to come off of the carousel in one extreme circumstance, so there's definitely no certainty regardless of how you get from the airport to your resort.

 

[maxiesmom]

And yet I have waited two hours for my luggage to come off of the carousel in one extreme circumstance, so there's definitely no certainty regardless of how you get from the airport to your resort.

That is it exactly. There is simply no way to know ahead of time how long any method will take. We can all tell you averages, and what our experiences are, but your experience may be totally different. The ME bus routes are not even set in stone, so there is no way of knowing which stop your resort will be.

I can tell you that I've been on my way to the All Star Sports, and the Animal Kingdom Lodge was the second stop on that route. In that case, it took my family 2 hours from deplaning to standing at check in at ASMU. I've also been on the bus to the All Star Music and we didn't stop at AKL, we stopped at Cornoado Springs.

If you are trying to pick which way is quickest, car or ME, it is really hard to know. Each case can be so different.

 

[Missytara]

I can tell you there is something that does add a lot of time and you have absolutely no control over it.

And that is, how many people on your bus are going to insist on bringing every single solitary piece of luggage on the bus with them.

I was at POR, which was the last stop. POFQ was right before us and a family of 10 brought ALL 25 pieces of their luggage on the bus.

It seemed to take forever to onload it at the airport and offload it at the resort.