Epcot to DHS to AK

[DisneyStarWisher]

What would be the best mode of transportation? We are staying at the Poly and are wanting to arrive at Epcot around 10:00 to get ready for the F&W Festival. Around 2:30, we want to hop to DHS to ride TSM, and then we want to hop to AK before 5:30 to ride the Safari. We have a car. Would it be best to park at DHS, take a boat to Epcot, boat back to DHS, then drive to AK? I'm just worried that parking at DHS at this time will be super crazy! So I'm wondering if it might be best to monorail to Epcot, boat to DHS, then bus to AK. With this plan, I'm just worried that there won't be many buses running from DHS to AK this late in the day. Having my car seems safer. Which would be best? (And yes, I know this is crazy. It's our last trip for a while and I want to get my favorites in.)

 

[JodyK]

If it were me I would:

Monorail to Epcot
Boat to HS
Uber/Lyft from HS to AK

 

[loves to dive]

I would do the above but I'd bus to AK because I'm cheap. Sometimes, it takes less time to walk from Epcot to HS, I do it a lot and sometimes I might walk from Epcot to the BW boat dock and catch the boat from there since it will only make one additional stop at Swan/Dolphin.

Not sure about your timing, but you should be able to do it. Even if the line at TSMM is 60 min. Say you leave Epcot at 2:30, walk/boat to HS 20 min. It's now 2:50. Worst case 15 min. to get in the park at back to TSMM 60 min. wait. 4 when you get on TSMM. So you probably leave HS around 4:15. Hop a bus to AK. Maybe a 20 min. wait for the bus and I don't remember how long it takes to get to AK. But if you leave HS at 4:30 you should make it in time but it will be cutting it close. Personally, I'd probably do the hop to AK from Epcot and then from AK to HS. You could either catch a bus from there back to Poly or walk all the way through Epcot to the monorail.

I often do the Epcot, AK, HS hop using just Disney transportation even though I have my car. I park that puppy and don't get back in it until I leave and the only time I've taken Uber was when I had a late ADR at a resort and it was too late to catch a bus back to a park then back to my resort.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

We'd do a mixture of the above - monorail to EP, walk to HS, but definitely bus to AK from HS. Then bus from AK back to Poly. Just one of several options, though!

 

[DisneyStarWisher]

I would do the above but I'd bus to AK because I'm cheap. Sometimes, it takes less time to walk from Epcot to HS, I do it a lot and sometimes I might walk from Epcot to the BW boat dock and catch the boat from there since it will only make one additional stop at Swan/Dolphin.

Not sure about your timing, but you should be able to do it. Even if the line at TSMM is 60 min. Say you leave Epcot at 2:30, walk/boat to HS 20 min. It's now 2:50. Worst case 15 min. to get in the park at back to TSMM 60 min. wait. 4 when you get on TSMM. So you probably leave HS around 4:15. Hop a bus to AK. Maybe a 20 min. wait for the bus and I don't remember how long it takes to get to AK. But if you leave HS at 4:30 you should make it in time but it will be cutting it close. Personally, I'd probably do the hop to AK from Epcot and then from AK to HS. You could either catch a bus from there back to Poly or walk all the way through Epcot to the monorail.

I often do the Epcot, AK, HS hop using just Disney transportation even though I have my car. I park that puppy and don't get back in it until I leave and the only time I've taken Uber was when I had a late ADR at a resort and it was too late to catch a bus back to a park then back to my resort.

My DH is the same way. He doesn’t like using our car at Disney.


No one mentioned the skyliner. Would that be an option?

 

[Skippyboo]

If you want to drive, I don’t think HS parking lot would be super crazy, it’s a pretty straight forward parking lot.

 

[DisneyStarWisher]

If you want to drive, I don’t think HS parking lot would be super crazy, it’s a pretty straight forward parking lot.

Thank you. I'm wondering if it's possible to park close to the Skyliner station and take it into Epcot that morning. It would be almost an hour after Epcot opens so maybe it wouldn't be too busy. It would be neat to skyline into World Showcase and see the France pavilion. Then we could do the boat back to DHS. Looking at Google Earth, it looks like part of the parking lot is close to the Skyliner station and the boat dock, but it's hard to see how easy it is to access it.

 

[Douglas Dubh]

Thank you. I'm wondering if it's possible to park close to the Skyliner station and take it into Epcot that morning. It would be almost an hour after Epcot opens so maybe it wouldn't be too busy. It would be neat to skyline into World Showcase and see the France pavilion. Then we could do the boat back to DHS. Looking at Google Earth, it looks like part of the parking lot is close to the Skyliner station and the boat dock, but it's hard to see how easy it is to access it.

The parking spaces nearest the skyliner are mostly handicap spots. Paying for preferred might get you close but not sure.

 

[CarolynFH]

I might walk from Epcot to the BW boat dock and catch the boat from there since it will only make one additional stop at Swan/Dolphin.

The boat goes Epcot - BW - YC/BC - S/D, so did you mean to say you walk to the BC (YC/BC) dock to catch the boat?

 

[CarolynFH]

Thank you. I'm wondering if it's possible to park close to the Skyliner station and take it into Epcot that morning. It would be almost an hour after Epcot opens so maybe it wouldn't be too busy. It would be neat to skyline into World Showcase and see the France pavilion. Then we could do the boat back to DHS. Looking at Google Earth, it looks like part of the parking lot is close to the Skyliner station and the boat dock, but it's hard to see how easy it is to access it.

We love taking the Skyliner from DHS to Epcot, although it isn't the quickest way, it's certainly the most scenic! As above, though, regular parking at DHS isn't usually very close to the Skyliner station, so I'd plan to pay the extra for Preferred if you decide to drive. But you could instead bus to DHS, because the Skyliner station is right by the bus stops, then Skyliner to Epcot, then back to DHS or go from Epcot to AK and then back to DHS. For us it would depend on how much time we had - if our schedule was a little tight, we might drive to DHS, park there to visit both DHS and Epcot (in whatever sequence), then drive to AK to finish the day.

 

[SteveMouse]

If it were me I would:

Monorail to Epcot
Boat to HS
Uber/Lyft from HS to AK

Or walk from Epcot to DHS if there is a looooong line for the boat or you just missed it, especially if you don’t have little legs that get tired or a battery powered mobility device and need to conserve power.

 

[DisneyStarWisher]

Ok, so it seems the most efficient way will be to monorail to Epcot, walk to DHS (even though we will probably take the boat because we really enjoy the boats!), and bus or Uber to AK. Do you think there will be buses going from DHS to AK at that time of day? We are hoping to be leaving DHS by 4:00, and AK closes at 7:00. I just don't want to plan on a bus and then be left waiting forever for a bus that never comes.

 

[Ross Kratter]

Ok, so it seems the most efficient way will be to monorail to Epcot, walk to DHS (even though we will probably take the boat because we really enjoy the boats!), and bus or Uber to AK. Do you think there will be buses going from DHS to AK at that time of day? We are hoping to be leaving DHS by 4:00, and AK closes at 7:00. I just don't want to plan on a bus and then be left waiting forever for a bus that never comes.

Yes, buses will absolutely be running.

 

[Mikey15]

And your “backup” bus might be DHS->Coronado, then Coronado->DAK if for some reason the park to park bus is infrequent.

I’d personally do Monorail to Epcot (walk right to TTC depending on which end of Poly you’re on), then Skyliner to DHS, though I guess you really like the boat.

I really don’t think you’d gain anything bringing the car to DHS and then having to park at DAK too.

 

[loves to dive]

The boat goes Epcot - BW - YC/BC - S/D, so did you mean to say you walk to the BC (YC/BC) dock to catch the boat?

To tell the truth, I'm never sure what order it goes in. Usually I walk to BW, for some reason my brain thinks it's shorter than YC/BC.

 

[loves to dive]

The sky liner can be iffy. It can take a while if there is a line at the CB transfer station and there is no way to know if there will be. It wouldn't be your quickest way and with your tight schedule, I probably wouldn't try it.

 

[CarolynFH]

Do you think there will be buses going from DHS to AK at that time of day? We are hoping to be leaving DHS by 4:00, and AK closes at 7:00.

Yes, buses will still be running from DHS to AK at 4:00 PM and at normal frequency.

 

[DisneyStarWisher]

And your “backup” bus might be DHS->Coronado, then Coronado->DAK if for some reason the park to park bus is infrequent.

I’d personally do Monorail to Epcot (walk right to TTC depending on which end of Poly you’re on), then Skyliner to DHS, though I guess you really like the boat.

I really don’t think you’d gain anything bringing the car to DHS and then having to park at DAK too.

Thank you for the information! I guess AKV is also a choice along with Coronado. Hopefully, we won't have to do that though.

The TTC will be close. We plan to go eat in Captain Cooks for breakfast first, and then since we are checking into the Poly that day, we plan to move our car over to the parking lot beside the Pago Pago building so TTC will be right there. Yes, I do enjoy the boats. It's one of our favorite things. I really don't like heights, so I was iffy on the Skyliner but thought it might be an option if it helps save time.

 

[JodyK]

I guess I should have elaborated on my reasoning of the Uber/Lyft...

The reason I would choose that way is that on a 3 park day that seems like it may have a tight timeline I would be optimizing for time/low stress. The cost of a Lyft from HS to AK is $10 - $15 and the rideshare pickup is closer to the park gates than the bus so that would save a little bit of walking time and you mostly know you'll be at AK in 15-20 mins. With the bus you could still be waiting for the bus to arrive in that same 15-20 mins. So I guess I would see how my timing is going and if I had the time to wait to I'd take the bus. I tend to think that my time and low stress is worth something but that might not be the same for everyone. Things like using the Lyft app may be very stressful for someone else who doesn't use it often so to each their own.

 

[Mikey15]

Thank you for the information! I guess AKV is also a choice along with Coronado. Hopefully, we won't have to do that though.

AKL/AKV is an option, but having done that bus trip a few times:
-I believe the AKL bus pad is a close one at DHS but a far one at DAK (surprisingly). Maybe they’ve been changed since.
-AKL/AKV is past DAK, where CSR is before.
-AKL/AKV is a single bus that stops and both AKL-Jambo and Kidani. Adds time

Mind you I actually have no idea if the Park->CSR buses loop around CSR as well or if there’s an internal bus for that instead. It’s just first in mind since a park to park bus literally drives past CSR.

Hope all goes smoothly for you!