AKL bus service

[PSUfan]

Hi everyone, Taking 77 year old Mother to WDW for the first time April 28 - May 3, 2004. We are considering AKL but are concerned about the wait time for buses. (DW and I have never stayed at AKL). TIA

'74,'77,'94 AS Sport,'99 POR,'02 POR

 

[>>^..^<<]

Bus service from AKL is excellent

You may find a bit of a wait coming back from things (ie) after MK closes and you go to get your bus, but this is not different then any other resort.

The bus does not share with other resorts ~ there is a stop at BB on the way to MGM sometimes.

Have fun at AKL

>>^..^<<

 

[padisneylover]

Having stayed at POR and AKL I can say the bus service is much better at the AKL. We were there during peak season April 2002 (week after Easter) and never waited more than an 5 minutes for a bus at the resort and on our return trips it seem like a bus came almost immediately each time we arrived at the gate to go. Also, the bus stop is the first if not one of the first at each park when you leave and that really helps if you have a problem with walking as does my DH.

 

[mep319]

I've found the bus service at AKL to be better than most of the resorts...even the monrail resorts. You don't share buses...it is a direct route...It never seemed to be exceptionally crowded. Loved it. I doubt you'll have any problems..

 

[Pammy_from_WI]

Just got back and found the bus service to be fast! Only one time did we wait more then 10 min. for a bus at the AKL. This was our first time going with no rental car and now I'd never rent a car down there!

I don't know if we just got lucky but I was super pleased with WDW transportation!

Pammy

 

[Schmeck]

We did have a long wait for an EPCOT bus early one morning at AKL. Of course, it was the one morning that we had a PS for the Princess Breakfast at the Norway pavilion... We waited at least 20 minute for the bus. Multiple MK and MGM/DS buses were running, but the EPCOT bus was nowhere to be seen! We even asked a CM (standing there looking official with a clipboard) and she didn't seem to know much

Every other time we used the AKL buses, we had to wait 5 minutes tops, we always got seats, and I don't think the buses were ever totally filled up! We've used the buses from CBR and POR, and AKL ones are by far the best!

 

[WDW LifeLong Fan]

............has been excellent the three times we have stayed there.

In fact, I think it may be the fastest overall of any of the resorts based on our experience!

Have fun!

 

[dansyr]

Hi Neighbor
I live in stroudsburg but used to teach dance in Nazareth and now teach in Forks .
Anyway, just returned from AKL and never had to wait more than 10 min for a bus. Hope that helps.
Enjoy AKL, it is an absolutely beautiful resort.

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

Originally posted by Schmeck
We did have a long wait for an EPCOT bus early one morning at AKL. Of course, it was the one morning that we had a PS for the Princess Breakfast at the Norway pavilion... We waited at least 20 minute for the bus.

Just so you know, the first bus for Epcot gets dispatched at 7:40 or so, which means it'll arrive at around 7:50, give or take.

 

[DisneyFreaks]

The terrific bus service is one of the reasons we decided to go back to AKL. It was so wonderful to leave the parks at closing and for the first time NOT have to wait more than a few minutes for a bus. Even after just missing one at the Magic Kingdom one night after staying to watch the Spectro Parade. We were so disappointed when we saw it pull away but low and behold here came another bus about three minutes later. How super is that?

 

[Schmeck]

Chip 'n Dale Express, thanks for the info! Now, where were you last October, when we were waiting for the bus, and no one could give us an answer, LOL!

Honestly, it wasn't a big deal, since we got to the breakfast on time anyways. And we figured that the clueless CM was probably a trainee - she was sweet, but not very helpful.

I think AKL has superior bus service - most likely since it feels so isolated from the rest of the resort area Disney figured that it better have great service, or people would complain!

Schmeck

 

[kdibattista]

Just agreeing with everyone else... it's excellent. We never waited more than 10 minutes!!!

 

[Selket]

I thought the bus service at AKL was fine when we were there mid-August but I certainly waited more than 5 minutes for a bus..whether leaving the resort or returning. Maybe 10-15 minutes was our wait time most of the time. However it really didn't seem like a huge wait...and we always had a seat. The only exception to this was returning from the MK after fireworks and we waited and waited and waited for busses to come. The folks behind me actually called the front desk of the AKL on their cell phone to ask where the busses were! We got on the bus after maybe 30 minutes of waiting (with 2 exhausted little kids) and many people had to stand. I'd say the time you might want to consider driving or a taxi (there were plenty of taxis near the bus stop at the MK so we could have done that) is after a big show at night when everyone leaves cause the park is closing. Everyone was very nice on the bus...I'd think your mom will be given a seat no problem should you board a crowded bus.

We loved AKL! I'll add that our previous trip to POFQ we often took our car but at AKL we hardly used it.

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

Originally posted by Selket
The only exception to this was returning from the MK after fireworks and we waited and waited and waited for busses to come. The folks behind me actually called the front desk of the AKL on their cell phone to ask where the busses were! We got on the bus after maybe 30 minutes of waiting (with 2 exhausted little kids) and many people had to stand. I'd say the time you might want to consider driving or a taxi (there were plenty of taxis near the bus stop at the MK so we could have done that) is after a big show at night when everyone leaves cause the park is closing.

During a park exit, there is no way AK Lodge could have gone a half hour without a bus... perhaps a 15 minute wait felt like a half hour? Also, calling the front desk won't do anything. They have no control over the buses. A better call would be to Bus Central. He can't do anything, but he can pass along messages to the remote dispatchers.

As for Taxis, there are no Taxis at the Magic Kingdom. All taxis are located at the Transportation and Ticket Center.

 

[milmore104]

Have to agree AKL has the BEST bus transportation I have ever seen. We also took my 77yo grandmother to WDW last year. She loved AKL. We never waited more than 10 minutes for a bus coming or going except once when we waited for 45 to go to EPCOT. It was our own fault though it had just turned into value season and the times changed that morning. I was looking at the map we got a couple days before. I felt pretty silly asking the CM if there was going to be a bus SOON?!?! She politily said in about 20 min. EPCOT doesn't open until 9am. OOPS!!!
A word of advice check your maps for times & DATES!!!

 

[luvmk]

We found the bus service to be excellent. We didn't have to wait for long amounts of time to any park. That is part of the reason we decided to go back there this month. It made going to parks very easy. We love AKL. It is a beautiful resort. I know you will love it!

 

[MinnieGi]

Just had to chime in that we too found AKL bus service to be excellent! By far the best of the resorts we have stayed in. Our longest wait was after a Sat. night of Spectro and the firworks. And that wait was really only about 15 minutes. There was a long line of people to get on, but everybody just squeezed in and did everything possible to have as many people sitting. There were only a few gentlmen standing. The rest of our rides everyone had a seat and the bus waits were around 5 minutes a few at 10 minutes.

We loved AKL! Enjoy!

 

[PSUfan]

Just wanted to thank everyone for their input. DW and I feel we made the right decision regarding AKL and are looking forward to this vacation with Mom.

 

[Selket]

Originally posted by Chip 'n Dale Express
During a park exit, there is no way AK Lodge could have gone a half hour without a bus... perhaps a 15 minute wait felt like a half hour? Also, calling the front desk won't do anything. They have no control over the buses. A better call would be to Bus Central. He can't do anything, but he can pass along messages to the remote dispatchers.

As for Taxis, there are no Taxis at the Magic Kingdom. All taxis are located at the Transportation and Ticket Center.

Perhaps I am remembering the wrong park that we exited in the evening and saw taxicabs in the distance. But one of the evenings after fireworks (I'm pretty positive it was at the MK..maybe Epoct?) we DID wait about a half hour. At the bus stop the AKL waiting area was so full that we were outside the que bars. After 15-20 minutes a bus came and took a load...obviously we didn't make that bus. About 10 minutes later a second bus came and we made that one...and that one was packed too and more people were left in line behind us. I was not the person calling the front desk...the person behind me was doing this. I'm guessing he called the front desk because he had their phone number...not sure many of us carry around the phone number for bus central just in case. The people in line were quite annoyed over the wait. You are correct that the AKL front desk person that this guy talked to could not help nor did he/she have information about why the bus was taking so long.

 

[Sara1026]

We thought the busses at AKL were fantastic! We were there at a pretty busy time (late June), and we hardly felt like we waited at all. The longest was when we left BB in the middle of the day and saw the bus taking off just as we were almost to the bus area. I would guess we waited 15 minutes, but it wasn't bad at all. We always got a seat, too.

Have lots of fun-- AKL is AWESOME!