Best place to park?

[forever-maria]

So I've been combing the dis and calendars to try to figure out what will work best.

On the last day of our trip, we (4 recent college grads) are going to Epcot for rope drop and a day of relaxed exploring, and then dinner at California Grill to watch Wishes. We're staying at POR.

Epcot closes at 9pm,
MK closes at 8pm,
our ADR at CG is at 8pm.

Options:
- park at epcot to save time in the morning, take monorail to Contemporary, but I think the monorail will be closed by the time we finish eating so I'm not sure what we'd do?
- cut the difference and park at TTC, take monorail to epcot in the morning and then after dinner take monorail back to TTC. Again, I'm worried the monorail would already be stopped running?
- park at epcot, drive to contemporary for dinner, drive back to POR after dinner. This might be the most efficient... but the least fun since we were hoping to experience taking the monorail into the contemporary.
- something else? rely on buses?

Or, this just occurred to me, maybe I should aim for an earlier ADR so that we finish eating and then watch Wishes, and then could take the monorail? But this cuts into Epcot time... hmmm....

All advice or suggestions are appreciated! Am I missing anything? What would you do?

 

[Strawberry's mom&dad]

The resort monorail runs until midnight so getting back to the TTC wouldn't be a problem. You are correct that driving would be the most efficient.

 

[forever-maria]

Oh! That would be great! Everything I've found said that the resort monorail closed 1 hour after MK closes... does it say midnight anywhere official? In case it matters, this would be January 9th. Thanks

 

[goofy4tink]

To the best of my knowledge, the monorail isn't running that late anymore..not if the park closes at 8pm.
I would park at the TTC in the morning, take the Epcot monorail over, and back. Then your car will be right there for you. If the monorail isn't running, there will be alternative methods of transport back to TTC.

Or, drive to the CR in the morning, pay to valet park, then monorail over to Epcot and back.

 

[KrazeeK120]

I tend to be risk averse and kind of a super-planner. I understand that you want to experience the monorail (who doesn't?). I would do what goofy4tink suggested in her last line and valet park at the Contemporary. I think it's only $15 or $20 (someone correct me if I'm wrong). Split between 4 people, that's only a couple of bucks per person and it would give you peace of mind that you will be able to get your car right after you eat.