best way to get to polynesian luau

[disneyusa13]

Hi, What way would u suggest to get from animal kingdom to the polynesian luau (starts at 5:15)? How long will it take to get there? Would u suggest parking at wdw and going to animal kingdom from there since animal kingdom will b closed by time we would get back to the park to get the vehicle? What's the best route to get from wdw to animal kingdom? Does the monorail go to hollywood studios and animal kingdom? Sorry if this confuses u. Have a great day.

 

[Paging Tom Morrow]

I would drive to AK and then drive to Poly.

 

[wdwrich]

Does the monorail go to hollywood studios and animal kingdom?

No. The monorail services MK, Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC) and the deluxe resorts around Seven Seas Lagoon where the MK is located (Poly, Grand Floridian and Contemporary). There is a connecting line (requiring a transfer at the TTC (which is also the MK parking lot) that runs to EPCOT. The other parks can be reached by bus.

It sounds like this may be your first visit to WDW. I highly suggest you do some research before your trip. WDW is a huge property and can be overwhelming and frustrating if you don't have a handle on the lay of the land. There are lots of on-line sites that can help including The Dis and AllEarsNet.com.

The previous poster gave good advice- drive to AK and then drive to the Poly for the luau.

 

[bdklein]

Hi, What way would u suggest to get from animal kingdom to the polynesian luau (starts at 5:15)? How long will it take to get there? Would u suggest parking at wdw and going to animal kingdom from there since animal kingdom will b closed by time we would get back to the park to get the vehicle? What's the best route to get from wdw to animal kingdom? Does the monorail go to hollywood studios and animal kingdom? Sorry if this confuses u. Have a great day.

Two questions that will affect the answer.

1. Are you staying onsite or offsite?
2. What are your plans after the luau?

 

[disneyusa13]

Two questions that will affect the answer.

1. Are you staying onsite or offsite?
2. What are your plans after the luau?

We rented a house. Not sure--- We thought we would head to MK afterward. How long do u think it would take to drive to Polynesian from AK? I'm thinking we could take the monorail to MK. Thank you.

 

[seashoreCM]

If you drive to the Polynesian for the luau then you must drive out afterwards, say, to the Magic Kingdom parking (Ticket & Transportation Center) when going to MK.

Or you can drive to TTC for the luau and everything. From there take the monorail (one stop) to the Poly' (or walk, about 5 minutes, to the Poly').

Exception: If you use valet parking at a resort, you can leave the car there for the rest of the day and/or evening.

 

[bdklein]

We rented a house. Not sure--- We thought we would head to MK afterward. How long do u think it would take to drive to Polynesian from AK? I'm thinking we could take the monorail to MK. Thank you.

Not sure of drive time but I don't think it's more than 15 minutes.

Not sure if money matters but you wil have to pay to park at AK. If you drive to the TTC to park for the luau and MK you will not have to pay to park again as long as you show the proper credentials. If you drive to the Poly you can park for 3 hours no charge. You can valet park for around 15 bucks and leave car there as long as you want-meaning go to MK after luau.

When you go to the MK from the Poly you can take the boat (the MK is the first stop) or the monorail (it's the second stop -GF then MK).

Return methods from MK to your car will depend on where you left your car.

Hope that helped and didn't confuse.

 

[joelkfla]

If you don't mind riding the buses:

1. Park at the MK parking lot in the a.m.. (which is actually at the TTC)
2. Bus direct to DAK for the day
3. Bus from DAK direct to Poly
4. Monorail or boat to MK
5. Monorail or ferryboat to TTC & parking

You will pay once to enter the MK parking lot. All WDW buses, boats, and monorails are free to all.

Plan on about 45 minutes from the time you park your car to get to DAK. That includes walking from the car to the bus stop at TTC, waiting up to 15 minutes for the bus, a 15 minute bus ride, and a short walk from the bus stop to the DAK gate.

Allow an hour and a half to get from DAK to Poly by bus. The bus stops at Contemporary before Poly, so the ride is about 10 minutes longer. You'll be leaving DAK right after the parade, so you might have to wait an extra 15 minutes for a 2nd bus. Plus you want to get to the luau a little bit before the start time.

If you decide to park at DAK and then drive to TTC, the drive time is about 15-20 minutes. But -- you need to allow time to ride the tram from the DAK gate out to your car, ride another tram from the MK parking lot into the TTC, and then walk to Poly (or ride the Resort Monorail 1 stop). I'm not sure how often the trams run in from the parking lot to TTC at that time of day; I know I have waited as long as 15-20 minutes for a tram out to the lot when I've left MK in the afternoon.

If you decide to drive right to Poly after DAK, you will either have to move your car when you go to MK, or park valet and pay a separate parking fee. That will cut the time for the tram and walk on the Poly end, but you still need to allow time to get to your car in the DAK parking lot.

 

[Polydweller]

Hi, What way would u suggest to get from animal kingdom to the polynesian luau (starts at 5:15)? How long will it take to get there? Would u suggest parking at wdw and going to animal kingdom from there since animal kingdom will b closed by time we would get back to the park to get the vehicle? What's the best route to get from wdw to animal kingdom? Does the monorail go to hollywood studios and animal kingdom? Sorry if this confuses u. Have a great day.

As someone else said, looks like you might be a first time so first a little terminology help. WDW is the entire area and includes all the theme parks, all water parks, Downtown Disney, all resorts and all the land around. It's massive at about 47 sq mi. What I think you are referring to as WDW is actually Magic Kingdom (MI). It's a good thing you are planning it will make things much more pleasant.

The distance from Animal Kingdom (AK) to the Polynesian is about 9-10 miles and will take about 15 minutes. But, give yourself more like 45 minutes to allow the time to get to your car, drive to the Poly, get through the gate, park, walk through the lobby (Great Ceremonial House) and then to the luau. Lots of places to get slowed down.

 

[disneyusa13]

What is the earliest we can arrive at MK to get the bus for DAK?

 

[wdwrich]

Hopefully, I'm not going to confuse the issue even further, but now that I know you are planning to go to MK after the luau, here is what I would do:

Drive and park at DAK in the morning. This makes it easy to get there for park opening. Leave DAK an hour before the luau and park at the TTC (MK) parking lot. (Show your receipt from DAK parking and you won't have to pay again.) Walk over to the Poly (it's right next to the TTC and there is a marked walkway) for the luau. Boat or monorail from the Poly to MK after the luau.
At the end of the night, boat or monorail back to your car at TTC.

This arrangement gets you to DAK early without a bunch of transportation hassles, and actually lets you avoid the buses altogether.

 

[joelkfla]

What is the earliest we can arrive at MK to get the bus for DAK?

I think the 1st bus is at 8, for a 9 a.m. park opening. Not sure when DAK opens at 8.

Leave DAK an hour before the luau and park at the TTC (MK) parking lot.

I haven't actually done this trip, but I think 1 hour sounds bit tight, considering 2 tram rides and at least a 10-minute walk to the luau area are involved. I would allow at least 1:15, maybe even 1:30.

 

[wdwrich]

I haven't actually done this trip, but I think 1 hour sounds bit tight, considering 2 tram rides and at least a 10-minute walk to the luau area are involved. I would allow at least 1:15, maybe even 1:30.

Possibly, but like anything else- it depends on a couple of things. If one were to arrive at the DAK parking lot at or before opening, you would park close to the gate so no tram would be necessary. Also, arriving at the TTC parking lot late in the afternoon, we have frequently found spots close to the front where early folks have already started leaving MK, again requiring no tram ride. However, with all travel at WDW, allowing extra time is almost always a good idea.