Getting to Hoop-Dee-Doo

[FOV]

We are planning to spend the day at Blizzard Beach and then we have 5pm reservations for HDDR. We will be using Disney transportation - or a taxi if you think that would be best.

I figure our day will go something like this:

1:30pm - Leave BB in order to be at Port Orleans-Riverside by 2:30pm

3:30pm- leave POR, take bus to MK, then boat to FW, then shuttle to Pioneer Hall

4:30pm - Arrive at Pioneer Hall for the 5pm show

Question: Will we save a lot of time by taking a taxi to FW? Can the taxi take us directly to Pioneer Hall? How long does it take to get to Pioneer Hall once you have arrived at FW?

Thanks!

 

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

The boat from Magic Kingdom let's you out right there. There's no need to take a shuttle within Ft. Wilderness. I'd stick with Disney transportation.

 

[tiggger1]

I would give yourself at least an hour to get from MK to the fort. We stayed there and were taking the 4:30 boat back to the campsite with a bunch of people who thought that they would have plenty of time to get there for the 5pm show. Well there was a problem and the boat was late, so we didnt get there until after 5. My 2 year got pushed over by a grown women trying to run to the hall because she was late.. complaining the whole way about how the system stunk and the boat drivers are horrible...

 

[HappyDznyCamper]

Your plan looks good with plenty of time allowed for travel. Just know that the boat to FW runs in a continual loop(no set times for stops) In the AM it runs MK, WL, FW, MK after 3 or 3:30 it runs the other way MK, FW, WL, MK(I may have that backwards but it shouldn't be a problem you'll have plenty of time). Once the boat gets to FW it's a short walk to Pioneer Hall, if you get there very early there is a nice playground for the kids, the trading post is right there and the petting farm is just past Pioneer Hall, so you will have plenty of things to do while you wait.

 

[HappyDznyCamper]

Oh yeah, you can take a taxi but it will drop you off at the Outpost, the check in area, and you will take an internal bus to the Settlement stop(not really a big deal), if you do this you will see many busses in and out of the depot you will need any of the busses that say Settlement, the colors just indicate which road and loops they stop at along the way. The taxi may be faster but the boat ride from MK is nice and really the best way home since taxis don't usually hang out at FW and you would have to call for one to get back(from Outpost of course).

 

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

Your plan looks good with plenty of time allowed for travel. Just know that the boat to FW runs in a continual loop(no set times for stops) In the AM it runs MK, WL, FW, MK after 3 or 3:30 it runs the other way MK, FW, WL, MK(I may have that backwards but it shouldn't be a problem you'll have plenty of time). Once the boat gets to FW it's a short walk to Pioneer Hall, if you get there very early there is a nice playground for the kids, the trading post is right there and the petting farm is just past Pioneer Hall, so you will have plenty of things to do while you wait.

I believe you may have your routes backwards. I think they give the preference to WL over FW, since it's a deluxe. If you're travelling in the direction of the flow of traffic (to the Magic Kingdom in the morning and back to the resorts in the evening), FW guests will always stop at WL first and WL guests will have direct service.

 

[matt&jakesmom]

Along the same lines- we are spending the day at Epcot. I thought by leaving Epcot at 4 and take the monorail back to MK and then the boat. I think by allowing an hour is plenty of time. Am I correct in that?

 

[tiggger1]

You need to check in at Hoop De doo at a half hour before the show starts. I would plan on being there for 4:30 for the 5PM show. I would plan on leaving epcot at 3:30 and you should be there by 4:30. ( if you are late they make you wait until their is a lull in the show to bring you to your table)

 

[cassi06403]

We're also going from POR... does this sound like a good plan? Take the boat down to Downtown Disney and then get a bus to Fort Wilderness? I'm assuming that there is a bus to FW, right?

Or is there some reason that taking the bus to Magic Kingdom and the boat to FW is a better idea? Thanks!

 

[gigi1313]

Oh yeah, you can take a taxi but it will drop you off at the Outpost, the check in area, and you will take an internal bus to the Settlement stop(not really a big deal), if you do this you will see many busses in and out of the depot you will need any of the busses that say Settlement, the colors just indicate which road and loops they stop at along the way. The taxi may be faster but the boat ride from MK is nice and really the best way home since taxis don't usually hang out at FW and you would have to call for one to get back(from Outpost of course).

we took a taxi from the dolphin (dropped off our car rental, waited 1/2 hour and no MK bus showed up so we had the valet hail us a cab) and it took us RIGHT to Pioneer Hall (well, about a 45 second walk away) but it wasn't cheap (i think it cost about $20)...

 

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

We're also going from POR... does this sound like a good plan? Take the boat down to Downtown Disney and then get a bus to Fort Wilderness? I'm assuming that there is a bus to FW, right?

Or is there some reason that taking the bus to Magic Kingdom and the boat to FW is a better idea? Thanks!

We had some very bad experiences using Downtown Disney as a transfer point in the early evening. When Typhoon Lagoon is getting ready to close, the traffic between DD and TL get backed up real bad. Also, every bus leaving DD stops at TL to pick up additional guests. The traffic in the parking lots is terrible and the buses get stuck in it.

On two occassions, it took us more than an hour to go between Saratoga Springs Resort and Port Orleans French Quarter.

Take the Magic Kingdom bus!

 

[gigi1313]

ooh, i too recommend avoiding the buses at dtd in the early evening... first time we went to HDDR we waited an HOUR for a bus to the campground (and none actually ever came, but a bus did pull up, going somewhere else and i talked him in to calling dispatch and begging to be re-routed to FW)... it was hot and awful and we were nearly late for HDDR (good thing i gave us plenty of time, although the plan had been to hang at crockett's for a drink or two beforehand)...

also, we learned from the bus driver that the white van across the street had a dispatcher SITTING IN IT the entire time we were waiting and she never sent a bus for us... had i known she was there, i'd have been knocking on her window!

 

[HappyDznyCamper]

Along the same lines- we are spending the day at Epcot. I thought by leaving Epcot at 4 and take the monorail back to MK and then the boat. I think by allowing an hour is plenty of time. Am I correct in that?

If you are at Epcot you can take a direct bus to FW. Then an internal bus to the Pioneer Hall/Settlement area.

 

[HappyDznyCamper]

we took a taxi from the dolphin (dropped off our car rental, waited 1/2 hour and no MK bus showed up so we had the valet hail us a cab) and it took us RIGHT to Pioneer Hall (well, about a 45 second walk away) but it wasn't cheap (i think it cost about $20)...

Ok, cool. I did not think they would allow a taxi that far into the campground, if you drive to FW(and are not staying there) you have to park out by the check in area so I assumed it would be the same for a taxi. Like I said a taxi would be fine getting there, but would be a bit tougher for going home.

 

[HappyDznyCamper]

I believe you may have your routes backwards. I think they give the preference to WL over FW, since it's a deluxe. If you're travelling in the direction of the flow of traffic (to the Magic Kingdom in the morning and back to the resorts in the evening), FW guests will always stop at WL first and WL guests will have direct service.

Like I said I may have had it backwards, but my thinking was that if it stopped at WL first in the AM then those guest would be sure to all get on and have a seat, if it were to stop at FW first there is a chance it would be full before getting to WL, but like I said Im not sure I just enjoy the ride.

 

[gigi1313]

jftr, going "home" (to a disney resort) from the HDDR is a piece of cake!! truly! both times we were there disney had half a dozen buses lined up right outside Pioneer Hall and each bus served a couple of resorts... it was very convenient and a pleasant surprise the first time!

 

[valleygirl]

Do they always have the busses to all the resorts leaving from Pioneer Hall after the HDD?

 

[betterlatethannever]

Do they always have the busses to all the resorts leaving from Pioneer Hall after the HDD?

"Always" is a tough word. If you are at a late HDDR, or MK has already closed, then yes there SHOULD be busses waiting.

Ed

 

[tiggger1]

"Always" is a tough word. If you are at a late HDDR, or MK has already closed, then yes there SHOULD be busses waiting.

Ed

Im not sure if that is a new thing or not but when I stayed at AKL, there were no external buses and we needed to take the internal bus to the settlement and the bus to Downtown Disney and then take a bus to AKL. It took us over an hour to get to the hotel...

this time we stayed at the fort, but I didnt see any buses but then again i wasnt looking for them...