Fastest/earliest way to get to MK turnstiles?

[jamescam]

My family and I are going to try for Family of the Day when we visit MK this year, we aren't staying on site so Im wondering what is the fastest/earliest we can get to the turnstiles. Only thing I know of is the resorts tram starts running at 7am but was trying to get to the turnstiles by that time. Thanks.

 

[4under4]

I know Chef Mickey starts breakfast at 7:00 and there are early buses that will go there ~30/45 minutes before that time. You could walk to MK from the Contemporary.

 

[wdwrich]

Since the OP is staying off-site, I don't think the early WDW buses will help in this case. They would have to park at the TTC and monorail or ferry to MK. If the ferry or express monorail aren't running, they could walk to the Poly and catch the resort monorail that stars running usually at 7am. To arrive at the MK turnstiles earlier than 7am one would get to CR at say 6:30 and walk to MK. Since they wouldn't be able to park their car at CR, a taxi might work.

 

[skelooch]

Drive to the Contemporary Resort, valet park there (seeing you are staying off site you will have to pay for parking anyway), you can then walk to the MK turnstiles in about 15 minutes at most, it's about 1/2 mile walk. So you could get there any time you choose.
By valet parking you can leave your car at the CR all day, cost is $15 plus tips, so figure $20 total, it will cost you $14 to park at the MK lot, so for an additional $6 you can control your own arrival time.
When approaching the MK toll plaza stay to the right, tell attendant you are going to the CR, you won't be charged, drive straight to CR.

 

[sam_gordon]

Unless it changed, you do know it's not the first family who are the "family of the day", right? I don't think there are any hard and fast rules on how they select the family.

 

[sommergirl25]

I would have loved for Family of the Day to be chosen for being the first there. Our early Feb trip this year, we were the first there, arriving before light.

 

[wdwrich]

By valet parking you can leave your car at the CR all day, cost is $15 plus tips

Of course! I should have remembered this. Up too late last night...

 

[gmeh1]

Drive to the Contemporary Resort, valet park there (seeing you are staying off site you will have to pay for parking anyway), you can then walk to the MK turnstiles in about 15 minutes at most, it's about 1/2 mile walk. So you could get there any time you choose.
By valet parking you can leave your car at the CR all day, cost is $15 plus tips, so figure $20 total, it will cost you $14 to park at the MK lot, so for an additional $6 you can control your own arrival time.
When approaching the MK toll plaza stay to the right, tell attendant you are going to the CR, you won't be charged, drive straight to CR.

Parking is up to 15.00 now.
Valet Parking is 15.00 plus tax.
From the DIS.
Valet Parking is offered at all of the Disney Deluxe Resorts. There is a $15.00 daily fee ($16.88 with tax) for using this service. Valet parking is not free for DVC members.

Valet Parking is FREE for the following:
•Tables in Wonderland cardholders with an Advance Dining Reservation at the resort where they are valet parking
•All guests who have a current handicap license plate/tag

Tipping is appropriate and customary for valet parking.

 

[sam_gordon]

Parking is up to 15.00 now.
Valet Parking is 15.00 plus tax.
From the DIS.
Valet Parking is offered at all of the Disney Deluxe Resorts. There is a $15.00 daily fee ($16.88 with tax) for using this service. Valet parking is not free for DVC members.

Valet Parking is FREE for the following:
•Tables in Wonderland cardholders with an Advance Dining Reservation at the resort where they are valet parking
•All guests who have a current handicap license plate/tag

Tipping is appropriate and customary for valet parking.

Valet charges tax but normal parking doesn't?

 

[skelooch]

Parking is up to 15.00 now.
Valet Parking is 15.00 plus tax.
From the DIS.
Valet Parking is offered at all of the Disney Deluxe Resorts. There is a $15.00 daily fee ($16.88 with tax) for using this service. Valet parking is not free for DVC members.

Valet Parking is FREE for the following:
•Tables in Wonderland cardholders with an Advance Dining Reservation at the resort where they are valet parking
•All guests who have a current handicap license plate/tag

Tipping is appropriate and customary for valet parking.

You don't get free valet parking with your TIW card just for having a dining reservation, you have to eat at the restaurant and show the receipt at the valet desk in order to be comped the valet parking fee, but you still should tip the attendants.
Actually you don't even have to eat at a restaurant at the resort where you valet park, I once valet parked at the Poly but ate at the GF, they accepted the receipt from GF at the Poly and did't charge me for valet parking.

Parking for the parks was still $14 when I was there 1 month ago, did it go up to $15?
It won't be long before Disney starts charging to park at their resorts, it's inevitable.

 

[pooch]

is it really 1/2 mile from CR to MK? I feel like we make that trip in 5-8 minutes. Must be how fit I am !!!!

 

[sam_gordon]

is it really 1/2 mile from CR to MK? I feel like we make that trip in 5-8 minutes. Must be how fit I am !!!!

I just used Google earth and it comes up as 1/2 mile from CR to the end of the bus loop.

 

[4under4]

Since the OP is staying off-site

OP said they were staying On Site so I think depends on WHERE as to what will be the best way to get there.

But as another poster said, family of the day is not just a matter of who gets there first. I would hate to get my kids up at the crack of dawn and be there first just so we could be family of the day... and then not get picked.

If we're ever chosen for family of the day it will be simply a wonderful bit of

 

[Alesia]

OP said they were staying On Site so I think depends on WHERE as to what will be the best way to get there.

No:

we aren't staying on site

But as another poster said, family of the day is not just a matter of who gets there first. I would hate to get my kids up at the crack of dawn and be there first just so we could be family of the day... and then not get picked.

If we're ever chosen for family of the day it will be simply a wonderful bit of

^This is very much true. In fact, the best way to not get picked is to give the CMs the impression that you're trying.

 

[dvczerfs]

Unless it changed, you do know it's not the first family who are the "family of the day", right? I don't think there are any hard and fast rules on how they select the family.

in 2011 my dd and I did the keys to the kingdom tour.if I recall these times, we were in the park around 7:30 and the tour started at 8am. we decided to go for a walk up main street just for something to do. when we got to the hub, the cm driving the fire truck asked us if we would like to be family for the day. we had to decline because of being on the tour. to this day we are not sure what she thought we were doing in the park that early? I don't recall seeing people heading for the castle or crystal pal. for breakfast.

 

[NJRRK]

Valet charges tax but normal parking doesn't?

Actually they both are taxable. Normal parking includes tax, valet is plus tax.

 

[gmeh1]

You don't get free valet parking with your TIW card just for having a dining reservation, you have to eat at the restaurant and show the receipt at the valet desk in order to be comped the valet parking fee, but you still should tip the attendants.
Actually you don't even have to eat at a restaurant at the resort where you valet park, I once valet parked at the Poly but ate at the GF, they accepted the receipt from GF at the Poly and did't charge me for valet parking.

Parking for the parks was still $14 when I was there 1 month ago, did it go up to $15?
It won't be long before Disney starts charging to park at their resorts, it's inevitable.

It went up on June 2, 2013. the last increase was Oct.5, 2009 when it jumped from 12.00 to 14.00.
I doubt you will see them charge for parking at the resorts.
I don't know about TIW, I just copied and pasted this from DIS.

 

[gmeh1]

Valet charges tax but normal parking doesn't?

Sam, what can I say, I copied and pasted from DIS. I consider them to be very reputable.

 

[sam_gordon]

Sam, what can I say, I copied and pasted from DIS. I consider them to be very reputable.

Sorry, I wasn't faulting you. It just sounded strange.

 

[gmeh1]

Sorry, I wasn't faulting you. It just sounded strange.

No worries.