Arrival Day - Best Transportation MK and Ohanas

[Frozen2014]

We're coming in October. Our flight lands around 1:30pm and then we'll have to get our luggage and pick up a rental car. We'll be staying at Art of Animation. At first I thought we'd just head to DTD, but then when we were told that 5 day park tickets was only $40 more than 4 day tickets, we thought we'd skip DTD and head over the MK. Then planning on dinner at Ohana's.

So in summary..

• Check in at Art of Animation mid afternoon
• Head to Magic Kingdom
• Dinner at Ohanas
• Back to Art of Animation for evening

My question is....
Are we best to drive to MK, then grab our car and drive to Polynesian for dinner and then drive back to AoA?
Or best to to drive to MK, take monorail to Polynesian, monorail back to MK, then drive back to AoA?
Use Disney bus to MK, take monorail to Polynesian, then bus back to AoA?
Or use taxi at some point in there?
Or is dinner at Ohana's just silly based on our schedule?

I know that parking at MK involves taking a tram and a monorail...so none of these options seems wonderful. I do like the idea of having our own transportation though since we'll have a rental car.

Would love to hear thoughts. Thanks.

 

[Hibernians]

Might it be easier to drive the car to Poly, then hop on the monorail to MK. Return to Poly via monorail for Ohana dinner, then drive the car back to your hotel ?

 

[si-am]

Might it be easier to drive the car to Poly, then hop on the monorail to MK. Return to Poly via monorail for Ohana dinner, then drive the car back to your hotel ?

I'm not sure this is allowed. You might be able to only park at Poly for 3 hours on a guest pass.

I don't mind longer travel times using buses (because I hate driving on vacation), so I'd take the bus from AoA to MK, then monorail to Poly, then back to MK after dinner (if it's open-- if not, then bus to another park or DTD), then back to AoA.

Otherwise, your best bet will be to park at TTC (the parking lot for MK) if you want to drive yourself. Then you can use the monorail to gett to MK and Poly.

Neither is totally convenient, but not that annoying in the grand scheme of things!

 

[Frozen2014]

Might it be easier to drive the car to Poly, then hop on the monorail to MK. Return to Poly via monorail for Ohana dinner, then drive the car back to your hotel ?

I didn't know you could park at Polynesian for 'the day' if you're not staying at that resort. We would have an ADR though, so great option if that works. Would parking be free?

 

[Itinkso]

We recently stayed at AoA and took the bus to MK rather than drive. Not sure when your dinner is, but, if you are running late at AoA, you can drive and valet park at Poly for dinner. $15 to valet park but then there are no worries.

 

[GoMegGo]

I second valet at Poly. It's an extra $15, but I think it's worth to have the convenience of transportation.

 

[lovesdumbo]

When you drive to MK you park at Transpotation & Ticket Center. You can walk to Poly from there. So you could drive to TTC, take monorail or ferry to MK, take monorail or resort boat to Poly for dinner, walk from Poly to TTC where car is parked.

 

[DHSbutcher]

What time is your reservation at Ohana's? That will definitely determine everything. If it's at 5, drive to TTC, walk to poly(there's a path on far left past the bathrooms when you approach from the parking lot.) after dinner head to MK. If your reservation is later say at 8 or 9, I'd drive to TTC park, take monorail to MK for afternoon then leave and take monorail to dinner reservation. Long story short, drive and park at TTC will be your best bet. The TTC and poly are right next to each other and are connected by a very small path through the bushes.

 

[Frozen2014]

I second valet at Poly. It's an extra $15, but I think it's worth to have the convenience of transportation.

By valet parking, this means that for the charge of $15, we could just keep our car there? (I'm used to valet parking just meaning that someone parks the car for you...but nothing else on top of that). I'm guessing by the time we rent the car, check in, etc...that we won't be at MK (or Polyneisan) until 3:30pm or 4pm. No ADR yet but am hoping for 6:30 or 7pm (we may get kicked out of MK if its' a MNSSHP night). Since we won't have a ton of time, this does seem like a good option.

Also, where even is parking at MK? I'm not even seeing it on the map.

 

[Itinkso]

You can leave your car in Valet parking for as long as you'd like. By Valet parking there, you are also free to Valet park at any other Deluxe hotel if you want to explore after dinner especially if there is MNSSHP.

 

[siskaren]

Also, where even is parking at MK? I'm not even seeing it on the map.

It's at the Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC) which is where lovesdumbo recommended to park.

 

[Frozen2014]

It's at the Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC) which is where lovesdumbo recommended to park.

Sorry, can I ask where it is relative on this map? (even if its off the map, then "below...")

http://www.floridathemeparks.com/images/Magic-Kingdom-Park1.jpg

 

[ChadsGirl]

Sorry, can I ask where it is relative on this map? (even if its off the map, then "below...")

http://www.floridathemeparks.com/images/Magic-Kingdom-Park1.jpg

It's way off that map. Take a look at this one. Maybe someone else will have another one...

http://allears.net/tp/wdwpropertymap.pdf

 

[mesaboy2]

Sorry, can I ask where it is relative on this map? (even if its off the map, then "below...") http://www.floridathemeparks.com/images/Magic-Kingdom-Park1.jpg

See Seven Seas Lagoon at the extreme bottom? The TTC is on the other side of that, a good mile away or so. You cross it by ferry or go around it by monorail.

 

[Minniedap]

If you really want to drive, then do as lovesdumbo suggested and park at TTC center. This will be free as you are a resort guest. The walk between TTC and Poly is simple as previous posted mentioned. We have done this several times. Personally, I would take the bus to MK, monorail to Poly and then monorail back to MK.

 

[The Hendies]

Our family would use WDW transportation all the way. Take a bus to MK. Then, depending on when your 'Ohana reservations are, either go into MK or go to dinner via Resort Monorail. If you are headed right to 'Ohana, then after dinner, again use the Resort Monorail to MK. That way at the end of the day, you can hop on the AoA bus back to the resort.

I will say, however, that our room at AoA was so far from the buses, that we drove our car closer to Animation Hall so we didn't have a long walk at the end of the day.

 

[Frozen2014]

Our family would use WDW transportation all the way. Take a bus to MK. Then, depending on when your 'Ohana reservations are, either go into MK or go to dinner via Resort Monorail. If you are headed right to 'Ohana, then after dinner, again use the Resort Monorail to MK. That way at the end of the day, you can hop on the AoA bus back to the resort.

I will say, however, that our room at AoA was so far from the buses, that we drove our car closer to Animation Hall so we didn't have a long walk at the end of the day.

Thanks for all the suggestions and explaining the parking and stuff. Our ADR isn't booked yet, but am hoping something like...

• flight arrives at 1:30pm
• arrive at 'parking' / MK around 4pm or 4:30pm
• dinner at Ohana's at 7pm
• back to Art of Animation

Based on last year's dates, that night will be MNSSHP, plus I'm sure we'll all be tired after our first day of travels. Our little one will be only 5 so don't plan on making it a late night

Sounds like the best option is park at TTC, take monorail over to MK. Then monorail to Ohana's at Polynesian, then walk back to car. Didn't realize that the TTC is walkable from Polynesian (and not a bad thing after a big dinner). That does help.

Oh, and we requested a Lion King suite at AofA, which I heard is near the parking. Fingers crossed.