Getting to Poly from Pop Century

[srobinet]

We have breakfast at 8:25 at Ohana's on 1/18/25. What time do the busses start running? Do I have enough time or should I plan on driving or taking Lyft?

 

[leebee]

According to the Disney website, buses from resorts to theme parks should start running 45 minutes before early entry. For 1/18, early entry is projected to be at 8:30, so the bus should run starting at 7:45. You'd need to take the bus to MK and then the resort monorail to the Polynesian. I'd think that would take about an hour (wait for the bus, drive time to MK, get from bus stop to monorail, wait for monorail, get to Poly and in to Ohana). For me, that would be cutting it pretty close, so I'd drive or Lyft/Uber.

 

[scrappinginontario]

I would highly recommend arriving at the Pop Skyliner by 7AM. It will likely start running around 7:30. You will be towards the front of the crowd and quickly be on your way when transportation starts. Take the Skyliner to DHS then you can take a bus directly to Poly. Buses at that time arrive/depart frequently as they are bringing guests from Poly to DHS.

We had an early Chef Mickey’s ADR 2 years ago and I was going to use bus and monorail but my then 12yo said, suggested the Skyliner and bus combo and it worked perfectly!! We had a bus with only one other family that took us from DHS to the resort and it worked perfectly!!

Skyliner + bus should work just fine as long as you can arrive at the Pop Skyliner early.

We made it easily to our early ADR and it was a pleasant ride getting there!!

 

[EACarlson]

I had the same thing a few years ago and took an Uber. If I had a car it would have been a no brainer to drive. No way would I count on Disney Transport to get me from Pop, through a park to Poly in less than an hour.

 

[Narcoossee11]

For me , to save sleep, time and worry, take a uber/lyft to POLY.

 

[srobinet]

I will most likely drive then. Is it pretty easy to get to Poly? By that I mean plenty of signs etc? I hate having to change lanes when the GPS decides to wait until last second to announce a turn,

 

[Ronaldo17]

I would take the bus to MK and monorail to the Poly.

 

[Mai Ku Tiki]

I will most likely drive then. Is it pretty easy to get to Poly? By that I mean plenty of signs etc? I hate having to change lanes when the GPS decides to wait until last second to announce a turn,

I'm the same when driving at WDW.
There is construction going on at Poly, including possibly roadwork/changes in roads & signs etc... Others may know more about that.
Also, PIT will be open then, so parking capacity may be affected???
Maybe scan the Poly threads for better info.

 

[leebee]

I never have trouble driving around WDW. I think the signage is pretty obvious and accurate, although it IS easier when there is someone riding shotgun, to spot the signs for me. I don't think the traffic will be of concern in January (but I learned to drive in the Boston area so a few cars never worry me!). If you drive, you'll have to move your vehicle after eating; you can't leave it in the Poly parking lot all day. If your plans are for MK, you'd have to park in the MK parking lot and take the monorail to MK. I don't mind this- think of the monorail as another attraction- but some folks find this to be a problem (buses drop you directly at MK entrance but if you drive/park your car, you have to go thru the TTC to get from the park to the MK parking lot). I think, overall, Uber/Lyft is the easiest transportation solution (although I'd drive, personal choice; where else do you get to ride a monorail?).

 

[Mikey15]

I will most likely drive then. Is it pretty easy to get to Poly? By that I mean plenty of signs etc? I hate having to change lanes when the GPS decides to wait until last second to announce a turn,

From Pop? Should be really easy. Honestly driving around Disney in general is easy as long as you know that the signs tell you “where” a road heads to rather than what the name of the road is.

From Pop to exit, turn right at the lights (lights at Victory Way). Straight at the next lights (CBR), then left at the following lights (Buena Vista Dr).

Buena Vista Drive is the east-west main drag running from Disney Springs towards Animal Kingdom, and it intersects with World Drive, which is the main north-south spine from 192 to Magic Kingdom. From Victory Way onto Buena Vista Dr, you have a light at Boardwalk, a light at Swan/Dolphin, and then a right turn for the onramp towards Magic Kingdom (World Dr).

World Drive is a divided highway, so you’ll merge left at the end of the ramp, and eventually you’ll want to get in the left half of the lanes to head towards Poly (Floridian Way) rather than the right half for the MK toll plaza. From Floridian way you’ll eventually turn right onto Seven Seas Dr and then left into the Polynesian. This part may be impacted by roadwork/construction.

There is an alternate way to get to World Dr from Pop by turning left onto Victory Way without going to Buena Vista Dr, but the on-ramp situation is a bit more confusing.

 

[elvispursley]

I would plan to take the skyliner to Poly from HS. Taking the bus to MK is also an option but you will need to go through security before getting in the monorail. Seems a lot easier to just catch the bus from HS.

 

[Skippyboo]

Skyliner usually has maintenance during January. They have not announced the dates yet so it’s not a guarantee that Skyliner will be running.

 

[Lewisc]

I would highly recommend arriving at the Pop Skyliner by 7AM. It will likely start running around 7:30.

It's a 10 minute drive to POLY. 30 minute wait for skyliner, take skyliner, wait for bus then take bus.
Allow an hour for Disney transportation


10 minutes vs an hour.

Why are posters suggesting skyliner TO DHS and buses to MK? Makes no sense

 

[Disneylover99]

I would highly recommend arriving at the Pop Skyliner by 7AM. It will likely start running around 7:30. You will be towards the front of the crowd and quickly be on your way when transportation starts. Take the Skyliner to DHS then you can take a bus directly to Poly. Buses at that time arrive/depart frequently as they are bringing guests from Poly to DHS.

We had an early Chef Mickey’s ADR 2 years ago and I was going to use bus and monorail but my then 12yo said, suggested the Skyliner and bus combo and it worked perfectly!! We had a bus with only one other family that took us from DHS to the resort and it worked perfectly!!

Skyliner + bus should work just fine as long as you can arrive at the Pop Skyliner early.

We made it easily to our early ADR and it was a pleasant ride getting there!!

The problem is, the buses that early in the morning, before the parks are even open, may not necessarily be heading back to the Poly. Buses are frequently dispatched differently before the parks are open because they’re not expecting guests will be heading back to a resort.

I’ve needed to return to my resort upon early arrival a few times because I forgot something important in my room. Both times, the bus I was on was going elsewhere once they dropped us off at the park, so I had to wait awhile.

 

[fla4fun]

From Pop? Should be really easy. Honestly driving around Disney in general is easy as long as you know that the signs tell you “where” a road heads to rather than what the name of the road is.

From Pop to exit, turn right at the lights (lights at Victory Way). Straight at the next lights (CBR), then left at the following lights (Buena Vista Dr).

Buena Vista Drive is the east-west main drag running from Disney Springs towards Animal Kingdom, and it intersects with World Drive, which is the main north-south spine from 192 to Magic Kingdom. From Victory Way onto Buena Vista Dr, you have a light at Boardwalk, a light at Swan/Dolphin, and then a right turn for the onramp towards Magic Kingdom (World Dr).

World Drive is a divided highway, so you’ll merge left at the end of the ramp, and eventually you’ll want to get in the left half of the lanes to head towards Poly (Floridian Way) rather than the right half for the MK toll plaza. From Floridian way you’ll eventually turn right onto Seven Seas Dr and then left into the Polynesian. This part may be impacted by roadwork/construction.

There is an alternate way to get to World Dr from Pop by turning left onto Victory Way without going to Buena Vista Dr, but the on-ramp situation is a bit more confusing.

OP, in case you need a visual on these directions, the first screenshot is from Pop to above Epcot Center Drive, and the second is World Drive above Epcot Center Drive to Poly.

 

[Mikey15]

OP, in case you need a visual on these directions, the first screenshot is from Pop to above Epcot Center Drive, and the second is World Drive above Epcot Center Drive to Poly.

View attachment 913785View attachment 913787

Thank you!

I will say that last photo routes you up World Dr instead of Floridian Way, to turn left onto Seven Seas Dr and then right into Poly. This should avoid any of the ongoing Floridian Way construction near the Poly entrance and the future new Poly entrance construction. But it takes you directly by the “MK” (TTC) rideshare / dropoff / pickup loop on Seven Seas Dr. I don’t know how busy that gets at 8 when you’re just trying to make it past to get to an ADR.

 

[Skippyboo]

It's a 10 minute drive to POLY. 30 minute wait for skyliner, take skyliner, wait for bus then take bus.
Allow an hour for Disney transportation


10 minutes vs an hour.

Why are posters suggesting skyliner TO DHS and buses to MK? Makes no sense

It depends on what you’re doing afterwards, you can’t leave your car at Poly and go to the parks.

 

[Disneylover99]

It depends on what you’re doing afterwards, you can’t leave your car at Poly and go to the parks.

I think that post is more in reference to taking the Skyliner route which would take much longer given the wait for the Skyliner, the transfer to HS, and the unpredictable nature of waiting for a bus at HS to get you to the Poly.

Either drive or take the bus from Pop to the MK and monorail to the Poly.

If the plan is to hop to the MK after breakfast, and you want to drive, park at the TTC and walk to the Poly.

 

[fla4fun]

Thank you!

I will say that last photo routes you up World Dr instead of Floridian Way, to turn left onto Seven Seas Dr and then right into Poly. This should avoid any of the ongoing Floridian Way construction near the Poly entrance and the future new Poly entrance construction. But it takes you directly by the “MK” (TTC) rideshare / dropoff / pickup loop on Seven Seas Dr. I don’t know how busy that gets at 8 when you’re just trying to make it past to get to an ADR.

Here is another visual. The rideshare pickup and drop off is circled in yellow, and the Poly entrance circled in blue. The lot is large enough that it should not cause huge backups onto Seven Seas. This also shows where you are likely to be dropped off if you take an Uber or Lyft and they do not allow you in to the Poly for drop off, which can happen early in the morning (having a reservation should help, but they can be very strict during the morning hours when the parks are getting ready to open). You can walk from the drop off across the TTC to Poly if necessary, but you would want to allow time for that.