First time staying at the Fort! What’s your preferred method of getting to the parks?

[CharissaOKC]

Been to WDW a lot but this will be our first experience at Ft. Wilderness. Staying a week but we only have 3 day PH tickets. Looking forward to exploring everything there is to do!

Normally we always use Disney transport. We also usually stay at a Skyliner resort. We will have a car and a golf cart. We are debating driving to the parks vs. using the busses? I know at least one day we will be starting at AK and hopping to HS or EP.

I am just not super familiar with driving to the parks. We have younger kids so I am not sure if driving would be more convenient?

 

[proudmomof4]

We drive to all parks, except MK.

 

[MaleficentUK]

Boat to MK. Minnie van to others.

 

[Teamubr]

I may be the outlier.

I really enjoy Disney transportation. Like others, I take the boat to MK, but typically the bus to the other parks. Sometimes we drive to AK and we always drive to Disney Springs (too hard to bring lots of shopping bags on the bus )

j

 

[team bradfield]

We always bus

 

[bama_ed]

We drive to all parks, except MK.

This is us.

 

[StormyCA]

Third vote for boat to MK, drive to the rest.

Since nDH usually heads back to the Fort in the afternoon and leaves me to my shopping, I usually end up taking the bus back from the 3 parks we drive to. It's OK, but usually a bit of a wait. Maybe I just time it wrong, but it seems as if there are not as many buses to FtW as to the other resorts.

 

[Duane]

My wife gets motion sick very easy, so buses are a non-starter for us... Like most others who have posted, we boat to MK, then drive to all others. Even on occasion when we stay at a DVC resort, we always rent a car and drive...

 

[loves to dive]

We always boat to MK and bus to all the other parks. When we are at the fort we are in our RV and we have a big ole Dodge Ram dually that we drive to pull it with. That thing usually takes up two parking spaces or sticks out the back of a regular one so driving it to the parks would be a pain. Hubby doesn't spend much time in the parks so if he isn't going to a park and I am, he and the dog will usually drive the truck up to the bus stop and pick me up there. If he is going to the park, we drive the golf cart and park it at the bus stop. I go to WDW 3 or 4 times a year (usually staying in a resort not the fort) and drive down from Georgia so I always have my car with me. I park that sucker when I get there and don't get in it again until I come home. I don't like driving on property and sometimes enjoy a refreshing adult beverage so am certainly not going to drive after that. I actually enjoy the buses, weird I know.

 

[CharissaOKC]

Thank you everyone for all the replies and advice!
I have looked at the bus maps but I do have one question. The buses to AK, HS, EP are at the Outpost correct?
Can you drive your car or golf cart there? Do the buses load there and then head straight to the park?

 

[Uk145081]

With little ones and park hopping, I'd say driving is probably your best bet. The bus routes from the Fort can be a bit long and involve transfers. Driving gives you more control, especially when you're trying to get to a specific park at a certain time.

 

[Teamubr]

The buses to AK, HS, EP are at the Outpost correct?

Correct!

Can you drive your car or golf cart there? Do the buses load there and then head straight to the park?

There is golf cart parking at the Outpost bus stop, but no car/vehicle parking other than the check in building or overflow lot. The internal Fort buses drop off there and the park buses pick up and head to the parks.

j

 

[bama_ed]

Correct!

There is golf cart parking at the Outpost bus stop, but no car/vehicle parking other than the check in building or overflow lot. The internal Fort buses drop off there and the park buses pick up and head to the parks.

j

Like other Disney resorts, the Outpost bus depot has overhead monitors that tell you how many minutes it will take before a bus for "X" park arrives.

Outpost also has a bus to Disney Springs and back (fwiw). All those busses (parks, DS) are express/non-stop.

Also, to complicate matters more, the boat to MK is not the only option. There is a bus from the Settlement Bus Depot (down by the new TCD Horse Barn) near Bay Lake. Around rope drop and evening close times, the bus is an express to MK and back. During the slower travel times mid-day, it does add a stop to Wilderness Lodge, I believe, in each direction (I think). Both the boat and bus will get you to the MK for morning rope drop/early entry approximately at the same time. We just find the boat ride more relaxing and scenic.

Bama Ed

 

[MICKIMINI]

Park your golf cart at the dock and take the boat to MK. You can do the same and take the boat to MK and transfer to the monorail to get to EPCOT or for an ADR at a monorail resort. Use the boat whenever possible.

Enjoy!

 

[CharissaOKC]

We are excited about using the boat! I really didn’t think about using the boat/monorail to get to Epcot but we might try that. We really don’t like the bus depot at Epcot. Just feels so far away.

 

[bama_ed]

We are excited about using the boat! I really didn’t think about using the boat/monorail to get to Epcot but we might try that. We really don’t like the bus depot at Epcot. Just feels so far away.

The one thing about boat to MK then monorail to Epcot is while you CAN get there from here (so to speak), it's not fast. Don't go this way if you want to make Epcot early entry (certainly) or rope drop (maybe). But we do that ride combo on our days off and end up back the TTC/Poly area and get a Dole Whip at the Poly (and maybe more resort hopping to GF or CR). Then take the Poly boat to MK and Fort boat back home.

 

[ScarletFire]

When your vehicle is parked next to your camper, it's way more convenient to drive to the parks. The boat to the MK is my favorite ride We ride our bikes to travel around FW. There are bike racks and golf cart parking near the boat launch and outpost bus stop.

 

[Memorymakerfor4]

We used Disney transport. Boat to MK, bus to all the others. Maybe we got lucky but we never had to wait long. My kids loved piling in the golf cart and taking a ride. If we had time, we'd loop a little and look at Christmas decorations. I feel like the golf carts are so expensive and this gave us a little more bang for our buck.

 

[Sjm9911]

Boat to MK, drive to the parks , unless you are not in a hurry. Then do as you will. Plus of driving was a cooler with cold water in the car. And snacks. If rope dropping , driving is a must.

 

[team bradfield]

We've been here for a month, never waited more than 15 minutes, many times less than 10, easier than driving IMHO