Early Morning Resort Transfers

[Cottager]

The first night of our stay is a room only booking, however, we want to stay at the pool on the second day for the afternoon before switching resorts where we have the free dining included. I planned on slipping out early in the morning around 8 a.m. to take the Disney bus to Downtown Disney, then over to the second Disney resort. I could then check-in at the second resort and get our dining plan for lunch that day when I return back to the first resort to meet the family at the pool.

I know from past experiences, trying to use a park to switch resorts in the morning is not a good idea since they only seem to drop off and not pick up from the parks early in the mornings. I assumed that the Downtown Disney buses would always be running but I've read that they also have few buses running since the stores don't open up until 10 a.m. Is this true?

Aside from taking a taxi which defeats the purpose of saving a few dollars by using our dining plan for lunch, is there a more reliable route?

 

[ciera321]

I believe that if there's someone waiting at a park bus stop, when the bus pulls up it will take you to the resort. We got off the bus once at DHS, realized we forgot something, so my DH waited at the bus stop and was taken back to the resort when the next bus arrived...I can't imagine they wouldn't pick someone up no matter what time is was...

 

[Missytara]

The first night of our stay is a room only booking, however, we want to stay at the pool on the second day for the afternoon before switching resorts where we have the free dining included. I planned on slipping out early in the morning around 8 a.m. to take the Disney bus to Downtown Disney, then over to the second Disney resort. I could then check-in at the second resort and get our dining plan for lunch that day when I return back to the first resort to meet the family at the pool.

I know from past experiences, trying to use a park to switch resorts in the morning is not a good idea since they only seem to drop off and not pick up from the parks early in the mornings. I assumed that the Downtown Disney buses would always be running but I've read that they also have few buses running since the stores don't open up until 10 a.m. Is this true?

Aside from taking a taxi which defeats the purpose of saving a few dollars by using our dining plan for lunch, is there a more reliable route?

DTD buses don't start running from the resorts until about 9:00 am, when the stores open. Also, they do what is called "dead-heading", which is they will divert a parks bus for a few minutes, if it is reported someone is standing at the stop for a resort transfer. In the afternoon, it is much more reliable.

Since the parks buses run about 90 minutes before the park opens for early morning ADR's, you are better off taking a bus to the park that is nearest the resort you want to end up at.

 

[aubriee]

I have done several split stays and always catch the first early morning character bus I see to whatever park it is going to. On the way to that park, I mention to the driver that I am really going to whatever resort my second stay is at. They have always called ahead and told the dispatcher that they have an 'Upstreamer" at whatever resort stop at that park. Usually a bus is pulling in as I get to the resort stop.

For example this past Dec I did a split stay at CSR and YC. The morning I was moving to YC, I dropped my luggage off at CSR bell services then ran out and caught the first bus I saw, which just happened to be going to AK. I sat on the front seat and told I him I was really trying to get to YC. He told me buses normally didn't go back to the resorts that early, but he'd call ahead and let them know I'd be waiting. I heard him say he had an 'upstreamer that needs to get from AK to YC". I laughed and told him I was not a fish. He laughed back and told me that as far as they were concerned I was a salmon trying to get upstream that morning. He was nice enough to park at the YC stop to let us all off. As I was getting off the bus, an empty YC bus was already pulling up right behind us. I was the only one on it, so got my own personal bus over to the YC to check in. The driver of the second bus called in and said "I have the YC upstreamer, we're on our way to the YC". I again laughed and told him that was what the other driver had called me and I still say I am not a fish. He just laughed and said that anyone who wants to go to resort that early was an 'upstreamer' and they usually called special buses for them. I was checked in by 8:30am and on my way to another park.