Getting to early ADRs at MK

[TulipMom]

I want to make sure that I'm understanding some information correctly. We're headed to WDW in 2.5 weeks. (Yay!!!) We have reservations at CRT at 8:20am, on a day when the park is scheduled to open at 9am. We are staying at the Wilderness Lodge. We'd like to arrive at the park around 8am to give us 20 minutes to get through the turnstiles and take a few castle pictures, etc.

My understanding is that our only option for arriving at that time is to park at the TTC and take the resort monorail to MK? As it looks like the WL ferry doesn't start until 8:15-8:30?

 

[Lee & Kerry]

Or take a bus from your resort to MK

 

[loves to dive]

I'm not familiar with transportation at WL but do they not have buses that go to MK? If not, either you drive to TTC as you mentioned but if I'm not mistaken they have a ferry that goes to MK or drive to CR and either walk or take the ferry over.

 

[Alesia]

Take the bus.

Buses start at 6:30 every morning.

 

[Average Joes]

What time should they start waiting for a bus? It is probably just me but I would want to arrive a little before 8.

We thought we could take the boat pre-park opening and showed up at the dock at the campgrounds. Nope. Luckily they were training someone and they sailed us to MK.

 

[Robo]

I'm not familiar with transportation at WL but do they not have buses that go to MK? If not, either you drive to TTC as you mentioned but if I'm not mistaken they have a ferry that goes to MK or drive to CR and either walk or take the ferry over.

There are also buses.

 

[TulipMom]

Sorry that I didn't mention buses previously. Yes, I know there are buses available, but Disney website says they start 45-min prior to park opening. Is that incorrect?

 

[Robo]

Sorry that I didn't mention buses previously. Yes, I know there are buses available, but Disney website says they start 45-min prior to park opening. Is that incorrect?

Completely WRONG.

The buses start running to the parks at about 6:30AM every day.

If you wish to avoid bad info, stay away from the "official" Disney website.
(No, I'm not kidding.)

 

[cakebaker]

We stayed at the WL and had a pre-opening MK ADR. They do have busses and it's a very short trip to the MK. If you haven't checked out the resort board on the WL thread, I highly recommend it. It's packed with resort specific information.

 

[TulipMom]

Completely WRONG.

The buses start running to the parks at about 6:30AM every day.

If you wish to avoid bad info, stay away from the "official" Disney website.
(No, I'm not kidding.)

Ha! Okay, good to know! Thank you so much! I'm so glad that I took the time to ask here instead of believing their published info (which is on there multiple times!).

We'll plan on taking the bus! Does planning to be at the bus stop at 7:30am seem reasonable? I'm reading that WL to MK buses are pretty frequent and it's a short ride. I also read that there's a flood of ADR people there around 7:45, so I'd love to avoid that intial surge of people in line, while still giving us a few minutes in the park before our 8:20 res.

 

[cakebaker]

Ha! Okay, good to know! Thank you so much! I'm so glad that I took the time to ask here instead of believing their published info (which is on there multiple times!).

We'll plan on taking the bus! Does planning to be at the bus stop at 7:30am seem reasonable? I'm reading that WL to MK buses are pretty frequent and it's a short ride. I also read that there's a flood of ADR people there around 7:45, so I'd love to avoid that intial surge of people in line, while still giving us a few minutes in the park before our 8:20 res.

I'd advise being at the MK by 7:30, so I'd be at the bus stop at bit earlier. In my experience, there is no huge crowd for pre-opening adrs. We got to the MK about a half hour before they opened the gates for adr's and were probably 10-15 people back in the line. It was not a huge line of people by the time they allowed us in. It really was not the least bit hectic.

What many have found is that no matter what your ADR time is, if it's before the park opens, you get in at the same time as those with earlier times, both into the park and into the restaurant. And the longer you wait to get to the restaurant, the more crowded it's going to be.

Also, while not guaranteed, many people (us included) report being allowed to ride SDMT using the fp+ line before the rope drop crowd arrives. This means you need to be outside at the holding area for diners by 8:45 or so. If this isn't something you're interested in, not a problem, but it's a really great perk if it works out.

Just a few things to consider. 7:30 is plenty of time to get to your adr in time, and it may well get you there before they open the gates depending on how long your wait is for the bus, but being there earlier is better imo.

 

[TulipMom]

I'd advise being at the MK by 7:30, so I'd be at the bus stop at bit earlier. In my experience, there is no huge crowd for pre-opening adrs. We got to the MK about a half hour before they opened the gates for adr's and were probably 10-15 people back in the line. It was not a huge line of people by the time they allowed us in. It really was not the least bit hectic.

What many have found is that no matter what your ADR time is, if it's before the park opens, you get in at the same time as those with earlier times, both into the park and into the restaurant. And the longer you wait to get to the restaurant, the more crowded it's going to be.

Also, while not guaranteed, many people (us included) report being allowed to ride SDMT using the fp+ line before the rope drop crowd arrives. This means you need to be outside at the holding area for diners by 8:45 or so. If this isn't something you're interested in, not a problem, but it's a really great perk if it works out.

Just a few things to consider. 7:30 is plenty of time to get to your adr in time, and it may well get you there before they open the gates depending on how long your wait is for the bus, but being there earlier is better imo.

Great! Thank you! We will aim for leaving a little earlier. And, I also took your advice and went back again to look at the WL thread. It's easy to get lost in Disney information-land, and I forgot about that valuable resource!

 

[G719]

There is also a boat that runs between Wilderness lodge, fort wilderness, and the contemporary resort. It runs earlier than the MK boat. We are staying at FW in November and are planning to take this boat to the contemporary and then walking to MK. We have a be our guest early breakfast one day. We have not done this before but read on the camping board that this is an option for early breakfast.

 

[mwmom]

It has been 3 years since we were there, but we took the boat to the Contemporary and rode the monorail. I know the monorail hours are different due to refurb, so I would just walk to MK from Contemporary. You might just ask at the concierge desk while you are there just to make sure you have the most update information.

 

[Robo]

It has been 3 years since we were there, but we took the boat to the Contemporary and rode the monorail. I know the monorail hours are different due to refurb, so I would just walk to MK from Contemporary.

You might just ask at the concierge desk while you are there just to make sure you have the most update information.

Sorry, but no CM in the resorts knows anything up-to-date about the WDW transportation.

 

[Alesia]

Sorry, but no CM in the resorts knows anything up-to-date about the WDW transportation.

True dat.


You can never trust what you hear from a non-transportation CM about transportation.
You can never trust what you hear from a transportation CM about anything other than transportation.
You can never trust a phone CM.
You can never trust the Disney website.

I am not kidding.

 

[Robo]

True dat.


You can never trust what you hear from a non-transportation CM about transportation.
You can never trust what you hear from a transportation CM about anything other than transportation.
You can never trust a phone CM.
You can never trust the Disney website.

I am not kidding.

The problem is, that while some of the above situations and CMs may very well have SOME correct info, (most do)
the overall unreliability is such that you won't be able to tell the good info from the bad.

 

[Alesia]

The problem is, that while some of the above situations and CMs may very well have SOME correct info, (most do)
the overall unreliability is such that you won't be able to tell the good info from the bad.

Exactly.