Best Way to get to MK early

[KathleenlovesMickey]

What is the best way to get into the Magic Kingdom first thing in the morning? I am always amazed at how many people are already there when I arrive and I try to get there early. What time are the first buses or monorail to MK?

 

[POOHsie]

What is the best way to get into the Magic Kingdom first thing in the morning? I am always amazed at how many people are already there when I arrive and I try to get there early. What time are the first buses or monorail to MK?

You don't say where you're coming to MK from. I've read that resort buses to MK start picking up at 6:30am. Otherwise if you park at the TTC, there are Disney buses there early (to the east of the monorail ramps) to take you across the lake to the front gate. In addition to people waiting for rope drop, some have even earlier breakfast ADRs inside MK.

I'd say next to start service would be the ferry, and last, the monorail -- which has temporarily been running less hours.

 

[KathleenlovesMickey]

Thanks we are staying at Art of Animation this time but we have a car that we will be using. So it sounds like the boats are the best bet. I would assume they would start an hour before park opens?

 

[Dan Murphy]

I would suggest the bus, starts running about 6:30.

 

[POOHsie]

Thanks we are staying at Art of Animation this time but we have a car that we will be using. So it sounds like the boats are the best bet. I would assume they would start an hour before park opens?

Something like an hour early for the big TTC ferry. The little monorail-resort boats for GF and Poly don't start until 8:30. Weather (lightning in the area) plays a factor in watercraft operation.

Any experienced WDW visitor will tell you, and I agree, that you are best off to drive your car to AK, EP and DHS. But to get to MK, it's best to take the Disney bus from a resort. Reason why is the MK bus takes you to the north side of Seven Seas Lagoon, next to the MK front entrance gate. If you drive to MK, you have a tie-up at the ticket booths, then a tie-up waiting to be assigned a spot in the TTC parking lot. Wait for the tram, or possibly the second one to come along. From there you're still on the opposite side of the lake from the MK entrance. You have to bus it, take the ferry or monorail to complete your trip to MK. Same happens in reverse at the end of a long, hot day in the park. You have an advantage with your stay at AoA. You can take either the AoA or Pop bus from MK. If one has a long-ish line, you have an option.

 

[Disney_Princess83]

What is the best way to get into the Magic Kingdom first thing in the morning? I am always amazed at how many people are already there when I arrive and I try to get there early. What time are the first buses or monorail to MK?

The buses start 45 minutes to an hour before the first dining reservation or park opening. So even if MK opens at 9am, the first breakfast reservation is from 8:05am so buses would start from the resorts between 7am - 7:15am.

 

[Alesia]

The buses start 45 minutes to an hour before the first dining reservation or park opening. So even if MK opens at 9am, the first breakfast reservation is from 8:05am so buses would start from the resorts between 7am - 7:15am.

This is incorrect. The buses start at 6:30 every single morning to every single park.

 

[Disney_Princess83]

This is incorrect. The buses start at 6:30 every single morning to every single park.

I believe your information but I've never been able to get a bus to AK or HS or Epcot before 7am. We have been waiting at the bus stop at various resorts prior to 7am and we've never had any bus turn up before then (unless a park is opening at 7am) And when we have asked Guest Relations at both Resorts and Parks, that is the information we have always been told.

 

[Robo]

This is incorrect. The buses start at 6:30 every single morning to every single park.

And...
on mornings when MK offers AM EMH starting at 7AM, the resort buses will be rolling even earlier.

 

[Disney_Princess83]

And...
on mornings when MK offers AM EMH starting at 7AM, the resort buses will be rolling even earlier.

Sorry for giving out the wrong information. It was just based on my own experience and information from Disney. That being said, we go during very quiet times too so Parks never open before 8am even for EMH.

 

[Alesia]

I believe your information but I've never been able to get a bus to AK or HS or Epcot before 7am. We have been waiting at the bus stop at various resorts prior to 7am and we've never had any bus turn up before then (unless a park is opening at 7am) And when we have asked Guest Relations at both Resorts and Parks, that is the information we have always been told.

I've been on buses before 7:00 multiple times They do run less frequently at that hour, though, so you'd need to be at the stop right at 6:30 and the bus will come along a few minutes later.

A piece of advice: never ask a non-transportation CM a transportation question. There's a remarkably high chance that you'll get bad information. If you want transportation info, ask a bus driver (just don't believe anything they tell you about the parks.

 

[Disney_Princess83]

I've been on buses before 7:00 multiple times They do run less frequently at that hour, though, so you'd need to be at the stop right at 6:30 and the bus will come along a few minutes later.

A piece of advice: never ask a non-transportation CM a transportation question. There's a remarkably high chance that you'll get bad information. If you want transportation info, ask a bus driver (just don't believe anything they tell you about the parks.

I've been to WDW many many times. Perhaps because we go during quieter times and we wouldn't be at the bus stop at 6:30am (no need when the Parks don't open until 9am) Although I've had bus drivers say after 7am as well on days when the Parks open at 9am When we have gotten to the bus stop at 6:45am, we have always waited until 7am usually much closer to 7:15am before a bus comes along, regardless of the resort.

 

[jennygirlmt]

If you drive to MK, you have a tie-up at the ticket booths, then a tie-up waiting to be assigned a spot in the TTC parking lot. Wait for the tram, or possibly the second one to come along. From there you're still on the opposite side of the lake from the MK entrance. You have to bus it, take the ferry or monorail to complete your trip to MK. Same happens in reverse at the end of a long, hot day in the park. You have an advantage with your stay at AoA. You can take either the AoA or Pop bus from MK. If one has a long-ish line, you have an option.

We spent one day at MK two years ago on a through trip to Spring Training. I insisted we get there early. Park opened at 8. We left Windsor Hills at 6:50, got there at 7 am and parked in the very front row right in front of the Monorail. Walked up to the track, got on and zoomed right to the gate by 7:10. I couldn't believe it.

We are there 4 days this year and have a rental car while staying on Disney property. I'm still unsure of whether to drive and assume getting there an hour before open will be enough or if we should take the bus from POR.

 

[Alesia]

I've been to WDW many many times. Perhaps because we go during quieter times and we wouldn't be at the bus stop at 6:30am (no need when the Parks don't open until 9am) Although I've had bus drivers say after 7am as well on days when the Parks open at 9am When we have gotten to the bus stop at 6:45am, we have always waited until 7am usually much closer to 7:15am before a bus comes along, regardless of the resort.

That's actually about right. Buses roll out at 6:30, arrive at resorts about 6:35 to 6:40. Since buses run less frequently, the next bus will arrive about 30 minutes later - 7:10 or so. If you arrive at 6:45, you will have just missed the first bus and will have a bit of a wait for the second one.

 

[Disney_Princess83]

That's actually about right. Buses roll out at 6:30, arrive at resorts about 6:35 to 6:40. Since buses run less frequently, the next bus will arrive about 30 minutes later - 7:10 or so. If you arrive at 6:45, you will have just missed the first bus and will have a bit of a wait for the second one.

Thanks for that. We have probably always just missed the first bus (we'd never make a 6:30am bus )

 

[msb578]

Something like an hour early for the big TTC ferry. The little monorail-resort boats for GF and Poly don't start until 8:30. Weather (lightning in the area) plays a factor in watercraft operation. Any experienced WDW visitor will tell you, and I agree, that you are best off to drive your car to AK, EP and DHS. But to get to MK, it's best to take the Disney bus from a resort. Reason why is the MK bus takes you to the north side of Seven Seas Lagoon, next to the MK front entrance gate. If you drive to MK, you have a tie-up at the ticket booths, then a tie-up waiting to be assigned a spot in the TTC parking lot. Wait for the tram, or possibly the second one to come along. From there you're still on the opposite side of the lake from the MK entrance. You have to bus it, take the ferry or monorail to complete your trip to MK. Same happens in reverse at the end of a long, hot day in the park. You have an advantage with your stay at AoA. You can take either the AoA or Pop bus from MK. If one has a long-ish line, you have an option.

I'll be the contrarian regarding bus vs car to MK.

For EMH rope drop we drove from Sports to TTC. Parked in a front row, didn't need a tram, walked right onto a ferry. It was more pleasant than our bus experience.

If you get there when the parking lot is empty, it's a closer call than later in the day.

 

[Robo]

That's actually about right. Buses roll out at 6:30, arrive at resorts about 6:35 to 6:40. Since buses run less frequently, the next bus will arrive about 30 minutes later - 7:10 or so. If you arrive at 6:45, you will have just missed the first bus and will have a bit of a wait for the second one.

Sorry, but this info is rapidly becoming a "Disney legend."

While it might be the percieved case on selected mornings,
(and it often gets repeated on these boards)
there is not a "specified schedule" of 6:30am buses, followed by a 30 minute "hole."

The buses roll out 6:30-ish and get dispatched by computer to the various resorts and parks. They reach their destinations and are dispatched, again and again, to the various locations according to the guest-levels (either actual, or pre-calculated.) Assuming enough buses are rolling on any given day, the "10-20 minutes between buses" average should be maintained from 6:30-ish, forward until the parks have been open for a couple of hours, at least.

In my personal experience (multiple resorts, dozens of trips, nearly always to the parks advance of rope-drop and/or an early ADR) we've always encountered multiple buses to the parks in the early mornings... rollin', rollin', rollin'.

Can there be a "hole?" You bethca! But, it will generally be to the park "YOU are headed for."

In the mean time (in that same "hole" of time) you will generally encounter multiple buses heading elsewhere.
If there was, indeed, a calculated "30 minute hole" after the first park bus runs,
guests would see NO buses at their location between, say 6:40 and 7:10am.

 

[Mikie]

I've been on buses before 7:00 multiple times They do run less frequently at that hour, though, so you'd need to be at the stop right at 6:30 and the bus will come along a few minutes later.

A piece of advice: never ask a non-transportation CM a transportation question. There's a remarkably high chance that you'll get bad information. If you want transportation info, ask a bus driver (just don't believe anything they tell you about the parks.

Ain't that the truth! I had 3 different front desk CMs tell me that buses start running 1 hour before park open and insist, even with prompting, that it was the case. . . The buses drive right by their doors every day! I knew there were earlier, less frequent "breakfast buses" but couldn't get a CM who knew the timing until one overheard our conversation and pulled out some small "cheat sheet" with the info on it. Those early buses do run less frequently and may stop at another resort even when your usual buses don't (I.e. Pop and AofA usually have their own buses, but one bus may service both on the early runs)

 

[wisblue]

We were at the bus stop at AS Movies at 6:30 this AM to get the DME and we saw buses arriving for each park.