AKV bus service

[Kim Gillihan]

would like to hear about people's experiences with bus service to the parks...especially MK. wait times for bus both to and from the parks, drive time Etc. I have read that there's been some improvements with the best service I was just curious to hear people's experiences

Thanks! Kim

 

[Happiest.Haunt_999]

We stay at AKV all the time and have no problems with the buses, even to MK. Also, many over-exaggerate how long it takes to get to the Parks other than AK from there. It's not much further than anywhere else. FYI: the bus stops have screens that give you times of when the next bus to each destination is estimated to arrive.

 

[Kim Gillihan]

We stay at AKV all the time and have no problems with the buses, even to MK. Also, many over-exaggerate how long it takes to get to the Parks other than AK from there. It's not much further than anywhere else. FYI: the bus stops have screens that give you times of when the next bus to each destination is estimated to arrive.

That's great. I in rofr now for akv and that was my only Concern. Can't wait!

 

[Happiest.Haunt_999]

That's great. I in rofr now for akv and that was my only Concern. Can't wait!

You're welcome! Go and have fun! It's such a beautiful resort and we love it so much, no other DVC has been able to compare in our eyes so far lol!

 

[disneyyes]

I have stayed at every one of the DVC resorts at Disneyworld over the past few years, and during our recent stay at Animal Kingdom Villas Jambo House we were extremely pleased with the bus transportation. The Jambo walkway to the bus area is covered the entire way from the lobby to the buses; our weather was picture perfect the entire time but I could not help thinking what a great advantage that would be during rainy season. Honestly, I would personally rank the overall efficiency and convenience of the AKV bus service in the top 3 DVC resorts. Just my opinion, but that was our experience in mid-February.

 

[gillep]

We stay at AKV all the time and have no problems with the buses, even to MK. Also, many over-exaggerate how long it takes to get to the Parks other than AK from there. It's not much further than anywhere else. FYI: the bus stops have screens that give you times of when the next bus to each destination is estimated to arrive.

This, exactly! I find that the bus waits are pretty much the same at all of the WDW resorts, sometimes you have good days, and sometimes you have bad days, but overall I think that the service from AKV is very good. I don't think that the ride to MK feels that long either, unless you have totally misjudged your day and are rushing to get to your ADR that is, then it feels very long!!!!

 

[Kim Gillihan]

You're welcome! Go and have fun! It's such a beautiful resort and we love it so much, no other DVC has been able to compare in our eyes so far lol!

we will, so excited!! cross fingers for rofr.. and quick close... hoping to go Thanksgiving!

 

[Kim Gillihan]

I have stayed at every one of the DVC resorts at Disneyworld over the past few years, and during our recent stay at Animal Kingdom Villas Jambo House we were extremely pleased with the bus transportation. The Jambo walkway to the bus area is covered the entire way from the lobby to the buses; our weather was picture perfect the entire time but I could not help thinking what a great advantage that would be during rainy season. Honestly, I would personally rank the overall efficiency and convenience of the AKV bus service in the top 3 DVC resorts. Just my opinion, but that was our experience in mid-February.

so glad to hear!! thanks so much, my mind is so much more at ease with all these nice comments... I don't mind busses.... I don't want to drive to park.. that's one of my big reasons for wanting to stay on site at all!

 

[Happiest.Haunt_999]

so glad to hear!! thanks so much, my mind is so much more at ease with all these nice comments... I don't mind busses.... I don't want to drive to park.. that's one of my big reasons for wanting to stay on site at all!

If you're going to be driving to Disney, Kidani is great b/c the parking garage is located under the resort and it's super convenient.

 

[Sleepy Sheep]

I find that the bus waits are pretty much the same at all of the WDW resorts, sometimes you have good days, and sometimes you have bad days, but overall I think that the service from AKV is very good. I don't think that the ride to MK feels that long either, unless you have totally misjudged your day and are rushing to get to your ADR that is, then it feels very long!!!!

I agree!! Except, the ride to Magic Kingdom is longer. The ride to Disney Springs is too. Personally, I wouldn't even take that into consideration in picking a home resort. What difference does another 5 - 10 mins make?

 

[Happiest.Haunt_999]

I agree!! Except, the ride to Magic Kingdom is longer. The ride to Disney Springs is too. Personally, I wouldn't even take that into consideration in picking a home resort. What difference does another 5 - 10 mins make?

Actually it's 10 mins from AKL to MK
11 mins to EPCOT
7 mins to DHS
5 mins to AK
16 mins to DS

None of the times are really that bad.

 

[Sleepy Sheep]

Actually it's 10 mins from AKL to MK
11 mins to EPCOT
7 mins to DHS
5 mins to AK
16 mins to DS

None of the times are really that bad.

Sorry, I don't mean to argue. But this isn't accurate.

 

[DenLo]

I think it is a little longer to get to all of the resorts than Happiest Haunt 999 says, and the minutes for DHS and MK are reversed. Add on 2 - 3 minutes on all and it could be accurate, to the bus drop offs. MK can be bad when traffic worsens, but I have never taken a bus to MK more than 20 minutes.

 

[gillep]

Sorry I wasn't clear, I wasn't trying to say that the bus to MK isn't longer than a lot of the other resorts just that, to me, it doesn't feel that much longer, this is obviously subjective. The bus to DS usually does feel long to me but we often get stuck in a lot of traffic but this happens at other resorts as well, as you can see them sitting in the same traffic that you are.

 

[Kim Gillihan]

Thanks for all replies..I agree, whats another 5-10 min... my only comparison is pop which is only time i have ever stayed on property and I loved the busses vs. driving. there were momemnts when your exhausted and waiting etc, but overall I loved it vs. stress of driving. I almost bought baylake for monorail and walk to MK, but it is just so much more money for less points and take so many more points to stay I know I made the right decision for us, especially after asking this question! Overall being able to stay in nicer more spacious accomodations is more important to us overall. And of all the resorts I have always dreamed of staying and AK! So, super excited, can't wait!!

 

[drusba]

Over the years we have found the buses at AKV better than most with fewer problems and delays than others. The last time I stayed there was before Oct 2016 and the bus routes were, for the the four parks, Kidani to Jambo to the park (with Studios bus stopping at Blizzard Beach when open), and Jambo to Kidani to Disney Springs (and stopping at Typhoon Lagoon when open). It is my uinderstanding that since Oct 2016, there is now usually separate buses to MK and Dinsey Springs, i.e., Kidani has its own bus and Jambo has its own bus. I have not personally confirmed that since I have not been there in that time. If that is correct, then another thing that has changed is options for traveling between Jambo and Kidani. Before Sep 2016, you could (a) walk (about 1/2 mile, front door to front door), (b) take a shuttle (basically a minivan) that runs continuously during the day and evening between the two (how long you have to wait depends on where it is in the cycle when you arrive to take it and how many are also waiting; or (c) go from Kidani to Jambo via a park bus and Jambo to Kidani via the DS bus. Option C would no longer exist under the new system particularly for the trip from Jambo to Kidani.

 

[loves to dive]

The buses are the buses are the buses. You are going to have the same kind of service at any of the resorts. Some times it can be good, others not so much. Your wait times can be anywhere from when you walk up to 1/2 hour, just depends on whether the bus just left or just arrived, was too crowded and another one had to be called, traffic on the roads, etc. I've stayed at every deluxe resort except WL and SS, every moderate except POFQ and both Pop and ASsp, I've had good and bad service at each of them. Last trip in December the longest wait we had was at AKL - Jambo but it was just our luck. We were waiting on a HS bus and watched multiple MK and DS buses arrive, sometimes back to back while no HS. The Epcot bus had just left when we go to the stop or we would have gotten on that one, even that one didn't cycle back around during our wait. It's no further from AK to any of the other parks than most of the moderate resorts.

 

[Happiest.Haunt_999]

Sorry, I don't mean to argue. But this isn't accurate.

You guys can say all you want, but it's accurate. I have looked all of these up over time and also timed them in the buses. It's accurate. Not arguing just stating.
@DenLo

 

[bwbuddy5]

You guys can say all you want, but it's accurate. I have looked all of these up over time and also timed them in the buses. It's accurate. Not arguing just stating.
@DenLo

On Google Maps, it says 10 minutes to travel the 6.1 miles from Animal Kingdom Lodge to the Magic Kingdom right now. I assume that means in a car, and it's currently 7:04 am, prior to park opening. I'll let you guys extrapolate from there to convert to bus time and later in the day.

 

[cvjw]

I timed the ride from the bus stop at MK to getting off the bus at Kidani Village one night and it was exactly 25 minutes. I started the timer when the bus left the MK.

To answer OP's question, bus service at AK can vary. We have stayed there numerous times with great bus service.

We stayed at Jambo last July, and had awful bus service. Awful to the point of waiting over 40 minutes for buses that just never came. We ended up going to the parking lot and driving our own vehicle to the parks several times. We had read that others had those same experiences at AKV, but we had not on any of our previous stays.

It really jaded our view of staying there again.