Crystal Palace before MK opens

[the chick & the duck]

We have Crystal Palace booked for 8:05 tomorrow morning. I'm told character buses will pick you up at the Wilderness Lodge and get you there in time, but I'm a little worried because I've never done this before. If anyone has, I would appreciate input on how you did it. also, does anyone know how early they will let you in the MK before your reservation? Thanks a bunch.

 

[MinniesYooHoo]

I believe the busses start running at 0700. You should be at MK gates no later than 0730. That gives you plenty of time to show the castmember your ressie number, get through the gates and then walk down mainstreet to get to the Crystal Palace. You will not have any problem getting on the bus, or getting into the park before the park opens. Have fun and enjoy your breakfast, it flies by quite quickly!!!

 

[Dizneydaz]

We too have an 8:05 a.m. ADR at CP(on DD's 10th birthday,9-19) We'll be driving but I too wonder how early can you enter? I figure in order to get there 15-20 min. before your ADR (as they like) plus walking down the street, they must let you in by 7:30 a.m., right?

Besides, I want to take some pix when MS is mostly empty.

 

[Alesia]

They'll let you in about 7:45- 7:50.

 

[Robo]

I believe the busses start running at 0700.

The buses begin running from the resorts to the parks about 6:30AM every day.

 

[Cool-Beans]

I obviously am not spending enough time on TPAS or Resorts boards lately.

What is a "character bus"? A bus with characters painted on it? A bus with actual characters inside, riding the bus with you?

Something else I can't even think up?

 

[Robo]

I'm told character buses will pick you up at the Wilderness Lodge and get you there in time,

What is a "character bus"?

It isn't a "Character Bus."

It is a "Character BREAKFAST Bus" (or just "Breakfast Bus.)

Nothing special about the buses themselves, other than they run very early in the AM to take
guests to the early Character Breakfasts.
And, they even run from resorts that normally only have boat transportation to MK in other times of the day (such as Wilderness Lodge.)

 

[Cool-Beans]

It isn't a "Character Bus."

It is a "Character BREAKFAST Bus" (or just "Breakfast Bus.)

Nothing special about the buses themselves, other than they run very early in the AM to take
guests to the early Character Breakfasts.
And, they even run from resorts that normally only have boat transportation to MK in other times of the day (such as Wilderness Lodge.)

Oh. Nevermind.

(Characters on the bus is a good idea, though. Not enough to get me to be a bus rider, of course , but a really good idea for people who aren't anti-bus.)

 

[CleveRocks]

We have Crystal Palace booked for 8:05 tomorrow morning. I'm told character buses will pick you up at the Wilderness Lodge and get you there in time, but I'm a little worried because I've never done this before. If anyone has, I would appreciate input on how you did it.

I can give you this reassurance.

In February I enjoyed a lovely week with my family, staying in a theme park view room at Polynesian. We were in the Tahiti longhouse, which means that directly across the lagoon from my balcony was the Magic Kingdom bus area.

I'm an early riser and my wife and 2 kids are sleepy heads. So every morning, I was sitting outside on the balcony enjoying a good book. Every morning around 6:45 a.m., I noticed that the MK bus area started buzzing with activity, with a non-stop stream of buses pulling in and then pulling out.

In other words, people were arriving outside MK before 7 a.m. You'll have no worries getting there for your 8:05 ADR.

Here is a photo I snapped one of those mornings at around 6:45 a.m. You can see at least 2 buses pulling into the MK bus area.

 

[CindyandBrice]

Good to know...we have an 8:05 ADR for CP this Sunday 8/9/09. So excitied, even my DS11 is looking forward to getting up early to go into park before it opens.

 

[Robo]

Every morning around 6:45 a.m., I noticed that the MK bus area started buzzing with activity, with a non-stop stream of buses pulling in and then pulling out.

Great stuff, Eric.

I'm going to link to this post when I answer future "early bus" questions.

Thanks!

 

[jdd]

And, they even run from resorts that normally only have boat transportation to MK in other times of the day (such as Wilderness Lodge.)

Do you know if they run from Fort Wilderness as well? I had asked about this on the camping board a few weeks ago, and the consensus was to take a boat to the CR and then walk/monorail from there. Seems like it'd be easier to take a bus

 

[Schmeck]

We too have an 8:05 a.m. ADR at CP(on DD's 10th birthday,9-19) We'll be driving but I too wonder how early can you enter? I figure in order to get there 15-20 min. before your ADR (as they like) plus walking down the street, they must let you in by 7:30 a.m., right?

Besides, I want to take some pix when MS is mostly empty.

Check to see what time you can get through the toll gates - or if there is a special toll gate you should go through.

 

[Dizneydaz]

Check to see what time you can get through the toll gates - or if there is a special toll gate you should go through.

Thanks for the tip but I should be able to go through one of the gates that allows access to the resorts since there's at least one open 24 hrs/day.

 

[jkthorstad]

Last year we went to CP at 8:05 from Fort WIlderness. We took the early boat to CR, then walked to MK. It was incredibly easy. I would recommend going this route instead of the bus.

 

[Robo]

Do you know if they run from Fort Wilderness as well?

If you need to get to MK for an ADR earlier than the boats start running (the boats are generally the last to start in the AM) then there will be buses running.

 

[stephgles]

Last year we went to CP at 8:05 from Fort WIlderness. We took the early boat to CR, then walked to MK. It was incredibly easy. I would recommend going this route instead of the bus.

We did the same thing last September from Wilderness Lodge. The walk takes about 5 - 10 minutes.

 

[rw_hadley]

Thanks to OP for this question and to all who have answered.
We have 8:10 a.m. reservations at CP on 8/17 and we are also staying at WL.
The tip about the character breakfast bus is very helpful. I wouldn't have thought of that.

On our last visit we did the Princess Breakfast at Akershus at Epcot, so of course we took the bus. I'll remember to take the bus from WL to MK this time instead of waiting for a boat!

I assume there is a specially marked entrance for people going to character breakfasts at MK as there was at Epcot.