AKL - how to get to other resorts??

[DISNEYmooner2008]

DF just upgraded (for FREE!!!) from POR to AKL 1/6-1/13 for our honeymoon AND first time to WDW. We have ADR's for each night at a different resort's restaurant and I was just wondering how hard it was to get from AKL to all the other resorts?? We are fully relying on Disney transportation. I know we have to take a bus to one of the parks, and then transfer to the correct resort, but which park would be best to go to to do all of that????? Thanks!!!!

 

[disneydiz]

It probably depends what resort your ADRs are at. Go to MK for GF, Poly, WL, and Contemporary. Take the bus to MGM and you can use the boat or walk to Swan, Dolphin, BW, and BC. You will have to make sure and allow about an hour (or more) to do this.

 

[RachelTori]

DF just upgraded (for FREE!!!) from POR to AKL 1/6-1/13 for our honeymoon AND first time to WDW. We have ADR's for each night at a different resort's restaurant and I was just wondering how hard it was to get from AKL to all the other resorts?? We are fully relying on Disney transportation. I know we have to take a bus to one of the parks, and then transfer to the correct resort, but which park would be best to go to to do all of that????? Thanks!!!!

Congratulations! What a fantastic resort for a honeymoon! (I saw your posts on the January 2008 thread and was hoping that would work out for you! YAY!)

Animal Kingdom is the closest park. Downtown Disney would be an option too. If you're going to any of the Boardwalk restaurants or Epcot resorts for dinner, the bus to MGM is probably best: when you get off the bus, you don't have to enter the park to catch the boat to the Epcot resorts (if you take a bus to Epcot, you'll need to enter the park and walk all the way thru it to the back). If you share with us which restaurants, we can probably give you better information! (oh yeah - and MK for the monorail resorts!)

 

[SGMCO]

DTD is your best bet.
We did that on our last trip and it worked out great, or
your could go to the Park that is nearest the resort that you
would like to get to and then take their bus to the resort.
I love Disney Transportation and each time it Visit WDW I
learn more about it and appreciate it more.

Have a Wonderful Honeymoon!!

Those were the days!!!
Our Next Wedding Anniversary will be 23 years--
boy does the time go bye quickly--When you're in Love!

 

[DISNEYmooner2008]

Here are our ADR's if that will help:

Citrico's (GF)
Narcoossee's (GF)
Yachtsmen Steakhouse (YC)
California Grill (Contemporary)

The others are at EPCOT and MK

THANKS!

 

[CoolPool]

To go to the Contemporary or Grand Floridian, I'd probably get on the MK bus then take the resort monorail. For YC, I'd go to the first available bus to either Epcot or MGM then hoof it or grab a bus if I happen to see it coming in to the bus station or a reasonable line at the YC stop that suggests a bus is due soon.

When I stayed at AKL, buses to DTD "seemed" rare compared to the park buses. Could be different now - its been almost a year.

 

[Sammie]

Avoid Downtown Disney at all costs for transfer it will take you hours longer. Use a park if at all possible. As stated you will simply have to pick the park closest to your destination and go from there.

If the park is closed, you will have to use the Downtown Disney transfer, unless you wish to call a cab.

For Narcoosee's take the bus to MK and then the boat to the GF, it will put you much closer to the restaurant than the monorail.
For Citrico's take the MK bus then monorail.
C. Grill take the bus to MK, then monorail or walk to the Contemporary.
Yachtsman: I would take the bus to AK, then bus to Yacht club if AK is open. If not take the bus to Studios and boat to Yacht Club.

 

[Lynne M]

Agreed - avoid the DTD buses for transfers at all costs. The poster who said it worked out great had some very unusual luck. In most cases, you're going to be traveling for well over an hour (including wait times for buses) to get from AKL to a resort using DTD as a transfer point.

Sammie gave you great advice on how to get to your resort restaurants using Disney transportation, but you might also consider using a cab. It's your honeymoon, you're going to nice restaurants, do you really want to be riding buses and monorails all over the place just to get to dinner and back? Trying to figure out if the park you're using as a transfer point is open, or whether you should go through DTD?.

Even though transferring through a park is much more efficient than going through DTD, it's still very time consuming. A cab will get you there in 15 minutes. It's your honeymoon, it's well worth it. Just consider the cab fare part of the cost of dinner.

 

[ElizabethB]

My advice is rent a car. It makes traveling to the resorts so easy. We relied on Disney transportation our first couple of trips. Then we realized that the resorts are only 5-10 minutes away from each other, but a trip there with bus transfer took an hour. There is great signage, it's very hard to get lost and driving is so easy. DH was the one who initially wanted to use Disney transportation. He hates driving anyway and said driving on vacation would be a real downer. But, after a couple of one-hour bus adventures, he reconsidered. Now, we don't even take the buses to the parks. We drive everywhere.

 

[DISNEYmooner2008]

A cab will get you there in 15 minutes. It's your honeymoon, it's well worth it. Just consider the cab fare part of the cost of dinner.

A cab may be a good option. Do you happen to know the average cab fare from AKL to the most far away resort?? I guess any of the MK resorts??? Thanks so much if you do!

 

[Flossbolna]

The fare from California Grill to AKL with a cab was 18 $ for us (without tip), hope this helps!

 

[Tinkrbell]

Agree with other posters. Stay away from DTD!!!

We waited at DTD forever then finally took a cab back to Poly, it was $25, I can't remember if that was with or without tip. We had a ps we were running late for due to that bus at DTD.

We always have a rental car but my dh took it to the golf course that day.

We'll be at AKL the same time as you. We didn't get a free upgrade though, did you have a code?

Have fun!! Are you going to buy one of those mouse ears bridal veils? I think they are so cute!!!

 

[DISNEYmooner2008]

We'll be at AKL the same time as you. We didn't get a free upgrade though, did you have a code?

Have fun!! Are you going to buy one of those mouse ears bridal veils? I think they are so cute!!!

We used the January discount code and were able to upgrade from POR to AKL and actually save $60. That is great for us and we were thrilled because we would have never been able to afford AKL (we are only 19 and 21) Yes, i will be wearing the bridal veil ears and DF will be wearing the grooms top hat and ears!!! I'll also have a lime green mickey head on my somewhere, so keep your eyes out for us!!!!