Can someone explain TTC?

[ErinInCT]

Trying to decide where to stay for our trip Sept 2014. I'd like to stay at AKL but dread the bus situation to anywhere but AK. We will have a car. We've driven to DHS and EPCOT in the past and had no problem parking. I've heard parking at MK and then taking the tram to the park could take just as long as taking the bus.

I understand parking at a monorail resort is not allowed. Is this for everyone or would our parking pass for AKL allow us access to the CR parking lot?

What exactly is the TTC and how does it work? This is where the monorail/boat is that goes to EPCOT and MK right? Is this parking lot free if we have our AKL parking pass? Would this take as much time as just taking the bus from AKL? I'm thinking the kids would like the boat or monorail better than the bus.

If the bus is that big of an issue we'll just stay at BCV or BLT. We will only be visiting EPCOT and MK during the trip with DHS the last day so we'll drive and then go right from there to the airport.

Thanks for your advice/help!

 

[amomma23]

Trying to decide where to stay for our trip Sept 2014. I'd like to stay at AKL but dread the bus situation to anywhere but AK. We will have a car. We've driven to DHS and EPCOT in the past and had no problem parking. I've heard parking at MK and then taking the tram to the park could take just as long as taking the bus.

I understand parking at a monorail resort is not allowed. Is this for everyone or would our parking pass for AKL allow us access to the CR parking lot?

What exactly is the TTC and how does it work? This is where the monorail/boat is that goes to EPCOT and MK right? Is this parking lot free if we have our AKL parking pass? Would this take as much time as just taking the bus from AKL? I'm thinking the kids would like the boat or monorail better than the bus.

If the bus is that big of an issue we'll just stay at BCV or BLT. We will only be visiting EPCOT and MK during the trip with DHS the last day so we'll drive and then go right from there to the airport.

Thanks for your advice/help!

The TTC is the parking lot for MK. If you are staying on-site, you park for free. To get to MK, you have to take either the monorail or ferry from the parking lot. Many people prefer to just ride the bus to MK because it drops you off at the MK entrance. It generally saves a chunk of time because you are only using one method of direct transportation.

 

[goofy4tink]

The TTC is, for all intents and purposes, is the parking lot for the MK. This is where offsite shuttle buses drop their guests. You can get the monorail to Epcot here, as well as a bus to either DHS or AK. To get to the MK you would take either the ferry or one of the two monorail lines.
Most people recommend against driving to the MK. The bus is almost always faster since it drops you right next to the park. At the TTC, you can either walk from your car or take the tram.

Parking is free for WDW resort guests. You can park at the TTC free of charge. You are not supposed to park at a MK resort in order to access the MK. That's really not that fair to those paying to stay there. They are paying for the perk of easy access to the MK. You are more than welcome to pay to valet park at the CR...then you are fine to go to MK for the day.

I have stayed at the AK multiple times. I never had an issue with the bus to any park. Yes, it's a bit further removed from all parks except AK but that's why it's not as expensive as the other higher priced deluxe resorts.

 

[dmunsil]

I would only add that driving to MK is basically a wash versus bus as far as time. Even when you factor in the extra walking and the waiting for a monorail, it generally nets out about the same. If you catch a bus immediately when you walk out of the resort, you'll get there faster on the bus. If you just miss a bus when you walk out of the resort, you'll probably beat the next bus by driving and doing the express monorail from the TTC.

So if you have a reason to take the car, like you want it for flexibility, or you like having it at the end of the day in case there are lines at the bus, go ahead and take it. Just don't expect any time savings.

There's also more walking when you drive, because you have to walk from the parking lot to the TTC monorail station. The walk from the MK monorail station to the front entrance is about the same as the walk from the busses, so that's a wash.

 

[kirby428]

I would only add that driving to MK is basically a wash versus bus as far as time. Even when you factor in the extra walking and the waiting for a monorail, it generally nets out about the same. If you catch a bus immediately when you walk out of the resort, you'll get there faster on the bus. If you just miss a bus when you walk out of the resort, you'll probably beat the next bus by driving and doing the express monorail from the TTC.

So if you have a reason to take the car, like you want it for flexibility, or you like having it at the end of the day in case there are lines at the bus, go ahead and take it. Just don't expect any time savings.

There's also more walking when you drive, because you have to walk from the parking lot to the TTC monorail station. The walk from the MK monorail station to the front entrance is about the same as the walk from the busses, so that's a wash.

Have to hold my nose to say this but TAKE THE BUS. The parking lot for MK is huge and the trams do not pick up or deliver you right to your back bumper. So you park then walk to the tram pick up alley. Wait for the next tram. Love that parking lot fume odor? Ride the tram stop go stop go get off at the TTC, pick a line and pray the monorails don't break down WOW made it to the other side. Get in line for ticket gates then bag security. Hope you got up at sunrise. Gorsh forgot what I was gonna say about the bus dropping ya off at the gate.

 

[tobikaye]

If I am not staying at a resort with boat access to MK and I have a car, then at least once, I will drive to TTC just to take the boat to MK. I love watching the park in the distance get closer and closer. If I don't have a car, then I usually do a bus to Epcot and then work my way to MK by monorail to TTC and then ferry to MK. All that said, I rarely plan anything for RD or if I have some type of time restrants. In those cases, it is always the bus as at RD until about 10 am, neither the monorails or ferry are enjoyable due to the massive crowds. If I have to use TTC in at that time, like when only there for a day, I walk from TTC to GF and take the monorail from there. It might not save as much time, but it is a beautiful walk and I am only smashed in a monorail car for 1 stop.

 

[justcruisin]

The bus ride from AKL is a bit longer than to other parks but that shouldn't necessarily rule out the resort.

If you're not interested in rope drops and are looking or a more relaxed vacation consider AK.

Surprisingly, the longest bus wait we've ever had was from AK to AKL, then we were packed like sardines for the short trip. Hot, sweaty packed people. Eww, would have got of the bus if we knew it would have been so packed.

Bus service is the luck of the draw, imo, and mostly based upon when you show up at the bus stop in relation to when the last bus left. Two minutes or 20 minutes.

Bus from BC isn't a picnic, considering stops at BW, Swan and Dolphin.

 

[sharadoc]

We drive everywhere, we don't mind the TTC. Usually you are moving all the time. You drive to your spot in the lot, the tram is usually there within 2 minutes of parking, then the nice ferry to MK. It drops you very close to the front, closer than the bus stops are. That's why we choose the ferry. If you take the monorail, you are just as crammed and waiting in line like you would with the bus, so it takes away any advantage of driving.

When leaving MK, the ferry is usually there waiting, which is much better than waiting in a crowded bus line with a ton of other people.

Basically, we keep moving, we get a seat on the way home and we're not stressed.

 

[Greysword]

In my view, the Ticket and Transportation Center is more than a parking lot. It is a magical gateway that begins your journey into the wonders of Disney.

Keep in mind, as you read this, that the TTC serves a specific purpose in visiting the Magic Kingdom. It is the transformational gateway that transitions you from the real world into the wonderful world of Disney, and is an intricate part of the design of thew MK park. Those who designed and built the MK intended guests to pass through the TTC, and did not plan on guests to arrive at the side door via a bus.

As you pass through the Disney World arch in your vehicle, you'll approach the toll booths, which is the first gate you pass through to enter the magic. As you proceed further, you'll see before you a grand parking lot beckoning you to enter, while CMs point you to your spot.

Finally, you disembark the vehicle, giddy with anticipation as the vestiges of what is to be had dot the landscape. Walking to the end of the parking row, you board a funny looking tram, half golf cart/half train. The CM greets you and whisks you away to the TTC, while providing interesting information about the park (hours, lots, hints & tips).

As you roll under a road and pop out on the other side, the TTC rises before you. A pavilion, of sorts, dotted by small colorful huts and a couple buildings. In the distance, a riverboat toots it's whistle as it approaches the dock, while a futuristic monorail whizzes past above your head.

As you leave the tram, you have the option of visiting one of the huts to purchase tickets, visit guest services, or visit a small gift shop, chocked full of Disney toys and practical items. After you have your tickets, you have a difficult decision to make. Will it be a nice leisurely boat ride across the Seven Seas Lagoon aboard a ferry dressed up like a 19th century riverboat or around the lagoon on a futuristic elevated monorail that whisks you straight through the concourse of the Contemporary Hotel? They both take roughly the same amount of time, since the boat makes a straight line, while the monorail circles the water.

Either way you choose, Cinderella's Castle and the Magic Kingdom are clearly visible across the water, beckoning you to come and be a kid again.

Yes, the Ticket and Transportation Center is far more than just a parking lot. It is the gateway that the original imagineers, and Roy Disney, intended guests to use to get to the Magic Kingdom. Personally, I highly encourage all new visitors to Walt Disney World to experience their first arrival via car, so they are required to use the TTC. The Center is instrumental in building the excitement and anticipation of visiting the Magic Kingdom, and it is the way arrival was meant to be done!

P.S. If the Imagineers wanted the TTC to be just a parking lot, they would not have created the Seven Seas Lagoon; rather, they would have built it close like at EPCOT and the other parks. As an aside to this, while it is possible to drive and park at EPCOT, as well, I think the true arrival method hoped for by the Imagineers was by monorail via the TTC, since the monorail, and the loop through EPCOT, was likely designed to build anticipation, as well. If you are arriving at EPCOT for the first time, the monorail ride from the TTC is fantastic once you get there. Definitely, do not enter via the International Gateway the first time, even if you need to make extra effort to arrive from the front gate. Everything at WDW is story based, and the queue is as important as the ride itself.

 

[molliewalks]

In my view, the Ticket and Transportation Center is more than a parking lot. It is a magical gateway that begins your journey into the wonders of Disney.

Keep in mind, as you read this, that the TTC serves a specific purpose in visiting the Magic Kingdom. It is the transformational gateway that transitions you from the real world into the wonderful world of Disney, and is an intricate part of the design of thew MK park. Those who designed and built the MK intended guests to pass through the TTC, and did not plan on guests to arrive at the side door via a bus.

As you pass through the Disney World arch in your vehicle, you'll approach the toll booths, which is the first gate you pass through to enter the magic. As you proceed further, you'll see before you a grand parking lot beckoning you to enter, while CMs point you to your spot.

Finally, you disembark the vehicle, giddy with anticipation as the vestiges of what is to be had dot the landscape. Walking to the end of the parking row, you board a funny looking tram, half golf cart/half train. The CM greets you and whisks you away to the TTC, while providing interesting information about the park (hours, lots, hints & tips).

As you roll under a road and pop out on the other side, the TTC rises before you. A pavilion, of sorts, dotted by small colorful huts and a couple buildings. In the distance, a riverboat toots it's whistle as it approaches the dock, while a futuristic monorail whizzes past above your head.

As you leave the tram, you have the option of visiting one of the huts to purchase tickets, visit guest services, or visit a small gift shop, chocked full of Disney toys and practical items. After you have your tickets, you have a difficult decision to make. Will it be a nice leisurely boat ride across the Seven Seas Lagoon aboard a ferry dressed up like a 19th century riverboat or around the lagoon on a futuristic elevated monorail that whisks you straight through the concourse of the Contemporary Hotel? They both take roughly the same amount of time, since the boat makes a straight line, while the monorail circles the water.

Either way you choose, Cinderella's Castle and the Magic Kingdom are clearly visible across the water, beckoning you to come and be a kid again.

Yes, the Ticket and Transportation Center is far more than just a parking lot. It is the gateway that the original imagineers, and Roy Disney, intended guests to use to get to the Magic Kingdom. Personally, I highly encourage all new visitors to Walt Disney World to experience their first arrival via car, so they are required to use the TTC. The Center is instrumental in building the excitement and anticipation of visiting the Magic Kingdom, and it is the way arrival was meant to be done!

P.S. If the Imagineers wanted the TTC to be just a parking lot, they would not have created the Seven Seas Lagoon; rather, they would have built it close like at EPCOT and the other parks. As an aside to this, while it is possible to drive and park at EPCOT, as well, I think the true arrival method hoped for by the Imagineers was by monorail via the TTC, since the monorail, and the loop through EPCOT, was likely designed to build anticipation, as well. If you are arriving at EPCOT for the first time, the monorail ride from the TTC is fantastic once you get there. Definitely, do not enter via the International Gateway the first time, even if you need to make extra effort to arrive from the front gate. Everything at WDW is story based, and the queue is as important as the ride itself.

Oh my!! Your post made me feel so happy!! Goosebumps!! Really want to go right now, but sadly, i have 45 days left

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