Busses

[bball15fan]

I plan on doing some hotel touring this summer and want to know what resorts share buses. For example, I know Contemporary and Poly share buses.
Any help would be great! I know some share boats as well, so I'm thinking the best ways to get around.

 

[figment_jii]

Touring the monorail resorts is easy (Poly, GF, CR). They're connected via the monorail (CR -> TTC -> Poly -> GF -> MK -> CR). Then you can get off at the MK and take a launch to WL or FW.

The Epcot resorts are similarly easy...you can walk from one to the next easily. The friendship boats make a circuit between DHS and Epcot and stop at the various resorts along the way ((IG -> BW -> YC/BC -> S/D -> DHS -> S/D -> YC/BC -> BW -> IG).

There's an internal shuttle for AKL and Kidani Village.

 

[bball15fan]

those I did figure out. Thank you...what is the best ways for the others? such as the all-stars?

 

[figment_jii]

those I did figure out. Thank you...what is the best ways for the others? such as the all-stars?

Generally all three All Stars share a bus route. I think the GF and WL also share a route sometimes. AKL/AKV, Pop, and Art of Animation are stand alone routes (I think). I also think the two Port Orleans resorts share a route.

The routes sometime vary depending where you get on the bus. For example, from MK the BW/S/D share a bus while from DTD all five Epcot resports share a route (BW/S/D/YC/BC).

Finally, the route are subject to change, so be sure to ask the driver if they're going to the resort(s) you want before getting on the bus.

 

[abner1776]

OKW does not share busses except for DTD busses which will stop at SSR. OKW does not share because the busses make 5 stops within the resort anyway.

When we stayed at BWV, the busses stopped at the Swan and sometimes at CBR.

I think that the Dolphin, YC and BC also share a bus route.

As far as the boats, there are two boat routes that serve the Swan, Dolphin, BWI/BWV, YC and BC as well as DHS and Epcot. One of them does all of the resorts and DHS and the other one does all of the resorts and Epcot.

 

[figment_jii]

When we stayed at BWV, the busses stopped at the Swan and sometimes at CBR.

I think that the Dolphin, YC and BC also share a bus route.

Interesting...whenever I've stayed at the BW or BC, the routes have always lumped S/D together. The BW usually shares with S/D and I've not seen CBR. CBR is sometimes lumped with BW for DME.

As far as the boats, there are two boat routes that serve the Swan, Dolphin, BWI/BWV, YC and BC as well as DHS and Epcot. One of them does all of the resorts and DHS and the other one does all of the resorts and Epcot.

I don't think it is quite right. All of the boats go to Epcot, DHS and the three resorts stop, but sometimes one of the parks is left off if it's an hour past closing. So for example, if DHS closes at 8:00 pm, then after 9:00 pm, the boats go Epcot -> BW -> YC/BC -> S/D -> YC/BC -> BW -> Epcot. The same is true if Epcot has been closed for an hour, but DHS is still open or within an hour of it's closing time. There are not two different stops/routes for the boats during the day when both parks are open.

 

[elaw]

I think the GF and WL also share a route sometimes ....

Confirmed
Our last trip, they shared in the morning but not in the evening.

 

[disnut8]

those I did figure out. Thank you...what is the best ways for the others? such as the all-stars?

To visit resorts from your own resort, it's sometimes easier to get a bus to a park and then get the visiting resort bus from there.

 

[bball15fan]

Thank you for all the great info!

 

[sndral]

I'll admit, I like boat rides, I blame it on memories of the jungle cruise from my youth. So I offer interesting boat rides w/ resorts thrown in, in no particular order:
The boat ride along the river to/from DTD and POFQ/POR. Just grab the DTD bus from your resort then hop on the POFQ/POR boat and ride to POFQ, get off, grab some beignets, hop back on to ride to POR, get off and wander a bit, then ride the boat back to DTD. It's a nice relaxing ride along the river.
SSR and OKW are also close to DTD, as well, but I'm not familiar w/ getting to/from them and what there is to see or do there.
I really like the boat rides from the front of MK to FW/WL - it's a nice long ride. Bonus points if you're on the boat and get to stop while the electric water parade goes chugging past. The rides to GF/Poly are shorter - but very pretty - especially at night w/ everything lit up.
The Epcot resort boat ride - take the bus to DHS, walk down to the boat ramp and ride the boat to each of the resorts - Swolphin/BWI/BC YC, getting off then back on @ each stop. Not as scenic, IMO, as the others - but great for packing a lot of resorts into a fairly short ride. Then enter the back of Epcot and stroll through. Or go out front of any of the resorts and grab a bus to any park to transition back to your resort.

 

[katiee37]

Oftentimes bus schedules change daily to accommodate changing crowd levels. Like if there's a route with one than more resort, they may bring out two busses at park closing, one for each resort on the normal route. The posted pick-up stations are where busses for the resort pick up, but just because it's shared with another resort doesn't always mean you're always share a bus with them.

 

[emptynesters2013]

As far as our bus experience so far this week, we are here at the Polynesian right now and experienced three resorts on one bus last night. The GF, Poly and Contemporary. We waited an hour to leave Hollywood studios and finally got back to the hotel 45 minutes after boarding and it wasn't closing time! A very long night!