Getting in and out of Magic Kingdom

[consultant]

I, personally, thought it was a long walk. It would be especially long for little ones. I've heard others say that it isn't a bad walk at all. I guess it is all a matter of perspective. If you are going to be on your feet all day, I'd skip the long walk and take the monorail.

I park at the TTC (MK parking lot) all the time. We prefer taking the monorail to the boat, but either works well. The trams from TTC to the various parking lots run very often. It never takes me very long to get a tram.

So most the guests at the Contemporary take the monorail going the "wrong" way all the way back around to get to Magic Kingdom. None of this makes sense. Still trying to figure out what the big allure is to staying/parking at the Contemporary due to its relation to Magic Kingdom versus going the MK via the Transit Center?

 

[dis-happy]

So most the guests at the Contemporary take the monorail going the "wrong" way all the way back around to get to Magic Kingdom. None of this makes sense. Still trying to figure out what the big allure is to staying/parking at the Contemporary due to its relation to Magic Kingdom versus going the MK via the Transit Center?

There are two circular tracks; say that MK is at noon, the TTC is at 6. The TTC express monorail goes straight from the TTC to MK in a counterclockwise direction. You get on, pass through the Cont. without stopping and end up at MK. The resort monorail runs the other direction (clockwise), and stops for several minutes at each resort. From the Cont. you would have to stop at the TTC, the Poly, and the GF before getting off at MK (the next stop after that is the Cont. again).

As others have posted, I too have parked at TTC, taken the monorail and entered MK. It's not that big a deal. The AAA pass will let you park closer in at the TTC (near handicapped parking) but you will walk a lot farther (you have to walk from there, under the tunnel, and to the monorail entrance). It's easier just to park in a regular spot and hop the tram to the monorail.

Finally, check touringplans.com and know which days are early morning EMH for MK. They won't let you get on the monorail those mornings until about 10 minutes before EMH is due to end.

On one hand, you are coming from the west coast with 2 kids---it may be wise to give everyone enough sleep that first morning. OTOH, if you can get to MK in the first hour it is open, you can get a whole lot done. Allow about 30 minutes to park, tram, monorail, bag check, go through turnstiles and be on your way down Main Street.