Getting To and From Resort Restaurants

[RachelNinja]

Is there a thread or list for how to get to and from the resort restaurants from the parks? I know that you can just hop on the bus from the park to get to any of the resorts, but I know there are still better ways to choose restaurants. For example, I know it's probably better to have an ADR at 'Ohana or Kona Cafe on an MK day since it's accessible by monorail. I also know that there are some restaurants (don't know which ones) that are easy to get to from Epcot by just walking through International Gateway. I know some places also have boats.

My fiance and I will be staying at AKL next May for our honeymoon. It's my first time on property as well as his, and it'll also be the first time that we'll have to learn the Disney transportation system. I'd like to spend more time in the parks, of course, so I was hoping someone could help me out in terms of cutting down the "commute" time. Thank you in advance!

 

[fla4fun]

From International Gateway, you have access to the Epcot Resorts: Boardwalk, Beach Club, Yacht Club and Swan/Dolphin. You can also access these easily from the Studios.

Yes, it is better to schedule your resort restaurant dining according to which park you will be visiting. The main exceptions would be Animal Kingdom Lodge, Wilderness Lodge, Coronado Springs, and Port Orleans Riverside (a bus/boat ride from any park). If you do not have to change transportation to reach your destination, allow 45-60 minutes minimum. If you have to change (boat to bus, bus to monorail, etc.) allow an extra 30 minutes for every change. If time is more important than money, you can always take a taxi instead of Disney transport. Disney will get you where you need to be, it just takes a little time.

 

[RachelNinja]

From International Gateway, you have access to the Epcot Resorts: Boardwalk, Beach Club, Yacht Club and Swan/Dolphin. You can also access these easily from the Studios.

Yes, it is better to schedule your resort restaurant dining according to which park you will be visiting. The main exceptions would be Animal Kingdom Lodge, Wilderness Lodge, Coronado Springs, and Port Orleans Riverside (a bus/boat ride from any park). If you do not have to change transportation to reach your destination, allow 45-60 minutes minimum. If you have to change (boat to bus, bus to monorail, etc.) allow an extra 30 minutes for every change. If time is more important than money, you can always take a taxi instead of Disney transport. Disney will get you where you need to be, it just takes a little time.

Thanks for the info! Is the walk from International Gateway a long walk? Just curious to know if it's a 10 minute walk or a 30 minute walk. We have a gift certificate to bluezoo, so that means that'll be an Epcot or DHS day.

When there's a boat option to and from a resort, is that the ONLY option? As in, it's either a bus OR a boat?

I guess on certain days, we should keep the taxi option in mind. Do you happen to know if it'd be a hefty charge?

Thanks again for your help!

 

[icewine]

First of all, congratulations on your upcoming wedding!!! You picked the BEST place for a honeymoon

Just went to Blue Zoo last week and it was fabulous!! The service was amazing (attentive and genuinely friendly) and the food was some of the best I've ever had.

If you're going from dinner at a resort restaurants back to your hotel, I'd suggest taking a cab. We did that a few times and it saved so much time and energy. Cab fares ranged from $10 (from Yachtman's Steakhouse at Yacht and Beach Club to Pop Century) to $15 (from Boma at AKL back to Pop Century) - a bargain when you're tired. It allows you to get back and rest longer for the next day. I just budgeted an extra $50 for my vacation to 'pamper' myself and my friend. Just my personal opinion. Simply go to the lobby of the resort and ask the valet staff to call a cab for you. Our experience was that there was always one waiting.

 

[Hopefully]

Thanks for the info! Is the walk from International Gateway a long walk? Just curious to know if it's a 10 minute walk or a 30 minute walk. We have a gift certificate to bluezoo, so that means that'll be an Epcot or DHS day.

When there's a boat option to and from a resort, is that the ONLY option? As in, it's either a bus OR a boat?

I guess on certain days, we should keep the taxi option in mind. Do you happen to know if it'd be a hefty charge?

Thanks again for your help!

There is only boat transportation from the Epcot area resorts to Epcot and the DHS (or a pleasant walk). Fort Wilderness is only a boat to MK only a bus everywhere else. Poly, GF are a boat or a monorail to MK a bus everywhere else, CR is monorail or walk to MK, bus to others. All others are bus only to the parks. WL is a boat or bus to MK, bus to others.
We budget a few taxi rides for resort to resort meals. It is under $20 each way including tip.
We plan our meals around which park which day. On MK day, a monorail resort restaurant or the WL.
On our DHS and Epcot days we eat in the WS at Epcot. There are so many wonderful International restaurants there. We usually do DTD one night, so that is a LONG bus ride no matter which park you h ave been in that day. Same for some of the nice resort restaurants, For us that is a taxi ride and it doesn't matter where we have been that day.
Enjoy

 

[B-Ride]

We have a gift certificate to bluezoo, so that means that'll be an Epcot or DHS day.

I would recommend it for a DHS day.

The reason - lot's of fabulous restaurants at Epcot to choose from, almost too many. As for DHS, IMHO, the TS restaurants there aren't really worth visiting, certainly not Epcot standards.

 

[NLD]

The best way to keep transportation time down is to eat in the parks, where you already are, and at your resort.

But if there are certain restaurants you want to try outside the parks, yes, schedule them for times you'll already be at a nearby park.

AKL has Jiko, Boma, and Sanaa.

Been to Boma and Jiko. Didn't care for Boma, but seem to be in the minority on that. (Everything tasted too sweet for me personally.) Jiko was great.

Sanaa gets great reviews.

 

[Pugmalion1]

Thanks for the info! Is the walk from International Gateway a long walk? Just curious to know if it's a 10 minute walk or a 30 minute walk. We have a gift certificate to bluezoo, so that means that'll be an Epcot or DHS day.

When there's a boat option to and from a resort, is that the ONLY option? As in, it's either a bus OR a boat?

I guess on certain days, we should keep the taxi option in mind. Do you happen to know if it'd be a hefty charge?

Thanks again for your help!

To answer your question on time, bluezoo is about a 10-15 minute walk from both Epcot and Hollywood Studios.

It is a fantastic restaurant, by the way. Don't neglect the lounge. The bartenders are great and the bar menu is even better. I recommend taking a.couple drinks and your appetizers in the lounge before heading into the dining room for your dinner.

 

[RachelNinja]

Thank you so much, everyone! Your help is much appreciated!

Normally, when I'm with my family (and when my fiance was there with us), we always ate in the park and had CS for both lunch and dinner. It was only on my last trip this past February that we booked 2 ADRs - Le Cellier and 'Ohana. They were fabulous, and so I knew that from then on, we would book 1-2 restaurants. Of course, it was easier in Feb because we had a rental car for 'Ohana and we were in Epcot for Le Cellier!

Considering this is our honeymoon, people have been encouraging us to venture out and have some fancier meals to celebrate. They said that if we don't do it now, we'll probably never do it, which is true (fiance and I are a bit TOO frugal sometimes!). The ones we have planned right now are Boma (arrival day so there's no travel involved since we'll be staying at AKL), California Grill, Kona Cafe, Whispering Canyon Cafe, and either Shula's or bluezoo (we have the restaurant.com gift certificates for those 2). We'll probably go to DTD one day to pick up Earl of Sandwich and eat at Raglan Road or WPE. I just got nervous once I realized we'd have to figure out how to get to and from all these restaurants WITHOUT a car!

Your advice is very helpful! Thanks again! I do think we should keep some extra cash on hand to budget for spur of the moment taxi rides. I think that will make me feel better about transportation because I'll know that we can always take a taxi if necessary (I have health problems too, so relying on a bus or boat might make the situation worse).

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! Any other suggestions or tips on transportation would be welcome!

 

[fla4fun]

As another poster mentioned, it would be about a 15 minute walk to Boardwalk or Yacht/Beach Club from International Gateway. Add another 10 minutes if you are going to the Swan or Dolphin. There is also boat transportation. It stops at BW first, then YC/BC, then S/D, then goes on to the Studios. From the Studios, it does the same route in reverse. The boat ride, from Epcot to the Studios, takes about 25 minutes or so.