AK Lodge transportation

[Clemoni]

Hello,

I have to be honest: my hotel is off-site. I cannot afford the on-site hotel yet. Maybe next year.
My hotel, the Rennaissance World Gate, is not very far from Animal Kingdom Lodge.

I don't know if some of you had the experience.

I want to stay in WDW. I do not want to go to Universal studio or Sea World or any other type of things. Maybe another time.
We are a couple, no Children, from New York (so walking a mile is not a problem at all).

I was wondering whether it was possible to walk until AK lodge to catch the bus and then go wherever we want or do we have to take a taxi if we do not take the shuttle of the Hotel?
Some days, we would take the shuttle of the Hotel, some other days, we do not want to (not very good hours - they told us only two times the morning at 8:30 and 10:00AM but more problematic the evening only at 7:00PM which is quite early for a couple)

Any help would be strongly appreciate.

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

Unfortunetly, it is not possible to walk to AK Lodge.

I don't know off hand what shuttle company handles your hotel, but it seems strange that they'd only have those pickup times. Typically the shuttle services in this area have more frequent times. Skytran, Town & Country, Coach USA, Mears, Dynamic, Bethany, Orlando Bus Ltd, and a bunch of others all run frequently... Can't remember them all off the top of my head, though. Some are better than others. There are a few of them however, who run unsafe HEAPS for buses. Bald tires, body pieces falling off, doors that dont close, filthy exhaust smoke covering the back, all banged up... I wouldn't set foot on one of those junkers if you paid me $1,000. (Okay, well, I'd set foot... but I'd want the money up front... LOL)

Check with some others on this board about renting a car... I've seen some really great rates, and it might save you the money of taxis. Of course, there's always gas and parking... but in the long run, it might be cheaper than a few taxi rides. And not having to rely on that one or two pickup times can make it well worth it.

 

[ducklite]

Have you checked the code rates for the value resorts on property at WDW? How about the ones at the WDW hotel Villlage, I want to think a couple of them had rates as low as $69 per night. From most you can easily walk to the Marketplace, adn they also ahve regular and reliable transportation.

Anne

 

[Clemoni]

Well Thanks guys.

I guess I am stock with the Hotel shuttle and taxis (I hope the taxi fares are fare enough). I was thinking taking the bus to AK and then take a taxi (it would be 2 to 3 miles from my hotel by road, less than 0.5 mile by walk but through AKL, damn it, it is too bad).

Maybe I will also be able to share taxi fares and car lifts. It is out of question I will rent a car; I really do not want to drive.

Well we will see how it goes.

I usually walk 2 to 3 miles per day; it is not a big deal anyway unless we cannot walk on the main roads (?). I am afraid that the roads around are freeways.

Thanks anyway guys

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

I would strongly recommend NOT walking on any road in which there is not a sidewalk... Disney roads may look rural, but beleive me, they are VERY heavy traffic, and often times at very high speeds. Lots of crazy drivers down here, and I'd hate for you to get run over.

 

[Clemoni]

Thanks for the advice.
Man, we have to do something for the walkers.... what is up with all this driving????

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

Originally posted by Clemoni
Thanks for the advice.
Man, we have to do something for the walkers.... what is up with all this driving????

We're twice the size of Manhattan... we're not small...

Most people do not share your attitude... and complain about walking an extra hundred feet to a bus stop... *shrug*

 

[Clemoni]

I am not complaining at all to walk an extra 100 yards to a bus if there was one. I just say that there should be some pedestrian way along the roads; that is it. You know that I would not care about walking along the roads.

I did not mean to hurt you or any people at WDW.

I am just frustrated that I need whether to rent a car or to take a taxi for two to three miles; that is it.

I will find a way.

Thanks for the advices; I apreciate it

Thanks also for your answers; they helped me.

 

[CarolA]

I don't know where your hotel is, but I would be very surprised if it was only half a mile from the AKL. The AKL is pretty isolated. I think it is over half a mile from the front gate of the AK to the lodge!

 

[TreeOfLife]

I agree with all the driving stuff but find it amusing. I have heard weenie legs complaining about all the walking they do from the entrance of the AKL to the savannas and restaurants! Can you imagine if Disney made them walk even more?

Now about the resort transportation thing... Not that I encourage it but have to share observations of several cars driving into the resort parking lot with people ready to field trip in the parks walking to the Disney buses area and hoping into whichever bus, without having IDs checked

Don't blame it on the tourists who can't afford to stay onsite, blame it on Disney who does not check who gets in and out of the buses

 

[CarolA]

Well Disney has kind of come up with a solution for that, the three hour parking pass. At least at the Deluxe resorts you are given a three hour pass and they can two you at the end of the three hours.

 

[ducklite]

The Renaissance is definitely not an easy walk from the AKL. There is a back entrance on Black Lake Road, but that road is very narrow and curvy and not at all suitable for walking on (and NOT belonging to WDW!!). The Main road, World Center drive is a highway. A 6 lane, limited access, divided highway. The equivelent of walking on the Gowanas or the Garden State Parkway. That is why there are no sidewalks.

As I said in a previous post, you should be able to find a room at either the Disney Village hotels or at the WDW value resorts for the same price that you are paying for the Renaissance. It's your choice of where to stay, and you should make your choice based on the information you've received on these boards. If you choose to stay there, then you do so in full knowledge of teh situation, and need to accept that.

Beyond that, WDW has spent MILLIONS in setting up their transit system to work efficiently and safely. There are many places taht are suitable for walking. Where it is safe to do so in reference to traffic and road type, they have installed sidewalks. Where they haven't installed them it's because there was no need to do so, based on traffic and safety. They expect that 99.9% of guests who are staying off porperty will be utilizing either a car or off-sproperty shuttle to get to their parks. Even if all the roads were safe to walk on with sidewalks, I highly doubt they would run them along every road. At about $300 per yard, the installation and maintenance of sidewalks is not cost effective, as there are so few guests who would use them.

Anne

 

[TreeOfLife]

Well Disney has kind of come up with a solution for that, the three hour parking pass. At least at the Deluxe resorts you are given a three hour pass and they can two you at the end of the three hours.

That is definitely great news, since our last trip. It was so obvious I always wondered how they got away with it, even getting to the parks to enjoy ee mornings! You saw bunches of people parking in the resorts and walking right to the buses. Then after they came back crowded, several walked back into the parking lot...

How it is working out, though? In a place like the AS resorts where tons of vehicles come in and out, for ex? Did they gate the parking lots?