Can youvet a bus from Animal Kingdom to Downtown Disney?

[MagicalMerida]

Can you get a bus from Animal Kingdom to Downtown Disney?

 

[Feralpeg]

There are no buses from any of the theme parks directly to Downtown Disney. You could take a bus from Animal Kingdom to the Animal Kingdom Lodge. From there, you could get a bus to Downtown Disney. The other option is to take the bus to Transportation and Ticket Center and catch a bus from there to Downtown Disney.

 

[ZoZo]

Correct, there are no buses from the parks to DTD (or vice versa). Too many people were trying to avoid paying for parking at the parks, and were leaving their cars in the free DTD lots (and taking buses to the parks from there). So WDW stopped the DTD-to-parks bus service.

 

[jco_direwolf]

Correct, there are no buses from the parks to DTD (or vice versa). Too many people were trying to avoid paying for parking at the parks, and were leaving their cars in the free DTD lots (and taking buses to the parks from there). So WDW stopped the DTD-to-parks bus service.

And now they park at DTD and walk over to SSR/Congress Park and jump a bus there.

Personally, I never got it. Lets throw away two hours (an hour each way) on parking to save ~$20 in parking.

 

[disneyjunkie11]

Your best bet is to take the bus from Animal Kingdom to the Animal Kingdom Lodge. We did that in April and it was quite easy and much easier than going to the Ticket & Transportation Center.

If you have time in your schedule, you can look around AKL and if it's a nice day you can see animals from the lobby viewing area. Unfortunately it was pouring the day we went so no animals were out.

 

[jco_direwolf]

As implied by my earlier reply if you are willing to walk a bit. Congress park stop at SSR is pretty close.

 

[POOHsie]

There isn't a bus from AK to TTC any more. Since the expansion of the MK Bus Station, with a new third row of bus stops, the AK & DHS bus stops were moved to MK.

 

[NancyK]

Last year when we were there, Disney was testing bus service from Animal Kingdom park to Downtown Disney later in the afternoon. I've never heard any more about it, so I guess Disney decided against making it a regular route. As previous posters have said, it won't take long to get to Animal Kingdom Lodge and transfer to the Downtown Disney bus there.

 

[MagicalMerida]

Thanks guys! I thought I'd heard about them trialling the route from there to DTD but they must have decided against it, I can see why they did, it just seems ridiculous that people would waste that much time just to get out of paying for parking. You're basically wasting just as much money because of the value of the ticket! Thanks anyway. Animal Kingdom Lodge sounds beautiful so hopefully there'll be a chance to have a look inside!

 

[sjw211]

I hadn't realised that you couldn't get buses from AK (or any park?) to DTD. How do you get there?
I assume you can get a bus to SSR though?
Can somebody please explain (simply) how the bus system does work? What are the various options for getting to and from the parks (from SSR)?
How far is Boma from AK? A bus ride?

 

[jco_direwolf]

I hadn't realised that you couldn't get buses from AK (or any park?) to DTD. How do you get there? I assume you can get a bus to SSR though? Can somebody please explain (simply) how the bus system does work? What are the various options for getting to and from the parks (from SSR)? How far is Boma from AK? A bus ride?

Yes all the buses to/from parks are gone.

Basically all the parks are connected to all other parks and resorts. All resorts are connected to all parks and DTD (bus monorail and/or boat).

AK and AKL are very close ~5 minutes but you can not walk. There isn't a path/sidewalk. Pretty much the same deal at GF you could walk it if they put in a way to walk it.

 

[sjw211]

Thanks for that. Can I get any bus to the AK Hotel?
Where can I find more information on the bus system/routes?
For example, I need to get from SSR to Contemporary, what's the best way of doing it?

 

[jco_direwolf]

Thanks for that.
1. Can I get any bus to the AK Hotel?
2. Where can I find more information on the bus system/routes?
3. For example, I need to get from SSR to Contemporary, what's the best way of doing it?

1. from where? AKL only has Bus service, like all the resorts you can get there from DTD and the Parks.

2. a lot of people use

http://www.ourlaughingplace.com/aspx/twiz.aspx

3. SSR to CR. I would take the Bus to MK, and walk to the CR. MK Bus stop is right across the street from the CR. It's about a 5 minute walk.

 

[sjw211]

Oops, sorry. From AK to AKL.
That site says 18 mins on bus...
Thanks.

 

[jco_direwolf]

Oops, sorry. From AK to AKL.

Thanks.

yea the bus between AK and AKL is about 5 minutes, once it leaves. maybe 8 minutes to Jambo house, since the buses go Kidani first and Jambo second. expect to wait 10-15 minutes for a bus (it feels like I'm never in the walk up get on bus pulls out crowd.)

 

[Mickey's Best Girl]

I was hoping the test of running a bus from AK to DTD was a success. My DD and I used it twice and found it very convenient.

Oh well.

 

[jco_direwolf]

I was hoping the test of running a bus from AK to DTD was a success. My DD and I used it twice and found it very convenient.

Oh well.

The problem is DTD doesn't have a lot of parking to begin with. And all the people using it to avoid parking at the parks. Plus FL Residents passholders don't get on-site parking any more, you have to get a regular AP.

When Disney Village opened they did run buses between them, and into the DTD days. But if people are going to use it for parking, and then the people who are going there later in the day to shop can't park, there really isn't any reason to make it easy for them.

II'm really kinda surprised they tried it last year. With the Disney Springs construction starting up, parking was already a mess, unless they were thinking people would pay to park at the parks and take the bus to the mall (unlikely in my opinion) I don't see any reason to try it again.

 

[Mickey's Best Girl]

The problem is DTD doesn't have a lot of parking to begin with. And all the people using it to avoid parking at the parks. Plus FL Residents passholders don't get on-site parking any more, you have to get a regular AP.

When Disney Village opened they did run buses between them, and into the DTD days. But if people are going to use it for parking, and then the people who are going there later in the day to shop can't park, there really isn't any reason to make it easy for them.

II'm really kinda surprised they tried it last year. With the Disney Springs construction starting up, parking was already a mess, unless they were thinking people would pay to park at the parks and take the bus to the mall (unlikely in my opinion) I don't see any reason to try it again.

It was a one-way route. The busses did not deliver people back to AK.
I was under the impression that Disney was testing this to see if they could shake more money from guests pockets by making it easy for them to get downtown. I know it worked for us. If we had hopped a bus back to our resort to transfer, we most likely would have just stayed there and napped