First visit to WDW - park hopping transportation question.

[disney-super-mom]

DH and I are going to WDW for the very first time in late January and we're staying at SSR.

We'll be using resort transportation, and I know that we can take a bus from any resort to get to any of the parks or DTD, but how can we park hop? Can we catch a bus at one park that takes us to another park? For example, if we're at AK and want to go to MGM, how do we do that?

Thanks everyone.

 

[tkd lisa]

There are buses that go between the parks. I personally haven't taken them, so I'm not absolutely positive that they go between each and every park, but here's what I think they do.

Ticket and Transportation Center (outside Magic Kingdom) offers: Monorails to MK, EPCOT, and the monorail resorts (Grand Floridian, Contemporary, and Polynesian). It also offers a ferry to MK.

Animal Kingdom offers: Buses to MK, EPCOT, and MGM. Note that Animal Kingdom usually closes much earlier than the other parks, and transportation only runs one hour after park closing, so I personally wouldn't park in AK and go to another park.

MGM offers: Buses to MK, EPCOT, and MGM. You can also take a boat to EPCOT (it stops at Boardwalk, Swan/Dolphin and Beach/Yacht club en route). There's also a walking path, but it's about 2 1/2 miles total. Buses are where the resort buses are. Boat dock is out the entrance to the left.

EPCOT offers: Monorail to TTC, and on to MK. Buses to AK. I'm not sure if there are buses to MGM, but there is definitely a boat (see the note on MGM, the boat goes both ways). Boat dock is out the International Gateway entrance (between France and the UK in World Showcase).

Also, do you know that you only have to pay parking once per day? If you drive from park to park, just show them your parking placard, and they'll wave you in. Of course, this doesn't matter to you, since resort guests get free parking anyway, but just for anyone not staying on site.

 

[skier_pete]

Disney transport is pretty good to get you from your resort to the parks, and from park to park. Where it is bad is if you want to go to one of the other resorts. If you decide to want to visit another resort, and it's not on the monorail or within walking distance of the parks, you better have a car. Each bus stage will take you between 20 minutes to 1 hour depending on....
a) How long you have to wait at your bus stop
b) how many other stops the bus makes on it's route (SSR has 3 bus stops, so will depend on which is nearest to your room.)
c) when leaving the parks, how many people are in front of you in line (can you get on the bus)
Generally, january won't be very crowded..but you should give yourself 45 minutes to get from one location to another.

SkierPete

 

[disney-super-mom]

Okay great!

We're only going to park hop one day of our trip (we're spending one morning and early afternoon at AK, and then we want to go to MGM for the rest of the afternoon and evening). I just wanted to make sure that there's a bus that can take us from AK to MGM. Sounds like there is!

 

[tkd lisa]

Yes there is, but buried in my long note is the fact that AK closes much earlier than the other parks. If you leave your car in that lot, and the park closes at 6 (typically 6 or earlier), then the last bus to AK will leave MGM at 7. MGM probably won't close until at least 8:30, so you won't be able to get your car.

I'd suggest driving yourself over to the other park, or leaving your car at the resort.

 

[disney-super-mom]

Yes there is, but buried in my long note is the fact that AK closes much earlier than the other parks. If you leave your car in that lot, and the park closes at 6 (typically 6 or earlier), then the last bus to AK will leave MGM at 7. MGM probably won't close until at least 8:30, so you won't be able to get your car.

I'd suggest driving yourself over to the other park, or leaving your car at the resort.

We won't have a car. We're using WDW bus transportation.

 

[tkd lisa]

Ooooh! Now I see! I've just seen people get stuck with their car at a closed park before, so I didn't want it to happen to you.

Have a great trip!