Do any off-sites have shuttles to WDW parks?

[TPCShauna]

Miss Stitch - you basically hit the nail on the head. Most of the US does NOT have good public transportation systems so many Americans are accustomed to driving. I live in California, as does my friend, and we drive everywhere because things are so far away from each other.

When you are accustomed to driving everywhere, it is very hard to be without transportation, relying on a shuttle, etc. If you are used to utilizing public transportation, it is less of an issue. It is really all a matter of expectations. If you noticed in my OP, I asked for info about shuttles for my friend. I personally feel that it is a bad idea but I provided her the info and she will use it as she pleases. I hope she enjoys her trip but I will not be surprised if it is less than ideal if she stays off-site. It is all about expectations and what you are used to.

One question for you. If you are being dropped off at one park every day, how did you get around to all of the other parks at WDW? Did you taxi everywhere? You mentioned that you used the "resort busses" while on property. Did you mean WDW Transportation? Because it is my understanding that WDW Transportation is reserved for on-site guests only. And off-site guests who are being dropped off by their hotel shuttles really shouldn't be allowed to utilize the transportation I am paying big $$$ to use. This is another reason why I encouraged my friend to just rent a car, pay parking and hop from park to park or stay on-site.

 

[spiceycat]

I actually stayed at the Hawthorne Suites on Palm parkway, in LBV. They had shuttles leaving at 7.50am. 8.50am. and 9.50am. They dropped at Epcot and came back at 6.00pm. 8.00pm and 10.00pm. they were never more than a few minutes late, and the drivers were fantastic. Maybe we were lucky. We will be staying at the Hawthorn near Seaworld this trip and hope they will be just as good.

I hope you get the same great service. but beware than many offsite buses only go a couple of times. the traffic is that much worst.

hope yours is still wonderful!!!!

remember that Doubletree suites in DD has suites. or you could rent points from a dvc member and stay in a 1 or 2 bedroom - but believe me Disney is still very, very expensive unless you can stay in a studio. and I don't believe you can.

http://www.downtowndisneyhotels.com/Doubletree.html

this is not a WDW resort - but a DD one.

oh forgot there is All Star Music Suites - they sleep 6 - a queen bed - and those chairs, ottman, love seats that convert into beds. Kids love 'em.

 

[Miss Stitch]

It is my understanding that wdw buses are to be utilised for all guests there, I am also a guest, I pay for my tickets, else would you not have to show resort keys etc.

It is of course a matter of personal choice if you drive or not drive, I was just putting a non drivers point of view across. I cant drive, so I have no option. I was just trying to put another side to the story, that not everyone likes to drive on vacation.

 

[Miss Stitch]

spicey, we did consider All Stars for this trip but i was coming up nearly double the price (although we would have had fee DDP). We have only done Disney the previous trips and would like to try something different this time. Being a non driver, we thought staying in the middle of everything would be easier to get around.

 

[Miss Stitch]

I have told her repeatedly that I don't think it's a good idea to stay off-site without a car. I sent her a bunch of info about hotels with shuttles, etc. and sent her a quote for ASMusic so she could compare prices.

I don't know what she is going to decide and it frankly stresses me out to think of her staying off-site without a car so we're not really talking about her trip any more.

I figure I've been a good friend by providing info as requested. I will try to restrain myself from saying "I told you so" if she comes back with horror stories from her trip.

Maybe your friend will be coming back from her trip saying "I told you so" to you. I hope she has a fantastic trip whatever she decides to do.

 

[FayeW]

One question for you. If you are being dropped off at one park every day, how did you get around to all of the other parks at WDW? Did you taxi everywhere? You mentioned that you used the "resort busses" while on property. Did you mean WDW Transportation? Because it is my understanding that WDW Transportation is reserved for on-site guests only. And off-site guests who are being dropped off by their hotel shuttles really shouldn't be allowed to utilize the transportation I am paying big $$$ to use. This is another reason why I encouraged my friend to just rent a car, pay parking and hop from park to park or stay on-site.

The only WDW transportation that is reserved for the exclusive use of guests staying onsite is the Magical Express bus from the airport. Your park admission tickets entitle you full use of any other WDW busses, boats or monorails during your stay. Just like fastpass; any guest with a ticket can utilize it.

 

[TPCShauna]

It is my understanding that wdw buses are to be utilised for all guests there, I am also a guest, I pay for my tickets, else would you not have to show resort keys etc.

I checked on this and the WDW transportation is, indeed, only for guests staying on-site in a WDW resort, Shades of Green, Swan, Dolphin, and a select few DTD resorts. It was not designed to be utilized by day guests to the parks.

I don't think it is fair to all of the people paying to stay on-site and have the transportation as one of the amenities to have off-site guests using the transportation as well. Yes, they don't check IDs but I guess they assume the transportation is on the honor system. At some point, they might have to start checking IDs because off-site guests are overloading the system.

I stand behind the advice I gave her to rent a car or stay on-site. It does seem to be the general consensus here.

 

[TPCShauna]

The only WDW transportation that is reserved for the exclusive use of guests staying onsite is the Magical Express bus from the airport. Your park admission tickets entitle you full use of any other WDW busses, boats or monorails during your stay. Just like fastpass; any guest with a ticket can utilize it.

I checked Birnbaum's and they state otherwise. The WDW transportation if for guests staying on-site only.

 

[FayeW]

I checked on this and the WDW transportation is, indeed, only for guests staying on-site in a WDW resort, Shades of Green, Swan, Dolphin, and a select few DTD resorts. It was not designed to be utilized by day guests to the parks.

Where did you get this information?

 

[TPCShauna]

Where did you get this information?

I have four Disney guide books (including Birnbaum which is the official Disney guidebook) and Tour Guide Mike that all say that WDW transportation is for on-site guests only. The Guide to WDW Transportation book that I have from my last trip said it and I checked my WDTC documents and my TA also listed it as an "exclusive benefit for on-site guests".

I always thought the transportation system was one of the selling points for staying on-site.

 

[spiceycat]

I always thought the transportation system was one of the selling points for staying on-site.

it is.

but they want anyone and everyone to go to ALL their parks. So yes the park to park transfer is for everyone - on site and offsite.

if disney wanted to stop that - then everyone would need to go back to where they were staying to go to other places.

Kept in mind that Disney wants everyone to enjoy their parks. So they make park to park transfer as convience as possible. They want guests to return each and every year (if not more often) to their parks

the only time I was even asked for an ID was the monrail coming from Epcot to the MK - I understood there was a bus that delivered a bunch of people only going to Epcot, with a 1-day pass. Disney didn't want these people to get a free ride on the monrail.

but that is the only time I came across anything like that. I didn't show him my annual pass but my resort ID - we were staying at the Polyn. but he was

if you have a multi-day pass with park hoppers then you can definitely ride the WDW buses to the other theme parks.

Disney has a problem with offsite buses dropping everyone at DD and saying to use the WDW transportation system. Which is why you can't go to the theme parks from DD. You can go to the hotels from DD just not the theme parks.

 

[TPCShauna]

it is.

but they want anyone and everyone to go to ALL their parks. So yes the park to park transfer is for everyone - on site and offsite.

if disney wanted to stop that - then everyone would need to go back to where they were staying to go to other places.

Kept in mind that Disney wants everyone to enjoy their parks. So they make park to park transfer as convience as possible. They want guests to return each and every year (if not more often) to their parks

the only time I was even asked for an ID was the monrail coming from Epcot to the MK - I understood there was a bus that delivered a bunch of people only going to Epcot, with a 1-day pass. Disney didn't want these people to get a free ride on the monrail.

but that is the only time I came across anything like that. I didn't show him my annual pass but my resort ID - we were staying at the Polyn. but he was

if you have a multi-day pass with park hoppers then you can definitely ride the WDW buses to the other theme parks.

Disney has a problem with offsite buses dropping everyone at DD and saying to use the WDW transportation system. Which is why you can't go to the theme parks from DD. You can go to the hotels from DD just not the theme parks.

I just called WDTC and inquired about this topic. They stated that the WDW transportation system is ONLY for those guests staying on-site at WDW. She did say that they are aware that day guests use the transportation and there is currently no system to prevent that but that anyone can be asked for ID at any time and can be denied transport if they are not staying at an approved resort.

I'm not sure if there is a difference for annual pass holders but that is the official for on-site vs. off-site guests.

 

[Lisa P.]

On AllEarsNet.com, there's a weekly Q&A column called "Anita Answer" that many here may be familiar with. In the 2/26/07 column, Kevin, an offsite guest who planned to pay for parking at the parks was given this as part of the answer to his question:

"Anyone with valid admission media to the parks is allowed to use any form of Disney's transportation to move around the resort, so yes, you could take a monorail from the Magic Kingdom to Chef Mickey's at the Contemporary Resort."

On the Disneyworld.com website, in the Annual Pass benefits description, it says:

"...Every Annual Pass provides: ...The flexibility to go from Theme Park to Theme Park on the same day... Theme Park parking included... Convenient Walt Disney World® transportation - monorails, ferryboats, and motor coaches... *Excludes separately priced activities and events..."

It does not say any limitations, not even for the "Resorts" monorail line.

In the past, ALL park hopper tickets and passes included transportation between all of the parks, resorts, TTC, water parks and DTD. It was printed on the back of the passes themselves. I don't recall when they stopped printing it on the backs of the passes. I cannot imagine that Disney could continue to sell the park hopper option (or plus options) but decline to provide transportation between these locations. Further, they encourage the public in their advertising to visit all of these venues, dinner shows and resort character meals and they DON'T like people parking their cars anywhere but the parks themselves. So it makes no sense to begin restricting transportation to onsite guests only. The only place I have ever seen such a restriction posted at WDW was above the walk ramps to board the "Resorts Only" monorail line around the lake in front of MK.

Just because an option is listed as a benefit for resort guests does not mean automatically that it is never a benefit for multi-day or annual passholders. Disney advertises that early Dining Reservations and boat rentals are benefits for onsite guests. Yet, these are both readily available to offsite "day" guests and local Floridians as well. They would NOT want to lose those dollar$. Disney has also advertised FastPass as a benefit for onsite guests to enjoy. They just didn't happen to mention that everyone with an admission ticket could use FastPass too. In over 15 years of reading forums and newsgroups about WDW vacations, I have only read of a handful of times when Disney Transport drivers asked for onsite resort ID:

--- during early entry hours
--- when leaving a late night ticketed event (like E-night)
--- when the park was closed to additional day guests due to high capacity attendance (such as New Year's Eve).

And even those, though they made sense, were extraordinarily RARE. No other time makes any sense at all nor have I ever read of it.

 

[spiceycat]

I just called WDTC and inquired about this topic. They stated that the WDW transportation system is ONLY for those guests staying on-site at WDW. She did say that they are aware that day guests use the transportation and there is currently no system to prevent that but that anyone can be asked for ID at any time and can be denied transport if they are not staying at an approved resort.

I'm not sure if there is a difference for annual pass holders but that is the official for on-site vs. off-site guests.

you probably got a new CM.

next time at Disney just ask the bus drivers.

if this was in fact, true then the bus drivers should be asking for resort ID.

they only do this when there is problem at the resort (generally a thief got pass security).

the WDW resort transportation is surpose to be only for resort guests.

but the WDW theme transportation is for everyone.

 

[spiceycat]

I just called WDTC and inquired about this topic. They stated that the WDW transportation system is ONLY for those guests staying on-site at WDW. She did say that they are aware that day guests use the transportation and there is currently no system to prevent that but that anyone can be asked for ID at any time and can be denied transport if they are not staying at an approved resort.

I'm not sure if there is a difference for annual pass holders but that is the official for on-site vs. off-site guests.

you probably got a new CM.

next time at Disney just ask the bus drivers.

if this was in fact,then the bus drivers should be asking for resort ID.

they only do this when there is problem at the resort (generally a thief got pass security).

the WDW resort transportation is surpose to be only for resort guests.

but the WDW theme transportation is for everyone.

Disney wants everyone to see ALL their parks. So they will know what they missed and come back again, and again, and again,etc

 

[TPCShauna]

you probably got a new CM.

I asked the first cast member who answered my call and then asked to speak to the supervisor as well. Both confirmed that it was on-site guests only for WDW transportation but said that it is not currently enforced.

We actually had one of the Epcot boat launch crews check resort IDs when travelling from Epcot to the BWI. There were people trying to get on the boat that were day guests and weren't allowed on.

 

[MiaSRN62]

I just cant understand the US thinking behind driving everywhere, here in the Uk, we have very good public transport and if you dont want to drive, there is no need to. When we are on holiday taking the buses is part of the adventure.

Miss Stitch,
I'll give you the US perspective. On average, the US public transportation system stinks. If you don't live in or near a large city, it's non-existant practically. Living in the burbs, you better have a car or you are out of luck.

Also, Europeans gets TONS of vacation time. Your "holidays" are nice and lesiurely and LONG compared to the pawltry 1 (maybe 2) weeks we Americans get. My husband is only allowed 1 week off during the summer as am I. On top of this, I am only allowed one weekend off PER YEAR. I work every other weekend. Alot of Europeans get anywhere from 2 to 6 weeks off. So we Americans have to cram into a week, what you all may be able to do in twice or triple that time. You better believe we don't like to lose so much time taking transportation---particularily transportation that does not run regularily like the wdw busses do.

And I respectfully disagree about the ease of crossing the roads. SR 535 in the Lake Buena Vista area is very congested and busy. I've seen tourists drive like madmen and run through lights etc right around Crossroads and beyond in both directions. I would not want to be crossing that street with a 4 and 6 yo on a regular basis.

And Shauna,
The CM's your are getting are totally not correct.
http://www.mouseplanet.com/dtp/wdwguide/5_Primer/wdw_transportation/wdw_transportation.htm

I have been both an on and offsite guest for many years. I visit wdw, on average, 2-3 times a year since 1994. When we stay offsite at Vistana, we always use the disney busses/ferries etc to get from park to park and from resort to resort. Never had even one problem in 13 years.

 

[Miss Stitch]

This was posted on another board. The posted called Disney and got this answer to the question

Can the shuttle launches (e.g. fom Boardwalk to Epcot) be used with a
valid theme park ticket or do you need to be a Disney resort guest?
Disney Response "It may interest you to know the Walt Disney World Resort transportation system is designed to transport guests between the Disney theme parks and resorts. There are also boats, buses, and monorails that operate between the individual theme parks; the cost for this service is
included in the price of a regular admission. Therefore, there is no
"add-on" price to use Disney transportation.

Whilst on our last trips we have had conversations with bus drivers and cm's the monorail station and it has come up in conversation that we are staying offsite, and in no way have they told us we cant use the transportation. Maybe they just dont enforce it, but on the Disney Website about transportation it does not state anywhere that the Disney Transport system is for use for resort guests only. It the UK it is understood by Travel Agents etc. that this comes in with your ticket prices. Shuttles from off-site usually go the TTC and the only way you can get anywhere from there is by WDW Transport. I am sure Disney would prefer any guest to spend more money hopping from park to park and possibly 40 - 50% of guests at any time at the World are not staying on site. If they did impose a fee for the buses etc. I would quite happily pay it, for the great service they give.

I understand about the driving aspect in the USA, and if my posts came out in a way that offended anyone, please accept my apologies, they werent meant that way. We did stay in September and did not find the traffic too bad, but that is a quiet time, and crossing the road in England sometimes takes ten/fifteen minutes in busy places where the cars are bumper to bumper lol.

I just wanted to point out that you can have a great holiday without staying on-site. It is not that we cannot afford to stay on-site, it is that we prefer to. It seems to me that is some people have a bit of Disney snobbery about staying on-site, and they think anyone who does not is beneath them . It is costing me £4100.00 (around $8000) to come to Orlando, not including spending money.

 

[MiaSRN62]

Miss Stitch :I understand about the driving aspect in the USA, and if my posts came out in a way that offended anyone, please accept my apologies, they werent meant that way. We did stay in September and did not find the traffic too bad, but that is a quiet time

Miss Stitch ~
You didn't offend at all. No need to apologize (but thank you anyway). I'm actually envious of the way Europeans get to vacation. I think it's awesome. I've also run into folks from Austraila, South Africa etc in Orlando......all your countries are so wonderful with how they view time off/vacations/holidays. I've enjoyed many a vacation chatting with vacationers from other countries and it truly is a different way of life. Several years ago, I met up with a family from Austraila. I had been emailing with her after she asked me a question on one of the internet message boards. Turned out, they were staying at Vistana during the same time period we were so we met up and spent an evening together. They were winding down a 6 week holiday in the states (3 weeks of that at Vistana). They visited other areas of FL as well. I think it's an extremely rare thing for an American to ever get this sort of time off unless they're independently wealthy, retired, or self employed. Most people get 1 maybe 2 weeks off a year. So I do feel we, on a whole, might feel a little more rushed or pressed to save time wherever we can.

I think everyone should be able to take 3-6 weeks off per year ! The US is just too rush-rush, high stress, always-on-the-go......I think Europe and other countries have got the right idea when it comes to vacationing. But, unfortunately, in the US, most employers just don't see it the way alot of the rest of the world does. So we have to stuff all of our fun into way less time than you all do. So I think by driving, we are trying to optimize the time we have on vacation.

Miss Stitch : I just wanted to point out that you can have a great holiday without staying on-site. It is not that we cannot afford to stay on-site, it is that we prefer to. It seems to me that is some people have a bit of Disney snobbery about staying on-site,

and they think anyone who does not is beneath them

Well I was one that highly suggested either a rental car or staying onsite and I still stand by that. I don't think any of us here on this thread think the OP's friend is beneath us because they're not staying onsite. In fact, many of us here stay offsite frequently. It really just comes down to the lack of a rental car. We're just trying to help the OP's friend avoid disappointment. I totally agree one can have a great holiday/vacation offsite. I'm an offsite timeshare owner (Vistana on SR 535). This is why I am very familiar with the area up and down SR 535. We've vacationed every year since 1994 at Vistana. But, we also stay onsite often (DVC Member as well). So I can clearly state that there is a BIG difference in staying onsite vs offsite without a car by my own personal experience. I just don't think offsite without a car is the best way to go. I'm not disney onsite snob though I do *prefer* to stay onsite for the perks and ease of transportation. So I'd see no problem with the OP's friend staying at the Sheraton Safari or wherever, but not without a car. That's my only perspective.

 

[Miss Stitch]

I understand better the reason people in the US rent a car, poor public transport and the time issue. We get five weeks paid holiday by law here in the UK,and when we come to Florida we spend two weeks there and have plenty of time to do everything we want.


"" Because it is my understanding that WDW Transportation is reserved for on-site guests only. And off-site guests who are being dropped off by their hotel shuttles really shouldn't be allowed to utilize the transportation I am paying big $$$ to use. This is another reason why I encouraged my friend to just rent a car, pay parking and hop from park to park or stay on-site.""


I wasnt meaning that you were a Disney snob for recommended someone hire a car, it is statements like this
below that annoy me. A lot of people of these boards think that because they stay on site, have annual passes, pay for concierge, that they have more right to be at Disney than anyone else. Not just in this thread but you continually see this all over. These people seem to think anyone who doesnt stay in a Disney resort is a second class disney citizen




We all pay the same price for our tickets to the parks, it doesnt matter what hotel we stay in, it doesnt mean that if you stay in a Disney resort you are any better than other guests. If there are some perks like EMH that are only available to on site guests, fine, that personally doesnt suit me as I avoid the parks like a plague on these days. Once again I prefer to stay off-site, why would I want to pay more (although I could afford it) for a smaller room, with hardly no room facilities, when I can hire a suite elsewhere cheaper, much more space and lots more lovely $$$ to spend on souveniers, In fact if I want to stay in a Disney Resort, there is only one place I believe, correct me if I am wrong, within a decent price range, that I could stay being that we are two adults and three children, unless we have two rooms which I am not willing to do for safety reasons.