Best route from Swan/Dolphin to Grand Floridian??

[perla75]

What is the easiest & quickest route & mode of transportation from the Swan/Dolphin to the Grand Floridian?

About how long would it take to get there?

Thanks!

 

[TaraPA]

If you mean driving in your own vehicle I have no idea...but I stayed at The Dolphin 3 weeks ago, and on my check-out day I wanted to see the Grand Floridian before hitting MK for a few hours. I took the Disney bus to MK, walked over to the monorail, and took the Resort monorail to GF. It didn't take that long at all.

 

[kirbsam]

walk or boat to studios and bus to gf is another option.

 

[perla75]

Sorry, I should have clarified a bit!! I mean without a car.

I'm planning for a group of several people to get to the GF for an afternoon ADR.

Don't know if it makes more sense to:
1) walk to DHS & grab a bus
2) walk to Epcot & grab a bus
3) grab an MK bus from the S/D (or another BW resort) and walk
4) a different option

My guess is a cab would be unnecessarily expensive.

Looking for the quickest route with the least amount of walking.

Thanks!

 

[deej696]

You can take the Swalphin bus to MK and then hop on the monorail or boat over to GF. Walking from MK to GF is not an option unless you want to swim across a canal Otherwise, walking to DHS and grabbing a GF bus is probably your other best bet. I wouldnt take the boat to DHS, because walking is almost always guaranteed to be faster. I always walk it, and it is rare that a boat actually passes me in the canal...

 

[perla75]

You can take the Swalphin bus to MK and then hop on the monorail or boat over to GF. Walking from MK to GF is not an option unless you want to swim across a canal Otherwise, walking to DHS and grabbing a GF bus is probably your other best bet. I wouldnt take the boat to DHS, because walking is almost always guaranteed to be faster. I always walk it, and it is rare that a boat actually passes me in the canal...

Thanks for the info!!
I think I might go with the Swalphin laughing: I like that!) bus to MK, then monorail option. Normally, I would always choose the walk through the park, but I'm trying to figure out transport options for guests for our wedding lunch reception & some guests might be in high heels or uncomfortable formal clothes for a lengthy walk.

 

[deej696]

Having just had our wedding at Disney last week, I agree with your thoughts there, because the less walking is definitely the better!

 

[perla75]

Having just had our wedding at Disney last week, I agree with your thoughts there, because the less walking is definitely the better!

Yup! We'll have about 15 guests all trying to get to the GF from the S/D. Some will be transporting young children as well-I'm trying to make it easy for them so I don't lose my guests in the transition!

About how long do you think that bus->MK->monorail process will take? It will be during a low crowd season (early December)

Congratulations!!! I've been following Meg's TR

 

[deej696]

I would budget an hour to be safe. Worst case is you get there early and check out the resort's christmas decorations and gingerbread house. It will probably be more like 45 mins, but better to be early than late. Depends on how long you end up having to wait for the bus at S/D, then you have about a 5 minute walk to the monorail station, then GF is last stop on the monorail from MK. You could also take the boat, but by the time you walk from the dock to the main building at GF, the time difference is likely about the same...

 

[perla75]

I would budget an hour to be safe. Worst case is you get there early and check out the resort's christmas decorations and gingerbread house. It will probably be more like 45 mins, but better to be early than late. Depends on how long you end up having to wait for the bus at S/D, then you have about a 5 minute walk to the monorail station, then GF is last stop on the monorail from MK. You could also take the boat, but by the time you walk from the dock to the main building at GF, the time difference is likely about the same...

Thank you! Do the boats run fairly often? I think I'll give guests the option of taking the boat or monorail.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

I agree that the bus to MK, then monorail to GF is probably the best bet. However, I would budget at least 1.5 hours for the trip. According to the UG, the trip from the Swan to MK averages 38 minutes, with a worst case of 50 minutes. The trip on the monorail should take about 18-23 minutes with a 10 minute walk to the monorail station. So best case is about 66 minutes and worst case is about 83 minutes!

Just a note, the UG does not show times for MK to GF, so I used the estimates of Cont to MK instead.

My limited expereince with the boat from MK to GF is that it was slower; usually because the wait for the boat was much longer than the wait for the monorail.

Best of luck -- Suzanne

 

[1000th happy haunt]

Don't know if it makes more sense to:
1) walk to DHS & grab a bus
2) walk to Epcot & grab a bus
3) grab an MK bus from the S/D (or another BW resort) and walk
4) a different option

You can't walk to the Grand Floridian from the Magic Kingdom. You would have to walk on water to do that. But you can take the monorail from the Magic Kingdom, or use the Poly/Grand Flo boat.

 

[TaraPA]

Yup! We'll have about 15 guests all trying to get to the GF from the S/D. Some will be transporting young children as well-I'm trying to make it easy for them so I don't lose my guests in the transition!

About how long do you think that bus->MK->monorail process will take? It will be during a low crowd season (early December)

Congratulations!!! I've been following Meg's TR

With that group & kids I would strongly discourage you from walking to DHS or Epcot to catch a bus....the walk to Epcot is only about 20 min. (but everyone would need to have park hopper passes since you enter at the back of Epcot at the International Gateway - you'd then have to walk clear across Future World & out the front entrance for a bus to MK.) The walk to DHS is long - a good 30 min. - probably more with the size of your group & kids. Plus the walk is brutal in the heat!

 

[TaraPA]

I agree that the bus to MK, then monorail to GF is probably the best bet. However, I would budget at least 1.5 hours for the trip. According to the UG, the trip from the Swan to MK averages 38 minutes, with a worst case of 50 minutes. The trip on the monorail should take about 18-23 minutes with a 10 minute walk to the monorail station. So best case is about 66 minutes and worst case is about 83 minutes!

Just a note, the UG does not show times for MK to GF, so I used the estimates of Cont to MK instead.

My limited expereince with the boat from MK to GF is that it was slower; usually because the wait for the boat was much longer than the wait for the monorail.

Best of luck -- Suzanne

WOW we really lucked out 4 weeks ago - we only waited about 5 min. at The Dolphin for the bus to MK, had a 10 min. bus ride to MK, got right off & walked about 5 min. to the monorail station, and only waited maybe 2 min. for the monorail. We were at GF roughly 30 min. after we left our room!

Of course there's always the day when you "justmissed" the bus to MK & wait a good 20 min. for the next one if not longer...