ENDLESS SUMMER RESORT.

[Keyser]

Looks like we will be at Surfside in August. As I try to plan ahead, I do have a couple of questions:
1) I understand that buses are fast/frequent, but how long would you say it would take to get from the US/IoA entrance to the hotel (or vice-versa)? For example, if we were planning to take a break in the afternoon from those parks, how much time would be eaten up just in leaving the park, getting back to the hotel, and then returning? Or, along the same lines, if we needed to leave the park to be at the hotel at a particular time (such as to get luggage and go to the airport), how long should we allow?

2) I read above that the buses were just a few minutes to CityWalk, but how about to Epic Universe? Do they run about as frequently, and are they direct, or do you have to go to take 2 buses (like to Citywalk then to EU) or something?

Thanks!

 

[CAPSLOCK]

Bus to CityWalk is pretty much constant, in the really busy times (park opening) you may have a short wait to board & buses will be very full ("if you can see floor, there's room for more"), but they will pretty much have a bus waiting as soon as one fills up. I think I have only ever waited more than 15min for a bus ride once or twice, and normally that's at quiet times while they wait for a fuller load - meaning that you're at least waiting seated on the air conditioned bus.

I would say it's probably safe to guess 5-15min from getting to the bus stop to stepping off the bus. You hit a bus that just left, waiting to fill up the next bus, uncooperative traffic lights, I'm sure it could go over that. Actual time on road is probably 5min average.

Walk from park gates to bus, depending on walking speed, maybe 10min. Keep in mind you will need to go through security on the way back in, they're efficient but could still be 5min.

My official guesstimate:
Walk from park gate to bus stop = 10min
Await bus to pull away = 1-10min
Bus ride = 5min
Hotel break
Await bus to pull away = 1-10min
Bus ride = 5min
Security = 2-5min
Walk from security to park gate = 10min
Total mid-day break transit time = 34-55min. Less if you walk fast.

Epic Universe - approx drive time maybe 15min? They have a bus lane so traffic is less of an impact. Hotel Epic buses may be shared between hotels, but they don't go to CityWalk, it'll be a dedicated Epic bus.